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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.
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The Reign of Ahaz (726 BC)
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亞哈斯的治理（主前726年）
¹ 利瑪利的兒子比加第十七年，猶大王約坦的兒子亞哈斯登基。
² 亞哈斯登基的時候年二十歲，在耶路撒冷作王十六年，不像他祖大衛行耶和華他神眼中看為正的事；
³ 卻效法以色列諸王所行的，又照著耶和華在以色列人面前趕出的外邦人所行可憎的事，使他的兒子經火。
⁴ 他在邱壇上、山岡上、各青翠樹下獻祭燒香。
此處我們讀到亞哈斯作王的一般品格。他的日子又短又惡——短，因為他三十六歲就死了——惡，因為我們在此被告知，1. 他不如大衛行得正（2Ki 16:2），即他對神所設立的事奉和敬拜，毫無大衛所著名的那種關切和愛慕。他不愛聖殿，不把對神當盡的本分放在良心上，也不尊重神的律法。在這點上他與大衛不同；他屬大衛的家系和血脈，這是他的尊榮；他如今在寶座上，也是因神與大衛古舊的約；這就更加重了他的惡行；因為他是那尊榮之名和家族的恥辱，所以這名其實也成了他的恥辱（Degeneranti genus opprobrium——好的出身對敗壞的人是羞辱）；他雖然享受了大衛敬虔的益處，卻沒有踏著他的腳蹤行。2. 他效法以色列諸王所行的（2Ki 16:3），他們都拜金牛犢。他並沒有像約蘭和亞哈謝與亞哈家結親那樣與他們結盟，卻出於己意——毫無外來慫恿——效法他們的道。以色列諸王以政治和國家利益為藉口為他們的偶像崇拜辯護，亞哈斯卻沒有這樣的託辭：在他這完全是極不合理、極不智的事。他們是他的仇敵，又因偶像崇拜證明是自取滅亡；他卻效法他們的道。3. 他使他的兒子經火，為尊榮他那糞土般的神明。他把兒子們焚燒了——歷代志上明說（2Ch 28:3），燒了一些，也許又使另一些（連希西家也不除外，雖然他後來從未因此受損）從兩火之間經過，或從火焰中拖過，作為獻給偶像的記號。4. 他照著耶和華所趕出的外邦人的可憎之事而行。他願意以那些眼見掉在坑裡的人作為宗教的嚮導，並追隨他們，這是他極大愚昧的明證；他願意順應那些神已宣告為可憎的慣例，並刻意照那些被神趕出之人的樣式抄襲，因此直接與神背道而馳，這是他極大不敬虔的明證。5. 他在邱壇上獻祭（2Ki 16:4）。他父親若曾有足夠的熱心廢去邱壇，他兒子們的敗壞或許可以避免；但那些對罪睜一隻眼閉一隻眼的人，不知道自己為後人設下了何等危險的網羅。他離棄神的殿，厭倦了那在他父親時常常把他拘留在耶和華面前的地方，反而在高岡上——那裡視野更好——和青翠樹下——那裡蔭涼更舒適——舉行他的敬拜。這是一種以幻想為嚮導、而非以信心為嚮導的宗教，價值甚低。
⁵ 亞蘭王利汛和以色列王利瑪利的兒子比加上來攻打耶路撒冷，圍困亞哈斯，卻不能勝他。
⁶ 那時亞蘭王利汛收回以拉他歸亞蘭，將猶大人從以拉他趕出去；亞蘭人就來到以拉他，住在那裡直到今日。
