Ver. 32. Au. Ver.-32 In the second year of Pekah the son of Remaliah king of Israel began Jotham the son of Uzziah king of Judah to reign. what historian ever reckoned by the years of a deceased prince, unless some remarkable event of his reign gave rise to a new era? It appears, too, that Hosea did not begin his reign before the twelfth, or at the earliest the tenth, of Ahaz, (see chap. xvii. 1), which Ged. In the second year. So the text was the twenty-seventh, or twenty-sixth, and VV. Yet here again the true reading from the beginning of Jotham. It seems seems to be the tenth. certain, therefore, that this verse has sufHoub.—Anno secundo Phacee (regnavit fered some great corruption. Perhaps it Joatham). Neque hæc ratio annorum stare might be "smote him and slew him in the poterit, nisi admittuntur emendationes supra twentieth year; " i. e., in the twentieth year memoratæ. Vide Præfationem de initio of Pekah's own reign. This is the most regni Joatham. natural emendation of this verse; rejecting the words "and reigned in his stead" as the interpolation of some careless transcriber, or injudicious critic, and the words "of Jotham the son of Uzziah" as introduced either by accident from the 32d verse, or inconsiderately inserted, as a necessary exposition of the twentieth year. If this be the true emendation of this verse, Hoshea slew Pekah in the twentieth year of Pekah's reign, which was the fourth or fifth of Ahaz king of Judah, but did not establish himself in the kingdom in less than seven or eight years after Pekah's death. One MS. of Dr. Kennicott's omits the Ver. 33. Au. Ver.-33 Five and twenty years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem, &c. non integro pro integro sumto. 1 Ver. 35. Vid. Obss. Au. Ver.-High places. See notes on Au. Ver.-Built. Ged., Booth.-Rebuilt. Ged. In the twentieth year. So the text and Ant. U. V., but tenth seems to be the true reading. υἱὸς εἴκοσι ἐτῶν ἦν Αχαζ ἐν τῷ βασιλεύειν αὐτὸν, καὶ ἑκκαίδεκα ἔτη ἐβασίλευσεν ἐν 'Iepovoadýμ, K.T.λ. Au. Ver.-2 Twenty years old was Ahaz when he began to reign, and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem, and did not that which was right in the sight of the LORD his God, like David his father. See notes on chap. xviii. 2. Ged. Twenty years old. So the text and VV. But the true number seems to be twenty-five [so Houb., Horsley, Dathe]. Houb.—30's nwy nowa, (Osee regnavit,) anno vigesimo Joatham. Atqui ver. 33 dicitur Joatham regnasse annos tantum sexdecim. Itaque legendum, decimo sexto. Audiendus Edm. Calmet: "Cette vingtiéme année de Joathan, étoit la quatriéme d'Achaz son fils; car Joathan étoit mort il y avoit quatre ans. Il ne régna que seize ans... Comme l'Ecriture n'avoit encore rien dit d'Achaz, elle a continué de compter les années depuis le commencement de Joathan, quoi- Bp. Horsley.—If Ahaz was twenty when qu'il ne fut plus en vie." Non-ne vero eum, he began to reign, and reigned only sixteen tu, Erudite Lector, cavillatorem credas, non years, he was but thirty-six when he died. Explanatorem, qui narrat nobis annum eum, But we read, chap. xviii. 2, and 2 Chron. qui quartus est post mortuum Joatham, xxix. 1, that Hezekiah the son of Ahaz was esse ejusdem regnantis annum vigesimum? twenty-five years old when he began to Infra xvii. 1 dicitur Osee regnasse anno reign. Now Hezekiah seems to have sucAchaz 12 nec jam sumit Edm. Calmet ceeded immediately upon his father's death. initium regnandi Osee ex annis Joatham If these numbers therefore are correct, mortui. Itaque idem destruit xvii. 1 id Hezekiah must have been born in the quod hoc loco ædificarat. twelfth year of his father's age, which is highly improbable. It is probable that Ahaz was older than thirty-six, if his son | pretes, vidissent in loco parallelo. 2 Par. was twenty-five at his death. But dying in xxviii. 1, Syrum, Arabem Græcosque Intt. the sixteenth year of his reign, he must have legisse, now wom op, filius annorum vibeen more than twenty when he began to ginti quinque (erat Achaz cum regnavit), reign, if he died more than thirty-six. For fuisseque adeo Achaz, cum mortuus est, twenty years, therefore, read, in this place, annos natum unum et quadraginta; itaque twenty and five," which is the reading of Ezechiam filium fuisse ab eo procreatum, the Vatican LXX in the parallel place, cum annum vitæ ageret decimum quintum ; 2 Chron. xxviii. 1. nihil igitur superesse difficultatis. perii primo et ultimo, utrovis non integro, pro integris computatis. Ver. 3. Au. Ver.