¹map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
²tn Heb “and he did not do what was proper in the eyes of the Lord his God, like David his father.”
³tn Heb “he walked in the way of.”
⁴sn This may refer to child sacrifice, though some interpret it as a less drastic cultic practice. For discussion see M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 266-67.
⁵tn Heb “like the abominable practices of the nations.”
⁶tn Heb “went up to Jerusalem for battle.”
⁷tn That is, Jerusalem, Ahaz’s capital city.
⁸tn Heb “they were unable to fight.” The object must be supplied from the preceding sentence. Elsewhere when the Niphal infinitive of <j*l* (lakham) follows the verb lk)y` (yakhol), the infinitive appears to have the force of “prevail against.” See Num 22:11; 1 Sam 17:9; and the parallel passage in Isa 7:1.
⁹tc Some prefer to read “the king of Edom” and “for Edom” here. The names Syria (Heb “Aram,” <r*a&, ’aram) and Edom (<d)a$, ’edom) are easily confused in the Hebrew consonantal script.
¹⁰tn Heb “from Elat.”
¹¹tc The consonantal text (Kethib), supported by many medieval Hebrew mss, the Syriac version, and some mss of the Targum and Vulgate, read “Syrians” (Heb “Arameans”). The marginal reading (Qere), supported by the LXX, Targums, and Vulgate read “Edomites.”
¹²tn Heb “son.” Both terms (“servant” and “son”) reflect Ahaz’s subordinate position as Tiglath-pileser’s subject.
¹³tn Heb “hand, palm.”
¹⁴tn Heb “who have arisen against.”
¹⁵tn Heb “that was found.”
¹⁶tn Or “bribe money.”
¹⁷tn Heb “listened to him.”
¹⁸tn Heb “the king of Assyria.”
¹⁹tn Heb “it.”
²⁰tn Heb “in Damascus.”
²¹tn Heb “the likeness of the altar and its pattern for all its work.”
²²tn Heb “according to all that King Ahaz sent from Damascus.”
²³tn Heb “so Uriah the priest did, until the arrival of King Ahaz from Damascus.”
²⁴tn Heb “and the king.”
²⁵tn Heb “the altar.”
²⁶tn Or “ascended it.”
²⁷tn The word “new” is added in the translation for clarification.
²⁸tn That is, the newly constructed altar.
²⁹tn Heb “for me to seek.” The precise meaning of rq^B* (baqar), “seek,” is uncertain in this context. For discussion see M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 189.
³⁰tn Heb “according to all which.”
³¹sn See the note at 1 Kgs 7:23.
³²tn Heb “that [were] under it.”
³³tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew term Es^Wm (musakh; Qere) / Es^ym] (misakh; Kethib) is uncertain. For discussion see HALOT 557 s.v. Es^Wm and M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 189-90.
³⁴tn Heb “that they built.”
³⁵sn It is doubtful that Tiglath-pileser ordered these architectural changes. Ahaz probably made these changes so he could send some of the items and materials to the Assyrian king as tribute. See M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 190, 193.
³⁶tn Heb “As for the rest of the events of Ahaz, and that which he did, are they not written on the scroll of the events of the days of the kings of Judah?”
³⁷tn Heb “lay down with his fathers.”