서론
無題
简体中文
英語原文
This chapter is wholly taken up with the reign of Ahaz; and we have quite enough of it, unless it were better. He had a good father, and a better son, and yet was himself one of the worst of the kings of Judah. I. He was a notorious idolater, 2Ki 16:1-4. II. With the treasures of the temple, as well as his own, he hired the king of Assyria to invade Syria and Israel, 2Ki 16:5-9. III. He took pattern from an idol's altar which he saw at Damascus for a new altar in God's temple, 2Ki 16:10-16. IV. He abused and embezzled the furniture of the temple, 2Ki 16:17,18. And so his story ends, 2Ki 16:19,20.
1-20
The Reign of Ahaz (726 BC)
简体中文
亚哈斯的统治（主前726年）
¹ 利玛利的儿子比加十七年，犹大王约坦的儿子亚哈斯登基。
² 亚哈斯登基的时候年二十岁，在耶路撒冷作王十六年，不像他祖大卫行耶和华他神眼中看为正的事，
³ 却效法以色列诸王所行的，又照着耶和华从以色列人面前赶出的外邦人所行可憎的事，使他的儿子经火，
⁴ 并在邱坛上、山冈上、各青翠树下献祭烧香。
我们在此看到亚哈斯一朝统治的概括写照。他的年日既少且恶——少，因他三十六岁便死；恶，正如此处所记。第一，他不像大卫行那看为正的事（王下16:2），就是说，他全无大卫那因之得享盛名、对神所设立的事奉与敬拜所怀的关切与爱慕。他不爱圣殿，毫不以对神当尽的本分为念，对神的律法也毫无看重之心。在这一点上，他与大卫迥异；他出于大卫的家室与世系，本是他的光荣，他如今得居王位，也全凭神昔日与大卫所立的圣约，这就更加重了他的罪恶；因为他成了那尊贵之名与家室的羞辱，而那名与家室因此实在也成了他的羞辱（Degeneranti genus opprobrium——高贵的出身对于背离它的人乃是耻辱），他虽享受着大卫敬虔的余荫，却不踏着大卫敬虔的脚踪而行。第二，他行以色列诸王所行的道（王下16:3），那些王都拜牛犊。他并未像约兰和亚哈谢那样与亚哈家联姻而有牵连，乃是ex mero motu——毫无人撺掇，自行去走他们的路。以色列诸王为他们的拜偶像还能以政略和治国之由自辩，亚哈斯却连这样的托词也没有：在他身上，这是最不合情理、最违治国之道的事。他们本是他的仇敌，又因拜偶像而自害己身；他却仍走他们的路。第三，他使他的众子经火，去尊崇他那些粪土般的神明。他焚烧了他们，论到他经上明明这样说（代下28:3），烧了其中几个，或许又使另几个（连希西家自己也不除外，虽然后来他丝毫未因此受害）从两堆火中间经过，或被牵引穿过火焰，以表他们已被献与偶像。第四，他照着耶和华从他们面前赶出的外邦人一切可憎的事而行。他甘愿在宗教上让那些他亲眼看见跌入沟中之人作他的向导，又去随从他们，这是他极大愚昧的一例；他甘心遵从那些神已宣告为他所憎恶的风俗，立意去摹写那些神已赶出之人的样本，如此径直与神背道而行，这又是他极大不虔的一例。