2 Kings Chapter 16 — The Reign of Ahaz and the Altar of Damascus
King Ahaz of Judah forms a desperate military alliance with Assyria to defend against Syria and Israel, subsequently introducing foreign religious practices into the Temple.
1In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah, Ahaz the son of Jotham king of Judah began to reign.
2Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. He didn’t do that which was right in the LORD his God’s eyes, like David his father.
3But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and even made his son to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel.
4He sacrificed and burned incense in the high places, on the hills, and under every green tree.
5Then Rezin king of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to wage war. They besieged Ahaz, but could not overcome him.
6At that time Rezin king of Syria recovered Elath to Syria, and drove the Jews from Elath; and the Syrians came to Elath, and lived there to this day.
7So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath Pileser king of Assyria, saying, “I am your servant and your son. Come up and save me out of the hand of the king of Syria and out of the hand of the king of Israel, who rise up against me.”
8Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the LORD’s house, and in the treasures of the king’s house, and sent it for a present to the king of Assyria.
9The king of Assyria listened to him; and the king of Assyria went up against Damascus and took it, and carried its people captive to Kir, and killed Rezin.
10King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath Pileser king of Assyria, and saw the altar that was at Damascus; and King Ahaz sent to Urijah the priest a drawing of the altar and plans to build it.
11Urijah the priest built an altar. According to all that King Ahaz had sent from Damascus, so Urijah the priest made it for the coming of King Ahaz from Damascus.
12When the king had come from Damascus, the king saw the altar; and the king came near to the altar, and offered on it.
13He burned his burnt offering and his meal offering, poured his drink offering, and sprinkled the blood of his peace offerings on the altar.
14The bronze altar, which was before the LORD, he brought from the front of the house, from between his altar and the LORD’s house, and put it on the north side of his altar.
15King Ahaz commanded Urijah the priest, saying, “On the great altar burn the morning burnt offering, the evening meal offering, the king’s burnt offering and his meal offering, with the burnt offering of all the people of the land, their meal offering, and their drink offerings; and sprinkle on it all the blood of the burnt offering, and all the blood of the sacrifice; but the bronze altar will be for me to inquire by.”
16Urijah the priest did so, according to all that King Ahaz commanded.
17King Ahaz cut off the panels of the bases, and removed the basin from off them, and took down the sea from off the bronze oxen that were under it, and put it on a pavement of stone.
18He removed the covered way for the Sabbath that they had built in the house, and the king’s outer entrance to the LORD’s house, because of the king of Assyria.
19Now the rest of the acts of Ahaz which he did, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
20Ahaz slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in David’s city; and Hezekiah his son reigned in his place.
WEB Translation
Notable Verses
2 Kings 16:2
“Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. He didn’t do that which was right in the LORD his God’s eyes, like David his father.”
This verse establishes the spiritual character of Ahaz's reign, contrasting him with his faithful ancestor.
2 Kings 16:7
“So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath Pileser king of Assyria, saying, “I am your servant and your son. Come up and save me out of the hand of the king of Syria and out of the hand of the king of Israel, who rise up against me.””
This shows Ahaz's reliance on a foreign power for salvation rather than trusting in God during a national crisis.
2 Kings 16:10
“King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath Pileser king of Assyria, and saw the altar that was at Damascus; and King Ahaz sent to Urijah the priest a drawing of the altar and plans to build it.”
This event marks the beginning of major unauthorized changes to the Temple worship based on foreign designs.
Chapter Summary
2 Kings 16 chronicles the sixteen-year reign of King Ahaz of Judah. Unlike his ancestor David, Ahaz practices idolatry, including following the abominations of the surrounding nations. When Jerusalem is besieged by King Rezin of Syria and King Pekah of Israel, Ahaz seeks help from Tiglath-Pileser of Assyria. He pays for this protection using gold and silver from the Temple and the royal treasury. After meeting the Assyrian king in Damascus, Ahaz becomes enamored with a foreign altar he sees there. He sends the design to Urijah the priest, who builds a replica in the Lord's Temple. Upon his return, Ahaz moves the original bronze altar to make room for his new one, where he offers various sacrifices. He further modifies the Temple's structural elements and furnishings to accommodate the king of Assyria, marking a significant shift in Judah's religious and political alignment before being succeeded by his son Hezekiah.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ahaz was the son of Jotham and the king of Judah who reigned for sixteen years in Jerusalem. He is described as a king who did not follow the Lord, instead adopting the idolatrous practices of the nations that were cast out before Israel.
Ahaz was under military pressure from King Rezin of Syria and King Pekah of Israel, who had besieged Jerusalem. To protect himself, he sent a tribute of silver and gold to Tiglath-Pileser, the king of Assyria, asking for help against his enemies.
Ahaz commissioned a new altar modeled after one he saw in Damascus and placed it in the Temple, moving the original bronze altar to the north side. He also altered the Temple’s basins, the bronze sea, and the royal entrance to appease the king of Assyria.
Study Note
The reference to Ahaz making his son 'pass through the fire' in verse 3 likely describes a Canaanite religious ritual associated with the god Molech.
Related Chapters
2 Kings 18
Ahaz's son, Hezekiah, later reverses many of the religious changes made by his father.
Isaiah 7
The prophet Isaiah confronts King Ahaz during the same military conflict described in this chapter.
2 Chronicles 28
This provides a parallel account of Ahaz's reign and his conflicts with Israel and Syria.
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