⁷ 亞哈斯差遣使者去見亞述王提革拉毘列色，說：我是你的僕人、你的兒子；求你上來拯救我脫離亞蘭王和以色列王的手，他們起來攻擊我。
⁸ 亞哈斯將耶和華殿裡和王宮府庫裡所有的金銀送給亞述王為禮物。
⁹ 亞述王答允了他。於是亞述王上去攻取大馬色，將其中的民擄到吉珥，又殺了利汛。
此處有，1. 他的結盟鄰國亞蘭王和以色列王對他的攻擊。他們想攻佔耶路撒冷，在其中立一個自己所揀選的王（Isa 7:6）。這一點他們未能如願，但亞蘭王收復了以拉他——紅海邊一個重要的港口，原是亞瑪謝從亞蘭人手中奪來的（2Ki 14:22）。那些已經失去信仰的人還能守住甚麼呢？從今以後，他們只可指望不斷地失敗。2. 他擺脫他們的計策。他既離棄了神，就既無勇氣、也無力量抵擋仇敵，又不敢放膽向神求助；於是他向亞述王獻殷勤，請他來為他解圍。良心責備自己的人，在患難之日會到任何地方去，也不肯到神那裡去。難道是因為以色列中沒有神，他才向亞述人求救麼？那萬古磐石是否從原處被挪移，他才倚靠這根破裂的蘆葦？罪本身就是罪的刑罰；因為雖然他確實達到了目的（亞述王聽了他，並為服務自己的目的而下到大馬色，借此有力地牽制了亞蘭王【2Ki 16:9】，迫使他放棄對付亞哈斯的計劃，把亞蘭人擄到吉珥，正如阿摩司明確預言的——Am 1:5），但綜合而論，他這筆交易做得很壞；因為為此，（1）他使自己作了奴僕（2Ki 16:7）：我是你的僕人、你的兒子，即「你若肯為我作這件好事，我必像對主人或父親那樣孝敬順服你。」他若如此向神謙卑、求他的恩，本可按更輕省的條件得救；他本可省下銀子，只需捨棄他的罪。但浪子若離棄父家，很快就成為最壞主人的奴僕（Lu 15:15）。（2）他使自己貧窮；因為他取了聖殿和國家府庫中所存放的金銀，送給亞述王（2Ki 16:8）。教會和國家都要受擠壓、被耗盡，來滿足他這位新恩主和保護者。我不知道他有什麼權柄如此處置公款；但那因一項罪把自己陷入困境的人，常用另一項罪來解救自己，這是常見的；那些已經使自己與神隔絕的人，也不難褫奪神任何的權利。
¹⁰ 亞哈斯王上大馬色去迎接亞述王提革拉毘列色，在大馬色看見一座壇；亞哈斯王就把壇的樣式規模和一切作法，畫圖送給祭司烏利亞。
¹¹ 祭司烏利亞照著亞哈斯王從大馬色所送來的，造了一座壇；在亞哈斯王從大馬色回來之前，祭司烏利亞就照樣造好了。
¹² 王從大馬色回來，王看見那壇，就近前來，在壇上獻祭。
¹³ 王在壇上燔燒燔祭、素祭，澆奠祭，又將平安祭牲的血灑在壇上。
¹⁴ 他又把耶和華面前的銅壇，從耶和華殿前、從壇和耶和華殿之間，挪到北邊，放在新壇的旁邊。
¹⁵ 亞哈斯王吩咐祭司烏利亞說：早晨的燔祭、晚上的素祭、王的燔祭和素祭、以及全地眾民的燔祭、素祭和奠祭，都要燒在大壇上；燔祭牲和一切祭牲的血也要灑在其上；至於銅壇，我要用以求問。
¹⁶ 祭司烏利亞就照著亞哈斯王所吩咐的一切去行了。
亞哈斯雖然自己曾在邱壇、山岡上、各青翠樹下獻祭（2Ki 16:4），但神的壇至今仍在其原位、被人使用，王的燔祭和素祭（2Ki 16:15）也由供職的祭司在其上獻上；但此處我們見邪惡的亞哈斯把它挪去，以另一座壇——一座偶像的壇——代替它——這是歷來最壞的王對宗教所下最狠的一刀。我們在此見到：