第五，他在邱坛上献祭，王下16:4。他父亲若但有几分热心把那些邱坛除去，他众子的败坏或许本可避免；然而那些纵容罪恶的人，并不晓得自己为后来之人埋下了何等危险的网罗。他离弃了神的殿，厌烦那地方——在他父亲的时候，他曾在那里多次被留在耶和华面前——而在高冈上行他的敬拜，因那里眺望更佳；又在青翠树下行之，因那里荫凉更宜人。一种凭幻想、不凭信心引导的宗教，是不值什么的。
⁵ 亚兰王利汛和以色列王利玛利的儿子比加上来攻打耶路撒冷，围困亚哈斯，却不能胜他。
⁶ 当时亚兰王利汛收回以拉他归与亚兰，将犹大人从以拉他赶出去。亚兰人就来到以拉他，住在那里，直到今日。
⁷ 亚哈斯差遣使者去见亚述王提革拉毗列色，说：我是你的仆人、你的儿子。现在亚兰王和以色列王攻击我，求你来救我脱离他们的手。
⁸ 亚哈斯将耶和华殿里和王宫府库里所有的金银都送给亚述王为礼物。
⁹ 亚述王应允了他，就上去攻打大马士革，将城攻取，杀了利汛，把居民掳到吉珥。
这里有：第一，他那两个结盟的邻邦——亚兰王与以色列王——对他的攻击。他们想要夺取耶路撒冷，并在城中另立一个自己的王，赛7:6。在这事上他们失败了，但亚兰王收回了以拉他，那是红海边一处要紧的港口，原是亚玛谢从亚兰人手中夺来的，王下14:22。那些已失去自己宗教的人还能保住什么呢？让他们从此料定自己必常打败仗。第二，他设法脱身的图谋。他既离弃了神，就既无勇气也无力量去抵挡仇敌，更不能存任何坦然之心向神求助；他乃是去巴结亚述王，求他前来相救。那些心里责备自己的人，在患难之日，宁可投奔任何地方，也不肯归向神。难道是因为以色列中没有神，他才打发人去求亚述人帮助吗？难道那万古的磐石已挪离本位，以致他要倚靠这压伤的芦苇吗？这罪本身就是它自己的刑罚；因为，纵然他确实达到了目的（亚述王听从了他，为达自己的目的，便侵袭大马士革，由此对亚兰王施以有力的牵制，王下16:9，逼他放下攻击亚哈斯的图谋，将亚兰人掳到吉珥，正如阿摩司所明明预言的，摩1:5），然而通盘看来，他做的实在是桩亏本的买卖；因为，为成就此事，（1.）他奴役了自己（王下16:7）：*我是你的仆人、你的儿子，*就是说：“你若肯为我成全此事，我必像对主人或父亲一样，对你尽顺从听命之责。”他若这样在神面前自卑，恳求神的恩眷，他本可以更轻省的条件得蒙拯救；他本可省下他的银钱，所要撇下的不过是他的罪。然而，浪子若离了父家，便很快沦为最恶之主的奴仆，路15:15。（2.）他使自己贫穷；因他取了殿里和国库中所积存的金银，送给亚述王，王下16:8。教会与国家都被压榨、被掏空，去讨好他这新的恩主与护卫。我不知道他凭什么权柄这样处置公帑；但那些因一样罪而陷入困境的人，常以另一样罪来自救；而那些已经离弃神的人，要侵夺神的任何权益也毫不为难。
¹⁰ 亚哈斯王上大马士革去迎接亚述王提革拉毗列色，看见大马士革的祭坛，就把那坛的规模样式和制法画了图样，送到祭司乌利亚那里。
¹¹ 祭司乌利亚照着亚哈斯王从大马士革送来的图样，在亚哈斯王没有从大马士革回来之先，建筑一座坛。
¹² 王从大马士革回来看见坛，就近前来，在坛上献祭，
¹³ 烧燔祭、素祭，浇奠祭，将平安祭牲的血洒在坛上，
¹⁴ 又将耶和华面前的铜坛从耶和华殿和新坛的中间搬到新坛的北边。
¹⁵ 亚哈斯王吩咐祭司乌利亚说：早晨的燔祭、晚上的素祭，王的燔祭、素祭，国内众民的燔祭、素祭、奠祭，都要烧在大坛上。燔祭牲和平安祭牲的血也要洒在这坛上，只是铜坛我要用以求问耶和华。
¹⁶ 祭司乌利亚就照着亚哈斯王所吩咐的行了。
