2 Chronicles / Chapter 28

2 Chronicles 28

27 verses • Westminster Leningrad Codex

Translator's Introduction

What This Chapter Is About

Ahaz becomes king of Judah at twenty years old and reigns sixteen years in Jerusalem. Unlike David his ancestor, he does not do what is right in the eyes of the LORD. He walks in the ways of the kings of Israel, casts metal images for the Baals, burns incense in the Valley of Ben-Hinnom, and even burns his sons in the fire according to the abominations of the nations the LORD drove out before Israel. He sacrifices and burns incense on the high places, on the hills, and under every green tree. Because of this, the LORD his God gives him into the hand of the king of Aram, who defeats him and carries away a great number of captives to Damascus. He is also given into the hand of Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel, who kills 120,000 of Judah in a single day — all valiant men — because they have abandoned the LORD God of their fathers. Zichri, a warrior of Ephraim, kills Maaseiah the king's son, Azrikam the commander of the palace, and Elkanah who is second to the king. The Israelites carry away 200,000 captives from their brothers — women, sons, and daughters — along with great plunder. But Oded, a prophet of the LORD, goes out before the army coming to Samaria and warns them: the LORD God of your fathers gave Judah into your hand because of his anger against them, but you have slaughtered them with a rage that reaches to heaven. Now you intend to subjugate the people of Judah and Jerusalem as your male and female slaves — but are you not also guilty before the LORD your God? Listen to me: return the captives you have taken from your brothers, for the burning anger of the LORD is upon you. Certain leaders of Ephraim — Azariah, Berechiah, Jehizkiah, and Amasa — stand against those coming from the war and support the prophet's word. The Ephraimite leaders take the captives, clothe the naked from the plunder, give them clothing, sandals, food, drink, and ointment, set the feeble on donkeys, and bring them to Jericho, the city of palms, near their brothers, then return to Samaria. At that time Ahaz sends to the kings of Assyria for help. The Edomites have come and struck Judah and carried away captives. The Philistines have raided the cities of the lowland and the Negev of Judah, capturing Beth-shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, Soco, Timnah, and Gimzo with their surrounding villages, and settled there. For the LORD humbled Judah because of Ahaz king of Israel — the Chronicler calls him 'king of Israel' as an insult — because he had let Judah act without restraint and had been utterly unfaithful to the LORD. Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria comes to him but afflicts him instead of helping. Ahaz strips the house of the LORD, the royal palace, and the officials' houses, and gives it all to the king of Assyria, but it does not help him. In his time of distress, King Ahaz becomes even more unfaithful to the LORD. He sacrifices to the gods of Damascus who had defeated him, reasoning that since the gods of the kings of Aram helped them, he will sacrifice to them so they will help him — but they become his ruin and the ruin of all Israel. Ahaz gathers the vessels of the house of God and cuts them in pieces. He shuts the doors of the house of the LORD and makes altars for himself on every corner in Jerusalem. In every city of Judah he makes high places to burn incense to other gods, provoking the LORD God of his fathers. He sleeps with his fathers and is buried in the city of Jerusalem, but not in the tombs of the kings of Israel. Hezekiah his son reigns in his place.

What Makes This Chapter Remarkable

The Chronicler's account of Ahaz is far more negative than 2 Kings 16, adding details that make him a systematic destroyer of worship. The most striking element unique to Chronicles is the episode of the northern prophet Oded and the Ephraimite leaders who show mercy to the Judean captives (verses 9-15). This passage has no parallel anywhere else in the Hebrew Bible and presents a stunning reversal: the northern kingdom — usually cast as the apostate, condemned entity — acts with greater righteousness than Judah. The Ephraimite leaders clothe the naked, feed the hungry, anoint the wounded, and transport the feeble to safety. The language deliberately echoes Isaiah 58 and anticipates the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37), where a Samaritan — a descendant of these northern Israelites — shows mercy to a wounded Judean. The Chronicler's pointed use of the phrase 'your brothers' (acheikhem) five times in this passage insists that despite the political division, the northern and southern kingdoms remain family. The final insult to Ahaz is his exclusion from the royal tombs — buried in Jerusalem but not among the kings.

Translation Friction

The casualty figure of 120,000 in a single day (verse 6) is extraordinarily large and has been debated by scholars. The number may reflect the Chronicler's theological emphasis that abandoning the LORD produces catastrophic consequences, or it may use the word elef in its older sense of 'military unit' rather than 'thousand.' The identification of Tilgath-pilneser (verse 20) is a variant spelling of Tiglath-pileser III of Assyria (745-727 BCE). The Chronicler's designation of Ahaz as 'king of Israel' (verse 19) rather than 'king of Judah' is deliberate — Ahaz has so degraded the southern kingdom that it no longer deserves its distinct name. The shutting of the Temple doors (verse 24) is the most radical act: it effectively cancels the daily worship of the LORD in Jerusalem, something no previous king had done.

