Ahaz and isaiah
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Who was King Ahaz in the Bible?
Answer
Ahaz was an evil king of Judah who became king at the age of 20 and reigned for 4 years with his father, Jotham, from 735 to 731 BC, and 16 years on his own, from 731 to 715 BC. Second Kings 16 and 2 Chronicles 28 record King Ahaz’s destructive practices, such as idol worship and sacrilege against the temple of the Lord. The actions of Ahaz contributed to the downfall of the kingdom of Judah, which the Lord brought about in 586 BC. Isaiah 7–10 speaks of the results and consequences of King Ahaz’s wicked ways.
Ahaz’s father, King Jotham, was one of the good kings of Judah (2 Chronicles 27:2), so it is unclear why King Ahaz departed so completely from the teachings of the Lord. His repugnant deeds included sacrificing his own children, which was a great evil the kingdom of Israel had already been practicing (2 Kings 16:3; 2 Chronicles 28:3). King Ahaz also desecrated the temple as a result of his alliance with the king of Assyria, which came about in response to punishment God sent on Ahaz in the form of attacks on Ahaz’s land.
Kin
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AHAZ (אָחָ֣ז, he has possessed; LXX ̓́Αχαζ; Josephus, ̓Αχαζης). The name is shortened from Jehoahaz (whom Jehovah has possessed) which, in turn, is the same as Ahaziah by transposition of the elements, -iah (=jah) and Jeho- being abbreviations of Jehovah, or, Yahweh. A cuneiform inscr. of Tiglath-pileser III mentions Ahaz among those from whom he received tribute by the name “Yauhazi [i.e. Jehoahoz] of Judah” (FLAP, pp. 207, 208, ANET, p. 282; ANEA, p. 193, ARAB, sect. 801, BDB, p. 28 cf. p. xiv). His story is told in 2 Kings 16:1-20 and 2 Chronicles 27:9-28:27, the second account enlarging greatly on his disastrous religious, military and diplomatic ventures. Isaiah 7-12, the “Book of Immanuel,” relates to his time also. He was the thirteenth king of Judah of David’s line.
1. Ahaz’ family connections. His father, grandfather, and great-grandfather were among the best of the Davidic line (2 Chron 27:6; 26:4, 5). His son Hezekiah is the most noted for godly faith of the entire dynasty (2 Kings 18:5, 6).
2. Chronology of life and reign. There is a serious problem with
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Ahaz
12th king of Judah
Not to be confused with Ahab.
Ahaz (Hebrew: אָחָז, ʼĀḥāz, "has held"; Greek: Ἄχαζ, ἈχάζAkhaz; Latin: Achaz)[1] an abbreviation of Jehoahaz II (of Judah), "Yahweh has held" (Hebrew: יְהוֹאָחָז, Modern: Yəhō’aḥaz, Tiberian: Yŏhō’āḥāz;[2]Akkadian: 𒅀𒌑𒄩𒍣Ya'úḫazi [ia-ú-ḫa-zi])[3] was the twelfth king of Judah, and the son and successor of Jotham. Ahaz was 20 when he became king of Judah and reigned for 16 years.
Ahaz is portrayed as an evil king in the Second Book of Kings (2 Kings 16:2).
In Edwin R. Thiele's opinion, Ahaz was co-regent with Jotham from 736/735 BC, and his sole reign began in 732/731 and ended in 716/715 BC.[4] However, William F. Albright has dated his reign to 744–728 BC.
The Gospel of Matthew lists Ahaz of Judah in the genealogy of Jesus. He is also mentioned in Isaiah 7 and Isaiah14:28.
Reign
Ahaz's reign commenced at the age of 20, in the 17th year of the reign of Pekah of Israel. It is described in 2 Kings 16; Isaiah 7–9; and
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