Ahaz

Technical Profile

• Name Meaning: Hebrew ’Āḥāz (“he has grasped/held”), a shortened form likely related to Jehoahaz (“Yahweh has held”).
• Period/Era: Divided Kingdom
• Main References: 2 Kings 16; 2 Chronicles 28; Isaiah 7–8
• Key Connections: Son of Jotham; father of Hezekiah; interactions with the prophet Isaiah; political dependence on Tiglath-pileser III of Assyria

Who was Ahaz?

Ahaz was king of Judah in Jerusalem during a period of regional instability and Assyrian expansion.
He is portrayed as rejecting the religious patterns associated with Davidic kingship and promoting non-Yahwistic practices.
His reign is marked by international pressure from Aram and Israel and a strategic turn toward Assyria for support.

Key Events & Achievements

• Event 1: Appealed to Tiglath-pileser III for aid during the Syro-Ephraimite threat, reshaping Judah’s foreign policy (2 Kings 16:7–9).
• Event 2: Introduced an Assyrian-style altar in Jerusalem and altered temple arrangements (2 Kings 16:10–18).
• Event 3: Closed aspects of temple worship and expanded worship sites, actions criticized in Chronicles as unfaithfulness (2 Chron. 28:24–25).

Life Lesson & Legacy

Ahaz’s reign illustrates how political survival strategies could be intertwined with religious compromise in Judah’s Divided Kingdom history.

Key Verse

"So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, saying, “I am your servant and your son. Come up and rescue me from the hand of the king of Syria and from the hand of the king of Israel, who are attacking me.”" — 2 Kings 16:7, ESV