Connections

Ahaz's burning of his sons in fire (verse 3) violates Deuteronomy 18:10 and connects to the later condemnation of Manasseh (2 Chronicles 33:6). The Syro-Ephraimite crisis (the alliance of Aram and Israel against Judah) is narrated from a military perspective here but from a prophetic perspective in Isaiah 7, where Isaiah offers Ahaz the famous Immanuel sign. The Oded episode (verses 9-15) anticipates the Good Samaritan parable and demonstrates the Chronicler's theology that the north remains part of God's people. Ahaz's appeal to Assyria connects to Isaiah 8:5-8, where the prophet warns that the Assyrian flood Ahaz invites will eventually engulf Judah itself. The shutting of the Temple doors sets up the dramatic reopening by Hezekiah in chapter 29. The denial of royal burial connects to Jehoram (2 Chronicles 21:20) and Joash (2 Chronicles 24:25) — kings whose unfaithfulness is marked even in death.

2 Chronicles 28:1

בֶּן־עֶשְׂרִ֤ים שָׁנָה֙ אָחָ֣ז בְּמׇלְכ֔וֹ וְשֵׁשׁ־עֶשְׂרֵ֣ה שָׁנָ֔ה מָלַ֖ךְ בִּירוּשָׁלָ֑͏ִם וְלֹא־עָשָׂ֧ה הַיָּשָׁ֛ר בְּעֵינֵ֥י יְהוָ֖ה כְּדָוִ֥יד אָבִֽיו׃

Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. He did not do what was right in the eyes of the LORD, as David his ancestor had done.

KJV Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem: but he did not that which was right in the sight of the LORD, like David his father:

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The regnal formula begins normally — age, duration, capital — but the assessment delivers the verdict immediately: ve-lo asah ha-yashar be-einei YHWH ('he did not do what was right in the eyes of the LORD'). The comparison standard is David, the covenant king. Ahaz is measured against the founder and found completely wanting. The sixteen years of his reign (approximately 735-715 BCE) coincide with the Syro-Ephraimite crisis and the rise of Assyrian dominance under Tiglath-pileser III.
2 Chronicles 28:2

וַיֵּ֕לֶךְ בְּדַרְכֵ֖י מַלְכֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְגַ֧ם מַסֵּכ֛וֹת עָשָׂ֖ה לַבְּעָלִֽים׃

He walked in the ways of the kings of Israel and also cast metal images for the Baals.

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

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The phrase darkhei malkhei Yisra'el ('the ways of the kings of Israel') is the Chronicler's severest condemnation — Ahaz follows the pattern of Jeroboam and Ahab, not David and Solomon. The massekhot ('cast images, molten idols') made for ha-Be'alim ('the Baals') represent local manifestations of the Canaanite storm deity. A king of Judah is manufacturing idols — the opposite of his vocation.
2 Chronicles 28:3

וְה֥וּא הִקְטִ֖יר בְּגֵ֣יא בֶן־הִנֹּ֑ם וַיַּבְעֵ֤ר אֶת־בָּנָיו֙ בָּאֵ֔שׁ כְּתֹעֲב֣וֹת הַגּוֹיִ֔ם אֲשֶׁר֙ הֹרִ֣ישׁ יְהוָ֔ה מִפְּנֵ֖י בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

He burned incense in the Valley of Ben-Hinnom and burned his sons in the fire, following the abominations of the nations that the LORD had driven out before the people of Israel.

KJV Moreover he burnt incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burnt his children in the fire, after the abominations of the heathen whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel.

Notes & Key Terms 1 term

Key Terms

תּוֹעֵבוֹת to'avot
"abominations" — abomination, detestable thing, loathsome act, ritual pollution

to'avot ('abominations') is the Deuteronomic term for practices that are fundamentally incompatible with Israel's covenant identity. Child sacrifice is the ultimate to'evah — the inversion of everything the God of Israel represents, who tested Abraham precisely to demonstrate that he does not require the sacrifice of children.

