2 Chronicles 28

Ahaz's Wicked Reign

¹Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. He didn’t do that which was right in the LORD’s eyes, like David his father,

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

³Moreover he burned incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burned his children in the fire, according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.

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

⁵Therefore the LORD his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria. They struck him, and carried away from him a great multitude of captives, and brought them to Damascus. He was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who struck him with a great slaughter.

⁶For Pekah the son of Remaliah killed in Judah one hundred twenty thousand in one day, all of them valiant men, because they had forsaken the LORD, the God of their fathers.

⁷Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim, killed Maaseiah the king’s son, Azrikam the ruler of the house, and Elkanah who was next to the king.

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

⁹But a prophet of the LORD was there, whose name was Oded; and he went out to meet the army that came to Samaria, and said to them, “Behold, because the LORD, the God of your fathers, was angry with Judah, he has delivered them into your hand, and you have slain them in a rage which has reached up to heaven.

¹⁰Now you intend to degrade the children of Judah and Jerusalem as male and female slaves for yourselves. Aren’t there even with you trespasses of your own against the LORD your God?

¹¹Now hear me therefore, and send back the captives that you have taken captive from your brothers, for the fierce wrath of the LORD is on you.”

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

¹³and said to them, “You must not bring in the captives here, for you intend that which will bring on us a trespass against the LORD, to add to our sins and to our guilt; for our guilt is great, and there is fierce wrath against Israel.”

¹⁴So the armed men left the captives and the plunder before the princes and all the assembly.

¹⁵The men who have been mentioned by name rose up and took the captives, and with the plunder clothed all who were naked among them, dressed them, gave them sandals, gave them something to eat and to drink, anointed them, carried all the feeble of them on donkeys, and brought them to Jericho, the city of palm trees, to their brothers. Then they returned to Samaria.

¹⁶At that time King Ahaz sent to the kings of Assyria to help him.

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

¹⁸The Philistines also had invaded the cities of the lowland and of the South of Judah, and had taken Beth Shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, Soco with its villages, Timnah with its villages, and also Gimzo and its villages; and they lived there.

¹⁹For the LORD brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel, because he acted without restraint in Judah and trespassed severely against the LORD.

²⁰Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria came to him and gave him trouble, but didn’t strengthen him.

²¹For Ahaz took away a portion out of the LORD’s house, and out of the house of the king and of the princes, and gave it to the king of Assyria; but it didn’t help him.

²²In the time of his distress, he trespassed yet more against the LORD, this same King Ahaz.

²³For he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus which had defeated him. He said, “Because the gods of the kings of Syria helped them, I will sacrifice to them, that they may help me.” But they were the ruin of him and of all Israel.

²⁴Ahaz gathered together the vessels of God’s house, cut the vessels of God’s house in pieces, and shut up the doors of the LORD’s house; and he made himself altars in every corner of Jerusalem.

²⁵In every city of Judah he made high places to burn incense to other gods, and provoked the LORD, the God of his fathers, to anger.

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

²⁷Ahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, even in Jerusalem, because they didn’t bring him into the tombs of the kings of Israel; and Hezekiah his son reigned in his place.

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King Ahaz of Judah reigns wickedly for sixteen years, practicing idolatry and even sacrificing his children to foreign gods. As divine judgment, God allows Syria and Israel to devastate Judah, with Israel taking 200,000 captives. However, the prophet Oded and Ephraimite leaders intervene, compelling Israel to treat the captives with compassion and return them to Judah, demonstrating God's mercy even amid judgment.

Context

This chapter contrasts sharply with the previous faithful reign of Jotham and sets up the dramatic religious reforms that will come under Hezekiah.

Key Themes

Outline

1-4
Ahaz's Idolatrous PracticesThe king follows Israel's evil ways, worships Baals, and sacrifices his children in pagan rituals.
5-8
Divine Judgment Through Enemy AttacksGod delivers Judah to Syria and Israel, resulting in massive casualties and captives taken.
9-11
Prophet Oded's InterventionA prophet confronts Israel's army, warning them against enslaving their Judahite brothers.
12-15
Compassionate Treatment of CaptivesEphraimite leaders heed the prophet's words, caring for and returning the captives to Judah.
16-27
Ahaz's Continued Apostasy and DeathDespite ongoing troubles, Ahaz persists in idolatry until his death and burial.

Ahaz's Wicked Reign

28:1–28:27

narrativenarrationmournful

King Ahaz's wickedness and idolatry bring devastating military defeats and captivity upon Judah. The prophet Oded's intervention leads to the merciful release of Judean captives, showing God's compassion even amid judgment.

person_contrast

Ahaz becomes the only Judean king explicitly said to "walk in the ways of the kings of Israel," marking his unprecedented adoption of northern kingdom practices including Baal worship.

2 Chronicles 28:1

2 Kings 16:2lexical

Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. He didn’t do that which was…

2 Kings 15:33lexical

He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Je…

2 Chronicles 27:1lexical

Jotham was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name wa…

2 Chronicles 27:8lexical

He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem.

2 Kings 16:1lexical

In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah, Ahaz the son of Jotham king of Judah began to reign.

