Bible Commentaries

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

(a) He was an idolater like them.

(b) As the idolaters have certain chief idols, who are as patrons (as were these Baalim) so have they others who are inferior and represent the great idols.

For ^c 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.

(c) Who was king of Israel.

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

(d) Thus by the just judgment of God, Israel destroyed Judah.

But 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, ^e 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.

(e) For they thought they had overcome them by their own valiantness, and did not consider that God had delivered them into their hands, because Judah had offended him.

And 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, ^f sins against the LORD your God?

(f) May not God also punish you for your sins as he has done these men for theirs, seeing that yours are greater?

Then certain of the heads of the children of ^g 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,

(g) Which tribe was now greatest and had most authority.

And said unto them, Ye shall not bring in the captives hither: for whereas we have ^h 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.

(h) God will not allow this sin which we commit against him, to go unpunished.

And the men which were ⁱ 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 ^k anointed them, and carried all the feeble of them upon asses, and brought them to Jericho, the city of palm trees, to their ^l brethren: then they returned to Samaria.

(i) Whose name were rehearsed before, (2 Chronicles 28:12).

(k) Either for their wounds or weariness.

(l) To them of the tribe of Judah.

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

(m) To Tiglath Pileser and those kings who were under his dominion, (2 Kings 16:7).

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

(n) He means Judah, because Ahaz forsook the Lord and

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

(o) As he falsely supposed.

(p) Thus the wicked measure God's favour by prosperity and adversity: for if idolaters prosper, they make their idols gods, not considering that God often punishes them whom he loves and gives his enemies good success for a time whom afterward he will destroy.

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

(q) They did not bury him in the city of David, where the sepulchres of the kings were.