I. 這座新壇的模型，是王親自從大馬色一座壇取來的（2Ki 16:10）。亞述王既攻取了大馬色，亞哈斯就去那裡祝賀他的成功，感謝他借這次出征為自己所施的恩惠，並以僕人和兒子的身分接受他的命令。他若對自己的神忠心，就不必如此卑躬屈膝地巴結外國勢力。在大馬色，或是在觀賞那地的奇珍時，或更可能是參與他們的敬拜時（因為他在那裡，以為入鄉隨俗並不算錯），他看見一座十分悅他眼目的壇——不是他在耶路撒冷從小受教所事奉的那樣一座古板老式的壇，而大概是精雕細琢、飾以圖像的；其中有許多他認為別具意義、令人驚奇、十分迷人、足以激發敬虔的玩意。他以為所羅門的想像力比之於造這座壇的巧匠，實在乏味。非得有一座與此完全相同的壇不可：必須立刻照著畫下模型；他不能等到親自回來，就急忙先把它送回去，吩咐祭司烏利亞照這模型造一座，在他回家之前備妥。神在山上指示摩西、或借聖靈指示大衛的樣式，比不上這從大馬色送來的樣式。拜偶像之人的心隨眼目而行，所以他們的偶像被說成隨從眼目行淫；但真敬拜者是以信心敬拜真神。
II. 祭司烏利亞造了這壇（2Ki 16:11）。這位烏利亞大概就是當時主持聖殿事奉的大祭司。亞哈斯向他示意自己的心意（因為我們沒有讀到他給予任何明確的命令），要他照這樣式造一座壇。他毫無爭辯或反對，立刻動手，或許他自己也像王一樣喜歡它，至少十分願意迎合王、想討他的歡心。或許他在這事上迎合王，可以找到這樣的藉口：借著這個方法，他可以把王留在耶路撒冷的聖殿，防止他完全離棄聖殿而轉向邱壇和樹叢。「我們在這事上遷就他，」（烏利亞心想）「他就會把一切祭物都帶到我們這裡來；因為我們靠這手藝養生。」但不論他有什麼託辭，作為一個祭司、一個大祭司，去造這座壇以迎合一位拜偶像的君王，是最卑鄙的惡事；因為借此，1. 他出賣了自己的權柄，褻瀆了祭司的冠冕，使自己作了人情私慾的奴僕。對這樣邪惡的命令百依百順，是傳道職事最大的恥辱。2. 他辜負了所託。作為祭司，他有責任維護並保衛神所設立的，反對並見證一切創新；他竟協助並服事王去設立一座壇，與他借神聖任命受膏所事奉的壇相對抗，這種背信棄義，實足以使他遺臭萬年。他若只是對這事睜一隻眼閉一隻眼；若只是被威脅所迫；若曾設法勸王放棄，或至少拖延到他回家，好先與他談論此事——情形就不會那麼糟；但他如此甘心樂意地順從王的命令，彷彿以得此機會效勞為榮，這實在是對他所事奉之神的侮辱，完全不可原諒。
III. 壇的奉獻。烏利亞見王十分在意，就留心在王下來之前把它備妥，放在銅壇附近，但略低一些，離聖殿門也遠一些。王對它極其滿意，以一切當有的敬意就近它，在上面獻燔祭等（2Ki 16:12,13）。他的祭不是獻給以色列的神，而是獻給大馬色的神（如我們在2Ch 28:23所見）；他既借用了亞蘭人的壇，難怪也借了他們的神。亞蘭人乃縵在得了以色列地的土造壇時，就敬拜以色列的神。