2 Chronicles 28:3

Jeremiah 32:35lexical

They built the high places of Baal, which are in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughter…

Jeremiah 7:31lexical

They have built the high places of Topheth, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their da…

2 Chronicles 33:6lexical

He also made his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom. He practiced sorcery, divination,…

2 Kings 23:10lexical

He defiled Topheth, which is in the valley of the children of Hinnom, that no man might make his son or his daughter to…

2 Kings 16:3lexical

But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and even made his son to pass through the fire, according to the abomin…

2 Chronicles 28:4

2 Kings 16:4lexical

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

1 Kings 14:23lexical

For they also built for themselves high places, sacred pillars, and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every gre…

2 Kings 17:10lexical

and they set up for themselves pillars and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree;

Deuteronomy 12:2lexical

You shall surely destroy all the places in which the nations that you shall dispossess served their gods: on the high mo…

Jeremiah 17:2lexical

Even their children remember their altars and their Asherah poles by the green trees on the high hills.

2 Chronicles 28:6

2 Kings 15:27lexical

In the fifty-second year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekah the son of Remaliah began to reign over Israel in Samaria for t…

2 Kings 15:30lexical

Hoshea the son of Elah made a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remaliah, attacked him, killed him, and reigned in his…

2 Kings 15:37lexical

In those days, the LORD began to send Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah against Judah.

2 Kings 16:5lexical

Then Rezin king of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to wage war. They besieged Ahaz,…

Isaiah 7:1lexical

In the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the son of Re…

2 Chronicles 28:8

2 Chronicles 25:13lexical

But the men of the army whom Amaziah sent back, that they should not go with him to battle, fell on the cities of Judah…

2 Chronicles 28:11

2 Chronicles 30:8lexical

Now don’t be stiff-necked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves to the LORD, and enter into his sanctuary, which h…

2 Chronicles 29:10lexical

Now it is in my heart to make a covenant with the LORD, the God of Israel, that his fierce anger may turn away from us.

2 Chronicles 28:12

Nehemiah 6:18lexical

For there were many in Judah sworn to him because he was the son-in-law of Shecaniah the son of Arah; and his son Jehoha…

2 Chronicles 28:15

Deuteronomy 34:3lexical

and the south, and the Plain of the valley of Jericho the city of palm trees, to Zoar.

2 Chronicles 28:18

Obadiah 1:19lexical

Those of the South will possess the mountain of Esau, and those of the lowland, the Philistines. They will possess the f…

Joshua 15:10lexical

and the border turned about from Baalah westward to Mount Seir, and passed along to the side of Mount Jearim (also calle…

2 Chronicles 28:23

1 Chronicles 18:5lexical

When the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David struck twenty-two thousand men of the Syrians.

2 Samuel 8:5lexical

When the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David struck twenty two thousand men of the Syrians.

2 Chronicles 28:24

2 Kings 4:4lexical

Go in and shut the door on you and on your sons, and pour oil into all those containers; and set aside those which are f…

Malachi 1:10lexical

“Oh that there were one among you who would shut the doors, that you might not kindle fire on my altar in vain! I have n…

2 Chronicles 29:19lexical

Moreover, we have prepared and sanctified all the vessels which King Ahaz threw away in his reign when he was unfaithful…

2 Chronicles 28:25

2 Kings 17:11lexical

and there they burned incense in all the high places, as the nations whom the LORD carried away before them did; and the…

2 Kings 22:17lexical

Because they have forsaken me and have burned incense to other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the wo…

Jeremiah 44:8lexical

in that you provoke me to anger with the works of your hands, burning incense to other gods in the land of Egypt where y…

Jeremiah 44:3lexical

because of their wickedness which they have committed to provoke me to anger, in that they went to burn incense, to serv…

Jeremiah 32:29lexical

The Chaldeans, who fight against this city, will come and set this city on fire, and burn it with the houses on whose ro…

2 Chronicles 28:26

2 Chronicles 25:26lexical

Now the rest of the acts of Amaziah, first and last, behold, aren’t they written in the book of the kings of Judah and I…

2 Chronicles 20:34lexical

Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, first and last, behold, they are written in the history of Jehu the son of Hana…

2 Chronicles 16:11lexical

Behold, the acts of Asa, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.

2 Chronicles 35:27lexical

and his acts, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah.

2 Chronicles 26:22lexical

Now the rest of the acts of Uzziah, first and last, Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, wrote.

2 Chronicles 28:27

2 Kings 16:20lexical

Ahaz slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in David’s city; and Hezekiah his son reigned in his place.

2 Chronicles 32:33lexical

Hezekiah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the ascent to the tombs of the sons of David. All Judah and the…

2 Chronicles 27:9lexical

Jotham slept with his fathers, and they buried him in David’s city; and Ahaz his son reigned in his place.

2 Kings 15:38lexical

Jotham slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in his father David’s city; and Ahaz his son reigned in h…

2 Kings 18:1lexical

Now in the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, Hezekiah the son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign.

Interlinear

Word-by-word original language

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v. 27

Historical Context

Places and events in this chapter

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