2 Kings 16:8

And Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the house of the LORD, and in the treasures of the king's house, and sent it for a present to the king of Assyria.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(8) Ahaz took the silver and gold.—“He was well aware that the only conditions on which protection would be vouchsafed were acceptance of the Assyrian suzerainty with the payment of a huge tribute, and an embassy was despatched laden with all the treasures of the palace and the Temple. The ambassadors had no difficulty in attaining their object, which perfectly fell in with the schemes of the great king. The invincible army was set in motion, Damascus was taken, and its inhabitants led captive, and Gilead and Galilee suffered the same fate” (Robertson Smith). (Comp. 2Kings 15:29.) According to Schrader, the expedition “to Philistia”in 734 B.C., was directed against Pekah, who probably saved himself by an instant submission. It was only after Tiglath had settled matters with the northern kingdom, and so isolated Damascus, that he turned his arms against Rezin. Two whole years were spent in reducing him (733-732 B.C. ) In an inscription dating from his seventeenth year, Tiglath Pileser mentions that he received tribute from Eniel, king of Hamath, Muthumbaal, king of Arvad, Sanibu of Ammon, Salamanu of Moab, Mitinti of Asca-lon, Jahuhazi (Jehoahaz, i.e., Ahaz) of Judah, Qausmalaka of Edom, Hanun of Gaza, and other princes. This probably relates to the expedition of 734 B.C. , in which year, therefore, Ahaz (Jehoahaz) must have put himself under the protection of Assyria (Schrader, K.A.T., p. 257 seq.).

Benson Commentary

2 Kings 16:8. And Ahaz took the silver, &c. — The treasures of the house of the Lord, and of the king’s house, had been sent some years before by Jehoash to the king of Syria, 2 Kings 12:18. It seems, however, they had been well replenished again by the piety of his successors, Amaziah, Azariah, and especially Jotham. But what authority had Ahaz to dispose thus of the public money, and exhaust the treasures of both church and state, to gratify his new patron and guardian? We can only answer, that it is common for those, who have brought themselves into straits by one sin, to endeavour to extricate themselves by another. And those that have alienated themselves from God, will make no difficulty in alienating from him any other of his rights. In this instance, the sin itself was its own punishment; for, though the king of Assyria hearkened unto Ahaz, and, for his own ends, made a descent on Damascus, and took it, thereby giving a powerful diversion to the king of Syria, and obliging him to forego his design against Jerusalem; yet Ahaz made but an ill bargain, seeing he not only robbed the temple, and expended his own treasures, but enslaved both himself and his people to the king of Assyria.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

16:1-9 Few and evil were the days of Ahaz. Those whose hearts condemn them, will go any where in a day of distress, rather than to God. The sin was its own punishment. It is common for those who bring themselves into straits by one sin, to try to help themselves out by another.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Compare the marginal reference and 1 Kings 15:18. Political necessity was always held to justify the devotion of the temple treasure to secular purposes.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

7-9. So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-pileser—In spite of the assurance given him by Isaiah by two signs, the one immediate, the other remote (Isa 7:14; 8:4), that the confederate kings would not prevail against him, Ahaz sought aid from the Assyrian monarch, to purchase which he sent the treasures of the palace and temple. Tiglath-pileser marched against Damascus, slew Rezin the king, and carried the people of Damascus into captivity to Kir, which is thought to have been the city Karine (now Kerend), in Media.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

No text from Poole on this verse.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the house of the Lord,.... Which Uzziah and Jotham had put there; for all that was found there in the times of Amaziah was taken away by Jehoash king of Israel, 2 Kings 14:14.

and in the treasures of the king's house; whatever gold and silver he had of his own:

and sent it for a present to the king of Assyria; to obtain his help and assistance.

Geneva Study Bible

And Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the {f} house of the LORD, and in the treasures of the king's house, and sent it for a present to the king of Assyria.

(f) Thus he did not spare the temple of God from being spoiled to gain help from men and would not once lift his heart to God to desire his help or hear his prophet's counsel.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

8. silver and gold that was found in the house of the Lord] Ahaz appears to have dealt very irreverently with the treasures of the temple. The Chronicler says he ‘gathered together the vessels of the house of God and cut in pieces the vessels of the house of God’. This looks as if he melted down the gold and silver to send to Tiglath-pileser.

for a present] The word is not that term for present which literally signifies ‘blessing’ (see note on v. 15). This word has rather the sense of a ‘bribe’. In Exodus 23:8 it is ‘the gift that blindeth the wise’. In Deuteronomy 27:25 it is ‘the reward taken for slaying the innocent’. In 1 Samuel 8:3 it is a ‘bribe’. In Ezekiel 22:12 it is a gift taken for shedding blood. So that the present of Ahaz is not represented by this word as of a noble character.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 8. - And Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the house of the Lord, and in the treasures of the king's house. Hitherto the temple treasures had been diverted from their proper use, and secularized for the sole purpose (except in one instance) of buying off the hostility of foreign foe, who threatened the city and the temple itself with destruction (see 1 Kings 14:26; 2 Kings 12:18; 2 Kings 14:14). Now, as on one former occasion (1 Kings 15:18), they were utilized to purchase an alliance. And sent it for a present to the King of Assyria. So Gyges King of Syria sent presents to Asshur-bani-pal to purchase his aid against the Cimmerians ('Records of the Past,' vol. 1. p. 68), and Susub of Babylon sent his temple treasures to Umman-Minan of Elam (ibid., pp. 46, 47), to purchase his assistance against Sennacherib. 2 Kings 16:8

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

In this distress Ahaz turned to Tiglath-pileser, without regarding either the word of Isaiah in 2 Kings 7:4., which promised salvation, or the prophet's warning against an alliance with Assyria, and by sending the gold and silver which were found in the treasures of the temple and palace, purchased his assistance against Rezin and Pekah. Whether this occurred immediately after the invasion of the land by the allied kings, or not till after they had defeated the Judaean army and advanced against Jerusalem, it is impossible to discover either from this verse or from 2 Chronicles 28:16; but probably it was after the first great victory gained by the foe, with which Isaiah 7 and 8 agree. - On קומים for קמים see Ewald, 151, b.