2 Kings 16 Commentary

George Leo Haydock Catholic Bible Commentary (22 verse expositions)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

“In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah Ahaz the son of Jotham king of Judah began to reign.”

Siba was a mean character, but of sufficient discernment to judge that David would gain the day. He came to calumniate his master; and David paid too much attention to him, though his testimony would not have been received in a court of judicature. (Calmet) — We must reflect that the mind of David was full of trouble, and devoid of suspicion. (Haydock) — But he did wrong (Worthington) in condemning Miphiboseth unheard. — Raisins. See 1 Kings xxv. 18. (Calmet) — Figs; (palatharum) which are often called caricarum. (Menochius) — Hebrew mea kayits, “a hundred of summer” fruits, like fresh grapes, (Numbers xiii. 21.) and other fruits, gathered after harvest time, Micheas vii. 1.

2 Kings 16:2Lemma: “When he”

“Twenty years old was Ahaz when he began to reign, and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem, and did not that which was right in the sight of the LORD his God, like David his father.”

When he, Joatham, “had begun,” cœpisset. (Haydock) — Thus Junius evades the following difficulty. (Du Hamel) — Sixteen, consequently he died when he was 36 years old. As Ezechias was 25 when he came to the throne, Achab must have been a father at 11 (Calmet) or 12 years of age. (Bochart, Dissert. xxiii.) — St. Jerome asserts the same of Solomon, and observes, that “many things which seem incredible in Scripture, are nevertheless true.” (ep. ad Vital.) He, with some others, has recourse to a miracle. Others suppose that Ezechias was an adopted son, or kinsman, or that the numbers are incorrect, &c. But we are assured by respectable authors, (Haydock) that people have children very soon in the hotter climates. Busbeque (Ep. 3.) says, in Colchis many are mothers at ten years of age; and to convince the incredulous, produce their infants “not much bigger than a large frog.” Albert the Great says he knew one who had a child at 10, and Navarre (following Sanchez, Matthew vii. 2, 5. disp. 104.) was credibly informed that a similar fact was seen at Naples. Mandesle observes that this is common in India. He says one had lately a child at six years of age, which was there thought remarkable. St. Jerome mentions a boy who became a father at 10, and Sanchez relates that the same happened in Spain. A boy under 12 had a child by a girl of 10, in Provence. (Scaliger Elenc.) The Romans laws fix upon the age of 14 for males, and 12 for females’ lawfully marrying; (Haydock) though many examples of people having children before that age are produced by Tiraqueau, 6. conn. 36. Yet physicians require 13 in males, and 14 years complete in females before they are capable of this effect. (Genebrard) St. Augustine (City of God xv. 11., and xvi. c. ult. and in psalm civ.) maintains that a person of 10 years of age is unfit for generation. (Calmet) — Malitia supplet ætatem. Achaz was a monster of wickedness. (Haydock) — In the first year of his reign, and in the fifth Olympiad, the Ephori were appointed at Sparta under Theopompus, nephew of Lycurgus. (Salien, the year before Christ 59.)

2 Kings 16:3Lemma: “Fire”

“But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yea, and made his son to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel.”

Fire, to purify him (or them, Paralipomenon filios, all were treated thus. Haydock) according to the superstitions of the pagans: omnia purgat edax ignis. (Ovid, Fast.) (Theodoret, q. 16.) (Menochius) — Others believe that the child was burnt to death in honour of Moloch, and in imitation of the Chanaanites, Psalm cv. 37., and Deuteronomy xviii. 10. The Carthaginians were required by Gelon, king of Syracuse, to lay aside this most barbarous custom. (Phil. apoph.) Yet, “infants were publicly immolated to Saturn, in Africa, till the proconsulate of Tiberius, who ordered the priests to be exposed on those same trees which shaded their crimes, as on votive crosses. This the soldiers, my countrymen, who executed the proconsul’s orders, can testify; and still the sacred crime is perpetrated in secret.” (Tertullian, Apol. viii.) — How tenacious are people of old errors! (Haydock)

2 Kings 16:5Lemma: “Then”

“Then Rezin king of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to war: and they besieged Ahaz, but could not overcome him.”

