Annotations upon the remaining historicall part of the Old Testament. The second part. to wit, the books of Joshua, Judges, the two books of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles, and the books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther : wherein first, all such passages in the text are explained as were thought likely to be questioned by any reader of ordinary capacity : secondly, in many clauses those things are discovered which are needfull and usefull to be known ... and thirdly, many places that might at first seem to contradict one another are reconciled ... / by Arthur Jackson.

CHAP. XXVIII.

Vers. 1. AHaz was twenty years old when he began to reigne, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem, &c.] See many severall notes for this chapter in 2. Kings 16.2. &c.

Vers. 10. But are there not with you, even with you, sinnes against the Lord your God?] That is, since God hath delivered the men of Judah into your hands because of their sinnes, and that you cannot but know that you also have given the Lord as just cause to have punished you, the consideration hereof should have moved you to shew them mercy, and not to have exercised such horrible cruelty against them, as you have done.

Vers. 16. At that time did king Ahaz send unto the kings of Assyria to help him.] That is, the king of Assyria that had many kings under him. After that Re∣zin king of Syria, and Pekah king of Israel had severally made inrodes into the land of Judah, as is above related, vers: 5, 6. &c. and had made great spoil in the coun∣trey, not content with this they resolved to joyn their forces together, and to go up against Ahaz again, and besiege Jerusalem, as is related, 2. Kings 16.5. and this combination of these two kings it was, accompanied with the losse he sustained at the same time by the Edomites and Philistines, vers. 17, 18. that made him send to the king of Assyria for help; of which see 2. Kings 16.7.

Vers. 19. For the Lord brought Judah low, because of Ahaz king of Israel, &c.] That is, king of Judah. See the note on chap, 21.2.

Vers. 20. And Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria came unto him, and distressed him, but strengthened him not.] It is manifest that this king of Assyria, as on the behalf of Ahaz went up against Damascus, and took it, and slew Rezin, 2. Kings 16.9. as likewise that at the same time he invaded the land of Israel, and made great havock there, 2. Kings 15.29. yet because Rezin and Pekah had raised the siege of

Jerusalem, as the prophet Isaiah had foretold, Isaiah 7.4. Fear not, neither be faint-hearted for the two tailes of these smoking fire-brands, &c. before the king of Assyria stirred forth to help him, Rezin in his departure taking Elath, which Uzzah the grandfather of Ahaz had wonne from the Syrians, 2. Kings 16.6. And second∣ly, because when he did come forth to his help, though he did indeed sorely afflict both the Syrians and the Israelites, yet he restored not to Ahaz any of the cities which his enemies had taken from him, nor did him any other good in recompence of the great treasures which Ahaz had given him, but perhaps did other wayes di∣stresse him, therefore it is here said, he distressed him, but helped him not. As for that phrase, he made Judah naked, see the note, Exod. 32.35.

Vers. 23. For he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus, which smote him, &c.] The occasion whereof was a journey he took to Damascus to meet with Tiglath-pil∣neser king of Assyria, and to congratulate his vanquishing of Rezin: for there he took up that resolution of sacrificing to the gods of Damascus which smote him, to wit, in that expedition of Rezin king of Damascus against Judah, whereof mention is made before, vers. 5. and to that end sent the pattern of an altar he had seen there to Uriah the priest, according to which he built an altar, which was placed in the Temple, and thereon did Ahaz sacrifice to these heathen gods, 2. Kings 16.10—16.