-3 But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yea, and made his son to pass through the fire, &c. Made his son to pass through the fire. See notes on Levit. xviii. 21, vol. i., p. 459. Dr. A. Clarke.-Twenty years old was Ahaz.] Here is another considerable difficulty in the chronology. Some think that the twenty years mentioned here respect the beginning of the reign of Jotham, father of Ahaz; so that the passage should be thus translated: Ahaz was twenty years of age when his father began to reign; and consequently he was fifty-two years old when he died, seeing Jotham reigned sixteen years: and therefore Hezekiah was born when his Pool.-Made his son to pass through the father was twenty-seven years of age. This fire; either, 1. By way of lustration, to however is a violent solution, and worthy of pass hastily through it, so as to be scorched, little credit. It is better to return to the and, as it were, baptized with it. Or, 2. text as it stands, and allow that Ahaz might By way of oblation, so as to be utterly conbe only eleven or twelve years old when he sumed, and offered for a burnt-offering, had Hezekiah: this is not at all impossible; which was the practice of heathens, and of as we know that the youth of both sexes in some Israelites, in imitation of them; of the eastern countries are marriageable at ten which see Kings xxi. 6; Ps. cv. 36; Jer. or twelve years of age, and are frequently vii. 31; which seems best to agree with betrothed when they are but nine. I knew 2 Chron. xxviii. 3, where it is said he burnt a woman, an East Indian, who had the his children, i. e., some of them; first one, second of her two first children when she as is here noted; and afterwards others of was only fourteen years of age, and must them, as is there observed. have had the first when between eleven and twelve. I hold it therefore quite a possible case that Ahaz might have had a son born to him when he was but eleven or twelve years p. 719. old. High places. Ver. 4. See notes on 1 Kings iii. 2, Ver. 5. Au. Ver.-5 Then Rezin king of Syria, and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to war? and they besieged Ahaz, but could not overcome him. Houb.-2 a my now on, filius annorum viginti erat Achaz, cum regnavit. Docemur ex xviii. 2 Ezechiam, filium Achaz, regnandi initium habuisse, anno vitæ ejus vigesimo quinto. Jam Achaz non regnavit Bp. Patrick. This seems not to agree plus, quam annos sexdecim, ut hoc versu with 2 Chron. xxviii. 5, &c. where these two narratur, mortuusque est adeo anno vitæ princes are represented as getting great suæ trigesimo sexto. Quoniam igitur Eze- victories over him. To which Abarbinel chias, filius Achaz, annum agebat vitæ suæ answers, that these things happened at difvigesimum quintum, quo tempore Achaz ferent times. For the wars mentioned in moriebatur, annos natus triginta sex, quæ- the book of Chronicles were made severally ritur an Achaz genuerit Ezechiam annos by these two kings, wherein they prospered, natus tantum undecim. Conquirunt ex-being the ministers of Divine Providence. empla Interpretes hominum, qui patres ex- But when now they joined their forces titerint, antequam pervenirent ad annum together, and not only came against other vitæ suæ quartum decimum, quibus fuerat cities, but against Jerusalem, God was potius inquirendum, num quis error hic pleased to make them miscarry. lateat. Qui si adissent ad Veteres Inter- Maurer. Quæ de expeditione a Pecacho [אֲרוֹמִים-.Maurer quod etiam plurimi libri exhibent. Sed et Recino suscepta belloque Assyrico inde Ver. 7. Au. Ver.-Tiglath-pileser. See notes on Ver. 9. וַיִּתְפְּשֶׁהָ וַיִּגְלֶהָ קִירָה וְאֶת־רְצִין duas expeditiones susceptas esse, ne verbulo quidem dicitur, quæ vero in utraque narratione inter se dissentiunt, ea rationibus tribuenda videntur, quas sequi libros Chronicorum omnibus constat. De singulis vid. Ges. 1. 1. Ver. 6. καὶ ἀνέβη βασιλεὺς ̓Ασσυρίων εἰς Δαμασκὸν, καὶ συνέλαβεν αὐτὴν, καὶ ἀπῴκισεν αὐτὴν, καὶ τὸν Ραασσὼν βασιλέα ἐθανάτωσε. Au. Ver.-9 And the king of Assyria hearkened unto him: for the king of Assyria went up against Damascus [Heb., people Damnmnesek], and took it, and carried tile אֶת־אֵילַת לַאֲרָם וַיְנַעַל אֶת־הַיְהוּדִים .Pole of it captive to Kir, and slew Rezin מֵאֵילוֹת וַאֲרוֹמִים בָּאוּ אִילַת וַיִּשְׁבוּ .Kir. So most commentators שָׁם עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה: ורומים קרי And carried the people of it captive to Houb.