Then. In punishment of such enormous crimes, God first delivered Achaz into the hands of Rasin, (2 Paralipomenon xxviii.; St. Jerome, in Isaias vii.) and afterwards Phacee destroyed 120,000 in one battle, and took 200,000 prisoners, whom the prophet Oded persuaded him to release, 2 Paralipomenon xxviii. 8, 11. Salien (the year before Christ 759.) observes that the two kings then joined their forces, and besieged Jerusalem the following year, but to no purpose. (Haydock) — Isaias was sent before the siege to encourage Achaz, and to promise the miraculous birth of the Messias, as a sign that he should be delivered: and to convince him of it the more, he foretold that the two kings should be destroyed before his own son should be able to say father, Isaias vii. 8., &c. Yet as Achaz did not still amend his life, God sent the same kings the following year (the year of the world 3263.) to lay waste the country. (Calmet)

2 Kings 16:6Lemma: “Juda”

“At that time Rezin king of Syria recovered Elath to Syria , and drave the Jews from Elath: and the Syrians came to Elath, and dwelt there unto this day. from Elath: Heb. from Eloth”

Juda. Literally, “Jews,” Judæos, (Haydock) which is the first time we find this appellation. (Du Hamel) — Aila, or Elath, which had been taken by Ozias, chap. xiv. 22. (Menochius) — It seems never to have belonged to Syria, as it was too far from Damascus. Instead of Aram, we should therefore probably read Edom, which words in Hebrew are extremely similar, and have been often mistaken, (Judges xi. 17.; Calmet) particularly as we find that the Edomites took possession of the city. This latter word is indeed Syrians in Hebrew, &c. (Haydock) — Josephus and others maintain that the Syrians seized and kept the place. But they were most likely only invited by the Idumeans to come to their assistance. (Calmet)

2 Kings 16:9Lemma: “Cyrene”

“And the king of Assyria hearkened unto him: for the king of Assyria went up against Damascus, and took it, and carried the people of it captive to Kir, and slew Rezin. Damascus: Heb. Dammesek”

Cyrene, not in Egypt, where he had no power, but near the river Cyrus, (Calmet) in higher Media. (Josephus) — Hebrew, “and took it and carried the inhabitants captives to Kir,” (Haydock) whence the Syrians had come originally, Amos ix. 7. Arbaces, who had dismembered Media from the Assyrians empire, was now dead, and the king of Nineve had retaken several cities, occupying Rages, &c., (Tobias i. 16., &c.) before Dejoces mounted the throne, and extended the empire of the Medes. (Usher) — The people of Sepharvaim lived also on the borders of Media, chap. xviii. 11.

2 Kings 16:11Lemma: “Priest”

“And Urijah the priest built an altar according to all that king Ahaz had sent from Damascus: so Urijah the priest made it against king Ahaz came from Damascus.”

Priest, or pontiff, as no other would have dared to make this innovation. (Salien) — He was guilty of a great weakness; as the altar of Solomon had been so solemnly consecrated by God’s presence. All changes in religion are dangerous. The Machabees behaved with far greater respect, with regard to the altar which had been profaned, 1 Machabees iv. 45. (Calmet) — Isaias (viii. 2.) calls this priest a faithful, or competent, witness, (Haydock) on account of his dignity, not approving his conduct. (Salien) — But he had not erected this altar when the prophet spoke thus to him. (Du Hamel)

2 Kings 16:12Lemma: “And worshipped”

“And when the king was come from Damascus, the king saw the altar: and the king approached to the altar, and offered thereon.”

And worshipped. Hebrew simply, “and the king approached to the altar, and offered on it (13) his holocaust and his meat (or flour) offering, and poured his drink-offering, and the blood of his peace-offerings, upon the altar.” (Haydock) — He dedicated it with all sorts of sacrifices, forbidding any other to be used in the temple. But shortly after he shut up the temple entirely, 2 Paralipomenon xxviii. 24., and xxix. 3. He offered sacrifice to the true God, (ver. 15.; Menochius) unlawfully.

2 Kings 16:14Lemma: “And from”

“And he brought also the brasen altar, which was before the LORD, from the forefront of the house, from between the altar and the house of the LORD, and put it on the north side of the altar.”

And from. Hebrew, “from between the new altar and the house of,” &c. (Haydock) — Achaz had placed his altar before that of Solomon: but he afterwards removed the latter from the right-hand of the sanctuary, to a corner of the court, on the north side. (Calmet) — In the midst of his distress, he despised God; sacrificed to the gods of the Syrians, as more powerful and victorious than the Lord; pillaged the temple, which he shut up during the remainder of his reign, (Haydock) and erected altars for himself in all the corners of Jerusalem, 2 Paralipomenon xxviii. 24.

