Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

AHAZ

(Heb. ʾāḥāz)

A shortened form of such names as Ahaziah and Jehoahaz (“Yahweh has grasped”). The latter appears in an Assyrian text of Tiglath-pileser III (Akk. iaúhazi) as the name of the Judean king (ANET, 282-84).

1. King of Judah in the 8th century b.c.e. At age 20 Ahaz succeeded his father Jotham and ruled over Judah for 16 years (ca. 742-727). The Deuteronomists portray Ahaz entirely in negative light in 2 Kgs. 16, , censuring him with a standard evaluative formula, “He did not do what was right in the sight of the Lord his God,” and comparing his wickedness with the Israelite kings, “he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel” (2 Kgs. 16:2-3). Ahaz is accused of religious apostasy (2 Kgs. 16:4), having built a new altar in the Jerusalem temple modeled after the Damascus altar (vv. 10-16), as well as making a political alliance with the Assyrian king Tiglath-pileser III (vv. 7-9). Clearly, the intent of the Deuteronomists to paint Ahaz in such a negative light is to draw a sharp contrast with his successor, Hezekiah, who according to the Deuteronomists “did what was right in the sight of the Lord” (2 Kgs. 18:3), carried out a religious reform by removing the high places, breaking down the pillars, and cutting down the sacred poles (v. 4). Moreover, Hezekiah “rebelled against the king of Assyria and would not serve him” (2 Kgs. 18:7), thus breaking the alliance established by Ahaz.

The Chronicler’s presentation of Ahaz is even more negative than the Deuteronomists’. Scholars generally agree that the Chronicler reworked material from the Kings account to fit the writer’s own theological perspective. While the Chronicler’s overall condemnation of Ahaz is quite similar to that of the Deuteronomists, the interpretation of the events is not. First, in describing the invasion of Aram-Damascus and Israel on Judah (the so-called Syro-Ephraimite War), the Deuteronomists only note that they did not conquer Judah; but the Chronicler elaborates on the defeat of Ahaz, vis-à-vis the exile of Judeans to Damascus, a great slaughter inflicted by Pekah, and the removal of captives and booty to Samaria (2 Chr. 28:5-15). Second, Ahaz’ appeal to Tiglath-pileser for help is set in the context of the Syro-Ephraimitic crisis in the Kings account, resulting in Tiglath-pileser’s defeat of Aram-Damascus. The Chronicler, however, set that appeal in the context of attacks by the Edomites and the Philistines. According to the Chronicler, Tiglath-pileser attacks Ahaz instead of coming to his aid. Third, for the Deuteronomists, Ahaz’ religious apostasy began with his visit to Damascus to meet Tiglath-pileser; for the Chronicler, Ahaz’ apostasy came “in the time of his distress,” where instead of repenting “he became yet more faithless to the Lord” and “sacrificed to the gods of Damascus” (2 Chr. 28:22-23). Evidently, the theological intent of the Chronicler is to show that Ahaz’ religious sins made him the worst king in the history of Judah and as a result Yahweh punished him by handing him into the hands of his enemies. Yet, Ahaz did not repent but turned to the gods of his enemies.

An event of important significance during the reign of Ahaz is the Syro-Ephraimite War, which most scholars date to ca. 734. This crisis is related to a broader anti-Assyrian movement, headed by Rezin of Aram-Damascus, in the southwestern part of the Assyrian Empire. The attack on Jerusalem by Rezin and Pekah of Israel probably came about as a result of Ahaz’ refusal to join the coalition. Isaiah indicated that the siege of Jerusalem was aimed at replacing Ahaz with a certain “son of Tabeel” (Isa. 7:6). This attempt was probably made to ensure Judah’s participation in the alliance. Isaiah, however, encouraged Ahaz to remain firm in his policy of neutrality (Isa. 7:3-4).

2. A great-great-grandson of Saul, named in the Benjaminite genealogical lists in 1 Chr. 8:35-36; 9:41-42.

Bibliography. P. R. Ackroyd, “Historians and Prophets,” SEÅ 33 (1968): 18-54; “The Biblical Interpretation of the Reigns of Ahaz and Hezekiah,” in In the Shelter of Elyon, ed. W. B. Barrick and J. R. Spencer, JSOTSup 31 (Sheffield, 1984), 247-59; S. A. Irvine, Isaiah, Ahaz, and the Syro-Ephraimitic Crisis. SBLDS 123 (Atlanta, 1990).

Jeffrey K. Kuan

Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

AHAZ

Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000)