Translator Notes

  1. The gei Ben-Hinnom later became so associated with death and divine judgment that its name (Gehenna) became the standard term for the place of final punishment in later Jewish and Christian literature. The Chronicler's inclusion of this detail serves both as historical record and as theological explanation for the disasters that follow: a king who sacrifices his own children to foreign gods has severed every bond with the covenant.
2 Chronicles 28:4

וַיְזַבֵּ֧חַ וַיְקַטֵּ֛ר בַּבָּמ֖וֹת וְעַל־הַגְּבָע֑וֹת וְתַ֖חַת כׇּל־עֵ֥ץ רַעֲנָֽן׃

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

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

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The three locations — ba-bamot ('on the high places'), al ha-geva'ot ('on the hills'), tachat kol etz ra'anan ('under every flourishing tree') — form a comprehensive picture of open-air Canaanite worship. The phrase tachat kol etz ra'anan is a stock Deuteronomic expression (Deuteronomy 12:2) indicating syncretistic worship at sacred trees, which were associated with fertility religion. Ahaz does not merely add foreign worship to the existing system; he saturates the landscape with it.
2 Chronicles 28:5

וַיִּתְּנֵ֜הוּ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהָיו֮ בְּיַ֣ד מֶ֣לֶךְ אֲרָם֒ וַיַּכּוּ־ב֗וֹ וַיִּשְׁבּ֤וּ מִמֶּ֙נוּ֙ שִׁבְיָ֣ה גְדוֹלָ֔ה וַיָּבִ֖יאוּ דַּרְמָ֑שֶׂק וְ֠גַ֠ם בְּיַד־מֶ֤לֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ נִתָּ֔ן וַיַּךְ־בּ֖וֹ מַכָּ֥ה גְדוֹלָֽה׃

So the LORD his God gave him into the hand of the king of Aram, who struck him and carried away a great number of captives to Damascus. He was also given into the hand of the king of Israel, who inflicted a devastating defeat on him.

KJV Wherefore the LORD his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria, who smote him, and carried away a great multitude of them captives, and brought them to Damascus. And he was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who smote him with a great slaughter.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The phrase va-yittenehu YHWH Elohav ('the LORD his God gave him') establishes direct causation: this is not random military misfortune but divine judgment. The double defeat — first by Aram (Syria under Rezin), then by Israel (under Pekah) — is the Syro-Ephraimite crisis of approximately 735 BCE, narrated from the Chronicler's theological perspective. The phrase makkah gedolah ('a great blow/defeat') is a standard military formula indicating catastrophic losses.
2 Chronicles 28:6

וַיַּהֲרֹ֣ג פֶּ֣קַח בֶּן־רְמַלְיָ֗הוּ בִּֽיהוּדָ֞ה מֵאָ֧ה וְעֶשְׂרִ֛ים אֶ֖לֶף בְּי֣וֹם אֶחָ֑ד הַכֹּ֖ל בְּנֵ֣י חָ֑יִל בְּעׇזְבָ֕ם אֶת־יְהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵ֥י אֲבוֹתָֽם׃

Pekah son of Remaliah killed 120,000 in Judah in a single day — all of them capable warriors — because they had abandoned the LORD, the God of their fathers.

KJV For 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.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The number me'ah ve-esrim elef ('120,000') in a single day is staggering. The Chronicler provides the theological reason immediately: be-ozvam et YHWH Elohei avotam ('because they had abandoned the LORD God of their fathers'). The phrase benei chayil ('sons of valor, capable warriors') underscores that military prowess provides no protection when the LORD withdraws his defense. The clause structure places the cause after the result: first the massacre, then the reason.
2 Chronicles 28:7

וַיַּהֲרֹ֞ג זִכְרִ֣י ׀ גִּבּ֣וֹר אֶפְרַ֗יִם אֶת־מַעֲשֵׂיָ֙הוּ֙ בֶּן־הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ וְאֶת־עַזְרִיקָ֖ם נְגִ֣יד הַבָּ֑יִת וְאֶת־אֶלְקָנָ֖ה מִשְׁנֵ֥ה הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃

Zichri, a warrior of Ephraim, killed Maaseiah the king's son, Azrikam the commander of the palace, and Elkanah who was second to the king.

KJV And Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim, slew Maaseiah the king's son, and Azrikam the governor of the house, and Elkanah that was next to the king.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Three high-ranking casualties are named: Maaseiah ben ha-melekh ('son of the king,' likely a prince rather than the crown prince, since Hezekiah survived), Azrikam negid ha-bayit ('the officer over the palace,' a senior administrative role), and Elqanah mishneh ha-melekh ('the king's second, the vice-regent'). The killing of these three by a single Ephraimite warrior (gibbor Efrayim) demonstrates the totality of Judah's military collapse.
2 Chronicles 28:8

וַיִּשְׁבּ֣וּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֣ל מֵאֲחֵיהֶ֡ם מָאתַ֣יִם אֶ֡לֶף נָשִׁים֩ בָּנִ֨ים וּבָנ֜וֹת וְגַם־שָׁלָ֧ל רָ֛ב בָּזְז֥וּ מֵהֶ֖ם וַיָּבִ֥יאוּ אֶת־הַשָּׁלָ֖ל לְשֹׁמְרֽוֹן׃

The people of Israel carried away 200,000 of their own brothers — women, sons, and daughters — and also seized great plunder from them, bringing the spoil to Samaria.

