Keraia
2 Kings 16

2 Kings 16:2

Ahaz Reigns in Judah · 2 Kings 16:1–9
Read 2 Kings 16

Translations

Modern
Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. And unlike David his father, he did not do what was right in the eyes of the LORD his God.
Traditional
Twenty years old was Ahaz when he began to reign, and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem, and did not that which was right in the sight of the Lord his God, like David his father.
Literal
Ahaz was a son of twenty years in his reigning, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And he did not do right in the eyes of YHWH his God like David his father.
Latin
Viginti annorum erat Achaz cum regnare cœpisset, et sedecim annis regnavit in Jerusalem. Non fecit quod erat placitum in conspectu Domini Dei sui sicut David pater ejus,

Original

Hebrew
English
Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. And unlike David his father, he did not do what was right in the eyes of the LORD his God.

Notes

2 Kings 16:1–2

In 735 BC, during the seventeenth year of King Pekah's reign, Ahaz began to rule. He had been co-ruler for eleven years, but now he officially became king. This marked his transition from being under his father Jotham, who ruled from 743 to 735 BC, to ruling in his place from 735 to 732 BC. Ahaz likely had his official accession ceremony after his father's death in 732 BC. The author of Kings counts Ahaz's reign as lasting sixteen years, from 731 BC (the year after his father died) to 715 BC. See also study note on 2 Kings 17:1.

2 Kings 16:2–3

  • David was Ahaz's ancestor. He is the benchmark for judging the spiritual character of Judah's kings (2 Kings 14:3; 1 Kings 15:3, 11).

  • he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel: Ahaz was one of Judah's most wicked kings. He adopted Israel's false religion and the pagan practices of other nations, even sacrificing his own son in fire (see Jeremiah 19:5; 32:35). Levitical laws forbade such sacrifices as detestable to the Lord (Leviticus 18:10; 20:1–5), yet God's people continued the practice (Isaiah 30:33; Jeremiah 7:31) until Josiah's reforms (2 Kings 23:10).

Theme notes and profiles

Ahaz Assyria

Events

Parallels

2 Chronicles 28:1–4

People

Ahaz: King of Judah, son of Jotham David: Anointed king of Israel, ancestor of Jesus Christ

Places

Jerusalem: The capital of Israel, a holy city for three religions

Glossary

Ahaz (King) Kings, Books of First and Second Nineveh, Ninevite

Topics

Kings: Who Reigned Over Judah: Ahaz