2 Chronicles 28:7 kjv
And Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim, slew Maaseiah the king's son, and Azrikam the governor of the house, and Elkanah that was next to the king.
2 Chronicles 28:7 nkjv
Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim, killed Maaseiah the king's son, Azrikam the officer over the house, and Elkanah who was second to the king.
2 Chronicles 28:7 niv
Zikri, an Ephraimite warrior, killed Maaseiah the king's son, Azrikam the officer in charge of the palace, and Elkanah, second to the king.
2 Chronicles 28:7 esv
And Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim, killed Maaseiah the king's son and Azrikam the commander of the palace and Elkanah the next in authority to the king.
2 Chronicles 28:7 nlt
Then Zicri, a warrior from Ephraim, killed Maaseiah, the king's son; Azrikam, the king's palace commander; and Elkanah, the king's second-in-command.
2 Chronicles 28 7 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Chron 28:1-3 | Ahaz did not do what was right...made molten images for Baals...burnt his children... | Ahaz's deep wickedness invited divine judgment. |
| 2 Chron 28:5-6 | The LORD his God gave him into the hand of the king of Syria...and Pekah slew in Judah an hundred and twenty thousand... | God directly delivered Judah into its enemies' hands. |
| 2 Chron 28:8 | The children of Israel carried away captive of their brethren two hundred thousand... | The extent of the human loss due to divine judgment. |
| 2 Chron 28:9 | But a prophet of the LORD was there...you have slain them in a rage that reaches up to heaven. | God's perspective on the excessive nature of the judgment. |
| Deut 28:25 | The LORD will cause you to be defeated before your enemies... | Covenant curses for disobedience include defeat in battle. |
| Lev 26:17 | I will set my face against you, and you shall be defeated by your enemies. | God's active opposition against rebellious people. |
| Judg 2:14-15 | He gave them over to plunderers...Wherever they went, the hand of the LORD was against them for harm... | Cycle of Israel's unfaithfulness leading to divine hand against them. |
| Isa 1:5-7 | Why should you be stricken anymore? You will revolt more and more. The whole head is sick... | Prophetic description of Judah's state due to sin (contemporaneous with Ahaz). |
| Jer 2:19 | Your own wickedness will correct you, and your backslidings will rebuke you. | Sin's self-punishing nature is highlighted. |
| Prov 14:34 | Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people. | The national consequences of righteousness versus sin. |
| Rom 6:23 | For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life... | The ultimate consequence of sin is spiritual death, applicable to physical judgment. |
| Gal 6:7 | Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. | Divine law of sowing and reaping, applicable to nations and individuals. |
| Ps 78:60-61 | He abandoned the dwelling of Shiloh...and delivered His strength into captivity, His glory into the enemy’s hand. | God abandons protection when His people are unfaithful. |
| Jer 25:9 | I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants...and devote them to destruction. | God uses other nations as instruments of judgment. |
| Lam 1:3-5 | Judah has gone into exile...All her persecutors overtook her in the midst of her distress. | Consequences of sin described after later exiles, but mirroring similar principles. |
| Hos 5:9 | Ephraim shall become a desolation in the day of punishment... | Foreshadows Ephraim's own coming judgment, even as they serve as God's instrument here. |
| Amos 9:4 | If they hide in the top of Carmel, from there I will search and take them... | God's inescapable judgment pursues the disobedient. |
| Mic 6:13-16 | So I will strike you with a grievous blow, making you desolate because of your sins. | God's punishment due to the pervasive sin of His people. |
| Isa 3:1-7 | Behold, the Lord GOD of hosts is taking away from Jerusalem and Judah...every supply of bread and water... | Description of removal of leadership and provisions due to sin. |
| 1 Sam 2:30 | For those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed. | A principle showing divine retribution for dishonoring God. |
2 Chronicles 28 verses
2 Chronicles 28 7 Meaning
This verse details a significant and devastating event during the reign of King Ahaz of Judah, specifically recounting how Zichri, a formidable warrior from the northern kingdom of Israel (Ephraim), slew three prominent figures in Judah's royal court: Maaseiah, the king’s son; Azrikam, the governor of the house; and Elkanah, who was next to the king. It underscores the profound judgment and consequences brought upon Judah due to King Ahaz's severe unfaithfulness and idolatry.
2 Chronicles 28 7 Context
The context of 2 Chronicles 28 is the tragically wicked reign of King Ahaz of Judah. He is described as a king who "did not do what was right in the sight of the LORD, as his father David had done" (2 Chron 28:1). Instead, Ahaz walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, engaging in rampant idolatry, even to the horrifying extent of sacrificing his own children to pagan deities (2 Chron 28:3). This gross apostasy provoked the Lord's wrath.
