_AHAZ REIGNS SIXTEEN YEARS. HE WORSHIPS IDOLS. HE IS DELIVERED INTO THE HANDS OF THE KINGS OF SYRIA AND ISRAEL. TILGATH-PILNESER, BEING CALLED IN BY HIM AGAINST THE SYRIANS, BECOMES A BURTHEN TO HIM. HE WORSHIPS THE GODS OF DAMASCUS. HE DIES, AND IS SUCCEEDED BY HIS SON HEZEKIAH._ _Before Christ 7... [ Continue Reading ]
AHAZ WAS TWENTY YEARS OLD— _Twenty-five years old._ Houbigant. See 2 Kings 18:2.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND BURNT HIS CHILDREN IN THE FIRE— _And caused his children to pass through the fire._ See Leviticus 18:21 and the versions.... [ Continue Reading ]
DISTRESSED HIM, BUT STRENGTHENED HIM NOT— And yet in Exodus 16:9 it is said that he _did help him._ How then can he be said to have _distressed him?_ Very well: for as he came to his assistance against the king of Syria, so he took Damascus, carried the people captive, and delivered Ahaz from the po... [ Continue Reading ]
BECAUSE THE GODS OF THE KINGS OF SYRIA, &C.— "O blind superstition!" exclaims Bishop Hall upon this folly of Ahaz. "How did the gods of Syria help their kings, when both those kings and their gods were vanquished and taken by the king of Assyria? Even this Damascus, and this altar, were the spoil of... [ Continue Reading ]