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

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The phrase me-achehem ('from their brothers') is the critical word in this verse. The Chronicler insists that despite the political division, the northern tribes and Judah remain achehem — brothers. This kinship language sets up the entire moral drama that follows. The captives are specified as nashim banim u-vanot ('women, sons, and daughters'), meaning the civilian population — not combatants but families.
2 Chronicles 28:9

וְשָׁ֗ם הָיָ֤ה נָבִיא֙ לַיהוָ֔ה עֹדֵ֖ד שְׁמ֑וֹ וַיֵּצֵ֗א לִפְנֵ֤י הַצָּבָא֙ הַבָּ֣א לְשֹׁמְר֔וֹן וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לָהֶ֗ם הִנֵּ֡ה בַּחֲמַ֣ת יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵי־אֲבוֹתֵיכֶם֩ עַל־יְהוּדָ֨ה נְתָנָ֤ם בְּיֶדְכֶם֙ וַתַּהַרְגוּ־בָ֣ם בְּזַ֔עַף עַ֥ד לַשָּׁמַ֖יִם הִגִּֽיעַ׃

Now a prophet of the LORD was there, named Oded. He went out to meet the army coming to Samaria and said to them, 'Look — because the LORD, the God of your fathers, was angry with Judah, he gave them into your hand. But you have slaughtered them with a fury that has reached up to heaven.

KJV 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, 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.

Notes & Key Terms 1 term

Key Terms

חֵמָה chemah
"anger" — wrath, heat, fury, burning anger, venom

chemah ('burning anger, wrath') — from the root meaning 'to be hot' — describes divine fury as intense heat. The LORD's chemah against Judah explains their defeat; Israel's za'af ('rage') in response goes beyond what the divine anger authorized.

Translator Notes

  1. Oded is otherwise unknown in the Hebrew Bible. His name may derive from the root 'ud ('to restore, to repeat'). His function as a prophet of the LORD in Samaria demonstrates the Chronicler's conviction that God maintained witnesses in the north even after the political split. The phrase ad la-shamayim higgia ('reaching to heaven') echoes Genesis 11:4 (the Tower of Babel) and implies that Israel's violence, like Babel's ambition, has challenged divine sovereignty.
2 Chronicles 28:10

וְ֠עַתָּ֠ה בְּנֵ֨י יְהוּדָ֧ה וִירוּשָׁלַ֛͏ִם אַתֶּ֥ם אֹמְרִ֖ים לִכְבֹּ֣שׁ לָכֶ֑ם לַעֲבָדִ֣ים וְלִשְׁפָח֗וֹת לַיהוָ֤ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם֙ הֲלֹ֤א רַק־אַתֶּם֙ עִמָּכֶ֣ם אֲשָׁמ֔וֹת לַיהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם׃

And now you intend to subjugate the people of Judah and Jerusalem as your male and female slaves. But are you yourselves not also guilty before the LORD your God?

KJV 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, sins against the LORD your God?

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The verb likhbosh ('to subjugate, to subdue') carries overtones of violent domination. The prophet's rhetorical question — halo raq attem immakhem ashamot la-YHWH Eloheikhem ('are there not with you — you yourselves — guilt-offenses against the LORD your God?') — demolishes any moral superiority the victors might claim. The word ashamot ('guilt-offenses, trespasses') applies equally to both kingdoms. The north cannot enslave the south when both stand guilty before the same God.
2 Chronicles 28:11

וְעַתָּ֣ה שְׁמָע֔וּנִי וְהָשִׁ֙יבוּ֙ הַשִּׁבְיָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר שְׁבִיתֶ֖ם מֵאֲחֵיכֶ֑ם כִּ֛י חֲר֥וֹן אַף־יְהוָ֖ה עֲלֵיכֶֽם׃

Now listen to me: return the captives you have taken from your brothers, for the burning anger of the LORD is upon you.

