Ahaz

Biblical Account

The life of Ahaz is recorded in 2 Kings 16 and 2 Chronicles 28. Isaiah 7 recounts his encounter with the prophet Isaiah. According to 2 Kings 16:2, he became king at the age of twenty and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. Scripture judges him as a king who "did not that which was right in the sight of the LORD his God."

• Pagan worship: Ahaz "made his son to pass through the fire" (2 Kings 16:3). Second Chronicles 28:3 describes this as burning his children in the Valley of Hinnom.
• The Aramean–Israelite invasion: Rezin king of Aram and Pekah king of the northern kingdom of Israel joined forces and besieged Jerusalem (2 Kings 16:5; Isaiah 7:1). Second Chronicles 28 reports that Judah suffered a heavy defeat at that time. It also records that the northern kingdom, heeding the words of the prophet Oded, sent back the people of Judah it had taken captive.
• Reliance on Assyria: Ahaz sent the silver and gold of the temple in Jerusalem and of the royal palace to Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria to request his help. Assyria then attacked Damascus and killed Rezin (2 Kings 16:7–9).
• Changes to temple practice: Ahaz had Urijah the priest build a new altar modeled on one he had seen in Damascus, and he moved the original bronze altar (2 Kings 16:10–16). Second Chronicles records that he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus and shut the doors of the temple (2 Chronicles 28:23–24).
• Encounter with Isaiah: Isaiah urged the fearful Ahaz to ask for a sign. Ahaz refused, saying, "I will not ask, neither will I tempt the LORD" (Isaiah 7:12). Isaiah then proclaimed the sign that a virgin would bear a son and call his name Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14).

Significance Within Scripture

The reign of Ahaz is cited in dating the ministries of the prophet Isaiah, Hosea, and Micah (Isaiah 1:1; Hosea 1:1; Micah 1:1). The account of his son Hezekiah mentions "the dial of Ahaz" (2 Kings 20:11; Isaiah 38:8).

In the New Testament, his name appears in the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1:9. Matthew 1:22–23 applies the prophecy of Isaiah 7:14, originally given to Ahaz, to the birth of Jesus.

Interpretation and Debated Issues

• The fulfillment of Isaiah 7:14: The Hebrew word almah refers to a young woman of marriageable age. The Septuagint rendered it with a Greek word meaning "virgin." Conservative Protestant interpretation reads the verse as a direct messianic prophecy of Christ. Another interpretation sees a dual fulfillment: an initial fulfillment in the time of Ahaz and an ultimate fulfillment as presented in Matthew. Among those who hold to a contemporary fulfillment, some identify the child with Isaiah's son (Isaiah 8), while others identify him with Hezekiah.
• Making children pass through the fire: Opinions differ as to whether this expression denotes actual human sacrifice or a rite of dedication. The text does not explicitly name Molech in connection with this act.
• Chronological difficulties: Ahaz's age at accession and the length of his reign are difficult to reconcile with Hezekiah's age at accession (2 Kings 18:2). Scholars account for this by positing coregencies, among other explanations.
• Differences between the accounts: Concerning his burial, 2 Kings 16:20 states that he "was buried with his fathers in the city of David," whereas 2 Chronicles 28:27 states that "they brought him not into the sepulchres of the kings of Israel."
• Assyrian records: An inscription of the Assyrian king Tiglath-pileser III mentions a king of Judah named "Jehoahaz" who paid tribute, and this figure is generally identified with Ahaz.

In the Korean Church

Ahaz is treated mainly as a background figure to Isaiah 7. He is frequently mentioned in sermons on the Immanuel prophecy during Advent and around Christmas. Preachers often present him as an example of unbelief, one who leaned on the power of a great nation rather than on God's promise. He is also sometimes mentioned, together with the story of "the dial of Ahaz," in sermons on Hezekiah's healing.