Bible Study 2 Chronicles 28
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2 Chronicles 28 · WEB

Ahaz's Wicked Reign

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Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign; and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. He didn't do that which was right in Yahweh's eyes like David his father;
2but he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel and also made molten images for the Baals.
3Moreover he burned incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burned his children in the fire, according to the abominations of the nations whom Yahweh cast out before the children of Israel.
4He sacrificed and burned incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree.
5Therefore Yahweh his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria; and they struck him, and carried away from him a great multitude of captives, and brought them to Damascus. He was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who struck him with a great slaughter.
6For Pekah the son of Remaliah killed one hundred twenty thousand in Judah in one day, all valiant men; because they had forsaken Yahweh, the God of their fathers.
7Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim, killed Maaseiah the king's son, Azrikam the governor of the house, and Elkanah who was second to the king.
8The children of Israel carried away captive of their brothers two hundred thousand women, sons, and daughters, and also took much plunder from them, and brought the plunder to Samaria.
9But a prophet of Yahweh was there, whose name was Oded; and he went out to meet the army that came to Samaria, and said to them, "Behold, because Yahweh, the God of your fathers, was angry with Judah, he has delivered them into your hand, and you have slain them in a rage which has reached up to heaven.
10Now you intend to keep the children of Judah and Jerusalem for bondservants and bondwomen for yourselves. Isn't there with you, even with you, sins against Yahweh your God?
11Now hear me therefore, and send back the captives again, whom you have taken captive from your brothers; for the fierce wrath of Yahweh is on you."
12Then certain of the heads of the children of Ephraim — Azariah the son of Johanan, Berechiah the son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah the son of Shallum, and Amasa the son of Hadlai — stood up against those who came from the war,
13and said to them, "You shall not bring in the captives here; for whereas we have offended against Yahweh already, you intend to add to our sins and to our guilt; for our guilt is great, and his fierce wrath is on Israel."
14So the armed men left the captives and the plunder before the princes and all the assembly.
15The men who have been mentioned by name rose up, and took the captives, and clothed all who were naked among them from the plunder, and dressed them, put shoes on their feet, gave them food, gave them drink, anointed them, carried all the feeble of them on donkeys, and brought them to Jericho, the city of palm trees, to their brothers. Then they returned to Samaria.
16At that time king Ahaz sent to the kings of Assyria to help him.
17For again the Edomites had come and struck Judah, and carried away captives.
18The Philistines also had invaded the cities of the lowland and of the South of Judah, and had taken Beth Shemesh, and Aijalon, and Gederoth, and Soco with its towns, and Timnah with its towns, and Gimzo with its towns. They lived there.
19For Yahweh humbled Judah because of Ahaz king of Israel; for he had behaved without restraint in Judah and had trespassed greatly against Yahweh.
20Tilgath Pilneser king of Assyria came to him, and distressed him, but didn't strengthen him.
21For Ahaz took away a portion out of Yahweh's house, and out of the house of the king and of the princes, and gave it to the king of Assyria; but it didn't help him.
22In the time of his distress he trespassed yet more against Yahweh, this same king Ahaz.
23For he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus which struck him; and he said, "Because the gods of the kings of Syria helped them, therefore I will sacrifice to them, that they may help me." But they were his ruin and the ruin of all Israel.
24Ahaz gathered together the vessels of God's house and cut in pieces the vessels of God's house, and shut the doors of Yahweh's house; and he made him altars in every corner of Jerusalem.
25In every city of Judah he made high places to burn incense to other gods, and provoked Yahweh, the God of his fathers, to anger.
26Now the rest of his acts and all his ways, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.
27Ahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, even in Jerusalem; for they didn't bring him into the tombs of the kings of Israel. His son Hezekiah reigned in his place.
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Summary

Ahaz is the worst king in Judah since the division — he worships Baal, burns his children in the valley of Hinnom, sacrifices at high places, and even shuts the doors of the temple. God allows multiple enemies to devastate him: Syria, Israel, Edom, and Philistia. Remarkably, the northern kingdom (Israel) returns 200,000 Judean captives after the prophet Oded rebukes them — one of the most gracious acts in Chronicles. Ahaz appeals to Assyria for help, strips the temple to pay them, and the Assyrians come but don't help. In distress, Ahaz adopts the gods of Syria rather than returning to Yahweh. He dies denied burial with the kings.

Themes

  • The extremity of apostasy — even child sacrifice
  • Responding to judgment by multiplying sin rather than repenting
  • Grace shown even by the northern kingdom in returning captives

Key verses

  • 2 Chr 28:22-23 — “In the time of his distress he trespassed yet more against Yahweh... he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus... But they were his ruin.”
  • 2 Chr 28:24 — “He shut the doors of Yahweh's house.”
  • 2 Chr 28:3 — “He burned his children in the fire, according to the abominations of the nations.”

Context & background

Ahaz reigned c. 735–716 BC during the Syro-Ephraimite crisis — when Syria and Israel allied against Judah (Isaiah 7 is set in this context). The valley of Hinnom (modern Wadi er-Rababi, south and west of Jerusalem's old city) was the site of child sacrifice — later called Gehenna, which became the NT word for hell. Tilgath-Pileser III (called Tiglath-Pileser III) of Assyria (modern northern Iraq) came but exploited rather than helped Ahaz. The return of captives by Israel's leaders (vv. 12-15), following the prophet Oded's rebuke, is one of the most remarkable mercy episodes in Chronicles — foreshadowing the Good Samaritan parable. Ahaz was the father of the great reformer Hezekiah, showing that godly children can emerge from wicked parents.

Cross-references

  • 2 Kings 16 — Parallel account of Ahaz's reign
  • 2 Kings 23:10 — Josiah later destroys the Hinnom valley site of child sacrifice
  • Isaiah 7 — Isaiah's message to Ahaz during the Syro-Ephraimite crisis
  • Luke 10:30-37 — The Good Samaritan parable echoes the northern Israelites' mercy here (v. 15)
  • Matthew 5:22 — "Gehenna" (hell) takes its name from this valley Ahaz desecrated

Check your reading

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  1. Observe

    What extreme act of idolatry did Ahaz commit in the valley of the son of Hinnom?

  2. Observe

    What did the northern Israelites do with the 200,000 Judean captives after the prophet Oded rebuked them?

  3. Interpret

    What does Ahaz's response to defeat — sacrificing to the gods of Damascus — reveal about a hardened heart?

  4. Interpret

    Why is the Israelites' return of captives at Oded's word theologically significant?

  5. Apply

    What personal warning does Ahaz's pattern of doubling down on sin in distress offer believers today?

  6. Apply

    What encouragement does the fact that godly Hezekiah came from wicked Ahaz offer those with painful family histories?

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