Ahaz

Lore & Background

Isaiah 7:1–2 tells how the kings of Ephraim and Syria attack Jerusalem when Ahaz refuses to join them in their anti-Assyrian alliance. Ahaz wishes to ask Assyria for help, but Isaiah, at God's command, takes his son Shear-jashub and assures Ahaz that the two enemy kings will not succeed (Isaiah 7:3–9). Isaiah tells Ahaz of the sign: a young woman will give birth to a child named Immanuel, and the lands of the 'two kings you dread' will be laid waste before the child is old enough to 'reject the wrong and choose the right' (Isaiah 7:13–16). Isaiah 7:17 follows with a prophecy that at some unspecified future date God will call up Assyria against Judah. The defeat and death of both enemy kings at the hands of the Assyrians is dated around 732 BCE.

Reader's Guide

The source article does not specify whether the Assyrian king helped Ahaz or not. It only states that Ahaz wished to ask Assyria for help, and that Isaiah assured him the two enemy kings would not succeed. The article also notes that the defeat of those kings by the Assyrians occurred around 732 BCE. The source is silent on the outcome of Ahaz's request for help.

Did You Know?

• The name Immanuel means 'God is with us' in Hebrew.
• Isaiah had three children with symbolic names: Shear-jashub, Immanuel, and Maher-shalal-hash-baz.
• The Gospel of Matthew interprets the Immanuel prophecy as referring to the birth of Jesus.

Notable Quotes (Wikiquote)

"Ahaz an abbreviation of Jehoahaz II (of Judah), was the twelfth king of Judah, and the son and successor of Jotham. Ahaz was 20 when he became king of Judah and reigned for 16 years." — Ahaz "So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria, saying, “I am your servant and your son. Come up and save me from the hand of the king of Syria and from the hand of the king of Israel, who rise up against me." — Ahaz