IV. 挪走神的壇，為新壇騰出地方。烏利亞尚算謙虛，把這壇放在院子的下方，讓神的壇留在原位——在這壇和耶和華殿之間（2Ki 16:14）。但這不能滿足亞哈斯；他把神的壇移到院子北邊一個偏僻的角落，把自己的壇放在聖所之前，取而代之。他以為他的新壇更宏偉、更可觀，使那舊壇顯得難看；所以「那壇當擱置一旁，如同一個無人喜悅的器皿。」他那迷信的發明，起初與神聖的設立相爭，最終把它擠走。注意，那些不肯以神為滿足的人，很快就會完全不把神放在眼裡。亞哈斯不敢（也許是怕百姓）完全拆毀銅壇，把它敲碎；但他吩咐把一切祭物都在這新壇上獻（2Ki 16:15）之時，說：至於銅壇，我要用以求問。 他既把銅壇從其設立的用途（就是淨化其上所獻的禮物）中挪開，就假裝把它提升到設立之上——這是迷信之人常作的。這壇從來不是為神諭而設，亞哈斯卻要把它用作那個用途。羅馬天主教看似高舉基督的聖禮，卻可悲地敗壞了它們。但有人對亞哈斯的意思另作解釋：「至於銅壇，我要考慮怎樣處置它，並下令辦理。」猶太人說，後來他用其上的銅造了那著名的日晷——稱為亞哈斯的日晷（2Ki 20:11）。心胸狹窄的祭司對心術不正之君的妄自僭越的卑鄙順從，再次被注意到（2Ki 16:16）：祭司烏利亞照著亞哈斯王所吩咐的一切去行了。 偉人若在自己罪中受那些本當責備他們的人堅固和服事，他們的景況實在可悲。
¹⁷ 亞哈斯王打碎盆座的邊緣，把洗濯盆從座上挪下來；又將銅海從馱海的銅牛身上取下，放在石鋪地上。
¹⁸ 他們為安息日所建、在殿中的廊子，和王從外進殿的入口，因亞述王的緣故，都從耶和華的殿挪移了。
¹⁹ 亞哈斯其餘所行的事，豈不都寫在猶大諸王記上麼？
²⁰ 亞哈斯與他列祖同睡，與他列祖同葬在大衛城裡；他兒子希西家接續他作王。
此處有，I. 亞哈斯濫用聖殿——不是建築本身，而是其中一些陳設。1. 他毀壞了安置洗濯盆的盆座（1Ki 7:28,29），又拆下銅海（2Ki 16:17）。這些是祭司用來洗濯的；他似乎特別針對這些。攔阻祭司——主的僕人——得潔淨，是對宗教所能行的最大傷害之一。2. 他挪走了安息日的廊子——那或是為尊榮安息日而建，或是為祭司的方便而建，因為安息日他們供職的人數比平時更多。不論那是什麼，看來他挪移它，是要存心輕看安息日，借此為各樣不敬虔的事大開門戶。3. 王進耶和華殿的入口——為王室方便而設（也許就是所羅門所造、示巴女王所讚賞的那個臺階，1Ki 10:5）——他改了方向，為要表明他不打算再常到耶和華的殿來。他這樣行是為亞述王的緣故，要討好他——亞述王或許回訪他，嫌這入口不便、有損他的宮殿。那些本有直通耶和華殿的捷徑的人，為討好鄰舍而改道，正是在飛快地奔向自己的毀滅。
II. 亞哈斯中年交出性命，年僅三十六歲（2Ki 16:19），把國留給一個比他好的人——他兒子希西家（2Ki 16:20）；希西家對聖殿的友好，正如亞哈斯對它的敵視。也許這個兒子就是他曾使經火的，借此把他獻給了摩洛；但神借他的恩典，把他如從火中抽出來的一根柴救出來了。
英文原文
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.
本章全部記述亞哈斯的統治；除非那記載能更好一些，否則我們已經看得夠了。他有一位好父親，也有一位更好的兒子，然而他自己卻是猶大諸王中最壞的一個。I. 他是一個聲名狼藉的拜偶像者，2Ki 16:1-4。II. 他用聖殿的財寶，以及自己的財寶，僱用亞述王來攻打敘利亞和以色列，2Ki 16:5-9。III. 他仿照自己在亞蘭大馬士革所看見的一座偶像的祭壇，在神的殿中造了一座新壇，2Ki 16:10-16。IV. 他褻瀆並私自挪用聖殿的器具，2Ki 16:17,18。他的事蹟到此結束，2Ki 16:19,20。