亚哈斯虽然自己曾在邱坛上、山冈上、各青翠树下献祭（王下16:4），然而神的坛迄今仍存于本位，仍在使用，王的燔祭与素祭（王下16:15）也照旧由那些供职于坛前的祭司在其上献上；但在此我们看见恶王亚哈斯把它撤去，另置一座坛，一座拜偶像的坛，取而代之——这一击之大胆，超过了诸恶王中任何一位迄今对宗教所施的打击。我们在此看到：
I. 这新坛的样式，是王亲自从大马士革一座坛取来的，王下16:10。亚述王既攻取了大马士革，亚哈斯便上那里去，向他贺胜，为他此次出征施恩相助而道谢，又以仆人、儿子的身份去领受他的吩咐。他若忠于自己的神，本无需如此卑屈地向一个外邦强权屈膝。在大马士革，或是在饱览那地的奇珍异物之时，或更可能是在与他们一同行他们的敬拜之际（因他既在那里，便以为入乡随俗也无妨），他看见一座坛，极合他的心意，不像他在耶路撒冷自幼供职惯了的那座质朴守旧的坛，乃是雕镂精工，多半还饰有人像之工；坛上有许多新巧之物，他以为意味深长、令人惊奇、十分悦目，足以激发他的虔敬之心。他想，所罗门与那造这坛的巧匠相比，真是想象贫乏。非得有一座与此一模一样的坛不可：必须即刻取一图样，他等不及自己回去，乃赶紧把图样先送回去，吩咐祭司乌利亚照此图样造一座，预备好等他到家。神在山上指示摩西、或借圣灵指示大卫的样式，竟比不上这从大马士革送来的图样了。拜偶像之人的心随眼目而行，故此说他们*随从偶像行邪淫；*但真正敬拜的人乃凭信心敬拜那真神。
II. 这坛由祭司乌利亚造成，王下16:11。这乌利亚多半就是当时主理殿中事奉的大祭司。亚哈斯把心意示意给他（因我们读不到他下了什么明文谕旨），要照此图样造一座坛。乌利亚毫不争辩、毫不反对，便立即着手去办，或许他自己也像王一样钟爱这坛，至少也是甚愿讨王的欢心、巴望讨他的喜悦。他或许还以此为他迎合王意的借口，说借此可把王留在耶路撒冷的殿中，免得他全然撇弃圣殿而去就邱坛与树丛。乌利亚心想：“我们在这事上顺他的意吧，这样他就会把他一切的祭物都带到我们这里来；因我们就靠这生意发财致富。”但无论他有何托词，他身为祭司，又是大祭司，竟为迎合一个拜偶像的君王而造这坛，实在是最卑鄙、最邪恶的事，因为如此一来：第一，他亵渎了自己的职分，玷污了他祭司职任的冠冕，使自己作了人私欲的奴仆。事奉职分最大的羞辱，莫过于对这样邪恶的吩咐曲意奉承。第二，他辜负了所托。他身为祭司，本当持守、捍卫神所设立的一切，并起来反对、作见证攻击一切的擅改妄为；他竟去协助、服事王，立起一座坛来抗衡那他奉神所命、受膏供职的坛，这等背信弃义之举，足以使他遗臭于万代。他若只是默许此事——他若是被恐吓所迫——他若曾劝阻王打消此意，或哪怕只是拖延到他回来、先与王商议此事再说——也都不至于这样恶劣；但他竟如此甘心顺从王的命令，仿佛巴不得抓住机会去迎合王，这对他所事奉的神实在是一种全然无可推诿的侮慢。
III. 这坛的奉献。乌利亚见王的心甚是看重此坛，便留意预备妥当等他下来，把它安在铜坛旁，只是略低些，离殿门也远些。王对它喜爱不已，怀着无比的崇敬走近它，在其上献他的燔祭等等，王下16:12,13。他的祭物不是献给以色列的神，乃是献给大马士革的神（我们在代下28:23可见），他既借用了亚兰人的坛，也就难怪他借用了他们的神。亚兰人乃缦，当他从以色列地取了土来筑一座坛时，倒是归向了以色列的神。
