2 Crônicas 28

ARC · Chapter 28/36

1Tinha Achaz vinte annos d'edade, quando começou a reinar, e dezeseis annos reinou em Jerusalem: e não fez o que era recto aos olhos do Senhor, como David seu pae.

2Antes andou nos caminhos dos reis d'Israel, e, de mais d'isto, fez imagens fundidas a Baalim.

3Tambem queimou incenso no valle do filho d'Hinnom, e queimou a seus filhos no fogo, conforme ás abominações dos gentios que o Senhor tinha desterrado de diante dos filhos d'Israel.

4Tambem sacrificou, e queimou incenso nos altos e nos outeiros, como tambem debaixo de toda a arvore verde.

5Pelo que o Senhor seu Deus o entregou na mão do rei dos syros, os quaes o feriram, e levaram d'elle em captiveiro uma grande multidão de presos, que trouxeram a Damasco: tambem foi entregue na mão do rei d'Israel, o qual o feriu de grande ferida.

6Porque Peka, filho de Remalias, matou n'um dia em Judah cento e vinte mil, todos homens bellicosos; porquanto deixaram ao Senhor, Deus de seus paes.

7E Zichri, varão potente de Ephraim, matou a Maasias, filho do rei, e a Azrikam, o mordomo, e a Elkana, o segundo depois do rei.

8E os filhos d'Israel levaram presos de seus irmãos duzentos mil, mulheres, filhos e filhas: e saquearam tambem d'elles grande despojo, e trouxeram o despojo para Samaria.

9E estava ali um propheta do Senhor, cujo nome era Oded, o qual saiu ao encontro do exercito que vinha para Samaria, e lhe disse: Eis que, irando-se o Senhor Deus de vossos paes contra Judah, os entregou na vossa mão, e vós os matastes com uma raiva tal, que chegou até aos céus.

10E agora vós cuidaes em sujeitar a vós os filhos de Judah e Jerusalem, como captivos e captivas: porventura não sois vós mesmos aquelles entre os quaes ha culpas contra o Senhor vosso Deus?

11Agora pois ouvi-me, e tornae a enviar os prisioneiros que trouxestes presos de vossos irmãos; porque o ardor da ira do Senhor está sobre vós.

12Então se levantaram alguns homens d'entre os chefes dos filhos d'Ephraim; Azarias, filho de Johanan, Berechias, filho de Mesillemoth, e Jehizkias filho de Sallum, e Amasa, filho de Hadlai, contra os que voltavam da batalha.

13E lhes disseram: Não fareis entrar aqui estes presos, porque, em relação á nossa culpa contra o Senhor, vós intentaes accrescentar mais a nossos peccados e a nossas culpas, sendo que já temos tanta culpa, e já o ardor da ira está sobre Israel.

14Então os homens armados deixaram os presos e o despojo diante dos maioraes e de toda a congregação.

15E os homens que foram apontados por seus nomes se levantaram, e tomaram os presos, e vestiram do despojo a todos os que d'entre elles estavam nús; e os vestiram, e os calçaram, e lhes deram de comer e de beber, e os ungiram, e a todos os que estavam fracos levaram sobre jumentos, e os trouxeram a Jericó, á cidade das palmeiras, a seus irmãos: depois voltaram para Samaria.

16N'aquelle tempo o rei Achaz enviou aos reis d'Assyria, a pedir que o ajudassem.

17De mais d'isto tambem os idumeos vieram, e feriram a Judah, e levaram presos em captiveiro.

18Tambem os philisteos deram sobre as cidades da campina e do sul de Judah, e tomaram a Beth-semes, e Aijalon, e a Gederot e a Socoh, e os logares da sua jurisdicção, e a Thimna, e os logares da sua jurisdicção, e a Gimzo, e os logares da sua jurisdicção: e habitaram ali.

19Porque o Senhor humilhou a Judah por causa d'Achaz, rei d'Israel; porque abandonou a Judah, que de todo se dera a prevaricar contra o Senhor.

20E veiu a elle Tilgath-pilneser, rei d'Assyria; porém o poz em aberto, e não o corroborou.

21Porque Achaz tomou uma porção da casa do Senhor, e da casa do rei, e dos principes, e a deu ao rei d'Assyria; porém não o ajudou.

22E ao tempo em que este o apertou, então ainda mais transgrediu contra o Senhor, tal era o rei Achaz.

23Porque sacrificou aos deuses de Damasco, que o feriram, e disse: Visto que os deuses dos reis da Syria os ajudam, eu lhes sacrificarei, para que me ajudem a mim. Porém elles foram a sua ruina, e de todo o Israel.

24E ajuntou Achaz os vasos da casa do Senhor, e fez em pedaços os vasos da casa de Deus, e fechou as portas da casa do Senhor, e fez para si altares em todos os cantos de Jerusalem.

25Tambem em cada cidade de Judah fez altos para queimar incenso a outros deuses: assim provocou á ira o Senhor, Deus de seus paes.

26O resto pois de seus successos e de todos os seus caminhos, tanto os primeiros como os derradeiros, eis que está escripto no livro dos reis de Judah e de Israel.

27E dormiu Achaz com seus paes, e o sepultaram na cidade, em Jerusalem, porém não o pozeram nos sepulchros dos reis de Israel: e Ezequias, seu filho, reinou em seu logar.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

Ahaz becomes one of the most wicked kings of Judah, practicing extreme idolatry, including sacrificing his own children in fire. As a consequence, Judah suffers humiliating defeats against Israel, Syria, and other neighboring peoples, and Ahaz, desperate, seeks help from Assyria, but this only deepens his dependence and apostasy.

