2 Kings 16:1 kjv
In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah Ahaz the son of Jotham king of Judah began to reign.
2 Kings 16:1 nkjv
In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah, Ahaz the son of Jotham, king of Judah, began to reign.
2 Kings 16:1 niv
In the seventeenth year of Pekah son of Remaliah, Ahaz son of Jotham king of Judah began to reign.
2 Kings 16:1 esv
In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah, Ahaz the son of Jotham, king of Judah, began to reign.
2 Kings 16:1 nlt
Ahaz son of Jotham began to rule over Judah in the seventeenth year of King Pekah's reign in Israel.
2 Kings 16 1 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Ki 15:38 | And Jotham slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the City of David his father. And Ahaz his son reigned in his stead. | Transition from Jotham to Ahaz's reign. |
| 2 Chr 28:1 | Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem... | Parallel account of Ahaz's reign start and duration. |
| Isa 7:1-9 | Now it came to pass in the days of Ahaz... Rezin king of Syria and Pekah... came up to Jerusalem to wage war against it... | Key prophetic encounter with Ahaz during the Syro-Ephraimite War. |
| 2 Ki 16:2 | Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king... he did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord his God... | Directly elaborates on Ahaz's unrighteous character. |
| 2 Ki 15:27 | In the fifty-second year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekah the son of Remaliah became king over Israel... | Context of Pekah's reign in the Northern Kingdom. |
| 2 Ki 15:29 | In the days of Pekah king of Israel, Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria came... | Pekah's reign marks major Assyrian intervention. |
| Isa 1:4 | Ah, sinful nation, a people loaded with iniquity, offspring of evildoers... | Prophetic indictment of Judah's sin, applicable to Ahaz's era. |
| Deut 17:18-20 | ...he shall write for himself a copy of this law in a book... that his heart may not be lifted up... | Standard for righteous kings, which Ahaz ignored. |
| Lev 18:21 | You shall not give any of your offspring to offer them to Molech... | Foreshadows Ahaz's abominable practices (2 Ki 16:3). |
| Ps 146:3-5 | Do not put your trust in princes... Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help... | Principle of trusting God, which Ahaz failed to do. |
| Prov 29:2 | When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. | Ahaz's wicked rule brought suffering. |
| Jer 22:15-17 | Did not your father eat and drink and do justice and righteousness? Then it was well with him. He judged the cause of the poor... | Contrast between righteous kings (like Jotham, partially) and unrighteous ones like Ahaz. |
| Ezr 9:7 | Since the days of our fathers to this day we have been in great guilt... our kings... in the hand of the kings of the lands... | Reflects the consistent pattern of unfaithfulness by kings like Ahaz. |
| Jer 32:34-35 | But they put their abominations in the house... and they built the high places of Baal... to offer their sons and daughters to Molech... | Later condemnation of Judah's idolatry, common during Ahaz's reign. |
| Matt 1:9 | Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah... | Geneological link of Ahaz in the lineage of Christ. |
| Heb 1:1-2 | God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son... | Prophets (Isaiah) were sent during Ahaz's time. |
| Rom 1:21-23 | For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God... and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image... | Ahaz's descent into idolatry and rejection of God. |
| Eph 5:11 | And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. | The call against works of darkness that characterized Ahaz's reign. |
| Isa 30:1-3 | "Woe to the rebellious children," says the LORD, "who take counsel, but not of Me..." | Prophetic warning against relying on human alliances over divine trust. |
| 1 Ki 15:11-14 | Asa did what was right in the eyes of the Lord... However, the high places were not removed. | Example of kings with mixed records, Jotham being a precursor. |
| 2 Chr 27:6 | So Jotham became mighty because he prepared his ways before the Lord his God. | Description of Ahaz's righteous father, setting a contrast. |
2 Kings 16 verses
2 Kings 16 1 Meaning
This verse serves as a precise chronological marker, indicating the beginning of Ahaz's reign over the southern kingdom of Judah. It establishes the synchronicity with the reign of Pekah, son of Remaliah, over the northern kingdom of Israel, highlighting the political and historical context of the two divided kingdoms at this specific juncture. It sets the stage for the narrative of King Ahaz, who would become one of Judah's most unrighteous kings.
2 Kings 16 1 Context
This verse immediately follows the account of Jotham, King of Judah, who reigned righteously but did not remove the high places of worship. Chapter 15 concludes with Jotham's death and Ahaz's ascension. 2 Kings 16:1 therefore marks a chronological transition, providing the regnal synchronization necessary for understanding the broader political landscape. It introduces Ahaz, a significant figure in the history of Judah, whose reign (further detailed in 2 Kings 16 and 2 Chronicles 28) would be marked by deep idolatry, including child sacrifice and the deliberate adoption of pagan altars, bringing Judah to a low point of apostasy before the reforms of his son Hezekiah. This specific year places Judah and Israel amidst the rising threat of the Neo-Assyrian Empire under Tiglath-Pileser III and the ongoing Syro-Ephraimite War (around 735 BCE), where Israel (Pekah) and Aram (Rezin) attempted to force Judah into an anti-Assyrian coalition, setting the stage for Ahaz's fateful decisions to trust in Assyria rather than in Yahweh.
