2 Kings 16:2
in 2 Kings 16Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. And unlike David his father, he did not do what was right in the eyes of the LORD his God.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Twenty years old was Ahaz when he began to reign; and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem: and he did not that which was right in the eyes of Jehovah his God, like David his father.
KJV
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.
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This verse in 2 Kings 16
Commentary
3 notes on this verseTwenty years old was Ahaz when he began to reign, and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem,.... The same number of years his father did: and did not that which was right in the sight of the Lord God, like David his father; his more remote progenitor, nor even like his more immediate father, from whom he received such good instructions, and of whom he had so good an example; but grace is neither propagated by blood, nor obtained through the force of education.
This site's exposition
In the seventeenth year of Pekah
on 2 Kings 16:1-2
The formula that has measured every king of Judah since the split returns here in its bluntest form yet: Ahaz did not that which was right in the sight of the Lord his God, like David his father. He is twenty at his accession and reigns sixteen years, a short reign Kings will call evil rather than merely brief. Earlier kings of Judah are commended with some reservation; no such word softens Ahaz anywhere in this chapter.
The record, by era
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Twenty years old was Ahaz - Here is another considerable difficulty in the chronology. Ahaz was but twenty years old when he began to reign, and he died after he had reigned sixteen years; consequently his whole age amounted only to thirty-six years. But Hezekiah his son was twenty-five years old when he began to reign; and if this were so, then Ahaz must have been the father of Hezekiah when he was but eleven years of age!
The words behind it
18 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| בֶּן־ | ben- | [was] a son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| עֶשְׂרִ֤ים | ʾesrim | twenty | H6242 → | 315 times |
| שָׁנָה֙ | shanah | year[s] | H8141 → | 877 times |
| אָחָ֣ז | ʾachaz | Ahaz | H271 → | 42 times |
| בְּמָלְכ֔וֹ | bemalekho | when became king he | H4427 → | 348 times |
| וְשֵׁשׁ־ | veshesh- | and six- | H8337 → | 216 times |
| עֶשְׂרֵ֣ה | ʾesreh | teen | H6240 → | 338 times |
| שָׁנָ֔ה | shanah | year[s] | H8141 → | 877 times |
| מָלַ֖ךְ | malakh | he reigned | H4427 → | 348 times |
| בִּירוּשָׁלִָ֑ם | birushalim | in Jerusalem | H3389 → | 643 times |
| וְלֹא־ | velo'- | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| עָשָׂ֣ה | ʾasah | he did | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| הַיָּשָׁ֗ר | haiyashar | the right | H3477 → | 119 times |
| בְּעֵינֵ֛י | beeinei | in [the] eyes of | H5869 → | 887 times |
| יְהוָ֥ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹהָ֖יו | ʾelohav | God his | H430 → | 2601 times |
| כְּדָוִ֥ד | kedavid | like David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| אָבִֽיו׃ | ʾaviv | ancestor his | H1 → | 1212 times |
בֶּן־[was] a son of
ben-H1121 →4930 times
עֶשְׂרִ֤יםtwenty
ʾesrimH6242 →315 times
שָׁנָה֙year[s]
shanahH8141 →877 times
אָחָ֣זAhaz
ʾachazH271 →42 times
בְּמָלְכ֔וֹwhen became king he
bemalekhoH4427 →348 times
וְשֵׁשׁ־and six-
veshesh-H8337 →216 times
עֶשְׂרֵ֣הteen
ʾesrehH6240 →338 times
שָׁנָ֔הyear[s]
shanahH8141 →877 times
מָלַ֖ךְhe reigned
malakhH4427 →348 times
בִּירוּשָׁלִָ֑םin Jerusalem
birushalimH3389 →643 times
וְלֹא־and not
velo'-H3808 →5168 times
עָשָׂ֣הhe did
ʾasahH6213 →2628 times
הַיָּשָׁ֗רthe right
haiyasharH3477 →119 times
בְּעֵינֵ֛יin [the] eyes of
beeineiH5869 →887 times
יְהוָ֥הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹהָ֖יוGod his
ʾelohavH430 →2601 times
כְּדָוִ֥דlike David
kedavidH1732 →999 times
אָבִֽיו׃ancestor his
ʾavivH1 →1212 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 Kings 9:4And as for you, if you walk before Me as your father David walked, with a heart of integrity and uprightness, doing all I have commanded you, and if you keep My statutes and…
it leads to
- 1 Kings 15:5
For David had done what was right in the eyes of the LORD and had not turned aside from anything the LORD commanded all the days of his life, except in the matter of…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 1 Kings 3:14
So if you walk in My ways and keep My statutes and commandments, just as your father David did, I will prolong your days.”
- Genesis 17:1
When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty. Walk before Me and be blameless.
- 1 Kings 11:6
So Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD; unlike his father David, he did not follow the LORD completely.
- 1 Kings 15:5
Through
1 Kings 3:14So if you walk in My ways and keep My statutes and commandments, just as your father David did, I will prolong your days.”
it leads to
- Proverbs 3:2
for they will add length to your days, years and peace to your life.
- Psalms 91:16
With long life I will satisfy him and show him My salvation.”
- Zechariah 3:7
“This is what the LORD of Hosts says: ‘If you walk in My ways and keep My instructions, then you will govern My house and will also have charge of My courts; and I…
- 1 Kings 2:3–4
And keep the charge of the LORD your God to walk in His ways and to keep His statutes, commandments, ordinances, and decrees, as is written in the Law of Moses, so that you…
- Proverbs 3:2
About 2 Kings
Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.