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2 Kings 16:7-9

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.” Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in Yahweh’s house, and in the treasures of the king’s house, and sent it for a present to the king of Assyria. The 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.

World English Bible · Public Domain
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2 Kings 16:7-9 sits inside this longer paragraph.

In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah, Ahaz the son of Jotham king of Judah began to reign. 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 Yahweh his God’s eyes, like David his father. But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yes, and made his son to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the nations whom Yahweh cast out from before the children of Israel. He sacrificed and burned incense in the high places, on the hills, and under every green tree. Then 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. At 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. 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.” Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in Yahweh’s house, and in the treasures of the king’s house, and sent it for a present to the king of Assyria. The 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. 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. Urijah 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. When the king had come from Damascus, the king saw the altar; and the king came near to the altar, and offered on it. He burned his burnt offering and his meal offering, poured his drink offering, and sprinkled the blood of his peace offerings on the altar. The bronze altar, which was before Yahweh, he brought from the front of the house, from between his altar and Yahweh’s house, and put it on the north side of his altar. King Ahaz commanded Urijah the priest, saying, “On the great altar burn the morning burnt offering, the evening meal offering, the king’s burnt offering, 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.” Urijah the priest did so, according to all that king Ahaz commanded. King 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. He removed the covered way for the Sabbath that they had built in the house, and the king’s entry outside to Yahweh’s house, because of the king of Assyria. Now 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? Ahaz slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in David’s city, and Hezekiah his son reigned in his place.

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Parallel Translations

  • WEB World English Bible

    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.”

    Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in Yahweh’s house, and in the treasures of the king’s house, and sent it for a present to the king of Assyria.

    The 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.

  • KJV King James Version

    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.

    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.

    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.

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  • JPS JPS Tanakh (1917)

    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 Aram, and out of the hand of the king of Israel, who rise up against me.'

    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.

    And the king of Assyria hearkened unto him; and the king of Assyria went up against Damascus, and took it, and carried the people of it captive to Kir, and slew Rezin.

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Cross-references (25)

  • 2 Kings 15:29 (v7) In the days of Pekah king of Israel, Tiglath Pileser king of Assyria came and took Ijon, Abel Beth Maacah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, Gilead,…
  • Isaiah 22:6 (v9) Elam carried his quiver, with chariots of men and horsemen; and Kir uncovered the shield.
  • Amos 9:7 (v9) Are you not like the children of the Ethiopians to me, children of Israel?” says Yahweh. “Haven’t I brought up Israel out of the land of…
  • 2 Kings 12:17-18 (v8) Then Hazael king of Syria went up, and fought against Gath, and took it; and Hazael set his face to go up to Jerusalem. Jehoash king of…
  • Amos 1:3-5 (v9) Yahweh says: “For three transgressions of Damascus, yes, for four, I will not turn away its punishment; because they have threshed Gilead…
Show all 25 cross-references
  • 1 Kings 20:4 (v7) The king of Israel answered, “It is according to your saying, my lord, O king. I am yours, and all that I have.”
  • 1 Kings 20:32-33 (v7) So they put sackcloth on their bodies and ropes on their heads, and came to the king of Israel, and said, “Your servant Ben Hadad says,…
  • 2 Kings 16:17-18 (v8) King 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…
  • 2 Kings 18:15-16 (v8) Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in Yahweh’s house, and in the treasures of the king’s house. At that time, Hezekiah cut off…
  • 1 Chronicles 5:26 (v7) So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, and the spirit of Tilgath Pilneser king of Assyria, and he carried them…
  • 2 Chronicles 16:2 (v8) Then Asa brought out silver and gold out of the treasures of Yahweh’s house and of the king’s house, and sent to Ben Hadad king of Syria,…
  • 2 Chronicles 28:5 (v9) Therefore Yahweh his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria. They struck him, and carried away from him a great multitude of…
  • 2 Chronicles 28:16 (v7) At that time king Ahaz sent to the kings of Assyria to help him.
  • 2 Chronicles 28:20 (v7) Tilgath Pilneser king of Assyria came to him, and gave him trouble, but didn’t strengthen him.
  • 2 Chronicles 28:20-21 (v8) Tilgath Pilneser king of Assyria came to him, and gave him trouble, but didn’t strengthen him. For Ahaz took away a portion out of Yahweh’s…
  • 2 Chronicles 28:21 (v9) For Ahaz took away a portion out of Yahweh’s house, and out of the house of the king and of the princes, and gave it to the king of…
  • Psalms 7:15-16 (v8) He has dug a hole, and has fallen into the pit which he made. The trouble he causes shall return to his own head. His violence shall come…
  • Psalms 146:3-5 (v7) Don’t put your trust in princes, in a son of man in whom there is no help. His spirit departs, and he returns to the earth. In that very…
  • Isaiah 7:16 (v9) For before the child knows to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you abhor shall be forsaken.
  • Isaiah 7:17 (v8) Yahweh will bring on you, on your people, and on your father’s house, days that have not come, from the day that Ephraim departed from…
  • Isaiah 8:7-8 (v8) now therefore, behold, the Lord brings upon them the mighty flood waters of the River: the king of Assyria and all his glory. It will come…
  • Isaiah 9:11 (v9) Therefore Yahweh will set up on high against him the adversaries of Rezin, and will stir up his enemies,
  • Jeremiah 17:5 (v7) Yahweh says: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man, relies on strength of flesh, and whose heart departs from Yahweh.
  • Lamentations 4:17 (v7) Our eyes still fail, looking in vain for our help. In our watching we have watched for a nation that could not save.
  • Hosea 14:3 (v7) Assyria can’t save us. We won’t ride on horses; neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, ‘Our gods!’ for in you the…

Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)

Explain this passage (16 sources)

Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.

Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On vv7–8 Contrary to the admonition of the Prophet Isaiah, Isa.…

Contrary to the admonition of the Prophet Isaiah, Isa. 7:4.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.

John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv7–9 2Ki 16:7 So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglathpileser king…
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On vv7, 9 I am thy servant and thy son; I yield…
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv7–9 And Ahaz took the silver and gold that was…
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain On v7 Sent messengers, &c. - But was it because there…
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On vv7, 9 Verse 7. I am thy servant and thy son]…
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On vv7–9 2Ki 16:7. So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-pileser —…
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain On vv7–9 Ahaz was threatened on all sides, on the north…
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On vv7, 9 Son, vassal, or under thy protection. (Calmet) --- Save…
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain On v7 So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-pileser--In spite of the…
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On vv7–9 7. Ahaz sent… to Tiglath-pileser — He placed no…
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv7–9 7. So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-pileser king of…
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On vv7–9 (7) So Ahaz sent messengers.—See Notes on 2Ch_28:16; 2Ch_28:20.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On vv7–9 Vers. 7-9. Expedition of Tiglath-pileser against Pekah and Rezin.…
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On v7 In 2 Kings 15:19 this man was called "Pul."…
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv7, 9 16:7-9 Rather than trusting in God’s provision (Isa 7:7-16),…
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