2 Kings 16 1 Word analysis
In the seventeenth year (בִּשְׁנַת שְׁבַע עֶשְׂרֵה, bišənaṯ šəḇa‘ ‘eśrê):
- Significance: This precise chronological detail is characteristic of biblical historical narratives, establishing a specific historical anchor for events. It aligns Ahaz's ascension with Pekah's reign, a key synchronism given the impending Syro-Ephraimite War where both nations would be heavily involved. The number "seventeen" confirms the long duration of Pekah's reign as a background to the subsequent events.
Pekah (פֶּקַח, Peqach):
- Meaning: "Open-eyed" or "opened".
- Significance: King of Israel (Northern Kingdom), son of Remaliah. His reign was marked by instability, war, and ultimately his assassination. His collaboration with King Rezin of Aram against Judah is a central event in Ahaz's narrative, described in Isa 7. His presence in this verse immediately signals the escalating regional conflict.
son of Remaliah (בֶּן־רְמַלְיָהוּ, ben-Rəmalyahû):
- Meaning: "Remaliah" means "Yahweh has embellished/adorned".
- Significance: Identifies Pekah and helps differentiate him from other kings. In 2 Ki 15:25, Pekah is identified as an officer who assassinated his predecessor, Pekahiah, showing the volatile nature of the northern kingdom's leadership and the fulfillment of earlier prophecies against Jeroboam's house (2 Ki 15:29-30).
Ahaz (אָחָז, ’Achaz):
- Meaning: "He has grasped" or "possessor".
- Significance: Son of Jotham and king of Judah (Southern Kingdom). He is depicted as a king who consistently did evil in the sight of the Lord, unlike many of his predecessors. His reign marks a significant low point in Judah's spiritual history, characterized by idolatry, apostasy, and seeking foreign alliances instead of trusting God. His name ironically might reflect his "grasping" for human power or pagan deities instead of holding onto God.
son of Jotham (בֶּן־יוֹתָם, ben-Yotham):
- Meaning: "Jotham" means "Yahweh is complete" or "Yahweh is perfect".
- Significance: Jotham was Ahaz's father and a righteous king who did "what was right in the eyes of the Lord" (2 Ki 15:34) but did not remove the high places. This generational transition sets up a stark contrast, as Ahaz would deviate sharply from his father's relative righteousness, plunging Judah into deeper sin.
king of Judah (מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה, meleḵ Yəhûdâ):
- Significance: Clarifies the specific kingdom Ahaz ruled, distinguishing him from the kings of Israel (Northern Kingdom). This differentiation is crucial for understanding the divided monarchy and the distinct spiritual paths each kingdom took.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "In the seventeenth year of Pekah son of Remaliah": This phrase precisely dates the beginning of Ahaz's reign relative to the Northern Kingdom. This meticulous chronological synchronization highlights the intertwined destinies of Israel and Judah and the chronic political instability. It points to Pekah's 20-year reign, a relatively long and tumultuous one (2 Ki 15:27), setting the immediate backdrop for Ahaz's accession amidst an ongoing war.
- "Ahaz son of Jotham, king of Judah, began to reign": This marks the formal commencement of a new reign in the Southern Kingdom. The contrast between Jotham's reign (which was generally positive, though not perfect) and the coming reign of Ahaz (which would be profoundly wicked) is significant. This introduces a pivotal character whose choices would have far-reaching spiritual and political consequences for Judah.
2 Kings 16 1 Bonus section
The precise dating method used here, synchronizing the kings of Judah and Israel, is a standard feature throughout Kings, essential for constructing a reliable chronology of the divided monarchy. The consistency of this method provides a testament to the meticulous record-keeping of the biblical historians. While Jotham's reign is generally seen as positive (2 Chr 27:6 notes he "became mighty because he prepared his ways before the Lord his God"), his failure to remove the "high places" set a precedent that allowed for deeper idolatry under Ahaz, his son. Ahaz's reign will prove to be a test of faith for the prophet Isaiah, who was commissioned during his time, highlighting the role of divine warning and judgment during periods of extreme national unfaithfulness.
2 Kings 16 1 Commentary
2 Kings 16:1 serves as a foundational verse, succinctly marking a major historical transition in Judah. It formally introduces King Ahaz, linking his accession to the throne directly with the regnal period of Pekah in the Northern Kingdom. This seemingly simple chronological detail is profound: it positions Judah on the brink of significant international crisis, as the Syro-Ephraimite War (mentioned extensively by Isaiah) would soon force Ahaz to make choices between trusting in Yahweh or forming an alliance with Assyria. The verse's primary purpose is chronological precision, but by introducing Ahaz in this specific context, it inherently foreshadows the spiritual decline and political upheaval that would characterize his reign. His direct familial link to Jotham, a king generally deemed righteous, highlights the dramatic spiritual regression Ahaz represents for Judah. The subsequent narrative of Ahaz is one of deliberate idolatry, disregard for Mosaic law, and rejection of prophetic counsel, establishing him as one of Judah's most notorious kings and illustrating the devastating consequences of national apostasy. This verse is thus not just a historical marker, but the first stone in the edifice detailing a period of profound unfaithfulness that tested the covenant relationship between God and His chosen people.