-, et revelavit murum ejus ; ἐν τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ ἐπέστρεψε Ραασσών i.e., vel manibus nudavit, vel murum perβασιλεὺς Συρίας τὴν Αἰλὰθ τῇ Συρίᾳ, καὶ ἐξέβαλε τοὺς Ἰουδαίους ἐξ Αἰλαθ, καὶ Ἰδουμαῖοι ἦλθον εἰς Αἰλαθ, καὶ κατῴκησαν ἐκεῖ ἕως τῆς ἡμέρας ταύτης. que ; פלנס locis parallelis, פלסר . דרמשק modo etiam ;דמשק Erat enim Elatha ad mare rubrum sita modo Dathe.-Res ipsa facile persuadet, pro varietates Scribarum, non Sacrorum sunt D, Syris legendum esse DNS, Edomitis. Scriptorum. Sic modo pro, Damascum, Ver. 13, 15. oppidum ditionis Edomiticæ, quod rex Syriæ אדומים legendum esse ארומים servarunt, pro Au. Ver.-Meat offering. See notes on Au. Ver.-Peace offering. See notes on Ver. 14. Quam emendationem priori etiam ad- Levit. iii. 1, vol. i., p. 395. ἀναμέσον τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀνα- alia ex causa inseruit, quam ut rem planius μέσον τοῦ οἴκου Κυρίου· καὶ ἔδειξεν αὐτὸ ἐπὶ exprimeret. μηρὸν τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου κατὰ βοῤῥᾶν. brasen altar, which was before the LORD, from the forefront of the house, from an garen Ver. 15. וַיְצַיָּהוּ הַמֶּלֶךְ אָחָז אֶת־אוּרִיָה Au. Ter-14 And he brought also the לֵאמֹר עַל הַקְטָר אֶת־עָלַת הַבֹּקֶר וְאֶת־מִנְחַת between the altar and the house of the הָעֶרֶב וְאֶת־עֹלַת הַמֶּלֶךְ וְאֶת־מִנְחָתוֹ Lott, and put it on the north side of the JT LORD, altar. Pool.—The brazen altar of burnt-offer-ne ings, made by Solomon. Which was before the Lord, i. e., from before the Lord's house. From between the altar and the house of the Lord; or rather, from between his altar, &c., or, that altar, &c. His new altar was at first set below the brazen altar, and at a further distance from the temple. This he took for a disparagement to his altar; and therefore most impiously and audaciously takes that away, and puts his in its place. On the north side of the altar; or, of that altar; or, of his altar; as before. δο he put God's altar out of its place and use. Houb.-14 : Lege , sine, quod seriem abrumpit. Hoc versu vocatur 12, sine addito, illud altare magnum novumque, quod structum fuerat ad formam altaris Damasceni, et ea re ab antiquo altari distinguitur, quod antiquum vocatur æneum. Posuerat Urias Sacerdos istud altare novum inter sanctuarium et vetus altare, ne altare vetus a novo opprimeretur, quod erat majus antiquo, et ut pateret populi aspectibus. Propterea impius Achaz amovet vetus ad latus septentrionale, ut novum fiat spectabilius. ויצרה קרי καὶ ἐνετείλατο ὁ βασιλεὺς ̓́Αχαζ τῷ Οὐρίᾳ τῷ ἱερεῖ, λέγων, ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον τὸ μέγα πρόσφερε τὴν ὁλοκαύτωσιν τὴν πρωϊνὴν καὶ τὴν θυσίαν τὴν ἑσπερινὴν, καὶ τὴν ὁλοκαύτωσιν τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ τὴν θυσίαν αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὴν ὁλοκαύτωσιν παντὸς τοῦ λαοῦ, καὶ τὴν θυσίαν αὐτῶν καὶ τὴν σπονδὴν αὐτῶν, καὶ πᾶν αἷμα ὁλοκαυτώσεως, καὶ πᾶν αἷμα θυσίας ἐπ ̓ αὐτῷ ἐκχεεῖς· καὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον τὸ χαλκοῦν ἔσται pot els Tоπρwi. Au. Ver.-15 And king Ahaz commanded Urijah the priest, saying, Upon the great altar burn the morning burnt offering, and the evening meat offering, and the king's burnt sacrifice, and his meat offering, with the burnt offering of all the people of the land, and their meat offering, and their drink offerings; and sprinkle upon it all the blood of the burnt offering, and all the blood of the sacrifice: and the brasen altar shall be for me to enquire by. Pool.-Upon the great altar, i. e., this new Maurer.-Aram æneam, quæ posita erat altar; which was greater than Solomon's, ante Jovam (aditum sanctuarii), admovit ex either in quantity, or in his estimation. Whatsoever is offered to the true God, either eo loco ubi constiterat, nempe ante sanctuarium inter aram (nova) et inter sanc-in my name, (for possibly he did not yet tuarium, eamque collocavit ad latus illius utterly forsake God, but worshipped idols aræ septentrionale, propr. und den ehernen with him,) or on the behalf of the people, which Altar, der vor Jehova war, den rückte, er shall be offered upon this new altar; her, von seiner Stelle vor dem Hause Je- he seems to prescribe not only to gratify his hovas weg, zwischen dem (neuen) Altar undown humour, but also in design to disdem Hause Jehovas hervor, und stellte ihn Constructio non caret exemplis. De articulo ante nomen constructum