2 Kings 16:2-12

2 Ahaz was of twenty years, when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem; he did not that, that was pleasant in the sight of his Lord God, as David, his father, did (he did not do what was pleasing before the Lord his God, as his forefather David did),
3 but he went in the way of the kings of Israel. Furthermore and he hallowed his son, and bare, or drew him, through the fire, after the idols of heathen men, which the Lord destroyed before the sons of Israel. (but he went in the way of the kings of Israel. And furthermore, he offered his own son in the fire, as a sacrifice to the idols of the heathen, whom the Lord had destroyed before the Israelites.)
4 And he offered sacrifices, and burnt incense in (the) high places, and in (the) hills, and under each tree full of boughs. (And he offered sacrifices, and burned incense at the hill shrines, and on the hills, and under each tree full of boughs.)
5 Then Rezin, king of Syria, and Pekah, son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up into Jerusalem to fight with Ahaz; and when they besieged Ahaz, they might not overcome him (but when they besieged Ahaz, they could not overcome him).
6 In that time Rezin, king of Syria, restored Elath to Syria, and casted out the Jews from Elath; and Idumeans and men of Syria came into Elath, and dwelled there till into this day. (At that time Rezin, the king of Syria, restored Elath to Syria, and cast out the Jews from Elath; and the Edomites and the Syrians came into Elath, and live there unto this day.)
7 Forsooth Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglathpileser, king of Assyrians, and said, I am thy servant and thy son; go thou up (come thou up), and make me safe from the hand of the king of Syria, and from the hand of the king of Israel, that have risen (up) together against me.
8 And when Ahaz had gathered together silver and gold, that might be found in the house of the Lord, and in the treasures of the king, he sent (it as) gifts to the king of Assyrians; (And when Ahaz had gathered together the silver and gold, that could be found in the House of the Lord, and in the treasuries of the palace, he sent it as gifts to the king of Assyria;)
9 and he assented to his will. Soothly the king of Assyrians went up into Damascus, and wasted it, and translated the dwellers thereof to Kir (and carried away all of its inhabitants to Kir); soothly he killed Rezin.
10 And king Ahaz went into meeting to Tiglathpileser, king of Assyrians; and when king Ahaz had seen the altar of Damascus, he sent into Jerusalem to Urijah, the priest, the exemplar and [the] likeness thereof, by all the work thereof. (And King Ahaz went to meet Tiglathpileser, the king of Assyria; and when King Ahaz had seen the altar of Damascus, he sent back to Jerusalem an exact description and a model of it, to Urijah the priest.)
11 And (then) Urijah, the priest, builded an altar by all things that king Ahaz had commanded from Damascus; so did the priest Urijah, till king Ahaz came from Damascus (so did Urijah the priest, until King Ahaz came back from Damascus).
12 And when the king came from Damascus, he saw the altar, and worshipped (on) it;

2 Kings 16:2-12 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.

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.