2 Chronicles 28:17

2Ch 28:17 For again the Edomites had come and smitten Judah, and carried away captives.

Ver. 17. For again the Edomites.] "Many sorrows shall be to the wicked; whenas he that trusteth in the Lord" - which Ahaz would not hear of - "mercy shall compass him round about," {Psa 32:10} as it did his good son Hezekiah.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

28:17-18 The Edomites and the Philistines were natural enemies of Judah. The towns captured by these armies were all along the Aijalon, Sorek, and Elah valleys in the buffer zone of the foothills of Judah or the Negev.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

again the Edomites had come and smitten Judah--This invasion must have been after Rezin (at the beginning of the recent Syro-Israelitish war), had released that people from the yoke of Judah (Ch2 15:11; compare Kg2 16:6).

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

(17) For again.—And moreover.

Smitten Judah.—Smitten in Judah, i.e., inflicted a defeat upon her. After their reduction by Uzziah, the Edomites had probably remained subject to Judah, until Rezin of Syria expelled the Jews from Elath (2Ki_16:6), and restored it to them. After that event, the disasters of Ahaz seem to have encouraged them to make a raid upon his territory.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

For the Lord brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel,.... Because of his impieties and idolatries, which the people by his example went into; he is called king of Israel, because he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and because he ruled over two of the tribes of Israel, and of right was king over all Israel, as David and Solomon his ancestors were; though the Vulgate Latin, Septuagint, and Syriac versions, read, king of Judah; and so the Targum: "for he made Judah naked"; stripped them of their religion, and the worship of God, and so of the divine protection, whereby they were exposed to their enemies, see Exo 32:25 the Targum is,"for the house of Judah ceased from the worship of the Lord;"

transgressed sore against the Lord; by committing gross idolatry the same Targum is,"they dealt falsely with the Word of the Lord.''

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

The Edomites took advantage of the reverses of Ahaz, and were perhaps in league with Rezin (see 2Ki 16:6 note). The pitilessness of Edom, and her readiness to turn against Judah in any severe distress, is noticed and sternly rebuked by the prophets (Amo 1:11; Eze 35:5; Oba 1:10-14, etc.).

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

And. Sept. "Because the Edomites had come,...and taken many prisoners." Prot. "for again," &c. H.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

The Edomites. So the work of Amaziah (2Ch_25:11, 2Ch_25:14; 2Ki_14:7) in reducing Edom was again undone. (see also 2Ki_16:7, where "Edom" should be read for "Aram

Vers. 17-19.

Blow upon blow.

Ahaz was a very great transgressor, and he was (as we might expect he would be) a very great sufferer. He received blow upon blow from the righteous hand of that holy Ruler who by present and temporal visitations was educating his people in the ways of heavenly wisdom. First Rezin King of Syria defeated him, and carried away many captives to Damascus (ver. 5). Then Pekah King of Israel slew his army with a great and pitiless slaughter (ver. 6). Then the Edomites smote Judah, and went away with the usual spoil (ver. 17). Then the Philistines "invaded the cities of the low country," and took several important places (ver. 18). Thus "the Lord brought Judah low because of Ahaz." One blow fell after another, until the land was thoroughly smitten and stripped, left "naked to its enemies" (ver. 19). We are reminded by these successive inflictions of

I THE ACCUMULATING PENALTY WHICH SIN ALWAYS PAYS.

1. This often comes in the form of obvious and apparent losses. The trangressor who "fears not God, neither regards man," finds himself subjected to a series of adversities, which he regards as misfortunes, but which we recognize as penalties. He loses the confidence and esteem of his worthier neighbours; then he loses custom, trade, support, and then and thus he loses money; then he loses his substance by extravagance and, it may be, by one or more expensive vices and vice is a very expensive thing; then he loses health and spirit and hope; then he loses the regard of his neighbours generally. So, step by step, he goes down, until "the Lord brings Judah low," until he has "made the land naked.

2. Or penalty may come in the way of inward and spiritual deterioration. We cannot pretend to say in what order this proceeds; it varies with individual souls; but blow upon blow descends; bruise upon bruise is suffered by the soul; one defence after another is taken away from the citadel until the land is "naked." It may be that the fine sense of truthfulness goes first; then, perhaps, the spirit of reverence; then the loss of thorough rectitude; then the loss of purity; then may come an indifference to the judgment of the good and wise; then the decay of self-respect; and what then is left? Let the man who, like Ahaz, hardens himself against God understand this, that as he goes on his guilty way, even if outward prosperity remains to him, there is descending upon his spiritual nature, upon himself if not upon his circumstances, blow upon blow of righteous penalty blows which are bruising and slaying him, beneath which he is surely perishing.

II THE MULTIPLIED SORROWS WHICH RIGHTEOUSNESS SOMETIMES ENDURES. "Many are the afflictions (even) of the righteous". (Psa_34:19) To the patient Job, to the faithful Jeremiah, to the devoted Paul, they come in large number and in great strength. Even to the purest and loveliest of the sons and daughters of God there sometimes falls a sad succession of trials; it may be in the heart and on the lips of the most worthy to say, "All thy waves and thy billows are gone over me." Blow upon blow descends upon their head. What does it mean? It simply means that the branch which is bearing fruit the Lord of the vineyard is pruning, "that it may bring forth more fruit;" it means that "whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth," in order that he may make them to be "partakers of his holiness;" it means that the Divine Master is refining and cultivating his servant, to prepare him for a far broader and nobler sphere and for higher and heavenlier,work hereafter; it means that affliction is working out an "exceeding weight of glory. C.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.