vid. E. Gr. crit., p. 581. Gr. min. § 516, 1, c. 17 vero, quod interpretes perperam vertunt et removit, non solum cum proxime sequentibus, verum etiam (et hoc quidem cogitatione), cum postremis verbis construendum est, non obstantibus voce. ins, quæ scriptor nulla cet. courage, and by degrees to extinguish, the may inquire; not seek the Lord, or to inquire the house of the LORD for the king of of the Lord, as the phrase is more largely Assyria. expressed elsewhere; but he would not vouchsafe to mention the name of the Lord, whom he had so grossly forsaken and despised. Pool. The covert for the sabbath; the form and use whereof is now unknown. It is generally understood of some building or covert; either that where the priests, after Bp. Patrick.--The brasen altar shall be their weekly course was ended, abode until for me to enquire by.] He would not have the next course came and relieved them, it thought that he intended wholly to lay which was done upon the sabbath day; see aside the altar made by Solomon; but rather 2 Kings xi. 5, 7; or that in which the guard to do it great honour, by reserving it for his or watchmen of the temple kept their own private use, when he pleased to inquire station; or that under which the king used of God by it. But there being no mention to sit to hear God's word, and see the sacriof the name of the Lord, some think the fices; which is called the covert of the meaning is no more but that he would have sabbath, because the chief times in which it stand where he had set it, till he considered what to do with it: and they fancy that he made the famous dial of Ahaz with the brass of it. So they understand the Hebrew words li lebaker—I will take care of it, and order what shall be done with it. And therefore, according to this interpretation, he laid it quite aside. But the other seems more agreeable to the Hebrew phrase, "it shall be to me to inquire, or seek, or pray" a private altar for his proper use; whereby he pretended to have still some regard to it, though he had degraded it. the king used it for those ends was the weekly sabbath, and other solemn days of feasting, or fasting, (which all come under the name of sabbaths in the Old Testament,) upon which the king used more certainly and solemnly to present himself before the Lord than at other times. Bishop Patrick.—There is a vast variety of opinions concerning this musach (which we translate covert), and why it is called the covert for the sabbath. The most probable is, that it was a covered place, where the king sat in the porch of the temple, or at the entrance of it, upon the sabbath, or other great solemnities which were called by Ged. And let the brazen altar remain at my disposal. Booth.-As to the brazen altar, I will that name. Thus Procopius Gazæus: This inquire what must be done. Ahaz took away, intending not to trouble himself to come to the temple, but to sacri fice anywhere; in every corner of Jerusalem, and in the several cities of Judah, which he would have be thought as holy as Jerusalem Gesen. Thes.-Quod autem ad æneum altare attinet de eo ulterius circumspiciam s. mecum deliberabo. Vulg. paratum erit ad voluntatem meam. Dathe.-De ara autem ænea velle se dein- (2 Chron. xxviii. 24, 25). And it is a ceps cogitare. Ver. 17. Au. Ver.-Borders of the bases. notes on 1 Kings vii. 28. Ver. 18. See probable conjecture of a very learned man of our own, that Ahaz did this to express his hatred and contempt of the sabbath: for the worship of idols and violation of the sabbath are frequently joined together in Scripture, especially in Ezek. xx. 16; xxii. 8, 9; xxiv. 37, 38, and in a remarkable place in the Maccabees, i. 44 (see Spencer, .(12 ,1 .De Leg. Hebrteor., lib. i., cap וְאֶת־מְבוֹא הַמֶּלֶךְ הַחִיצוֹנָה הֵסֵב בֵּית מלעיל : maps aba vee nithe house of the Lord.] The passage through The king's entry without, turned he from מוסך קרי καὶ τὸν θεμέλιον τῆς καθέδρας ᾠκοδόμησεν ἐν οἴκῳ κυρίου, καὶ τὴν εἴσοδον τοῦ βασιλέως τὴν ἔξω ἐπέστρεψεν ἐν οἴκῳ κυρίου ἀπὸ προσώπου βασιλέως Ασσυρίων. Au. Ver.-18 And the covert for the sabbath that they had built in the house, and the king's entry without, turned he from which the king came from his own house to the temple [so Pool], he turned another way. For the king of Assyria.] That he might ingratiate himself with him [so Pool, Ged.], by contemning his own country religion, and approaching nearer to his. But Procopius takes it the quite contrary way; that |