Page:The Books of Chronicles (1916).djvu/362

298 Assyria to help him. For again the Edomites had come and smitten Judah, and carried away captives. The Philistines also had invaded the cities of the lowland, and of the South of Judah, and had taken Beth-shemesh, and Aijalon, and Gederoth, and Soco with the towns thereof, and Timnah with the towns thereof, Gimzo also and the towns thereof: and they dwelt there. For the brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel; for he had dealt wantonly in Judah, and trespassed sore against the. And Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria came unto him, and distressed him, but strengthened him not. For Ahaz took away a portion out of the house of the, and out of the house of the king and of the princes, and gave it unto the king of Assyria: but it helped him not. And in the time of his distress did he trespass yet more against the, this same king Ahaz. For he sacrificed unto the gods of

18. had invaded] Rather, raided.

the lowland] Heb. Shephēlāh. Cp. i. 15 (note).

Beth-shemesh] Cp. 1 Chr. vi. 59 [44, Heb.], note.

Aijalon] Cp. xi. 10.

Gederoth] Jos. xv. 41.

Soco] Cp. xi. 7.

Timnah] Jos. xv. 10; Judg. xiv. 1 ff.

Gimzo] The modern Jimzu S.E. of Lydda, Bädeker, Pal.$5$, p. 18. The place is not mentioned elsewhere in the Old Testament.

19. king of Israel] Cp. xi. 3 (note).

he had dealt wantonly] mg. "cast away restraint." Cp. Ex. xxxii. 25 (A.V. and R.V.) where the same Heb. verb is twice used.

20. Tilgath-pilneser] i.e. Tiglath-pileser IV. Cp. 1 Chr. v. 6 (note).

came him not] Tiglath-pileser, invoked as an ally, is here represented as having come as an unscrupulous oppressor, accepting the bribe and not fulfilling the task for which he was paid by Ahaz (ver. 21). But neither 2 Kin. nor the Assyrian records relate that Tiglath-pileser thus came into Judah; and it must be remarked that the Heb. text in this verse does not inspire confidence. Any interpretation is accordingly rendered uncertain.

22—25 (cp. 2 Kin. xvi. 10—18).&emsp;

23. the gods of Damascus] In 2 Kin. the statement is merely that Ahaz made a copy of an altar which he saw at Damascus, and sacrificed