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.
Parallel translations
- WEB Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. He didn’t do that which was right in Yahweh his God’s eyes, like David his father.
- BSB Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. And unlike David his father, he did not do what was right in the eyes of the LORD his God.
- 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.
- NASB Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned for 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.
- NLT Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. He did not do what was pleasing in the sight of the Lord his God, as his ancestor David had done.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Ahaz reigned sixteen years but did not do right like his father David. He receives a negative verdict for his unfaithfulness.
Overview
Unlike his ancestor David, the standard of covenant loyalty, Ahaz failed to walk faithfully before the LORD. The comparison to David highlights how far this Davidic king had fallen. His example shows that physical descent from David counted for nothing apart from genuine faith, intensifying the longing for the true Son of David who would perfectly please His Father.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 13
- 2 Chr 28:1–4Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem: but he did not that which was right in the sight of the LORD, like David his father:
- 2 Chr 17:3And the LORD was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the first ways of his father David, and sought not unto Baalim;
- 1 Kgs 11:4–8For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.
- 1 Kgs 9:4And if thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father walked, in integrity of heart, and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded thee, and wilt keep my statutes and my judgments:
- 2 Kgs 14:3And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, yet not like David his father: he did according to all things as Joash his father did.
- 2 Chr 34:2–3And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the ways of David his father, and declined neither to the right hand, nor to the left.
- 2 Kgs 15:3And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah had done;
- 1 Kgs 3:14And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days.
- 2 Kgs 15:34And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD: he did according to all that his father Uzziah had done.
- 1 Kgs 15:3And he walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father.
- 2 Chr 29:2And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that David his father had done.
- 2 Kgs 22:2And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in all the way of David his father, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left.
- 2 Kgs 18:3And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that David his father did.
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Christ at the center
Amid the long decline toward exile, the promise to David's house refuses to die; the flickering lamp kept burning anticipates the coming King who will not fail or be cut off.
How 2 Kings 16:2 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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