2 Chronicles 28:5-21

Judah Defeated

5 ¹Therefore the LORD his God gave him into the hand of the king of Syria, who defeated him and took captive a great number of his people and brought them to Damascus. He was also given into the hand of the king of Israel, who struck him with great force.

6 For ²Pekah the son of Remaliah killed 120,000 from Judah in one day, all of them men of valor, because they had forsaken the LORD, the God of their fathers.

7 And Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim, killed Maaseiah the king's son and Azrikam the commander of the palace and Elkanah the next in authority to the king.

8 The men of Israel took captive 200,000 ³of their relatives, women, sons, and daughters. They also took much spoil from them and brought the spoil to Samaria.

9 But a prophet of the LORD was there, whose name was Oded, and he went out to meet the army that came to Samaria and said to them, "Behold, because the LORD, the God of your fathers, ⁴was angry with Judah, he gave them into your hand, but you have killed them in a rage ⁵that has reached up to heaven.

10 And now you intend to subjugate the people of Judah and Jerusalem, male and female, as your slaves. Have you not sins of your own against the LORD your God?

11 Now hear me, and send back the captives ⁶from your relatives whom you have taken, for the fierce wrath of the LORD is upon you."

12 Certain chiefs also of the men of Ephraim, Azariah the son of Johanan, Berechiah the son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah the son of Shallum, and Amasa the son of Hadlai, stood up against those who were coming from the war

13 and said to them, "You shall not bring the captives in here, for you propose to bring upon us guilt against the LORD in addition to our present sins and guilt. For our guilt is already great, and there is fierce wrath against Israel."

14 So the armed men left the captives and the spoil before the princes and all the assembly.

15 And ⁷the men who have been mentioned by name rose and took the captives, and with the spoil they clothed all who were naked among them. They clothed them, gave them sandals, ⁸provided them with food and drink, and anointed them, and carrying all the feeble among them on donkeys, they brought them to their kinsfolk at Jericho, ⁹the city of palm trees. Then they returned to Samaria.

16 ¹⁰At that time King Ahaz sent to the king^[a] of Assyria for help.

17 For the Edomites had again invaded and defeated Judah and carried away captives.

18 ¹¹And the Philistines had made raids on ¹²the cities in the Shephelah and the Negeb of Judah, and had taken Beth-shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, Soco ¹³with its villages, Timnah with its villages, and Gimzo with its villages. And they settled there.

19 For the LORD humbled Judah because of Ahaz king of Israel, for he had made ¹⁴Judah act sinfully^[b] and had been very unfaithful to the LORD.

20 So ¹⁵Tiglath-pileser^[c] king of Assyria came against him and afflicted him instead of strengthening him.

21 ¹⁶For Ahaz took a portion from the house of the LORD and the house of the king and of the princes, and gave tribute to the king of Assyria, but it did not help him.

2 Chronicles 28:5-21 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO 2 CHRONICLES 28

This chapter contains the reign of Ahaz, and gives an account of the idolatry he was guilty of, 2Ch 28:1-4, what calamities came upon him and his people, being delivered up into the hands of the kings of Syria and Israel, who slew many, and carried others captives, 2Ch 28:5-8, though they that were taken captive by Israel, at the admonition of a prophet, were sent back again, 2Ch 28:9-15, how also he was distressed by the Edomites and Philistines, and not helped by the king of Assyria, he sent for and made presents to, 2Ch 28:16-21 and yet went into more and greater idolatries, 2Ch 28:22-25, and the chapter is concluded with his death and burial, 2Ch 28:26,27.

These verses are much the same with 2Ki 16:2-4, only in 2Ch 28:2 it is said,

\\he made also molten images for Baalim\\; the several Baals or idols of the nations round about, as well as served Jeroboam's calves; see Jud 2:11, and he is said in 2Ch 28:3,

\\to burn incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom\\; to Molech, the god of the Ammonites, who was worshipped there. \\See Gill on "2Ki 16:2"\\ \\See Gill on "2Ki 16:3"\\ \\See Gill on "2Ki 16:4"\\ 19724-950128-0841-2Ch28.2

Cross References

• 1. Isaiah 7:1; [2 Kings 16:5, 6]
• 2. 2 Kings 15:27; 2 Kings 16:5
• 3. 2 Chronicles 11:4
• 4. Isaiah 47:6; Ezekiel 25:12, 15; Ezekiel 26:2
• 5. Ezra 9:6; Revelation 18:5
• 6. [See ver. 8 above]
• 7. ver. 12; [2 Chronicles 31:19; Numbers 1:17]
• 8. 2 Kings 6:22; Proverbs 25:21, 22; Romans 12:20
• 9. Deuteronomy 34:3; Judges 1:16
• 10. [2 Kings 16:7, 8]
• 11. [Ezekiel 16:27, 57]
• 12. See Joshua 15:33-36
• 13. [Numbers 21:25]
• 14. See 2 Chronicles 21:2
• 15. [2 Kings 15:29; 2 Kings 16:7]
• 16. 2 Kings 16:8, 9

Footnotes

• [a]. Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate (compare 2 Kings 16:7); Hebrew kings
• [b]. Or wildly
• [c]. Hebrew Tilgath-pilneser