The big picture
2 Kings 16 opens in verse 1 with “In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah Ahaz the son of Jotham king of…”, reaches its middle movement near verse 10 with “And king Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, and saw an altar…”, and closes in verse 20 with “And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David…” Repeated or prominent terms include king, Ahaz, altar, offering, burnt. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.
Scripture beside the summary
2 Kings · King James Version · 202 Kings 16:1-7
1–7: In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah Ahaz the son of…
2 Kings 16:1–7 opens with “In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah Ahaz the son of Jotham king of Judah began…” and reaches “So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, saying, I am thy servant and thy…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on 2 Kings 16 develops its own movement around king, Ahaz, altar, offering, burnt, with particular weight carried by king, Ahaz, Israel.
Context that brings the passage to life
“In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah Ahaz the son of Jotham king of Judah began to reign.” Naming Ahaz and Jotham keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“Twenty years old was Ahaz when he began to reign, and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem, and did not that which was…” The number twenty makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.
“But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yea, and made his son to pass through the fire, according to the…” Naming Israel keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
2 Kings 16:1-7
King James Version1In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah Ahaz the son of Jotham king of Judah began to reign.
2Twenty 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.
3But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yea, and made his son to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel.
4And he sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree.
5Then 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.
6At that time Rezin king of Syria recovered Elath to Syria, and drave the Jews from Elath: and the Syrians came to Elath, and dwelt there unto this day.
7So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, saying, I am thy servant and thy son: come up, and save me out of the hand of the king of Syria, and out of the hand of the king of Israel, which rise up against me.
2 Kings 16:8-14
8–14: Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the house of the LORD …
2 Kings 16:8–14 opens with “And Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the house of the LORD , and in the treasures…” and reaches “And he brought also the brasen altar, which was before the LORD , from the forefront of the…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on 2 Kings 16 develops its own movement around king, Ahaz, altar, offering, burnt, with particular weight carried by king, altar, Damascus.
Context that brings the passage to life
“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…” Naming Ahaz and Assyria keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“And the king of Assyria hearkened unto him: for the king of Assyria went up against Damascus, and took it, and carried…” Naming Assyria and Damascus keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“And king Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, and saw an altar that was at Damascus: and…” Naming Ahaz and Damascus keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
2 Kings 16:8-14
King James Version8And 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.
9And the king of Assyria hearkened unto him: for the king of Assyria went up against Damascus, and took it, and carried the people of it captive to Kir, and slew Rezin.
10And king Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, and saw an altar that was at Damascus: and king Ahaz sent to Urijah the priest the fashion of the altar, and the pattern of it, according to all the workmanship thereof.
11And Urijah the priest built an altar according to all that king Ahaz had sent from Damascus: so Urijah the priest made it against king Ahaz came from Damascus.
12And when the king was come from Damascus, the king saw the altar: and the king approached to the altar, and offered thereon.
13And he burnt his burnt offering and his meat offering, and poured his drink offering, and sprinkled the blood of his peace offerings, upon the altar.
14And he brought also the brasen altar, which was before the LORD , from the forefront of the house, from between the altar and the house of the LORD , and put it on the north side of the altar.
2 Kings 16:15-20
15–20: King Ahaz commanded Urijah the priest, saying, Upon the great altar burn…
2 Kings 16:15–20 opens with “And king Ahaz commanded Urijah the priest, saying, Upon the great altar burn the morning burnt…” and reaches “And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David: and…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on 2 Kings 16 develops its own movement around king, Ahaz, altar, offering, burnt, with particular weight carried by offering, Ahaz, burnt.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 1 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
“And king Ahaz commanded Urijah the priest, saying, Upon the great altar burn the morning burnt offering, and the…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
“Thus did Urijah the priest, according to all that king Ahaz commanded.” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
2 Kings 16:15-20
King James Version15And 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.
16Thus did Urijah the priest, according to all that king Ahaz commanded.
17And king Ahaz cut off the borders of the bases, and removed the laver from off them; and took down the sea from off the brasen oxen that were under it, and put it upon a pavement of stones.
18And the covert for the sabbath that they had built in the house, and the king’s entry without, turned he from the house of the LORD for the king of Assyria.
19Now the rest of the acts of Ahaz which he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
20And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David: and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead.
Details worth noticing
The opening image
2 Kings 16:1 begins with “In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah Ahaz the son of Jotham king of Judah began to reign.”
Where the chapter turns
2 Kings 16:5 forms a natural hinge: “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.”
The final note
2 Kings 16:20 leaves the reader with “And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David: and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead.”
A word trail through the chapter
The words king, Ahaz, altar, offering, burnt, Assyria help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
Whose perspective receives unexpected attention?
Hagar's. The messenger finds her, names her and speaks about her future.
What does Ishmael's name commemorate?
God has heard her affliction, according to verse 11.
KJV words made clear
- unto
- to
- thy
- your
Text first
Where readers differ
The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.
The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.
Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.