2 Chronicles 28 27

2 Chronicles 28:27 kjv

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.

2 Chronicles 28:27 nkjv

So Ahaz rested with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, in Jerusalem; but they did not bring him into the tombs of the kings of Israel. Then Hezekiah his son reigned in his place.

2 Chronicles 28:27 niv

Ahaz rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of Jerusalem, but he was not placed in the tombs of the kings of Israel. And Hezekiah his son succeeded him as king.

2 Chronicles 28:27 esv

And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, in Jerusalem, for they did not bring him into the tombs of the kings of Israel. And Hezekiah his son reigned in his place.

2 Chronicles 28:27 nlt

When Ahaz died, he was buried in Jerusalem but not in the royal cemetery of the kings of Judah. Then his son Hezekiah became the next king.

2 Chronicles 28 verses

2 Chronicles 28 27 Meaning

The verse marks the end of the wicked King Ahaz's reign over Judah. It states that he died ("slept with his fathers") and was buried within Jerusalem, but specifically notes his exclusion from the customary royal burial tombs, signaling a public dishonor and divine disapproval of his actions. Immediately following his death, his son Hezekiah, who would become a righteous king, ascended the throne. This transition highlights a pivotal moment in Judah's history, moving from deep apostasy to a period of significant religious reform.

2 Chronicles 28 27 Context

This verse serves as the conclusion to the twenty-eighth chapter of 2 Chronicles, which details the exceedingly wicked reign of King Ahaz of Judah. Ahaz surpassed previous kings in apostasy, committing abominable acts such as sacrificing his own children to pagan gods, adopting the idolatrous practices of neighboring nations, breaking and plundering the vessels of the Lord's house, and ultimately, shutting the doors of the temple. His reign was marked by military defeat, humiliation, and deep spiritual rebellion, bringing immense suffering upon Judah. Verse 27 highlights the significant disgrace of his burial, serving as a powerful judgment on his ungodly rule. It then swiftly transitions to the rise of Hezekiah, whose subsequent reign brought a radical turnaround for Judah, initiating widespread spiritual reforms and reopening the temple. This sharp contrast underscores the Chronicler's theme of divine retribution for sin and blessing for righteousness, offering a clear demarcation between a period of darkness and the dawn of a spiritual revival.

2 Chronicles 28 27 Word analysis

• And Ahaz: King Ahaz (אחז, ʼAhaz), meaning "he has grasped" or "possessor." His name is ironically contrasted with his actions, as he grasped after foreign deities and customs rather than holding fast to the Lord. His character is consistently portrayed negatively (2 Kgs 16; Isa 7).
• slept with his fathers: A common biblical idiom for death, implying peaceful rest and being gathered to one's ancestors (e.g., 2 Sam 7:12; 1 Kgs 2:10). While a standard phrase, the subsequent details negate the sense of an honorable rest.
• and they buried him in the city, in Jerusalem: Indicates burial within the capital. This detail is often used in royal burial descriptions.
• for they brought him not into the sepulchres of the kings of Israel: This is the crucial negative distinction. The phrase "sepulchres of the kings" (קברות מלכי, qevurot malkhey) refers to the designated royal burial grounds, typically located near the City of David. Exclusion from these sepulchres was a significant mark of public disgrace and a sign of divine disfavor, reserved for kings whose reigns were characterized by extreme wickedness or who met an ignoble end (e.g., Jehoram, 2 Chron 21:20; Joash, 2 Chron 24:25). It signified that he was not deemed worthy of being laid among the more honorable kings of Judah.
• and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead: This marks an immediate transition from an apostate king to a righteous one. Hezekiah's ascension (חזקיהו, Ḥizqiyyahu, meaning "Yahweh strengthens") promised a drastic change in Judah's spiritual landscape.

• "Ahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him": This common phrase is immediately undercut by the following clause, which introduces the significant exception regarding his burial place. It is a formulaic opening to a death account, yet deliberately subverted here.
• "in the city, in Jerusalem; for they brought him not into the sepulchres of the kings of Israel": This juxtaposition is central to the verse's meaning. While buried locally, the exclusion from the sacred, royal family tomb signifies that Ahaz's legacy was one of profound disgrace and rejection by God, unfit for honor alongside his more faithful predecessors. The qevurot malkhey symbolizes the covenant lineage and divine favor. His removal implies breaking that continuity.
• "Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead": This quick transition is vital. It foreshadows the drastic reform that would immediately follow Ahaz's destructive reign, indicating God's sovereign hand in raising a king who would reverse the apostasy and bring spiritual renewal. The contrast sets up Hezekiah's coming reforms in stark relief to Ahaz's sin.

2 Chronicles 28 27 Bonus section

The Chronicler's emphasis on Ahaz's exclusion from the royal burial places, unlike the Books of Kings which omit this specific detail (2 Kgs 16:20 states only that he was buried "with his fathers in the city of David"), underscores the Chronicler's distinct theological agenda. The writer of Chronicles meticulously highlights the principle of divine retribution (both blessing and curse) as directly correlated with Israel's and Judah's obedience or disobedience to the Mosaic covenant. For the Chronicler, the final resting place was a symbolic summary of a king's legacy concerning their fidelity to YHWH and the Temple cult. Ahaz's dishonorable burial therefore serves as a potent example of a king who had fully alienated himself from God, and thus from the community of faithful Israelite rulers. This detail sets up the subsequent narratives of reformation under Hezekiah as a divine intervention to cleanse and restore, following such a dark period of apostasy.

2 Chronicles 28 27 Commentary

2 Chronicles 28:27 succinctly concludes the deplorable reign of King Ahaz, delivering a verdict on his spiritual rebellion. His death, phrased with the common "slept with his fathers," offers little comfort or honor given the following explicit statement that he was not interred in the royal sepulchres. This deliberate omission from the burial place of the legitimate kings of Judah (often called "kings of Israel" by the Chronicler when referring to Judah's Davidic line) served as a profound public condemnation of his actions. Ahaz had desecrated the temple, practiced idolatry including child sacrifice, and shut the very doors of the Lord's house. Such actions warranted a stripping of the honors traditionally accorded to kings. This historical record emphasizes the immediate divine consequence of unrepentant sin and deep apostasy within leadership. It contrasts starkly with the blessings and honorable ends of kings who walked righteously. Furthermore, the swift mention of Hezekiah's succession creates anticipation, foreshadowing a radical shift from the darkness of Ahaz's rule to a period of righteousness and renewal for the nation. It illustrates God's ongoing work to preserve His people and uphold His covenant promises even amidst widespread wickedness, raising up a new leader who would redirect the nation towards Him.