Ahaz (2 Kings 15:38; 2 Kings 16:1–4; 2 Kings 16:5–9; 2 Kings 16:10–18; 2 Kings 16:19–20; 2 Kings 20:11; 2 Kings 23:12; 2 Chronicles 28:1–4; 2 Chronicles 28:5–15; 2 Chronicles 28:16–21; 2 Chronicles 28:22–25; 2 Chronicles 28:26–27; 2 Chronicles 29:19; Isaiah 7:1–9; Isaiah 7:10–17; Isaiah 14:28; Isaiah 38:8; Matthew 1:9)

King of Judah, son of Jotham, father of Hezekiah

Son of Jotham, king of Judah at twenty years old, who made his son pass through the fire, refused the sign the LORD offered him, sent the treasure of the LORD's house to the king of Assyria, had an altar built after the pattern of one at Damascus, and shut the doors of the house of the LORD.

“Twenty years old was Ahaz when he began to reign; and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem: and he did not that which was right in the eyes of Jehovah his God, like David his father. But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yea, and made his son to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the nations” (2 Kings 16:2-3). Chronicles adds that he made “molten images for the Baalim” (2 Chronicles 28:2) and “burnt his children in the fire” (2 Chronicles 28:3).

Rezin king of Syria and Pekah king of Israel came up against Jerusalem, and “they besieged Ahaz, but could not overcome him” (2 Kings 16:5). When the LORD offered him a sign, Ahaz answered, “I will not ask, neither will I tempt Jehovah” (Isaiah 7:12). He sent messengers to the king of Assyria, “I am thy servant and thy son: come up, and save me” (2 Kings 16:7), and sent silver and gold from the house of the LORD as a present; Chronicles says of what he gave, “it helped him not” (2 Chronicles 28:21). At Damascus he saw an altar and had Urijah the priest build one like it in Jerusalem (2 Kings 16:10-11).

“And in the time of his distress did he trespass yet more against Jehovah, this same king Ahaz” (2 Chronicles 28:22). He sacrificed to the gods of Damascus, cut in pieces the vessels of the house of God, and shut up its doors. “And Ahaz slept with his fathers” (2 Kings 16:20), and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead (2 Kings 16:20). Later passages still speak of the “dial of Ahaz” (2 Kings 20:11) and “the altars that were on the roof of the upper chamber of Ahaz” (2 Kings 23:12). The New Testament names him once, in the line of the kings: “Jotham begat Ahaz; and Ahaz begat Hezekiah” (Matthew 1:9).

Weaknesses

• Walked in the way of the kings of Israel
• Made his son to pass through the fire
• Would not ask a sign of the LORD
• Gave the treasure of the house of the LORD to the king of Assyria
• Trespassed yet more in the time of his distress
• Sacrificed to the gods of Damascus
• Shut up the doors of the house of the LORD

Themes

• Evil in the eyes of the LORD
• Fear before Syria and Israel
• Help sought from Assyria
• Altars and gods of other nations
• The house of the LORD shut up

Begins to reign, and does evil (2 Kings 15:38; 2 Kings 16:1–4; 2 Chronicles 28:1–4)

Ahaz begins to reign at twenty, does not what is right, walks in the way of Israel's kings, makes his son pass through the fire, and sacrifices in the high places.

Begins to reign, and does evil

When Jotham died, “Ahaz his son reigned in his stead” (2 Kings 15:38). “Twenty years old was Ahaz when he began to reign; and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem: and he did not that which was right in the eyes of Jehovah his God, like David his father” (2 Kings 16:2).

“But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yea, and made his son to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the nations, whom Jehovah cast out from before the children of Israel” (2 Kings 16:3). Chronicles tells it in other words: “Moreover he burnt incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burnt his children in the fire” (2 Chronicles 28:3). Scripture states no reason for it.

“And he sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree” (2 Kings 16:4), and he “made also molten images for the Baalim” (2 Chronicles 28:2).

Rezin and Pekah come against Jerusalem (2 Kings 16:5–6; 2 Chronicles 28:5–15)

Rezin king of Syria and Pekah king of Israel come up to Jerusalem and besiege Ahaz but cannot overcome him; Chronicles says the LORD delivered him into their hand, and Judah's captives are sent back at the word of Oded the prophet.

Isaiah is sent to meet him (Isaiah 7:1–9)

The LORD sends Isaiah to Ahaz at the end of the conduit of the upper pool, with word that the purpose of Syria and Ephraim against Judah will not stand.

The sign offered and refused (Isaiah 7:10–17)

The LORD speaks again to Ahaz and bids him ask a sign; Ahaz will not ask, and the answer that follows is addressed to the house of David.

The sign offered and refused

“And Jehovah spake again unto Ahaz, saying, Ask thee a sign of Jehovah thy God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above” (Isaiah 7:10-11). “But Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt Jehovah” (Isaiah 7:12).

“And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David: Is it a small thing for you to weary men, that ye will weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:13-14).

The word closes with a warning to Ahaz: “Jehovah will bring upon thee, and upon thy people, and upon thy father’s house, days that have not come, from the day that Ephraim departed from Judah—even the king of Assyria” (Isaiah 7:17). Isaiah 7 records no further word from Ahaz.