KJV Now hear me therefore, and deliver the captives again, which ye have taken captive of your brethren: for the fierce wrath of the LORD is upon you.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The imperative hashivu ('return, give back') uses the same root as teshuvah ('repentance, turning'). To return the captives is itself an act of repentance. The phrase me-acheikhem ('from your brothers') is emphatic — Oded insists on the kinship language. The warning ki charon af YHWH aleikhem ('for the burning anger of the LORD is upon you') transforms the victorious army into the accused: they are now the ones under divine judgment if they refuse.
2 Chronicles 28:12

וַיָּקֻ֣מוּ אֲ֠נָשִׁ֠ים מֵרָאשֵׁ֨י בְנֵי־אֶפְרַ֜יִם אֲזַרְיָ֣הוּ בֶן־יְהוֹחָנָ֗ן בֶּרֶכְיָ֙הוּ֙ בֶּן־מְשִׁלֵּמ֔וֹת וִיחִזְקִיָּ֙הוּ֙ בֶּן־שַׁלֻּ֔ם וַעֲמָשָׂ֖א בֶּן־חַדְלָ֑י עַל־הַבָּאִ֖ים מִן־הַצָּבָֽא׃

Then certain leaders of the Ephraimites — Azariah son of Johanan, Berechiah son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah son of Shallum, and Amasa son of Hadlai — stood against those returning from the war.

KJV Then certain of the heads of the children of 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,

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Four named leaders — rashei venei Efrayim ('heads of the sons of Ephraim') — are identified with full patronymics, lending historical weight to their intervention. The verb va-yaqumu ('they rose up, they stood') indicates public, courageous opposition. The phrase al ha-ba'im min ha-tsava ('against those coming from the army') means these civilian leaders confronted a victorious military force — an act requiring considerable moral authority.
2 Chronicles 28:13

וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ לָהֶ֗ם לֹא־תָבִ֤יאוּ אֶת־הַשִּׁבְיָה֙ הֵ֔נָּה כִּ֧י לְאַשְׁמַ֣ת יְהוָ֗ה עָלֵ֙ינוּ֙ אַתֶּ֣ם אֹמְרִ֔ים לְהֹסִ֥יף עַל־חַטֹּאתֵ֖ינוּ וְעַל־אַשְׁמָתֵ֑ינוּ כִּי־רַבָּ֤ה הָֽאַשְׁמָה֙ לָ֔נוּ וַחֲר֥וֹן אָ֖ף עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

They said to them, 'You must not bring the captives here. What you propose would bring guilt from the LORD upon us. You intend to add to our sins and to our guilt, for our guilt is already great and the burning anger is upon Israel.'

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

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The Ephraimite leaders demonstrate remarkable theological self-awareness: ki rabbah ha-ashmah lanu ('for our guilt is already great'). They acknowledge their own complicity. The word ashmah ('guilt, trespass') appears three times in this single verse, creating a drumbeat of moral urgency. The phrase charon af al Yisra'el ('burning anger upon Israel') warns that the entire nation — not just Judah — stands under judgment.
2 Chronicles 28:14

וַיַּעֲזֹ֣ב הֶחָל֗וּץ אֶת־הַשִּׁבְיָ֛ה וְאֶת־הַבִּזָּ֖ה לִפְנֵ֥י הַשָּׂרִ֖ים וְכׇל־הַקָּהָֽל׃

So the armed soldiers released the captives and the plunder before the leaders and the whole assembly.

KJV So the armed men left the captives and the spoil before the princes and all the congregation.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The hechaluts ('the armed men, the vanguard') — the very soldiers who had seized the captives — release them. The verb va-ya'azov ('they left, abandoned, released') marks a complete reversal: what the army took by force, it now surrenders voluntarily. The act is performed lifnei ha-sarim ve-khol ha-qahal ('before the leaders and the whole assembly') — a public, witnessed transfer.
2 Chronicles 28:15

וַיָּקֻ֣מוּ הָאֲנָשִׁים֩ אֲשֶׁ֨ר נִקְּב֜וּ בְּשֵׁמ֗וֹת וַיַּחֲזִ֣יקוּ בַשִּׁבְיָ֡ה וְכׇל־מַעֲרֻמֵּיהֶם֩ הִלְבִּ֨ישׁוּ מִן־הַשָּׁלָ֜ל וַיַּלְבִּשֻׁ֣ם וַיַּנְעִל֗וּם וַיַּאֲכִל֤וּם וַיַּשְׁקוּם֙ וַיְסֻכ֔וּם וַיְנַהֲל֤וּם בַּחֲמֹרִים֙ לְכׇל־כּוֹשֵׁ֔ל וַיְבִיא֛וּם יְרֵח֥וֹ עִיר־הַתְּמָרִ֖ים אֵ֣צֶל אֲחֵיהֶ֑ם וַיָּשׁ֖וּבוּ שֹׁמְרֽוֹן׃

The men who had been designated by name rose up, took charge of the captives, and from the plunder clothed all who were naked. They dressed them, gave them sandals, fed them, gave them drink, anointed them with oil, set every feeble person on a donkey, and brought them to Jericho, the city of palms, near their brothers. Then they returned to Samaria.

