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2 Chronicles 28

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2 Chronicles 28 Overview

Ahaz becomes king and abandons the pattern of David. He makes images for Baalim, practices pagan sacrifice, and even burns his children in the fire. Syria and Israel inflict devastating defeats, and the northern army takes two hundred thousand Judean captives. The prophet Oded rebukes Israel for intending to enslave their brethren, and leaders in Ephraim return the captives with remarkable care. Ahaz then seeks help from Assyria, but Tiglath-pileser distresses rather than strengthens him. In deeper trouble Ahaz sacrifices to Syrian gods and shuts the doors of the temple.

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Before you read 2 Chronicles 28

Coming from

Chapter 27 described Jotham as personally faithful even while the people remained corrupt.

In this chapter

Ahaz reverses his father’s course through idolatry, child sacrifice, bad alliances, and increasing hostility toward true worship.

Leads into

Chapter 29 begins Hezekiah’s reign with the immediate reopening and cleansing of the temple Ahaz had shut.

Key understandingExplore deeper

Chronicles condemns both Judah’s idolatry and Israel’s excessive violence against fellow Israelites. Oded’s intervention is significant because prophetic truth operates even in the northern kingdom, and the captives are not merely released but clothed, fed, anointed, and transported. Ahaz’s appeal to Assyria demonstrates the repeated danger of seeking imperial rescue at the cost of deeper bondage.

Major truths in this chapterExplore deeper

Truth 1

Idolatry can progress into horrific practices, including child sacrifice.

Truth 2

God can use a prophet to restrain cruelty even among a politically hostile people.

Truth 3

The northern leaders’ treatment of returned captives shows concrete mercy after rebuke.

Truth 4

Political desperation drives Ahaz into alliances and worship choices that worsen rather than solve his trouble.

Truth 5

Hardship does not automatically produce repentance; Ahaz becomes more unfaithful in distress.

Connections to the rest of ScriptureExplore deeper

Connection 1

Second Kings 16 gives the parallel account of Ahaz and his Assyrian alliance.

Connection 2

Isaiah 7 records Isaiah’s confrontation with Ahaz during the Syro-Ephraimite crisis and the Immanuel sign.

Connection 3

Leviticus 18:21 and Deuteronomy 18:10 forbid child sacrifice.

Connection 4

Luke 10:34 echoes acts such as binding wounds, oil, care, and transport, though the Samaritan parable is not presented as a direct quotation of this event.

What is clear, and where care is neededExplore deeper

Keep this clear 1

Do not soften the child sacrifice language into harmless symbolism; the chapter presents severe pagan practice.

Keep this clear 2

Do not treat Assyria as Judah’s savior simply because Ahaz seeks its help; Chronicles says the alliance distresses him.

Keep this clear 3

The mercy shown to captives does not erase the northern kingdom’s broader apostasy.

Keep this clear 4

National military judgment is not a statement that every person who died was eternally lost.

Read 2 Chronicles 28 watching for…

Ahaz’s contrast with David.

The specific forms of idolatry he adopts.

The scale of Judah’s losses.

Oded’s rebuke of the northern army.

How the captives are treated before returning home.

Ahaz’s response to increasing distress.

Chapter outline4 sections

1-5Ahaz practices idolatry, and the LORD gives Judah into enemy hands 6-15Israel takes many captives, but Oded’s warning leads to their release and care 16-21Ahaz seeks help from Assyria while Edom and the Philistines strike Judah 22-27Ahaz turns further to false gods, closes the temple, and dies

Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem: but he did not that which was right in the sight of the LORD, like David his father:

For he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and made also molten images for Baalim.

Moreover he burnt incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burnt his children in the fire, after the abominations of the heathen whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel.

He sacrificed also and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree.

Wherefore the LORD his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria; and they smote him, and carried away a great multitude of them captives, and brought them to Damascus. And he was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who smote him with a great slaughter.

For Pekah the son of Remaliah slew in Judah an hundred and twenty thousand in one day, which were all valiant men; because they had forsaken the LORD God of their fathers.

And Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim, slew Maaseiah the king's son, and Azrikam the governor of the house, and Elkanah that was next to the king.

And the children of Israel carried away captive of their brethren two hundred thousand, women, sons, and daughters, and took also away much spoil from them, and brought the spoil to Samaria.

But a prophet of the LORD was there, whose name was Oded: and he went out before the host that came to Samaria, and said unto them, Behold, because the LORD God of your fathers was wroth with Judah, he hath delivered them into your hand, and ye have slain them in a rage that reacheth up unto heaven.

And now ye purpose to keep under the children of Judah and Jerusalem for bondmen and bondwomen unto you: but are there not with you, even with you, sins against the LORD your God?

Now hear me therefore, and deliver the captives again, which ye have taken captive of your brethren: for the fierce wrath of the LORD is upon you.

Then certain of the heads of the children of Ephraim, Azariah the son of Johanan, Berechiah the son of Meshillemoth, and Jehizkiah the son of Shallum, and Amasa the son of Hadlai, stood up against them that came from the war,

And said unto them, Ye shall not bring in the captives hither: for whereas we have offended against the LORD already, ye intend to add more to our sins and to our trespass: for our trespass is great, and there is fierce wrath against Israel.

So the armed men left the captives and the spoil before the princes and all the congregation.

And the men which were expressed by name rose up, and took the captives, and with the spoil clothed all that were naked among them, and arrayed them, and shod them, and gave them to eat and to drink, and anointed them, and carried all the feeble of them upon asses, and brought them to Jericho, the city of palm trees, to their brethren: then they returned to Samaria.

At that time did king Ahaz send unto the kings of Assyria to help him.

For again the Edomites had come and smitten Judah, and carried away captives.

The Philistines also had invaded the cities of the low country, and of the south of Judah, and had taken Bethshemesh, and Ajalon, and Gederoth, and Shocho with the villages thereof, and Timnah with the villages thereof, Gimzo also and the villages thereof: and they dwelt there.

For the LORD brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel; for he made Judah naked, and transgressed sore against the LORD.

And Tilgathpilneser king of Assyria came unto him, and distressed him, but strengthened him not.

For Ahaz took away a portion out of the house of the LORD, and out of the house of the king, and of the princes, and gave it unto the king of Assyria: but he helped him not.

And in the time of his distress did he trespass yet more against the LORD: this is that king Ahaz.

For he sacrificed unto the gods of Damascus, which smote him: and he said, Because the gods of the kings of Syria help them, therefore will I sacrifice to them, that they may help me. But they were the ruin of him, and of all Israel.

And Ahaz gathered together the vessels of the house of God, and cut in pieces the vessels of the house of God, and shut up the doors of the house of the LORD, and he made him altars in every corner of Jerusalem.

And in every several city of Judah he made high places to burn incense unto other gods, and provoked to anger the LORD God of his fathers.

Now the rest of his acts and of all his ways, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.

And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, even in Jerusalem: but they brought him not into the sepulchres of the kings of Israel: and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead.

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2 Chronicles 28:27

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