Historically, this period (mid-8th century BC) saw the rise of the Assyrian Empire under Tiglath-Pileser III. Judah was caught in the midst of the Syro-Ephraimite War, where Rezin, king of Syria, and Pekah, king of Israel (Ephraim), formed an alliance to challenge Assyrian dominance and pressured Judah to join them. Ahaz, despite divine counsel to trust God (Isaiah 7), chose instead to appeal to Tiglath-Pileser III, becoming an Assyrian vassal and importing further pagan practices into Judah. The battle described in verse 6 and the casualties in verse 7 were a direct consequence of Judah's turning away from the Lord, serving as God's judgment against Ahaz's profound wickedness before he turned to Assyria for help.
2 Chronicles 28 7 Word analysis
And Zichri (זכרי - Zikhri): "My remembrance" or "renowned." Ironically, this individual will be remembered for participating in a major defeat of Judah.
A mighty man (גבור חיל - gibbor chayil): Translates to "valiant warrior" or "man of strength." Zichri was not a common soldier but a known, powerful, and effective fighter from the Northern Kingdom. This highlights the severity and skill behind the blow Judah suffered.
Of Ephraim (אפרים - 'Efrayim): Referring to the northern kingdom of Israel. This detail emphasizes that the defeat came from within the larger family of Israel, a consequence of the continued division and unfaithfulness.
Slew: Indicates a decisive, brutal act of killing in battle.
Maaseiah (מעשיה - Ma'aseyah): "Work of Yahweh" or "Deed of Yah." His name starkly contrasts with his death, which, while a human tragedy, was a "work of Yahweh" in judgment.
The king’s son (בן המלך - ben hamelekh): This term denotes not necessarily a literal young child, but a prince, often a high-ranking official or close advisor. His death represents a blow to the royal family and its future.
Azrikam (עזריקם - 'Azriqam): "My help has arisen" or "my help has stood up." His name's hopeful meaning stands in bitter contrast to Judah's desperate situation and the failure of any "help" to arise to prevent their leaders' demise.
The governor of the house (סרן הבית - saran habbayit): A very influential position, often called "steward," "majordomo," or "prefect of the palace." This official managed the royal household's affairs, finances, and administration, making his death a severe blow to the kingdom's administrative structure.
And Elkanah (אלקנה - 'Elqanah): "God has created" or "God has possessed." Similar to the others, his name bears an ironic significance in the context of divine judgment.
That was next to the king (משנה המלך - mishneh hamelekh): Meaning "second to the king" or "king's deputy." This implies the highest-ranking official below the monarch, often likened to a prime minister or a trusted chief advisor. His death represented the highest level of administrative loss for Judah.
Words-group analysis:
- "A mighty man of Ephraim slew": This phrase highlights God's sovereignty, even in acts of war among His people. Zichri's strength and skill were divinely permitted to be an instrument of judgment against Judah. It also underscores the bitter reality of Israelite against Israelite conflict stemming from apostasy.
- "Maaseiah the king’s son, and Azrikam the governor of the house, and Elkanah that was next to the king": The combined loss of these three specific individuals indicates a catastrophic blow to Judah's leadership hierarchy. They represented the direct royal line, the chief administrator of the palace, and the king's closest and most influential advisor. Their deaths were not just a military setback but a profound decapitation of the kingdom's central authority, signifying the depth of God's judgment against Ahaz and the entire nation.
2 Chronicles 28 7 Bonus section
- The Chronicler's emphasis on such specific casualties, not found in the parallel 2 Kings 16 account, serves a distinct theological purpose: to underscore the profound consequences of national sin and the divine hand in bringing about such calamity. This specificity aims to instruct the post-exilic audience that their past sufferings were directly linked to their ancestors' covenant unfaithfulness.
- The naming of Ephraim as the perpetrator reinforces the tragic internal strife among God's people due to their collective sin. Even as Ephraim executed God's judgment, their own unrighteousness would eventually lead to their desolation (e.g., Hos 5:9).
- The extent of the leadership purge mentioned in this single verse highlights the fragility of worldly power and security when a nation turns from God. These were not fringe figures but foundational members of the kingdom, whose rapid demise signals the crumbling of a kingdom built on disobedience.
2 Chronicles 28 7 Commentary
This concise verse, within the bleak narrative of Ahaz's reign, powerfully illustrates the direct and devastating consequences of Judah's unfaithfulness. It emphasizes that divine judgment manifests not only in broad defeats (like the 120,000 common soldiers in verse 6) but also in surgical strikes against the very pillars of the nation's leadership. The meticulous naming of Zichri, a formidable warrior, highlights the instrument of judgment, while the named Judean officials – a prince, the chief of the royal household, and the king's top deputy – underscore the irreparable damage inflicted upon Judah's governmental stability. Their significant positions signify that no rank, privilege, or worldly power offers immunity from God's righteous wrath against persistent sin. The irony of their names (like "Work of Yahweh") against the backdrop of divine judgment further stresses that these calamitous events were indeed ordained by the God whose authority Ahaz despised, fulfilling the curses promised for disobedience.