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

Notes & Key Terms 1 term

Key Terms

אָחִים achim
"brothers" — brother, kinsman, fellow citizen, ally, countryman

achim ('brothers') — the central word of the entire Oded episode. Used five times in this passage (verses 8, 11, 15), it insists that the political division between Israel and Judah does not cancel the kinship bond. The Chronicler's theology of 'all Israel' — that all twelve tribes belong to one family under one God — finds its most dramatic expression here.

Translator Notes

  1. The verb va-yessukhum ('they anointed them') uses oil as a restorative, not a luxury — anointing the skin of people who had been marched as captives, likely wounded and sun-scorched. The seven acts of mercy correspond to basic human needs: covering, protection, nourishment, hydration, healing, transportation, and restoration to community. Jericho's designation as ir ha-temarim ('city of palms') echoes Deuteronomy 34:3 and Judges 1:16, connecting this act of mercy to the land's deep memory.
2 Chronicles 28:16

בָּעֵ֣ת הַהִ֔יא שָׁלַ֞ח הַמֶּ֧לֶךְ אָחָ֛ז עַל־מַלְכֵ֥י אַשּׁ֖וּר לַעְזֹ֥ר לֽוֹ׃

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

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

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The phrase ba-et ha-hi ('at that time') indicates the Syro-Ephraimite crisis period (approximately 735 BCE). The plural malkhei Ashshur ('kings of Assyria') is unusual — 2 Kings 16:7 has the singular. The Chronicler may intend to indicate multiple Assyrian rulers or vassal kings within the Assyrian system. Ahaz's appeal to Assyria rather than to the LORD is the central failure: he seeks human rescue instead of divine deliverance.
2 Chronicles 28:17

וְע֥וֹד אֲדוֹמִ֖ים בָּ֑אוּ וַיַּכּ֥וּ בִיהוּדָ֖ה וַיִּשְׁבּ֥וּ שֶֽׁבִי׃

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

KJV For again the Edomites had come and smitten Judah, and carried away captives.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Edom, Judah's neighbor to the southeast, exploits the military crisis to raid Judean territory. The phrase va-yishbu shevi ('they carried away captivity') indicates further deportation of Judean civilians. Edom's hostility toward Judah is a recurring theme (see Obadiah, Psalm 137:7) and worsens throughout the late monarchic period.
2 Chronicles 28:18

וּפְלִשְׁתִּ֣ים פָּשְׁט֗וּ בְּעָרֵ֨י הַשְּׁפֵלָ֣ה וְהַנֶּ֘גֶב֮ לִיהוּדָה֒ וַ֠יִּלְכְּד֠וּ אֶת־בֵּ֨ית שֶׁ֜מֶשׁ וְאֶת־אַיָּל֣וֹן וְאֶת־הַגְּדֵר֗וֹת וְאֶת־שׂוֹכ֤וֹ וּבְנוֹתֶ֙יהָ֙ וְאֶת־תִּמְנָ֣ה וּבְנוֹתֶ֔יהָ וְאֶת־גִּמְז֖וֹ וְאֶת־בְּנֹתֶ֑יהָ וַיֵּשְׁב֖וּ שָֽׁם׃

The Philistines also raided the cities of the lowland and the Negev of Judah, capturing Beth-shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, Soco with its surrounding villages, Timnah with its villages, and Gimzo with its villages, and they settled in them.

KJV The Philistines also had invaded the cities of the low country, and of the south of Judah, and had taken Bethshemesh, and Ajalon, and Gederoth, and Shocho with the villages thereof, and Timnah with the villages thereof, Gimzo also and the villages thereof: and they dwelt there.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The Philistine incursion from the west completes the encirclement: Aram from the north, Israel from the north/east, Edom from the south/east, and now the Philistines from the west. The list of captured cities — Beth-shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, Soco, Timnah, Gimzo — represents a significant loss of Judean territory in the Shephelah (western foothills) and Negev. The phrase va-yeshvu sham ('they settled there') indicates permanent occupation, not mere raiding.
2 Chronicles 28:19

כִּֽי־הִכְנִ֤יעַ יְהוָה֙ אֶת־יְהוּדָ֔ה בַּעֲב֖וּר אָחָ֣ז מֶלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל כִּ֤י הִפְרִ֙יעַ֙ בִּֽיהוּדָ֔ה וּמָע֥וֹל מַ֖עַל בַּיהוָֽה׃

For the LORD humbled Judah because of Ahaz king of Israel, because he had let Judah run wild and had been utterly unfaithful to the LORD.

