Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice, from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of Jehovah of Hosts will perform this.*

Encouraged by this prophecy to expect relief at least from the immediate danger, Ahaz defended the city of Jerusalem ; and the two hostile armies were obliged to raise the siege.† But the king of Syria recovered Eloth, and established a colony of Syrians in that city.‡

The infidel feeling, however, which Ahaz had discovered, and the little disposition to humble himself which he afterwards evinced, subjected him to a repetition of this invasion; for the next year, the associate monarchs marched against him again, and Jehovah, his God, delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria: and they smote him, and carried away a great multitude of them captives, and brought them to Damascus. And he was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who smote him with a great slaughter. For Pekah, the son of Remaliah, slew in Judah an hundred and twenty thousand in one day, who were all valiant men: because they had forsaken Jehovah, the God of their fathers. And Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim, slew Maaseiah, the king's son, and Azrikam, the governor of the house, and Elkanah, that was next to the king. And the children of Israel carried away captive of their brethren, 200,000, women, sons, and daughters, and took also away much spoil from them, and brought the spoil to Samaria.§

Isaiah, vii. viii, ix. As to this prophecy, see A. Clarke, Bp. Lowth, and Bp. Wilson.

But Judah was not to be finally cut off, and, therefore, in this extremity, Oded, a prophet of Jehovah, went out before the host that came to Samaria, and said unto them, Behold, because Jehovah, the God of your fathers, was wroth with Judah, he hath delivered them into your hand, and ye have slain them in a rage that reacheth up unto heaven. And now ye purpose to keep under the children of Judah and Jerusalem, for bondmen and bondwomen unto you: but are there not with you, even with you, sins against Jehovah, your God? Now hear me, therefore, and deliver the captives again, which ye have taken captive of your brethren: for the fierce wrath of Jehovah is upon you. Then certain of the heads of the children of Ephraim, Azariah, the son of Johanan, Berechiah, the son of Meshillemoth, and Jehizkiah, the son of Shallum, and Amasa, the son of Hadlai, stood up against them that came from the war, and said unto them, Ye shall not bring in the captives hither: for whereas we have offended against Jehovah already, ye intend to add more to our sins and to our trespasses: for our trespass is great, and there is fierce wrath against Israel. So the armed men left the captives and the spoil before the princes and all the congregation. And the men, which were expressed by name, rose up, and took the captives, and with the spoil clothed all that were naked. among them, and arrayed them, and shod them, and gave them to eat and to drink, and anointed them, and carried all the feeble of them upon asses, and brought them to Jericho, the city of palm trees, to their brethren; then they returned to Samaria.*

The Edomites also came and smote Judah, and carried away captives. The Philistines also had invaded the cities of the

2 Chron. xxviii. 9-15. "We can scarcely find a parallel to this act of humanity, in the universal history of the wars which savage man has carried on against his fellows, from the foundation of the world."

low country, and of the south of Judah, and had taken Bethshemesh, and Ajalon, and Gederoth, and Shocho, with the villages thereof; and Timnah, with the villages thereof;" Gimzo also, and the villages thereof: and they dwelt there. For Jehovah brought Judah low because of Ahaz, king of Israel; for he made Judah naked and transgressed sore against Jehovah.*

Whereupon Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-pilesert 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. And Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the house of Jehovah, and in the treasures of the king's house, and sent it for a present to the king of Assyria. And 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. And 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. And 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. And when the king was come from Damascus, the king saw the altar; and the king approached to the altar, and offered thereon: and 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. And he brought also the brazen altar, which was before Jehovah, from the fore front of the house, from between the altar

2 Chron. xxviii. 17-19.

+ Most probably Arbaces. A. CLARKE, DEAN PRIDEAUX, and Un. Hist.

and the house of Jehovah, and put it on the north side of the altar. And 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 brazen altar shall be for me to inquire by. Thus did Urijah, the priest, according to all that Ahaz commanded. And king Ahaz cut off the borders of the bases, and removed the laver from off them; and took down the sea from off the brazen oxen that were under it, and put it upon a pavement of stones. And the covert for the Sabbath, that they had built in the house, and the king's entry without, turned he from the house of Jehovah for the king of Assyria.*

Tiglath-pileser, however, although he came unto him, did not strengthen him, but rather distressed him; for Ahaz took away a portion out of the house of Jehovah, and out of the house of the king, and of the princes, and gave it unto the king of Assyria; but he helped him not.†

And in the time of his distress did he trespass yet more against Jehovah: this is that king Ahaz. For he sacrificed unto the gods of Damascus, which smote him; and he said, Because the gods of the kings of Syria help them, therefore will I sacrifice to them that they may help me. But they were the ruin of him, and of all Israel. And Ahaz gathered together the vessels of the house of God, and cut in pieces the vessels of the house of God, and shut up the doors of the house of Jehovah; and he made him altars in every corner of Jeru

2 Kings, xvi. 7—18. 2 Chron. xxviii. 16.

+ 2 Chron. xxviii. 20, 21.

salem. And in every several city of Judah he made high places to burn incense unto other gods, and provoked to anger Jehovah, the God of his fathers.*

After reigning sixteen years, Ahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of Jerusalem; but brought him not into the sepulchres of the kings of Israel;† and he was succeeded by his son,+

A.C. 726.

HEZEKIA II.

THIS good prince, whose reign, amidst so much sin and wickedness, is as rivers of water in a dry place, and as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land,§ ascended the throne at the age of 25, and his mother was Abi, the daughter of Zechariah; and he did that which was right in the sight of Jehovah, according to all that David his father did.||

He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brazen serpent that Moses had made; for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it; and he called it Nehushtan. He trusted in Jehovah, the God of Israel; so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him. For he clave to Jehovah, and departed not from following him; but kept his commandments which Jehovah commanded Moses. And Jehovah was with him, and he pros

* 2 Chron. xxviii. 22. 25.

+ See a curious account in Burder how the Israelites, Egyptians, &c. marked their sense of the characters and conduct of their kings, by the various modes and places in which they interred them; thus endeavouring to operate upon the minds of their successors. O.C. 448. 2 Chron. xxviii. 27 2 Kings, xvi. 20. § Isaiah, xxxii. 2.

|| 2 Chron. xxix: 1, 2. 2 Kings, xviii. 2, 3,