Hebrew-English Text
I. Summary
Ahaz worships foreign gods and misappropriates temple property. He is defeated by the Arameans, Israelites, Edomites, Philistines, and Assyrians. The Israelites listen to Oded and release their Judahite captives.
II. Photo
Ahaz sacrifices his sons: “He made offerings in the Valley of Ben-hinnom and burned his sons in fire, in the abhorrent fashion of the nations which the Lord had dispossessed before the Israelites.” (v. 3)
III. Select Verses
1b-4: He did not do what was pleasing to the LORD as his father David had done, but followed the ways of the kings of Israel; he even made molten images for the Baals. He made offerings in the Valley of Ben-hinnom and burned his sons in fire, in the abhorrent fashion of the nations which the LORD had dispossessed before the Israelites. He sacrificed and made offerings at the shrines, on the hills, and under every leafy tree.
7-8: Zichri, the champion of Ephraim, killed Maaseiah the king’s son, and Azrikam chief of the palace, and Elkanah, the second to the king. The Israelites captured 200,000 of their kinsmen, women, boys, and girls; they also took a large amount of booty from them and brought the booty to Samaria.
12-15: Some of the chief men of the Ephraimites — Azariah son of Jehohanan, Berechiah son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah son of Shallum, and Amasa son of Hadlai — confronted those returning from the campaign and said to them, “Do not bring these captives here, for it would mean our offending the LORD, adding to our sins and our offenses; for our offense is grave enough, and there is already wrath upon Israel.” So the soldiers released the captives and the booty in the presence of the officers and all the congregation. Then the men named above proceeded to take the captives in hand, and with the booty they clothed all the naked among them — they clothed them and shod them and gave them to eat and drink and anointed them and provided donkeys for all who were failing and brought them to Jericho, the city of palms, back to their kinsmen. Then they returned to Samaria.
25: In every town in Judah he set up shrines to make offerings to other gods, vexing the LORD God of his fathers.
IV. Outline
1a. Introduction
1b-2a. Condemnation
2b-4. Idolatrous ways
5-8. The Arameans and Northern Israelites conquer and loot Judah
9-11. Oded tells the Israelites to release the captives
12-15. The Ephraimites release and aid the captives
16. Ahaz asks the Assyrians for help
17-18. The Edomites and Philistines have their way with Judah
19. Rationale
20-25. Tillegath-Pilneser demands tribute from Ahaz; Ahaz misappropriates the temple property and introduces idolatry to the land
26-27. Summary; Death; Burial statement
V. Comment
No comment today. Stay tuned.
VI. Works Used
(see “Commentaries” page)
Photo copied from http://utahvalleybusinessblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/bonfire.jpg
