2 Kings 16

1 In the seventeenth [seventeenth year of his reign] year of Pekah [son of Remaliah, an Israelite king] son of Remaliah, Ahaz [a king of Judah, son of Jotham] son of Jotham [meaning Jehovah is perfect] became [began to reign, to rule as king] king [a royal person, a ruler] of Judah [the tribe descended from Judah, the son of Jacob]. word study 2 Ahaz was twenty [a young adult, at the beginning of his reign] years old when he became king, and he reigned [ruled, had dominion] in Jerusalem [the city of peace, the capital of Judah] sixteen years. And unlike David [a man after God’s own heart, his father and predecessor] his father, he did not do [failed to act, did not obey] what was right [just, upright, pleasing to God] in the eyes [sight, presence, awareness] of the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] his God [Elohim, the supreme Creator and Ruler]. word study 3 Instead, he walked [in the footsteps of, followed] in the ways [path, manner of life] of the kings [rulers, monarchs] of Israel [God’s chosen people, descendants of Jacob] and even [also, additionally] sacrificed [offered, gave up] his son [child, descendant] in the fire [flames, burning], according to [in accordance with, following] the abominations [detestable practices, idolatrous customs] of the nations [Gentiles, non-Hebrews] that the LORD [Yehovah, God Almighty] had driven out [expelled, removed] before [in front of, prior to] the Israelites [God’s people, descendants of Jacob]. word study 4 And he sacrificed [offered, slaughtered] and burned incense [made perfume, offered burnt offerings] on the high places [cultic platforms, elevations], on the hills [small hills], and under every [all, everything] green [fresh, luxuriant] tree [strong and firm object, wooden plank]. word study 5 Then [at that time, previously] Rezin [meaning firm] king [ruler, monarch] of Aram [Syria, a region] and Pekah [a king of Israel] son [descendant, offspring] of Remaliah [protected by Jehovah] king [royal person] of Israel [the symbolic name of Jacob, referring to his descendants] came up [to ascend, to rise] to wage war [to battle, to fight] against [in opposition to] Jerusalem [the city of peace, the capital of Palestine]. They besieged [confined, surrounded] Ahaz [a king of Judah] but [however, on the other hand] could not [were not able] overcome [to defeat, to overpower] him. word study 6 At that time [in those days, during this period] Rezin [a king of firm resolve] king of Aram [also known as Syria] recovered [restored, brought back] Elath [a city on the Red Sea, Eloth] for Aram [to Syrian control], drove out [expelled, removed] the men of Judah [the people of Judah, Jews], and sent [caused to come, brought] the Edomites [people from Edom, descendants of Esau] into Elath [to the city of Elath], where they live [dwell, reside] to this day [until now, to the present time]. word study 7 So Ahaz sent messengers [representatives] to Tiglath-pileser king [ruler, monarch] of Assyria, saying, “I am your servant [slave, bondservant] and your son [child, descendant]. Come up [ascend, rise] and save [rescue, deliver] me from the hands [power, control] of the kings [rulers, monarchs] of Aram [Syria, the Arameans] and Israel [the people of God, the Israelites], who are rising up [rebel, attack] against me.” word study 8 Ahaz also took the silver [precious metals] and gold [valuable treasures] found in the house [temple, dwelling place] of the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] and in the treasuries [storehouses, depositories] of the king’s palace, and he sent it as a gift [bribe, present] to the king of Assyria [Asshur, the ancestral land]. word study 9 So the king [ruler, monarch] of Assyria [Asshur, the ancestor of the Assyrians] responded [hearkened, listened] to him, marched up [ascended, went up] to Damascus [the capital city of Syria], and captured [seized, took] it. He took its people [inhabitants, citizens] to Kir [a place in Assyria or Moab] as captives [prisoners, exiles] and put Rezin [firm, a king of Damascus] to death [killed, slew]. word study 10 Then King [ruler, monarch] Ahaz went to Damascus [the capital city of Syria, an important trading center] to meet [encounter, have an audience with] Tiglath-pileser [a powerful Assyrian king] king of Assyria [Asshur, the ancestor of the Assyrians]. On seeing the altar [a place of sacrifice, where offerings are made to God] in Damascus, King Ahaz sent [dispatched, commissioned] Uriah [God is my light, a prophet] the priest [one who serves God and leads others in worship] a model [likeness, resemblance] of the altar and complete plans [pattern, blueprint] for its construction [building, assembly]. word study 11 And Uriah [the prophet, God’s messenger] the priest [one who serves God and leads others in worship] built [constructed, established] the altar [a place of sacrifice, where offerings are made to God] according to all [everything, the entirety] the instructions [commands, teachings] King Ahaz [the ruler of Judah, son of Jotham] had sent [dispatched, commissioned] from Damascus [the capital city of Syria, a major trading center], and he completed [finished, made ready] it by the time [until, as far as] King Ahaz [the king of Judah] had returned [come back, arrived]. word study 12 When the king [ruler, monarch] came back from Damascus [the capital city of Syria] and saw [perceived, looked upon] the altar [place of sacrifice, worship], he approached [drew near, came close to] it and presented [offered, sacrificed] offerings [gifts, sacrifices] on it [upon the altar]. word study 13 He offered [presented, burnt] his burnt offering [a step or stairs, often used to describe the ascent to the altar] and his grain offering [a gift or donation, often given to God as a sacrifice], poured out [to pour, install] his drink offering [a liquid poured out as a sacrifice to God], and sprinkled [to scatter] the blood [the liquid that flows through the body, essential for life] of his peace offerings [a voluntary sacrifice to show thanks, expressing gratitude] on the altar [a place of sacrifice, where offerings are made to God]. word study 14 He also took the bronze [copper or metallic] altar that stood before the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] from the front [presence or face] of the temple [the dwelling place of God] (between [in the midst of, surrounded by] the new altar and the house [the temple or dwelling place] of the LORD) and he put it on the north [Zaphon, the direction of darkness] side of the new altar. word study 15 Then King Ahaz [the son of Jotham, a ruler of Judah] commanded Uriah [the prophet, God’s messenger] the priest, “Offer on the great [large, prominent] altar the morning [at dawn, the break of day] burnt offering [a sacrifice completely consumed by fire], the evening [at sunset, the end of the day] grain offering [a gift of thanksgiving, a tribute to God], and the king’s burnt offering [a sacrifice made by the ruler] and grain offering [a gift from the king, an act of worship], as well as the burnt offerings [sacrifices made by fire, acts of consecration], grain offerings [gifts of gratitude, tributes to God], and drink offerings [libations, ceremonial pours] of all the people [the nation, the community] of the land [the territory, the promised inheritance]. Sprinkle on the altar [the place of sacrifice] all the blood [the life-giving fluid] of the burnt offerings [the sacrifices made by fire, the acts of consecration] and sacrifices [the acts of worship, the gifts to God]. But I will use the bronze [made of copper] altar [the place of inquiry, the means of guidance] to seek guidance [to inquire, to seek wisdom].” word study 16 So Uriah [the prophet and priest, God’s messenger] the priest did just as [according to all that, following the instructions of] King Ahaz [the son of Jotham, a king of Judah] had commanded [given orders, appointed or ordained]. word study 17 King Ahaz [the son of Jotham, a ruler of Judah] also cut off [removed, took away] the frames [panels, borders] of the movable stands [bases, pedestals] and removed [took away, eliminated] the bronze basin [laver, container] from each of them. He took down [removed, lowered] the Sea [a large body of water, the bronze tank] from the bronze oxen [cattle, domesticated animals] that were under it and put it on a stone [rock, pavement] base [foundation, pavement of stones]. word study 18 And on account of the king [ruler, monarch] of Assyria [Asshur, the Assyrian empire], he removed the Sabbath [day of rest, seventh day] canopy [portico, covered structure] they had built [constructed, established] in the temple [house of worship, sacred place] and closed the royal [king’s, monarch’s] entryway [entrance, gateway] outside [externally, outwardly] the house [temple, dwelling place] of the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God]. word study 19 As for the rest [remainder, what is left] of the acts [accomplishments, deeds] of Ahaz [a king of Judah], along with his accomplishments [achievements, works], are they not [is it not the case] written [recorded, inscribed] in the Book [scroll, written document] of the Chronicles [events, history] of the Kings [rulers, monarchs] of Judah [the tribe, the region]? word study 20 And Ahaz [slept with his fathers, died] rested with his fathers [his ancestors, those who came before him] and was buried [laid to rest, interred] with them in the City [town, settlement] of David [the city of the king, Jerusalem], and his son [descendant, heir] Hezekiah [a king of Judah, a righteous ruler] reigned [ruled, governed] in his place [stead, position]. word study