2 Chronicles 28:20 Komentář

This chapter is the history of the reign of Ahaz the son of Jotham; a bad reign it was, and which helped to augment the fierce anger of the Lord. We have here, I. His great wickedness (Ch2 28:1-4). II. The trouble he brought himself into by it (Ch2 28:5-8). III. The reproof which God sent by a prophet to the army of Israel for trampling upon their brethren of Judah, and the obedient ear they gave to that reproof (Ch2 28:9-15). IV. The many calamities that followed to Ahaz and his people (Ch2 28:16-21). V. The continuance of his idolatry notwithstanding (Ch2 28:22-25), and so his story ends (Ch2 28:26, Ch2 28:27).

Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign,.... These verses are much the same with Kg2 16:2, only in Ch2 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 Jdg 2:11, and he is said in Ch2 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 Kg2 16:2, Kg2 16:3, Kg2 16:4.

And in the time of his distress did he trespass yet more against the Lord,.... By increasing his idolatries, as appears by what he did, in imitation of what he saw at Damascus, where he had an interview with the king of Assyria, Kg2 16:10 this is that King Ahaz; that monster of iniquity, than whom there was none worse, nor any so bad, of all the kings of Judah.

Ahaz succeeds his father Jotham, and reigns wickedly for sixteen years, Ch2 28:1. He restores idolatry in its grossest forms, Ch2 28:2-4; and is delivered Into the hands of the kings of Israel and Syria, Ch2 28:5. Pekah slays one hundred and twenty thousand Jews in one day, and carries away captive two hundred thousand of the people, whom, at the instance of Oded the prophet, they restore to liberty, and send home, clothed and fed, Ch2 28:6-15. Ahaz sends to the king of Assyria for help against the Edomites, Philistines, etc., from whom he receives no effectual succor, Ch2 28:16-21. He sins yet more, spoils and shuts up the temple of God, and propagates idolatry throughout the land, Ch2 28:22-25. A reference to has acts, his death, and burial, Ch2 28:26, Ch2 28:27.

AHAZ, REIGNING WICKEDLY, IS AFFLICTED BY THE SYRIANS. (2Ch. 28:1-21) Ahaz was twenty years old--(See on Kg2 16:1-4). This prince, discarding the principles and example of his excellent father, early betrayed a strong bias to idolatry. He ruled with an arbitrary and absolute authority, and not as a theocratic sovereign: he not only forsook the temple of God, but embraced first the symbolic worship established in the sister kingdom, and afterwards the gross idolatry practised by the Canaanites.

Tilgath-pilneser . . . distressed him, but strengthened him not--that is, notwithstanding the temporary relief which Tilgath-pilneser afforded him by the conquest of Damascus and the slaughter of Rezin (Kg2 16:9), little advantage resulted from it, for Tilgath-pilneser spent the winter in voluptuous revelry at Damascus; and the connection formed with the Assyrian king was eventually a source of new and greater calamities and humiliation to the kingdom of Judah (Ch2 28:2-3).