Sends to the king of Assyria (2 Kings 16:7–9)

Ahaz sends messengers to Tiglath-pileser asking to be saved, sends silver and gold from the house of the LORD as a present, and Assyria takes Damascus and slays Rezin.

Sends to the king of Assyria

“So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, saying, I am thy servant and thy son: come up, and save me out of the hand of the king of Syria, and out of the hand of the king of Israel, who rise up against me” (2 Kings 16:7).

“And Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the house of Jehovah, and in the treasures of the king’s house, and sent it for a present to the king of Assyria. And the king of Assyria hearkened unto him; and the king of Assyria went up against Damascus, and took it, and carried the people of it captive to Kir, and slew Rezin” (2 Kings 16:8-9).

Judah brought low (2 Chronicles 28:16–21)

Edomites and Philistines strike Judah; the king of Assyria comes to Ahaz and distresses him but does not strengthen him, and what Ahaz took from the house of the LORD does not help him.

The altar from Damascus (2 Kings 16:10–18)

Ahaz goes to Damascus, sees an altar, sends its pattern to Urijah the priest, who builds one; Ahaz offers on it, sets the brazen altar aside, removes the laver and the sea, and turns the covered way for the sabbath because of the king of Assyria.

The altar from Damascus

“And king Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, and saw the altar that was at Damascus; and king Ahaz sent to Urijah the priest the fashion of the altar, and the pattern of it, according to all the workmanship thereof” (2 Kings 16:10). “And Urijah the priest built an altar” (2 Kings 16:11) before the king returned (2 Kings 16:11), and when the king came, “the king drew near unto the altar, and offered thereon” (2 Kings 16:12).

The brazen altar “which was before Jehovah” (2 Kings 16:14) he moved to the north side of his own (2 Kings 16:14). He commanded Urijah to burn the offerings on the great altar, “but the brazen altar shall be for me to inquire by” (2 Kings 16:15). “Thus did Urijah the priest, according to all that king Ahaz commanded” (2 Kings 16:16).

He also cut off the panels of the bases and removed the laver, and took down the sea from the brazen oxen (2 Kings 16:17). “And the covered way for the sabbath that they had built in the house, and the king’s entry without, turned he unto the house of Jehovah, because of the king of Assyria” (2 Kings 16:18).

Sacrifices to the gods of Damascus, and shuts the house (2 Chronicles 28:22–25)

In his distress Ahaz trespasses yet more, sacrifices to the gods of Damascus, cuts in pieces the vessels of the house of God, shuts its doors, and makes altars and high places throughout Judah.

Sacrifices to the gods of Damascus, and shuts the house

“And in the time of his distress did he trespass yet more against Jehovah, this same king Ahaz. For he sacrificed unto the gods of Damascus, which smote him; and he said, Because the gods of the kings of Syria helped them, therefore will I sacrifice to them, that they may help me. But they were the ruin of him, and of all Israel” (2 Chronicles 28:22-23).

“And 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 Jehovah; and he made him altars in every corner of Jerusalem. And in every city of Judah he made high places to burn incense unto other gods, and provoked to anger Jehovah, the God of his fathers” (2 Chronicles 28:24-25).

Death, and what is said after (2 Kings 16:19–20; 2 Chronicles 28:26–27; Isaiah 14:28; 2 Chronicles 29:19; 2 Kings 20:11; 2 Kings 23:12)

Ahaz sleeps with his fathers and is buried in Jerusalem, but not in the sepulchres of the kings, and Hezekiah his son reigns; later passages recall the vessels he cast away, his dial, and the altars on his upper chamber.

Jotham (2 Kings 15:38; 2 Kings 16:1)

His father, king of Judah, in whose stead Ahaz reigned.

Hezekiah (2 Kings 16:20; 2 Chronicles 28:27)

His son, who reigned in his stead.

David (2 Kings 16:2; 2 Chronicles 28:1)

Ahaz did not what was right in the eyes of the LORD, like David his father.

Pekah (2 Kings 16:5; 2 Chronicles 28:6; Isaiah 7:1)

King of Israel, who with Rezin came up to Jerusalem against Ahaz, and in Chronicles slew a hundred and twenty thousand in Judah in one day.

Rezin (2 Kings 16:5; 2 Kings 16:9)

King of Syria, who came up with Pekah to besiege Ahaz and was slain when Assyria took Damascus.

Isaiah (Isaiah 7:3–4)

Sent by the LORD to meet Ahaz at the conduit of the upper pool and bid him take heed, and be quiet, and fear not.

The LORD (Isaiah 7:10–11; 2 Chronicles 28:5)

Spoke again to Ahaz, bidding him ask a sign; Chronicles says the LORD brought Judah low and delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria.

Tiglath-pileser (2 Kings 16:7–10; 2 Chronicles 28:20)

King of Assyria, to whom Ahaz sent, calling himself his servant and his son; Ahaz went to meet him at Damascus, and he distressed Ahaz but strengthened him not.

Urijah (2 Kings 16:10–16)

The priest who built the altar to the pattern sent from Damascus and did all that king Ahaz commanded.

Major sections

• 2 Kings 15:38–16:20
• 2 Chronicles 27:9–28:27
• Isaiah 7:1–17

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