Explanation

Ahaz represents one of the lowest points in Judah's spiritual history before the exile, going to the terrible extreme of sacrificing his own children in pagan rituals, a practice expressly condemned by the law of Moses as one of the worst possible abominations. Faced with multiple humiliating military defeats, instead of turning to God in repentance, he increasingly seeks out alliances and foreign gods, including asking the powerful Assyrian empire for help, which ends up becoming more of an oppressive burden than a true ally. A remarkable moment of grace amid so much darkness is the intervention of the prophet Oded, who convinces leaders of the northern kingdom to free the captured Judean prisoners of war, treating them with compassion instead of enslaving them — showing that even in a time of conflict between the brother kingdoms, there was room for isolated acts of mercy.

Fun facts

  • Ahaz's act of completely shutting the doors of the temple and building pagan altars throughout Jerusalem represents the most extreme level of institutional rejection of true worship recorded among the kings of Judah before the final exile.
  • The intervention of the prophet Oded, convincing victorious Israelite soldiers to free and compassionately care for captured Judean prisoners, is one of the rare moments of humanity and elevated ethics displayed during the often hostile conflict between the two divided kingdoms.

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. 2 Crônicas 28:1Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, governed sixteen years in Jerusalem, and the Chronicler warns right away: he did not do what was right, unlike David.
  2. 2 Crônicas 28:2Ahaz follows the ways of the kings of Israel and even makes cast images for the worship of the Baals.
  3. 2 Crônicas 28:3Ahaz goes so far as to burn his own children in the fire, a sacrifice adopted from the Canaanite cults of the region, a practice the law of Moses expressly forbade. It is one of the most serious acts attributed to any king of Judah in the whole book.
  4. 2 Crônicas 28:4In addition, Ahaz offers sacrifices and burns incense on the high places and hills, and even under every leafy tree — idolatrous practices spread throughout the kingdom.
  5. 2 Crônicas 28:5Because of this unfaithfulness, God hands Ahaz over to the king of Syria, who defeats him and carries off many captives to Damascus, and also to the king of Israel, who deals him a heavy defeat.
  6. 2 Crônicas 28:6Pekah, king of Israel, kills a hundred twenty thousand men of Judah in a single day, because they had forsaken the Lord, the God of their ancestors.
  7. 2 Crônicas 28:7Zichri, a mighty warrior from Ephraim, kills Maaseiah, the king’s son, along with Azrikam, the officer over the palace, and Elkanah, the second in command after the king.
  8. 2 Crônicas 28:8The army of Israel carries off two hundred thousand captives from Judah — women, sons, and daughters — besides plundering a large amount of goods taken to Samaria.
  9. 2 Crônicas 28:9A prophet named Oded goes out to meet the victorious army and warns them: God allowed this defeat out of anger against Judah, but the fury with which they killed went too far, reaching “up to heaven.”
  10. 2 Crônicas 28:10Oded questions the army’s intention to enslave the captives from Judah, reminding them that Israel itself also carries guilt before the Lord.
  11. 2 Crônicas 28:11Oded urges them to send the prisoners back, because the fierce wrath of the Lord rests precisely on those who captured them.
  12. 2 Crônicas 28:12Some leaders of Ephraim — Azariah, Berechiah, Jehizkiah, and Amasa — stand up to confront the soldiers returning victorious from battle.
  13. 2 Crônicas 28:13These leaders insist that the prisoners must not be brought in, because doing so would only add to the guilt Israel already carries before the Lord.
  14. 2 Crônicas 28:14In response to this appeal, the armed soldiers leave the prisoners and the plunder before the leaders and the whole assembly.
  15. 2 Crônicas 28:15After defeating Judah and taking prisoners, the army of Israel is confronted by a prophet named Oded, and ends up not only releasing the captives but clothing, feeding, and caring for them before sending them back home. It is a rare moment of compassion coming precisely from the northern kingdom, usually described as unfaithful.
  16. 2 Crônicas 28:16During this same period, King Ahaz appeals directly to the kings of Assyria, seeking outside military support.
  17. 2 Crônicas 28:17At the same time, the Edomites attack Judah and also carry off prisoners.
  18. 2 Crônicas 28:18The Philistines take advantage of Judah’s weakness and seize cities in the lowland and the south, such as Beth-shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, Soco, and Timnah, settling in them.
  19. 2 Crônicas 28:19The Chronicler explains this string of defeats as humiliation sent directly by the Lord, because of Ahaz’s extreme unfaithfulness.
  20. 2 Crônicas 28:20Ahaz asks the king of Assyria for help against his enemies, but instead of relief he receives pressure: the text says the Assyrian king “distressed him, but strengthened him not.” The alliance that seemed like a solution becomes just one more problem.
  21. 2 Crônicas 28:21Ahaz even strips wealth from the temple, the palace, and the officials to pay the king of Assyria, but it brings him no help at all.
  22. 2 Crônicas 28:22Even under pressure and distress, Ahaz only grows worse, sinning still more against the Lord — that is how the text sums up his character.
  23. 2 Crônicas 28:23Ahaz goes so far as to sacrifice to the gods of Damascus, reasoning that since they helped the Syrians, they will help him too — but they only contribute to his ruin and the ruin of all Israel.
  24. 2 Crônicas 28:24Ahaz gathers up the vessels of the temple, breaks them in pieces, shuts the doors of the temple, and builds idolatrous altars all over Jerusalem.
  25. 2 Crônicas 28:25In every city of Judah, Ahaz builds high places to burn incense to other gods, provoking the Lord’s anger still further.
  26. 2 Crônicas 28:26The rest of Ahaz’s acts and ways are recorded in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.
  27. 2 Crônicas 28:27Ahaz dies and is buried in Jerusalem, but outside the tombs reserved for the kings; his son Hezekiah takes the throne, opening one of the most important chapters in the book.

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