IV. 神坛的迁移，为要给新坛腾出地方。乌利亚还算知道分寸，把这坛安在院子的下端，把神的坛仍留在原处，在这坛与耶和华殿的中间，王下16:14。但这并不能使亚哈斯满足；他把神的坛挪到院子北边一个偏僻的角落，把自己的坛安在圣所前面、原是神坛所在之处。他认为他这新坛壮观得多、悦目得多，把那旧坛比下去了；因此“就让那坛被丢弃，如同无人喜悦的器皿。”他那迷信的新创，起初是与神圣的设立相争，到末了竟把它排挤出局。要注意：那些不肯以神为他们一切的人，必很快沦落到把神看作无物。亚哈斯不敢（或许是惧怕百姓）干脆把铜坛拆毁、敲碎；然而，他既吩咐一切祭物都要献在这新坛上（王下16:15），却说：至于那铜坛，*我要用以求问耶和华。*他把铜坛从其设立的用途——就是使献在其上的礼物成圣——上排挤下来，反假意要把它高抬于其本来设立之上，这是迷信之人惯有的伎俩。这坛从未被设计作神谕之用，亚哈斯却偏要用它来求问。罗马教会表面尊崇基督的圣礼，却可耻地将其败坏了。但也有人对亚哈斯的用意另作别解：“至于那铜坛，我要斟酌如何处置，再下令安排。”犹太人说，后来他用铜坛的铜，造了那座著名的日晷，就是所谓亚哈斯的日晷，王下20:11。这心志卑下的祭司对那心术不正之王僭妄篡改的卑屈迎合，又一次被记下（王下16:16）：**祭司乌利亚就照着亚哈斯王所吩咐的一切行了。**那些本当为大人物的罪责备他们的人，反倒在他们的罪上助长、服事他们，这等大人物的光景实在可悲。
¹⁷ 亚哈斯王打掉盆座的镶板，把盆从座上挪下来，又将铜海从驮海的铜牛上搬下来，放在铺石地上。
¹⁸ 又因亚述王的缘故，将耶和华殿为安息日所盖的廊子和王从外入殿的廊子挪移，围绕耶和华的殿。
¹⁹ 亚哈斯其余所行的事都写在犹大列王记上。
²⁰ 亚哈斯与他列祖同睡，葬在大卫城他列祖的坟地里。他儿子希西家接续他作王。
这里有：I. 亚哈斯亵渎圣殿，不是殿宇本身，乃是殿中的某些器具。第一，他毁坏了那些安放洗濯盆的盆座（王上7:28,29），又把铜海搬下来，王下16:17。这些是祭司用来洗濯的；故此他似乎对它们怀有特别的仇视。能给宗教带来的最大损害之一，就是阻碍祭司——耶和华仆人——的洁净。第二，他挪移了那为安息日所盖的廊子，那廊子或是为尊崇安息日而建，或是为祭司的便利而设，因为在安息日，供职的祭司比平日聚集得更多。无论它是为何而设，看来他挪移它，是有意藐视安息日，从而为各样的不虔大开门户。第三，那通往耶和华殿、为王室出入之便而设的王门（或许就是所罗门所造、示巴女王所惊叹的那升殿台阶，王上10:5），他改向别处，以表他不再打算常进耶和华的殿。这是他为亚述王的缘故而行的，为要讨他喜悦，那亚述王或许回访过他，嫌这门是宫殿的不便与辱没。那些本有通往耶和华殿之便路的人，若为讨邻舍的喜悦而把它改向别处，就是在急速地下坡，奔向自己的败亡。
II. 亚哈斯在他年日之半、三十六岁时便交出了性命（王下16:19），把国留给了一个比他更好的人，就是他儿子希西家（王下16:20）——这儿子之尽心爱护圣殿，正如他父亲之尽力与圣殿为敌。或许正是这个儿子，他曾使他经火，由此把他献给了摩洛；但神凭他的恩典，把他从火中抽出来，像抽出一根柴一样。
英語原文
The Reign of Ahaz (726 BC)
¹ In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah Ahaz the son of Jotham king of Judah began to reign.
² 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.
³ 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.
⁴ And he sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree.
