2 Kings 16:2

2 Kings 16:2 in other versions

• King James Version (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.
• New International Version (NIV)Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. Unlike David his father, he did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord his God.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And he did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord his God, as his father David had done,
• New King James Version (NKJV)Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem; and he did not do what was right in the sight of the Lord his God, as his father David had done.

Context of 2 Kings 16:2

1Pekah, son of Remaliah, was in his seventeenth year as king of Israel when King Ahaz, son of Jotham, began to rule as king of Judah. Ahaz was 20 years old when he began to rule. He ruled for 26 years in Jerusalem. He didn’t do what the Lord his God considered right, as his ancestor David had done. 3He followed the example of the kings of Israel and even sacrificed his son by burning him alive. Sacrificing ⌞children⌟ was one of the disgusting things done by the nations that the Lord had forced out of the Israelites’ way. 4He offered sacrifices and burned incense as an offering at the illegal worship sites, which were on hills and under every large tree.

2 Kings 16:2 word by word

בֶּן־עֶשְׂרִ֤ים שָׁנָה֙ אָחָ֣ז בְּמָלְכ֔וֹ וְשֵׁשׁ־עֶשְׂרֵ֣ה שָׁנָ֔ה מָלַ֖ךְ בִּירוּשָׁלִָ֑ם וְלֹא־עָשָׂ֣ה הַיָּשָׁ֗ר בְּעֵינֵ֛י יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהָ֖יו כְּדָוִ֥ד אָבִֽיו׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Twentyעֶשְׂרִים‛eώrîym · twentyH6242
• yearsשָׁנָהshâneh shânâh · yearH8141
• oldבֵּןbên · son: agedH1121
• Ahazאָחָז'âchâz · AhazH271
• when he began to reignמָלַךְmâlak · to reignH4427
• sixteenעָשָׂר‛âώâr · tenH6240
• sixteenשֵׁשׁshêsh shishshâh · sixH8337
• in Jerusalemיְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵםyerûshâlaim yerûshâlayim · JerusalemH3389
• and didעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
• rightיָשָׁרyâshâr · uprightH3477
• in the sightעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eye: appearanceH5869
• of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• his Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• like Davidדָּוִדdâvid dâvîyd · DavidH1732
• his fatherאָב'âb · fatherH1

Cross-references for 2 Kings 16:2

• 2 Kings 14:3He did what the Lord considered right, but not exactly what his ancestor David had done. He did everything his father Joash had done.
• 2 Kings 15:3He did what the Lord considered right, as his father Amaziah had done.
• 2 Kings 18:3He did what the Lord considered right, as his ancestor David had done.
• 2 Kings 22:2Josiah did what the Lord considered right. He lived in the ways of his ancestor David and never stopped.
• 1 Kings 3:14And if you follow me and obey my laws and commands as your father David did, then I will also give you a long life.”
• 1 Kings 9:4“If you will be faithful to me as your father David was (with a sincere and upright heart), do everything I command, and keep my laws and rules,
• 1 Kings 11:4In his old age, his wives tempted him to follow other gods. He was no longer committed to the Lord his God as his father David had been.
• 1 Kings 15:8Abijam lay down in death with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David. His son Asa succeeded him as king.
• 2 Chronicles 17:3The Lord was with Jehoshaphat, who lived in the old way like his ancestor David. Jehoshaphat didn’t dedicate his life to serving other gods—the Baals.
• 2 Chronicles 29:2He did what the Lord considered right, as his ancestor David had done.
• 2 Chronicles 34:2He did what the Lord considered right. He lived in the ways of his ancestor David and never stopped living this way.

Commentaries on 2 Kings 16:2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2Twenty 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! Some think that the twenty…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2-3David was Ahaz's ancestor. He is the benchmark for judging the spiritual character of Judah's kings (2 Kings 14:3; 1 Kings 15:3, 11). he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel: Ahaz was one of Judah's most wicked kings. He adopted Israel's false religion and the pagan practices of other nations, even sacrificing his own son in fire (see Jeremiah 19:5; 32:35). Levitical laws forbade such sacrifices as detestable to the Lord (Leviticus 18:10; 20:1–5)…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-162Ki 16:1-16. Ahaz' Wicked Reign over Judah. 1-4. Ahaz ... did not that which was right in the sight of the Lord--[See on 2Ch 28:1.] The character of this king's reign, the voluptuousness and religious degeneracy of all classes of the people, are graphically portrayed in the writings of Isaiah, who prophesied at that period. The great increase of worldly wealth and luxury in the reigns of Azariah and Jotham had introduced a host of corruptions, which…Read the comment

In the dictionaries

• Ahaz
• David
• God
• Jerusalem
• Bedstead
• Fashion
• Pekah
• Assyria
• Immanuel

Commentaries on 2 Kings 16

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings