16:1 In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah a
Ahaz the son of Jotham king of Judah began to reign.
(a) This was a wicked son of a godly father, as of him
again came godly Hezekiah, and of him wicked Manasseh,
save that God in the end showed him mercy. Thus we see
how uncertain it is to depend on the dignity of our
fathers.
16:3 But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yea, and
made his son to b pass through the fire, according to the
abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out from
before the children of Israel.
(b) That is, offered him to Molech or made him pass between
two fires, as the manner of the Gentiles was,
(Le 18:21, De 18:10).
16:5 Then Rezin king of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah king of
Israel came up to Jerusalem to war: and they besieged Ahaz,
but could not overcome c [him].
(c) For the Lord preserved the city and his people for
the sake of his promise made to David.
16:6 At that time Rezin king of Syria recovered d Elath to
Syria, and drave the Jews from Elath: and the Syrians came
to Elath, and dwelt there unto this day.
(d) Which Azariah had taken from the Syrians and fortified,
(2Ki 14:22).
16:7 So Ahaz sent e messengers to Tiglathpileser 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, which rise up against
me.
(e) Contrary to the admonition of the prophet Isaiah,
(Isa 7:4).
16:8 And Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the f
house of the LORD, and in the treasures of the king's
house, and sent [it for] a present to the king of Assyria.
(f) Thus he did not spare the temple of God from being
spoiled to gain help from men and would not once lift
his heart to God to desire his help or hear his
prophet's counsel.
16:11 And Urijah the priest built an altar g according to all
that king Ahaz had sent from Damascus: so Urijah the
priest made [it] against king Ahaz came from Damascus.
(g) We see that there is no prince so wicked that he
cannot find liars and false ministers to serve his
purposes.
16:12 And when the king was come from Damascus, the king saw the
altar: and the king approached to the altar, and offered
h thereon.
(h) Either offerings for peace or prosperity, or
thanksgiving as in (Le 3:1) or else meaning the
morning and evening offering, (Ex 29:38, Nu 28:3)
and thus he contemned the means and the altar which
God had commanded by Solomon, to serve God after his
own fantasy.
16:14 And he brought also the brasen altar, which [was] before
the LORD, from the forefront of the house, from between
the altar and the house of the LORD, and put it on the i
north side of the altar.
(i) That is, at the right hand, as men went into the
temple.
16:15 And king Ahaz commanded Urijah the priest, saying, Upon
the great altar burn the morning burnt offering, and the
evening meat offering, and the king's burnt sacrifice, and
his meat offering, with the burnt offering of all the
people of the land, and their meat offering, and their
drink offerings; and sprinkle upon it all the blood of the
burnt offering, and all the blood of the sacrifice: and
the k brasen altar shall be for me to enquire [by].
(k) Here he establishes by commandment his own wicked
proceedings, and abolishes the commandment and
ordinance of God.
16:18 And the l covert for the sabbath that they had built in
the house, and the king's entry without, turned he from
the house of the LORD m for the king of Assyria.
(l) Or tent, in which they lay on the sabbath, who had
served their week in the temple and so departed home.
(m) Either to flatter the king of Assyria, when he should
thus see him change the ordinance of God or else that
the temple might be a refuge for him if the king
should suddenly assault his house.