We have here a general character of the reign of Ahaz. Few and evil were his days—few, for he died at thirty-six—evil, for we are here told, 1. That he did not that which was right like David (2Ki 16:2), that is, he had none of that concern and affection for the instituted service and worship of God for which David was celebrated. He had no love for the temple, made no conscience of his duty to God, nor had any regard to his law. Herein he was unlike David; it was his honour that he was of the house and lineage of David, and it was owing to God's ancient covenant with David that he was now upon the throne, which aggravated his wickedness; for he was a reproach to that honourable name and family, which therefore was really a reproach to him (Degeneranti genus opprobrium—A good extraction is a disgrace to him who degenerates from it), and though he enjoyed the benefit of David's piety he did not tread in the steps of it. 2. That he walked in the way of the kings of Israel (2Ki 16:3), who all worshipped the calves. He was not joined in any affinity with them, as Jehoram and Ahaziah were with the house of Ahab, but, ex mero motu—without any instigation, walked in their way. The kings of Israel pleaded policy and reasons of state for their idolatry, but Ahaz had no such pretence: in him it was the most unreasonable impolitic thing that could be. They were his enemies, and had proved enemies to themselves too by their idolatry; yet he walked in their way. 3. That he made his sons to pass through the fire, to the honour of his dunghill-deities. He burnt them, so it is expressly said of him (2Ch 28:3), burnt some of them, and perhaps made others of them (Hezekiah himself not excepted, though afterwards he was never the worse for it) to pass between two fires, or to be drawn through a flame, in token of their dedication to the idol. 4. That he did according to the abominations of the heathen whom the Lord had cast out. It was an instance of his great folly that he would be guided in his religion by those whom he saw fallen into the ditch before his eyes, and follow them; and it was an instance of his great impiety that he would conform to those usages which God had declared to be abominable to him, and set himself to write after the copy of those whom God had cast out, thus walking directly contrary to God. 5. That he sacrificed in the high places, 2Ki 16:4. If his father had but had zeal enough to take them away, the debauching of his sons might have been prevented; but those that connive at sin know not what dangerous snares they lay for those that come after them. He forsook God's house, was weary of that place where, in his father's time, he had often been detained before the Lord, and performed his devotions on high hills, where he had a better prospect, and under green trees, where he had a more pleasant shade. It was a religion little worth, which was guided by fancy, not by faith.
⁵ 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.
⁶ 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.
⁷ So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, saying, I am thy servant and thy 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, which rise up against me.
⁸ And Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the house of the LORD, and in the treasures of the king's house, and sent it for a present to the king of Assyria.
⁹ 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.
Here is, 1. The attempt of his confederate neighbours, the kings of Syria and Israel, upon him. They thought to make themselves masters of Jerusalem, and to set a king of their own in it, Isa 7:6. In this they fell short, but the king of Syria recovered Elath, a considerable port upon the Red Sea, which Amaziah had taken from the Syrians, 2Ki 14:22. What can those keep that have lost their religion? Let them expect, thenceforward, to be always on the losing hand. 2. His project to get clear of them. Having forsaken God, he had neither courage nor strength to make head against his enemies, nor could he, with any boldness, ask help of God; but he made his court to the king of Assyria, and got him to come in for his relief. Those whose hearts condemn them will go any where in a day of distress rather than to God. Was it because there was not a God in Israel that he sent to the Assyrian for help? Was the rock of ages removed out of its place, that he stayed himself on this broken reed? The sin itself was its own punishment; for, though it is true that he gained his point (the king of Assyria hearkened to him, and, to serve his own turn, made a descent upon Damascus, whereby he gave a powerful diversion to the king of Syria, 2Ki 16:9, and obliged him to let fall his design against Ahaz, carrying the Syrians captive to Kir, as Amos had expressly foretold, Am 1:5), yet, considering all, he made but a bad bargain; for, to compass this, (1.) He enslaved himself (2Ki 16:7): I am thy servant and thy son, that is, "I will be as dutiful and obedient to thee as to a master or father, if thou wilt but do me this good turn." Had he thus humbled himself to God, and implored his favour, he might have been delivered upon easier terms; he might have saved his money, and needed only to have parted with his sins. But, if the prodigal forsake his father's house, he soon becomes a slave to the worst of masters, Lu 15:15. (2.) He impoverished himself; for he took the silver and gold that were laid up in the treasury both of the temple and of the kingdom, and sent it to the king of Assyria, 2Ki 16:8. Both church and state must be squeezed and exhausted, to gratify this his new patron and guardian. I know not what authority he had thus to dispose of the public stock; but it is common for those that have brought themselves into straits by one sin to help themselves out by another; and those that have alienated themselves from God will make no difficulty of alienating any of his rights.
¹⁰ And king Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, and saw an altar that was at Damascus: and king Ahaz sent to Urijah the priest the fashion of the altar, and the pattern of it, according to all the workmanship thereof.
¹¹ 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.
¹² And when the king was come from Damascus, the king saw the altar: and the king approached to the altar, and offered thereon.
