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2 Chronicles 28 · a question people ask

Did the king of Assyria help Ahaz or not?

In the text

The two books tell it differently. 2 Kings says Ahaz sent to Tiglath Pileser, "Come up and save me" (2 Kings 16:7), and that "The king of Assyria listened to him; and the king of Assyria went up against Damascus and took it, and carried its people captive to Kir, and killed Rezin" (2 Kings 16:9). 2 Chronicles says, "Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria came to him and gave him trouble, but didn’t strengthen him" (28:20), and of the portion Ahaz gave him, "but it didn’t help him" (28:21). The war is told differently too. 2 Kings says Rezin and Pekah "besieged Ahaz, but could not overcome him" (2 Kings 16:5). 2 Chronicles says the LORD delivered Ahaz into the hand of the king of Syria, and into the hand of the king of Israel, "who struck him with a great slaughter" (28:5). Both books say that Ahaz sent to Assyria (2 Kings 16:7; 28:16) and that he gave from the LORD's house to the king of Assyria (2 Kings 16:8; 28:21). Neither book explains how the two accounts fit together, and these notes don't try to.

The verses

“Then Rezin king of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to wage war. They besieged Ahaz, but could not overcome him.”
2 Kings 16:5 · World English Bible
“So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath Pileser king of Assyria, saying, “I am your servant and your 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, who rise up against me.” Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the LORD’s house, and in the treasures of the king’s house, and sent it for a present to the king of Assyria. The king of Assyria listened to him; and the king of Assyria went up against Damascus and took it, and carried its people captive to Kir, and killed Rezin.”
2 Kings 16:7-9 · World English Bible
“Therefore the LORD his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria. They struck him, and carried away from him a great multitude of captives, and brought them to Damascus. He was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who struck him with a great slaughter.”
2 Chronicles 28:5 · World English Bible
“At that time King Ahaz sent to the kings of Assyria to help him.”
2 Chronicles 28:16 · World English Bible

From Favor's study of 2 Chronicles 28

2 Chronicles 28: Send back the captives

Only 2 Chronicles tells that a prophet named Oded met Israel's army bringing Judah's captives to Samaria and asked, "Aren’t there even with you trespasses of your own against the LORD your God?" (28:10), and that named men clothed and fed the captives and brought them to Jericho (28:15). Ahaz sought help from Assyria and the gods of Damascus, and they "were the ruin of him" (28:23).

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Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain. Every answer cites the verses it rests on. What we believe · All Bible questions