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

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The Chronicler delivers the devastating title: Ahaz melekh Yisra'el ('Ahaz king of Israel') — not 'king of Judah.' This is not a scribal error but a deliberate insult: Ahaz has so corrupted the southern kingdom that it deserves no distinction from the apostate north. The verb hifria ('he let loose, he let run wild') suggests Ahaz removed all moral restraint. The phrase ma'ol ma'al ba-YHWH ('utterly unfaithful to the LORD') uses an emphatic infinitive absolute construction indicating complete covenant betrayal.
2 Chronicles 28:20

וַיָּבֹ֣א עָלָ֔יו תִּלְּגַ֥ת פִּלְנֶ֖אסֶר מֶ֣לֶךְ אַשּׁ֑וּר וַיָּ֣צַר ל֔וֹ וְלֹ֥א חֲזָק֖וֹ׃

Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria came to him but afflicted him instead of strengthening him.

KJV And Tilgathpilneser king of Assyria came unto him, and distressed him, but strengthened him not.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Tilgath-pilneser (Tillegat Pilne'ser, a variant of Tiglath-pileser III) arrives not as an ally but as an additional burden. The phrase va-yatsar lo ve-lo chazaqo ('he oppressed him and did not strengthen him') captures the irony of vassal diplomacy: the helper becomes another oppressor. The Assyrian king extracts tribute and demands submission while providing no genuine security — exactly what Isaiah had warned (Isaiah 7-8).
2 Chronicles 28:21

כִּי־חָלַ֤ק אָחָז֙ אֶת־בֵּ֣ית יְהוָ֔ה וְאֶת־בֵּ֥ית הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ וְהַשָּׂרִ֑ים וַיִּתֵּ֤ן לְמֶ֙לֶךְ֙ אַשּׁ֔וּר וְלֹ֥א לְעֶזְרָ֖ה לֽוֹ׃

For Ahaz stripped the house of the LORD, the royal palace, and the officials' houses and gave it all to the king of Assyria — but it did not help him.

KJV For Ahaz took away a portion out of the house of the LORD, and out of the house of the king, and of the princes, and gave it unto the king of Assyria: but he helped him not.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The verb chalaq ('he divided, he stripped') indicates systematic plundering. Ahaz raids three sources: beit YHWH ('the house of the LORD'), beit ha-melekh ('the royal palace'), and ha-sarim ('the officials/princes'). The final clause — ve-lo le-ezrah lo ('but not for help to him') — is the theological punchline: all the wealth of Temple, palace, and nobility poured into Assyrian coffers produced nothing. Human alliances cannot replace divine protection.
2 Chronicles 28:22

וּבְעֵ֣ת הָצֵ֣ר ל֗וֹ וַיּ֙וֹסֶף֙ לִמְע֣וֹל בַּיהוָ֔ה ה֖וּא הַמֶּ֥לֶךְ אָחָֽז׃

In the time of his distress he became even more unfaithful to the LORD — this was King Ahaz.

KJV And in the time of his distress did he trespass yet more against the LORD: this is that king Ahaz.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The phrase u-ve'et hatser lo ('in the time of distress for him') marks the critical juncture: when other kings turned to God in crisis (Asa, Jehoshaphat), Ahaz doubles down on apostasy. The verb va-yosef lim'ol ('he added to his unfaithfulness') indicates escalation. The final phrase — hu ha-melekh Ahaz ('this was King Ahaz') — is a unique literary device in Chronicles, a parenthetical identification that reads almost like a criminal record: 'this is that Ahaz,' as if his name has become synonymous with infidelity.
2 Chronicles 28:23

וַיִּזְבַּ֗ח לֵאלֹהֵ֣י דַרְמֶ֘שֶׂק֮ הַמַּכִּ֣ים בּוֹ֒ וַיֹּ֗אמֶר כִּ֣י אֱלֹהֵ֤י מַלְכֵי־אֲרָם֙ הֵ֚ם מַעְזְרִ֣ים אוֹתָ֔ם לָהֶ֥ם אֲזַבֵּ֖חַ וְיַעְזְר֑וּנִי וְהֵ֛ם הָ֥יוּ ל֖וֹ לְהַכְשִׁיל֥וֹ וּלְכׇל־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

He sacrificed to the gods of Damascus who had defeated him, saying, 'Since the gods of the kings of Aram help them, I will sacrifice to them so they will help me.' But they became his ruin and the ruin of all Israel.

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

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Ahaz's reasoning is presented as a logical syllogism: the gods of Aram helped Aram defeat me; therefore, if I worship those gods, they will help me. The logic is impeccable by polytheistic standards and utterly wrong by covenant standards. The Chronicler's verdict — ve-hem hayu lo lehakhshilo u-le-khol Yisra'el ('they became his stumbling and all Israel's') — uses the verb hakhshil ('to cause to stumble, to ruin'), indicating that the very gods Ahaz courted became the instruments of deeper destruction.
2 Chronicles 28:24

וַיֶּאֱסֹ֣ף אָחָ֗ז אֶת־כְּלֵי֙ בֵּ֣ית הָאֱלֹהִ֔ים וַיְקַצֵּ֕ץ אֶת־כְּלֵ֖י בֵּ֣ית הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים וַיִּסְגֹּר֙ אֶת־דַּלְת֣וֹת בֵּית־יְהוָ֔ה וַיַּ֣עַשׂ ל֔וֹ מִזְבְּח֖וֹת בְּכׇל־פִּנָּ֥ה בִירוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃

Ahaz gathered the vessels of the house of God and cut them to pieces. He shut the doors of the house of the LORD and made altars for himself on every corner in Jerusalem.