2 Kings 16:15Lemma: “Morning”

“And king Ahaz commanded Urijah the priest, saying, Upon the great altar burn the morning burnt offering, and the evening meat offering, and the king's burnt sacrifice, and his meat offering, with the burnt offering of all the people of the land, and their meat offering, and their drink offerings; and sprinkle upon it all the blood of the burnt offering, and all the blood of the sacrifice: and the brasen altar shall be for me to enquire by.”

Morning, as prescribed in the law, Exodus xxix. 38. — King’s ordained for sin: (Leviticus iv. 22.) or instituted by Solomon, who left a fund. (Haydock) (2 Paralipomenon viii. 12.) (Menochius) — The law says nothing about the king’s daily holocaust and sacrifice of flour. (Haydock) — But it probably was offered after the morning and evening sacrifices. This Achaz calls his own, (ver. 12.; Calmet) as he had not yet laid aside the practice. — Pleasure. Hebrew, “to inquire about.” (Haydock) — I shall do what I think proper with it. (Menochius)

2 Kings 16:18Lemma: “Musach”

“And the covert for the sabbath that they had built in the house, and the king's entry without, turned he from the house of the LORD for the king of Assyria.”

Musach. The covert, or pavilion, or tribune for the king. (Challoner) — Achaz would not have his ally to be in the court, but placed his throne in the temple. (Du Hamel) — Septuagint, “and the foundation of the chair he built in the house of the Lord.” (Haydock) — Hebrew, “and the (musac) covert, or tribune of the sabbath, which they had built in the temple, and the king’s entry without, the turned (Haydock) round (Menochius) from the temple, for the king of Assur.” He despoiled these rich ornaments, to gratify the Assyrian. (Haydock) — Solomon had built a most magnificent tribune, 2 Paralipomenon vi. 13. See chap. xi. 6. The musach of Juda, was the pulpit; from which the law was read, Isaias xxii. 8. The king’s tribune was near the eastern gate, which was only opened on the sabbath, Ezechiel xlvi. 1. Some believe that the musach was a large curtain, suspended over the court, to keep off the sun’s beams. Eupolemus speaks of some very magnificent ones, (Eusebius, præp. ix. 34.) as does also Josephus; such as those which covered the Roman theatres. Others think it was a tent for the priests to take a little rest, or for the door-keepers, or a chest designed to receive the contributions for the repairs of the temple, or for the king to distribute his alms, or a covered throne for him to sit down on. (Calmet)

2 Kings 16:20Lemma: “With them”

“And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David: and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead.”

With them; but not in the same sepulchre, on account of his impiety, 2 Paralipomenon xxviii. 27. (Calmet) — In the 5th year of his reign, the Idumeans harassed the country, and in the 6th, the Philistines took several towns; (Salien) so that he fell a prey to enemies on all sides, and was memorable for nothing but impiety and disasters. (Haydock) — Rome was built, and Numa born, on the 21st of April, in the 9th year of Achaz, and the first of the 7th Olympiad. (Salien, the year before Christ 751.)

2 Kings 16:21Lemma: “Their hands may be strengthened”

Their hands may be strengthened, &c. The people might apprehend lest Absalom should be reconciled to his father; and therefore they followed him with some fear of being left in the lurch, till they saw such a crime committed, as seemed to make a reconciliation impossible. (Challoner) — This was the most heinous outrage that a son could offer to his father. Jacob resented it to the last, Genesis xlix. 4. Amyntor devoted his son Phœnix to all the furies, for a similar offence. (Homer, Iliad ix.) Armais treated the wives of his brother Sesostris in this manner, when he had resolved to rebel. (Josephus, contra Apion i.)

2 Kings 16:23Lemma: “Absalom”

Absalom. It tended to promote the end which was desired, (Haydock) whether good or bad. His prudence is hyperbolically compared with the divine oracles; (Menochius) and his authority must have had great weight, since David began to take precautions, only after he had heard that Achitophel had joined the rebels; and Absalom was persuaded (Calmet) to perpetrate so foul and unnatural a crime publicly, no one daring to make any opposition. Chusai was silent; as he was aware that, if he began to contradict this counsellor at first, he would only incur suspicion. (Haydock) — The unjust commonly endeavour by all means to attach people to themselves: but God, in the end, turns their counsels against themselves. (Worthington)