CHAPTER XXVIII _Ahaz succeeds his father Jotham, and reigns wickedly for_ _sixteen years_, 1. _He restores idolatry in its grossest forms_, 2-4; _and is delivered Into the hands of the kings of Israel and_ _Syria_, 5. _Pekah slays_ one hundred and twenty thousand _Jews in one day,_ _and carri... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 2 Chronicles 28:3. _BURNT HIS CHILDREN IN THE FIRE_] There is a most remarkable addition here in the _Chaldee_ which I shall give at length: "Ahaz burnt his children in the fire; but the WORD of the Lord snatched Hezekiah from among them; for it was manifest before the Lord that the _three_ r... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 2 Chronicles 28:5. _DELIVERED HIM INTO THE HAND OF THE KING OF SYRIA_] For the better understanding of these passages, the reader is requested to refer to what has been advanced in the notes on the sixteenth chapter of 2 Kings 16:5, c.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 2 Chronicles 28:6. _A HUNDRED AND TWENTY THOUSAND_] It is very probable that there is a mistake in this number. It is hardly possible that _a_ _hundred and twenty thousand_ men could have been slain in one day; yet all the _versions_ and _MSS_. agree in this number. The whole people seem to ha... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 2 Chronicles 28:9. _BUT A PROPHET OF THE LORD - WHOSE NAME WAS ODED_] To this beautiful speech nothing can be added by the best comment; it is simple, humane, pious, and overwhelmingly convincing: no wonder it produced the effect mentioned here. That there was much of humanity in the heads of... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 2 Chronicles 28:16. _THE KINGS OF ASSYRIA TO HELP HIM._] Instead of מלכי _malchey_; KINGS; the _Vulgate, Syriac, Arabic_, and _Chaldee_, one MS., and the parallel place, 2 Kings 16:7, have מלך _melek_, KING, in the _singular_ number. This king was _Tiglath-pileser_, as we learn from the second... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 2 Chronicles 28:21. _BUT HE HELPED HIM NOT._] He did him no ultimate service. 2 Kings 16:9. After ver. 2 Chronicles 28:15, the 2 Chronicles 28:23, 2 Chronicles 28:24, and 2 Chronicles 28:25 verses are introduced before the 2 Chronicles 28:16, in the _Syriac_ and _Arabic_, and t [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 2 Chronicles 28:23. _HE SACRIFICED UNTO THE GODS OF DAMASCUS, WHICH SMOTE_ _HIM_] "This passage," says _Mr. Hallet_, "greatly surprised me; for the sacred historian himself is here represented as saying, _The_ _gods of Damascus had smitten_ Ahaz. But it is impossible to suppose that an _inspi... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 2 Chronicles 28:24. _SHUT UP THE DOORS_] He caused the Divine worship to be totally suspended; and they continued shut till the beginning of the reign of Hezekiah, one of whose first acts was to reopen them, and thus to restore the Divine worship, 2 Chronicles 29:3.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 2 Chronicles 28:27. _THE KINGS OF ISRAEL_] It is a common thing for the writer of this book to put _Israel_ for _Judah_. He still considers them as _one people_, because proceeding from one stock. The _versions_ and _MSS_. have the same reading with the Hebrew; the matter is of little importan... [ Continue Reading ]