¹³ And he burnt his burnt offering and his meat offering, and poured his drink offering, and sprinkled the blood of his peace offerings, upon the altar.
¹⁴ 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.
¹⁵ 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.
¹⁶ Thus did Urijah the priest, according to all that king Ahaz commanded.
Though Ahaz had himself sacrificed in high places, on hills, and under every green tree (2Ki 16:4), yet God's altar had hitherto continued in its place and in use, and the king's burnt-offering and his meat-offering (2Ki 16:15) had been offered upon it by the priests that attended it; but here we have it taken away by wicked Ahaz, and another altar, an idolatrous one, put in the room of it—a bolder stroke than the worst of the kings had yet given to religion. We have here,
I. The model of this new altar, taken from one at Damascus, by the king himself, 2Ki 16:10. The king of Assyria having taken Damascus, thither Ahaz went, to congratulate him on his success, to return him thanks for the kindness he had done him by this expedition, and, as his servant and son, to receive his commands. Had he been faithful to his God, he would not have needed to crouch thus meanly to a foreign power. At Damascus, either while viewing the rarities of the place, or rather while joining with them in their devotions (for, when he was there, he thought it no harm to do as they did), he saw an altar that pleased his fancy extremely, not such a plain old-fashioned one as that which he had been trained up in attendance upon at Jerusalem, but curiously carved, it is likely, and adorned with image-work; there were many pretty things about it which he thought significant, surprising, very charming, and calculated to excite his devotion. Solomon had but a dull fancy, he thought, compared with the ingenious artist that made this altar. Nothing will serve him but he must have an altar just like this: a pattern of it must be taken immediately; he cannot stay till he returns himself, but sends it before him in all haste, with orders to Urijah the priest to get one made exactly according to this model and have it ready against he came home. The pattern God showed to Moses in the mount or to David by the Spirit was not comparable to this pattern sent from Damascus. The hearts of idolaters walked after their eyes, which are therefore said to go a whoring after their idols; but the true worshippers worship the true God by faith.
II. The making of it by Urijah the priests, 2Ki 16:11. This Urijah, it is likely, was the chief priest who at this time presided in the temple-service. To him Ahaz sent an intimation of his mind (for we read not of any express orders he gave him), to get an altar made by this pattern. And, without any dispute or objection, he put it in hand immediately, being perhaps as fond of it as the king was, at least being very willing to humour the king and desirous to curry favour with him. Perhaps he might have this excuse for gratifying the king herein, that, by this means, he might keep him to the temple at Jerusalem and prevent his totally deserting it for the high places and the groves. "Let us oblige him in this," thinks Urijah, "and then he will bring all his sacrifices to us; for by this craft we get our living." But, whatever pretence he had, it was a most base wicked thing for him that was a priest, a chief priest, to make this altar, in compliance with an idolatrous prince, for hereby, 1. He prostituted his authority and profaned the crown of his priesthood, making himself a servant to the lusts of men. There is not a greater disgrace to the ministry than obsequiousness to such wicked commands as this was. 2. He betrayed his trust. As priest, he was bound to maintain and defend God's institutions, and to oppose and witness against all innovations; and, for him to assist and serve the king in setting up an altar to confront the altar which by divine appointment he was consecrated to minister at, was such a piece of treachery and perfidiousness as may justly render him infamous to all posterity. Had he only connived at the doing of it,—had he been frightened into it by menaces,—had he endeavoured to dissuade the king from it, or but delayed the doing of it till he came home, that he might first talk with him about it,—it would not have been so bad; but so willingly to walk after his commandment, as if he were glad of the opportunity to oblige him, was such an affront to the God he served as was utterly inexcusable.
III. The dedicating of it. Urijah, perceiving that the king's heart was much upon it, took care to have it ready against he came down, and set it near the brazen altar, but somewhat lower and further from the door of the temple. The king was exceedingly pleased with it, approached it with all possible veneration, and offered thereon his burnt-offering, etc., 2Ki 16:12,13. His sacrifices were not offered to the God of Israel, but to the gods of Damascus (as we find 2Ch 28:23), and, when he borrowed the Syrians' altar, no marvel that he borrowed their gods. Naaman, the Syrian, embraced the God of Israel when he got earth from the land of Israel to make an altar of.
