Bible Strands
2 Kings 16:8
Ahaz also took the silver and gold found in the house of the LORD and in the treasuries of the king’s palace, and he sent it as a gift to the king of Assyria.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Ahaz acts as Judah’s monarch, diverting temple and palace reserves to Tiglath-pileser, king of Assyria, immediately after requesting Assyrian military intervention against Aram and Israel.
The words — וַיִּקַּח (va-yi-qach) means “and he took,” and הַנִּמְצָא (ha-nim-tza’) translates to “that which was found,” marking the deliberate seizure of existing resources.
The thread — This extraction of sacred and royal wealth parallels Hezekiah’s later payment to Assyria in 2 Kings 18:15 and Ahaz’s subsequent dismantling of temple furnishings in 2 Kings 16:17.
Why it lands — The text records a king sending consecrated and state assets to a foreign ruler for protection, requiring recognition of how political desperation drains spiritual and civic reserves.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the house of the Lord, and in the treasures of the king’s house, and sent it for a present to the king of Assyria.
Cross-references
- 2 Kings 12:17 At that time Hazael king of Aram marched up and fought against Gath and captured it. Then he decided to attack Jerusalem.
- 2 Kings 16:17 King Ahaz also cut off the frames of the movable stands and removed the bronze basin from each of them. He took down the Sea from the bronze oxen that were under it and put it on a stone base.
- 2 Kings 18:15 Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the house of the LORD and in the treasuries of the royal palace.
- 2 Chronicles 16:2 So Asa withdrew the silver and gold from the treasuries of the house of the LORD and the royal palace, and he sent it with this message to Ben-hadad king of Aram, who was ruling in Damascus:
- 2 Chronicles 28:20 Then Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria came to Ahaz but afflicted him rather than strengthening him.
- Psalms 7:15 He has dug a hole and hollowed it out; he has fallen into a pit of his own making.
- Isaiah 7:17 The LORD will bring on you and on your people and on the house of your father a time unlike any since the day Ephraim separated from Judah—He will bring the king of Assyria.”
- Isaiah 8:7 the Lord will surely bring against them the mighty floodwaters of the Euphrates—the king of Assyria and all his pomp. It will overflow its channels and overrun its banks.