2 Kings 16:9 kjv
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.
2 Kings 16:9 nkjv
So the king of Assyria heeded him; for the king of Assyria went up against Damascus and took it, carried its people captive to Kir, and killed Rezin.
2 Kings 16:9 niv
The king of Assyria complied by attacking Damascus and capturing it. He deported its inhabitants to Kir and put Rezin to death.
2 Kings 16:9 esv
And the king of Assyria listened to him. The king of Assyria marched up against Damascus and took it, carrying its people captive to Kir, and he killed Rezin.
2 Kings 16:9 nlt
So the king of Assyria attacked the Aramean capital of Damascus and led its population away as captives, resettling them in Kir. He also killed King Rezin.
2 Kings 16 9 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ahaz's Unbelief & Consequences | ||
| Isa 7:4 | "Take heed, be quiet; do not fear... the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria..." | Isaiah's counsel to trust God over foreign powers. |
| Isa 7:9 | "If you will not believe, surely you shall not be established." | Ahaz's lack of faith leads to instability. |
| Isa 8:6-7 | "this people refuse the waters of Shiloah that go gently... now therefore behold, the Lord brings up on them the waters of the River..." | Symbolism of Judah rejecting God, facing Assyrian invasion. |
| Ps 20:7 | "Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; but we will remember the name of the LORD our God." | Contrast relying on human strength vs. divine. |
| Isa 31:1 | "Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help... and do not look to the Holy One of Israel." | Warning against reliance on foreign alliances. |
| Divine Judgment Through Assyria | ||
| Isa 10:5 | "Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger..." | Assyria as God's unwitting instrument of judgment. |
| Isa 10:12 | "when the Lord has performed all His work on Mount Zion... I will punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria." | Assyria's own future judgment despite being used by God. |
| Deut 28:49-50 | "The LORD will bring a nation against you from afar... a nation of fierce countenance..." | Prophecy of foreign nations as instruments of divine judgment for disobedience. |
| Jer 25:9 | "I will send and take all the families of the north,' says the LORD, 'and Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, My servant, and will bring them against this land..." | God using another foreign king for judgment (Babylon). |
| Hab 1:6 | "I am raising up the Chaldeans, a bitter and hasty nation..." | God raises nations for His purposes. |
| Fulfillment of Prophecy | ||
| Isa 7:8 | "Within sixty-five years Ephraim will be broken... and the head of Aram is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin." | Prophecy of Aram's demise under Rezin, later confirmed. |
| Amos 1:4-5 | "I will send a fire upon the house of Hazael... I will break the gate of Damascus, and cut off the inhabitant from the Valley of Aven... and the people of Aram shall go into captivity to Kir," | Direct prophecy foretelling Damascus's destruction and Kir captivity. |
| Isa 17:1 | "Behold, Damascus will cease from being a city, and it will be a ruinous heap." | Further prophecy confirming Damascus's fall. |
| Captivity and Exile | ||
| 2 Kgs 17:6 | "In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria took Samaria and carried Israel away to Assyria..." | Parallel account of Israel's (Northern Kingdom) deportation by Assyria. |
| 2 Kgs 24:14-16 | "And he carried into captivity all Jerusalem... to Babylon." | Judah's eventual Babylonian captivity, employing similar methods. |
| Jer 52:28-30 | "These are the people whom Nebuchadnezzar carried away captive..." | Records of Babylonian deportations of Judeans. |
| Fate of Wicked Kings/Nations | ||
| 1 Sam 15:33 | "Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the LORD..." | Execution of captured enemy king. |
| Judg 1:7 | "Seventy kings with their thumbs and their big toes cut off used to gather scraps under my table." | Humiliation and defeat of rulers as judgment. |
| Rev 19:19-21 | "And the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet... these two were cast alive into the lake of fire..." | Ultimate judgment and destruction of oppressive powers. |
2 Kings 16 verses
2 Kings 16 9 Meaning
2 Kings 16:9 describes the immediate and decisive fulfillment of King Ahaz of Judah’s request to Tiglath-Pileser III, the king of Assyria. It records the Assyrian king's military action against Damascus, the capital of Aram, resulting in its conquest, the forced deportation of its inhabitants to Kir, and the execution of King Rezin. This outcome directly addressed Ahaz's fear of the Syro-Ephraimite alliance and demonstrated Assyria’s dominant power in the region.
2 Kings 16 9 Context
The verse is situated in the narrative of King Ahaz of Judah, specifically during the Syro-Ephraimite War (c. 734-732 BC). Ahaz was facing a combined military threat from King Rezin of Aram (Damascus) and King Pekah of Israel (Samaria), who sought to depose him and install a puppet king (2 Kgs 16:5; Isa 7:1-6). Despite the prophet Isaiah's exhortation to trust Yahweh and not fear the Aramean-Israelite alliance (Isa 7:4-9), Ahaz chose instead to form an alliance with the mighty Assyrian Empire. He sent a lavish tribute to Tiglath-Pileser III (Pul), calling himself "your servant and your son," and pleading for Assyrian intervention (2 Kgs 16:7-8). This verse describes Tiglath-Pileser's decisive response, directly fulfilling Ahaz's plea but also sealing Judah's submission to Assyrian dominance and setting the stage for Ahaz’s further religious apostasy through syncretism introduced from Damascus (2 Kgs 16:10ff).