IV. The removal of God's altar, to make room for it. Urijah was so modest that he put this altar at the lower end of the court, and left God's altar in its place, between this and the house of the Lord, 2Ki 16:14. But that would not satisfy Ahaz; he removed God's altar to an obscure corner in the north side of the court, and put his own before the sanctuary, in the place of it. He thinks his new altar is much more stately, and much more sightly, and disgraces that; and therefore "let that be laid aside as a vessel in which there is no pleasure." His superstitious invention, at first, jostled with God's sacred institution, but at length jostled it out. Note, Those will soon come to make nothing of God that will not be content to make him their all. Ahaz durst not (perhaps for fear of the people) quite demolish the brazen altar and knock it to pieces; but, while he ordered all the sacrifices to be offered upon this new altar (2Ki 16:15), The brazen altar (says he) shall be for me to enquire by. Having thrust it out from the use for which it was instituted, which was to sanctify the gifts offered upon it, he pretends to advance it above its institution, which it is common for superstitious people to do. The altar was never designed for an oracle, yet Ahaz will have it for that use. The Romish church seemingly magnifies Christ's sacraments, yet wretchedly corrupts them. But some give another sense of Ahaz's purpose: "As for the brazen altar, I will consider what to do with it, and give order about it." The Jews say that, afterwards, of the brass of it he made that famous dial which was called the dial of Ahaz, 2Ki 20:11. The base compliance of the poor-spirited priest with the presumptuous usurpations of an ill-spirited king is again taken notice of (2Ki 16:16): Urijah the priest did according to all that king Ahaz commanded. Miserable is the case of great men when those that should reprove them for their sins strengthen and serve them in their sins.
¹⁷ And king Ahaz cut off the borders of the bases, and removed the laver from off them; and took down the sea from off the brasen oxen that were under it, and put it upon a pavement of stones.
¹⁸ 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.
¹⁹ Now the rest of the acts of Ahaz which he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
²⁰ 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.
Here is, I. Ahaz abusing the temple, not the building itself, but some of the furniture of it. 1. He defaced the bases on which the lavers were set (1Ki 7:28,29) and took down the molten sea, 2Ki 16:17. These the priests used for washing; against them therefore he seems to have had a particular spite. It is one of the greatest prejudices that can be done to religion to obstruct the purifying of the priests, the Lord's ministers. 2. He removed the covert for the sabbath, erected either in honour of the sabbath or for the conveniency of the priests, when, on the sabbath, they officiated in greater numbers than on other days. Whatever it was, it should seem that in removing it he intended to put a contempt upon the sabbath, and so to open as wide an inlet as any to all manner of impiety. 3. The king's entry, which led to the house of the Lord, for the convenience of the royal family (perhaps that ascent which Solomon had made, and which the queen of Sheba admired, 1Ki 10:5), he turned another way, to show that he did not intend to frequent the house of the Lord any more. This he did for the king of Assyria, to oblige him, who perhaps returned his visit, and found fault with this entry, as an inconvenience and disparagement to his palace. When those that have had a ready passage to the house of the Lord, to please their neighbours, turn it another way, they are going down the hill apace towards their ruin.
II. Ahaz resigning his life in the midst of his days, at thirty-six years of age (2Ki 16:19) and leaving his kingdom to a better man, Hezekiah his son (2Ki 16:20), who proved as much a friend to the temple as he had been an enemy to it. Perhaps this very son he had made to pass through the fire, and thereby dedicated him to Moloch; but God, by his grace, snatched him as a brand out of the burning.
本章全篇记载亚哈斯的统治；论到他，我们所读的已经足够，除非内容能更好些。他有一位良善的父亲，又有一位更美的儿子，自己却是犹大列王中最坏的一个。一、他是声名狼藉的拜偶像者，2Ki 16:1-4。二、他用圣殿的宝物以及自己的财物，贿赂亚述王去攻打亚兰和以色列，2Ki 16:5-9。三、他照着在大马士革所见的一座偶像之坛的样式，为神的圣殿造了一座新坛，2Ki 16:10-16。四、他滥用并侵吞圣殿的器具，2Ki 16:17,18。他的事迹就这样结束了，2Ki 16:19,20。