2 Kings 16:8

Verse

Ahaz also took the silver and gold found in the house of the LORD and in the treasuries of the king’s palace, and he sent it as a gift to the king of Assyria.

American Standard Version (1901)

And Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the house of Jehovah, and in the treasures of the king’s house, and sent it for a present to the king of Assyria.

Bible in Basic English

And Ahaz took the silver and gold which were in the house of the Lord and in the king's store-house, and sent them as an offering to the king of Assyria.

Douay-Rheims 1899

And when he had gathered together the silver and gold that could be found in the house of the Lord, and in the king’s treasures, he sent it for a present to the king of the Assyrians.

Free Bible Version

Ahaz took the silver and gold from the Lord's Temple and from the treasuries of the king's palace, and he sent it to the king of Assyria as a gift.

Geneva Bible 1599

And Ahaz tooke the siluer and the golde that was found in the house of the Lord, and in the treasures of the Kings house, and sent a present vnto the King of Asshur.

King James (Authorized) Version

And Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the house of the LORD, and in the treasures of the king’s house, and sent it for a present to the king of Assyria.

Translation for Translators

Ahaz took the silver and gold that was in the palace and in the temple and sent it to Assyria to be a present/gift for the king of Assyria.

Unlocked Literal Bible

So Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the house of Yahweh and among the treasures of the king's palace and he sent it as a gift to the king of Assyria.

Noah Webster Bible

And Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the house of the LORD, and in the treasures of the king's house, and sent it for a present to the king of Assyria.

World English Bible

Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in Yahweh’s house, and in the treasures of the king’s house, and sent it for a present to the king of Assyria.

Young's Literal Translation

And Ahaz taketh the silver and the gold that is found in the house of Jehovah, and in the treasures of the house of the king, and sendeth to the king of Asshur — a bribe.

Context

Ahaz Reigns in Judah

⁷So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, saying, “I am your servant and your son. Come up and save me from the hands of the kings of Aram and Israel, who are rising up against me.”⁸Ahaz also took the silver and gold found in the house of the LORD and in the treasuries of the king’s palace, and he sent it as a gift to the king of Assyria.⁹So the king of Assyria responded to him, marched up to Damascus, and captured it. He took its people to Kir as captives and put Rezin to death.

Summary

In this verse, King Ahaz of Judah sends a message to the Assyrian king Tiglath-Pileser, seeking his help against the kings of Aram and Israel. This action reveals Ahaz's lack of trust in God's deliverance and his willingness to form alliances with foreign powers. It sets the stage for further consequences as Ahaz's reliance on Assyria ultimately leads to Judah's downfall. The verse serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of seeking worldly solutions instead of relying on God's guidance and protection.

Commentary

John Gill

John Gill Bible Commentary

And the king of Assyria hearkened unto him,.... Complied with his request: for the king of Syria went up against Damascus, and took it; the metropolis of the kingdom of Syria, and so made a powerful diversion in favour of the king of Judah: and carried the people of it captive to Kir; not Cyrene, as the Vulgate Latin version, a country belonging to Egypt, which the king of Assyria had no power over; but a place in upper Media, as Josephus (p) relates, which belonged to the Assyrian king; see Isa 22:6, compared with Kg2 21:2, of this captivity Amos had prophesied some time before, Amo 1:5. and slew Rezin; the king of Syria, which also was foretold in the same prophecy. (p) Antiqu. l. 9. c. 12. sect. 3.