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2 Chronicles 28

KJV · Chapter 28/36

1Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem: but he did not that which was right in the sight of the Lord, like David his father:

2For he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and made also molten images for Baalim.

3Moreover he burnt incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burnt his children in the fire, after the abominations of the heathen whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel.

4He sacrificed also and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree.

5Wherefore the Lord his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria; and they smote him, and carried away a great multitude of them captives, and brought them to Damascus. And he was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who smote him with a great slaughter.

6For Pekah the son of Remaliah slew in Judah an hundred and twenty thousand in one day, which were all valiant men; because they had forsaken the Lord God of their fathers.

7And Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim, slew Maaseiah the king’s son, and Azrikam the governor of the house, and Elkanah that was next to the king.

8And the children of Israel carried away captive of their brethren two hundred thousand, women, sons, and daughters, and took also away much spoil from them, and brought the spoil to Samaria.

9But a prophet of the Lord was there, whose name was Oded: and he went out before the host that came to Samaria, and said unto them, Behold, because the Lord God of your fathers was wroth with Judah, he hath delivered them into your hand, and ye have slain them in a rage that reacheth up unto heaven.

10And now ye purpose to keep under the children of Judah and Jerusalem for bondmen and bondwomen unto you: but are there not with you, even with you, sins against the Lord your God?

11Now hear me therefore, and deliver the captives again, which ye have taken captive of your brethren: for the fierce wrath of the Lord is upon you.

12Then certain of the heads of the children of Ephraim, Azariah the son of Johanan, Berechiah the son of Meshillemoth, and Jehizkiah the son of Shallum, and Amasa the son of Hadlai, stood up against them that came from the war,

13And said unto them, Ye shall not bring in the captives hither: for whereas we have offended against the Lord already, ye intend to add more to our sins and to our trespass: for our trespass is great, and there is fierce wrath against Israel.

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

15And the men which were expressed by name rose up, and took the captives, and with the spoil clothed all that were naked among them, and arrayed them, and shod them, and gave them to eat and to drink, and anointed them, and carried all the feeble of them upon asses, and brought them to Jericho, the city of palm trees, to their brethren: then they returned to Samaria.

16At that time did king Ahaz send unto the kings of Assyria to help him.

17For again the Edomites had come and smitten Judah, and carried away captives.

18The Philistines also had invaded the cities of the low country, and of the south of Judah, and had taken Beth–shemesh, and Ajalon, and Gederoth, and Shocho with the villages thereof, and Timnah with the villages thereof, Gimzo also and the villages thereof: and they dwelt there.

19For the Lord brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel; for he made Judah naked, and transgressed sore against the Lord.

20And Tilgath–pilneser king of Assyria came unto him, and distressed him, but strengthened him not.

21For Ahaz took away a portion out of the house of the Lord, and out of the house of the king, and of the princes, and gave it unto the king of Assyria: but he helped him not.

22And in the time of his distress did he trespass yet more against the Lord: this is that king Ahaz.

23For he sacrificed unto the gods of Damascus, which smote him: and he said, Because the gods of the kings of Syria help them, therefore will I sacrifice to them, that they may help me. But they were the ruin of him, and of all Israel.

24And Ahaz gathered together the vessels of the house of God, and cut in pieces the vessels of the house of God, and shut up the doors of the house of the Lord, and he made him altars in every corner of Jerusalem.

25And in every several city of Judah he made high places to burn incense unto other gods, and provoked to anger the Lord God of his fathers.

26Now the rest of his acts and of all his ways, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.

27And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, even in Jerusalem: but they brought him not into the sepulchres of the kings of Israel: and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead.

📖 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 Chronicles 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 Chronicles 28:2Ahaz follows the ways of the kings of Israel and even makes cast images for the worship of the Baals.
  3. 2 Chronicles 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 Chronicles 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 Chronicles 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 Chronicles 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 Chronicles 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 Chronicles 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 Chronicles 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 Chronicles 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 Chronicles 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 Chronicles 28:12Some leaders of Ephraim — Azariah, Berechiah, Jehizkiah, and Amasa — stand up to confront the soldiers returning victorious from battle.
  13. 2 Chronicles 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 Chronicles 28:14In response to this appeal, the armed soldiers leave the prisoners and the plunder before the leaders and the whole assembly.
  15. 2 Chronicles 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 Chronicles 28:16During this same period, King Ahaz appeals directly to the kings of Assyria, seeking outside military support.
  17. 2 Chronicles 28:17At the same time, the Edomites attack Judah and also carry off prisoners.
  18. 2 Chronicles 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 Chronicles 28:19The Chronicler explains this string of defeats as humiliation sent directly by the Lord, because of Ahaz’s extreme unfaithfulness.
  20. 2 Chronicles 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 Chronicles 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 Chronicles 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 Chronicles 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 Chronicles 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 Chronicles 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 Chronicles 28:26The rest of Ahaz’s acts and ways are recorded in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.
  27. 2 Chronicles 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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