KJV And Ahaz gathered together the vessels of the house of God, and cut in pieces the vessels of the house of God, and shut up the doors of the house of the LORD, and he made him altars in every corner of Jerusalem.

Notes & Key Terms 1 term

Key Terms

בֵּית יְהוָה beit YHWH
"house of the LORD" — house, temple, dwelling, household, dynasty

beit YHWH ('house of the LORD') — Ahaz shuts its doors, the physical expression of a spiritual reality: the covenant relationship between God and the Davidic king has been broken from the human side. The Temple still stands, but it has been rendered mute.

Translator Notes

  1. The shutting of the Temple doors is unprecedented. Even the worst northern kings (Jeroboam, Ahab) maintained alternative sanctuaries; Ahaz cancels worship of the LORD entirely. This detail, unique to Chronicles, sets up the dramatic reopening of the Temple by Hezekiah in 29:3 — the very first act of the new king. The phrase be-khol pinnah ('on every corner') implies dozens of small pagan altars throughout the city, transforming Jerusalem from the city of God into a city of idols.
2 Chronicles 28:25

וּבְכׇל־עִ֣יר וָעִ֗יר לִיהוּדָה֙ עָשָׂ֤ה בָמוֹת֙ לְקַטֵּ֔ר לֵאלֹהִ֖ים אֲחֵרִ֑ים וַיַּכְעֵ֕ס אֶת־יְהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵ֥י אֲבֹתָֽיו׃

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

KJV And in every several city of Judah he made high places to burn incense unto other gods, and provoked to anger the LORD God of his fathers.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The phrase be-khol ir va-ir ('in every city and city,' meaning in each and every city) indicates systematic, nationwide apostasy — not a personal deviation but a comprehensive religious policy. The phrase elohim acherim ('other gods') uses the standard Deuteronomic label for illegitimate deities. The verb va-yakhe's ('he provoked to anger') employs the hiphil of ka'as, a key Deuteronomic term for actions that provoke divine wrath.
2 Chronicles 28:26

וְיֶ֤תֶר דְּבָרָיו֙ וְכׇל־דְּרָכָ֔יו הָרִאשֹׁנִ֖ים וְהָאַחֲרוֹנִ֑ים הִנָּ֣ם כְּתוּבִ֔ים עַל־סֵ֥פֶר מַלְכֵ֖י יְהוּדָ֥ה וְיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

The rest of his acts and all his ways, from first to last, are recorded in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel.

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

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The standard source citation — sefer malkhei Yehudah ve-Yisra'el ('the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel') — refers to a now-lost chronicle that the Chronicler used as a source. The phrase ha-rishonim ve-ha-acharonim ('the first and the last') covers Ahaz's entire reign, though the Chronicler has been selective in what he reports, focusing on the theological dimensions of failure.
2 Chronicles 28:27

וַיִּשְׁכַּ֨ב אָחָ֜ז עִם־אֲבֹתָ֗יו וַיִּקְבְּרֻ֤הוּ בָעִיר֙ בִּיר֣וּשָׁלַ֔͏ִם כִּ֚י לֹ֣א הֱבִיאֻ֔הוּ לְקִבְרֵ֖י מַלְכֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיִּמְלֹ֛ךְ יְחִזְקִיָּ֥הוּ בְנ֖וֹ תַּחְתָּֽיו׃

Ahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of Jerusalem, but they did not bring him into the tombs of the kings of Israel. Hezekiah his son reigned in his place.

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

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The burial notice delivers a final indignity: va-yiqberuhu va-ir bi-Yerushalayim ('they buried him in the city, in Jerusalem') but ki lo hevi'uhu le-qivrei malkhei Yisra'el ('they did not bring him to the tombs of the kings of Israel'). He is buried in Jerusalem but excluded from the royal cemetery — honored enough for a grave, dishonored enough to be kept from his ancestors. The Chronicler again uses 'kings of Israel' rather than 'kings of Judah.' The final clause — va-yimlokh Yechizkiyahu veno tachtav ('Hezekiah his son reigned in his place') — introduces one of the greatest reforming kings, whose first act will be to undo everything Ahaz did.
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