2 Kings 16 9 Word analysis
- So (וַיִּשְׁמַע - wayyišmaʿ): A Hebrew "waw" consecutive, signaling a sequential and consequential action. Implies Tiglath-Pileser listened and acted upon Ahaz's plea and tribute. The word also carries connotations of obedience, indicating acceptance of the terms.
- the king of Assyria (מֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר - melek ʾaššûr): Identifies Tiglath-Pileser III (known as Pul in some biblical accounts), the formidable and expansive ruler of the Neo-Assyrian Empire. His name evokes overwhelming military might and administrative efficiency in conquest and deportation.
- listened to him (אֵלָיו - ʾēlāyw): "Him" refers to King Ahaz. This indicates that Ahaz's strategy, however misguided spiritually, was effective in achieving his immediate goal of Assyrian intervention.
- for the king of Assyria went up against Damascus (וַיַּעַל מֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר אֶל-דַּמֶּשֶׂק - wayyaʿal melek ʾaššûr ʾel-Dammeśeq): The particle "for" (ki) or the waw-consecutive can imply causality or immediate sequence. "Went up" signifies a military campaign, typically from a lower elevation (Assyria or other parts of the region) to the fortified capital, Damascus, situated on higher ground or suggesting an invasion.
- and took it (וַיִּתְפְּשֶׂהָ - wayyitpeśeha): Denotes a swift and conclusive capture. Damascus, a major regional power and a long-standing rival to Israel and Judah, fell entirely.
- and carried its people captive (וַיֶּגֶל אֶת-יֹשְׁבֶיהָ - wayyegel ʾet-yošbeha): "Carried captive" (wayyegel) signifies forced deportation, a brutal but characteristic Assyrian policy designed to dismantle national identity and suppress future rebellions by mixing conquered populations.
- to Kir (קִירָה - Qîra): An unidentified location, possibly in Mesopotamia or further north, such as near the Persian Gulf or Armenia. Its distant and obscure nature emphasizes the severity of the displacement, isolating the deported people from their homeland.
- and killed Rezin (וְאֵת רְצִין הֵמִית - wəʾēt Rṣîn hēhît): Rezin was the powerful king of Aram-Damascus, an immediate threat to Ahaz. His execution, probably by beheading or impalement, marked the definitive end of Aram as an independent political entity and a significant victory for Assyria, directly benefiting Ahaz.
Words-group analysis:
- "So the king of Assyria listened to him": This phrase highlights the responsiveness of Tiglath-Pileser III to Ahaz's request and tribute. It underlines Ahaz’s short-sighted success in relying on foreign power instead of divine provision.
- "for the king of Assyria went up against Damascus and took it": This sequence of actions emphasizes the efficiency and overwhelming force of the Assyrian army. It was not merely a skirmish but a full-scale conquest that shattered the Aramaean capital.
- "and carried its people captive to Kir, and killed Rezin": These two final clauses describe the complete dismantling of the Aramaean kingdom. The deportation of the population ensured no return, and the execution of the king eliminated any central leadership, fulfilling ancient prophecies regarding Damascus’s demise.
2 Kings 16 9 Bonus section
- Fulfilment of Specific Prophecy: This verse marks the explicit fulfillment of the prophecy given by Amos (Amos 1:4-5), delivered over a century earlier, stating that the people of Aram would go into captivity to Kir. It also implicitly connects to Isaiah’s earlier pronouncements regarding Damascus and Rezin (Isa 7:8; 8:4).
- Assyrian Dominance: The actions described exemplify the characteristic cruelty and effectiveness of the Neo-Assyrian Empire's expansionist policies under Tiglath-Pileser III. Their systematic approach to war, including mass deportation, was designed to crush resistance and eliminate distinct national identities, serving as a brutal precedent for later captivities, including Judah's Babylonian exile.
- Ahaz's Costly "Salvation": Although Ahaz saved Jerusalem from Aram and Israel, this "salvation" came at a significant spiritual and national cost. By making Judah an Assyrian vassal, Ahaz paved the way for subsequent tribute, foreign religious influences, and erosion of national sovereignty that culminated in Judah's eventual destruction by Babylon, who later adopted Assyrian imperial practices.
2 Kings 16 9 Commentary
2 Kings 16:9 presents a critical juncture in Judah's history, showcasing the immediate and tangible results of King Ahaz's decision to solicit Assyrian aid. While seemingly a success from Ahaz's earthly perspective—his enemies were swiftly removed, and Judah was spared immediate destruction—the verse’s understated tone masks a deeper theological failure. Ahaz, despite divine counsel through Isaiah, chose to trust in the might of a human empire (Assyria) over the omnipotence of Yahweh. The Assyrians, with their standard practices of total conquest, deportation, and execution, acted as God's unwitting instrument of judgment against Aram, as foretold by Amos (Amos 1:5). This "solution" to Ahaz's immediate problem paradoxically led to Judah's deeper entanglement with and eventual subservience to Assyria, initiating a period of spiritual compromise as Ahaz adopted foreign cultic practices introduced through his association with Damascus. This highlights that outcomes, even if desired, are not always blessed if achieved through faithlessness.