2 Kings 16:1-7

Ahaz rules Judah

1 Ahaz, Jotham's son, became king of Judah in the seventeenth year of Pekah, Remaliah's son.

2 Ahaz was 20 years old when he became king, and he ruled for sixteen years in Jerusalem. He didn't do what was right in the LORD's eyes, unlike his ancestor David.

3 Instead, he walked in the ways of Israel's kings. He even burned his own son alive, imitating the detestable practices of the nations that the LORD had driven out before the Israelites.

4 He also sacrificed and burned incense at the shrines on every hill and beneath every shady tree.

5 Then Aram's King Rezin and Israel's King Pekah, Remaliah's son, came up to Jerusalem to fight. They surrounded Ahaz, but they weren't able to defeat him.

6 At that time Aram's King Rezin recovered Elath for the Arameans, driving the Judeans out of Elath. The Edomites came to Elath and settled there, and that's still the case now.

7 Ahaz sent messengers to Assyria's King Tiglath-pileser, saying, "I'm your servant and your son. Come up and save me from the power of the kings of Aram and Israel. Both of them are attacking me!"

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2 Kings 16:1-7 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO 2 KINGS 16

This chapter contains the reign of Ahaz only, relates his idolatry, 2Ki 16:1-4 his hiring the king of Assyria with the treasure of the temple, and his own, to assist him against the kings of Israel and Syria, who besieged him, 2Ki 16:5-9, his seeing the altar of an idol at Damascus, the fashion of which he took, and ordered one like it to be built at Jerusalem, 2Ki 16:10-16, his defacing and removing some things in the temple, 2Ki 16:17,18, and the chapter is concluded with his death and burial, 2Ki 16:19,20.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Footnotes 1

[a]. Qere; Kethib Arameans

2 Kings 16:1-7

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Ahaz rules Judah

2 Kings 16:1-7 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO 2 KINGS 16

Footnotes 1