Charles Ellicott Commentary 2 Chronicles 28:20

"And Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria came unto him, and distressed him, but strengthened him not." — 2 Chronicles 28:20 (ASV)

Tilgath-pilneser (Hebrew, Pilne’èser). In 2 Kings, he is more correctly called Tiglath-pileser (Pil’èser). (See Note on 1 Chronicles 5:26.) According to the Assyrian Eponym Canon, Tiglath-pileser II came to the throne in 745 B.C. and marched westward against Damascus and Israel in 734 B.C. The importance of these dates for the chronology of the period is obvious.

Came to him. —Compare the more detailed narrative in 2 Kings 16:7–10; and see Note on 2 Chronicles 28:16.

Tiglath was induced by the message and gift of Ahaz to undertake a campaign in the west; he captured Damascus, killed Rezin, and transported the population of the city to Kir (2 Kings, in the place cited). After this, as recorded in 2 Kings 16:10, king Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria.

The chronicler, in the words before us, is estimating the results of this expedition as they affected the interests of Judah. At the prayer of Ahaz, the Assyrian had indeed come to him; but not with any purpose of strengthening the southern kingdom.

Glad of a pretext for interference in the affairs of the west, the ambitious usurper was simply intent on the extension of his own empire. When the more powerful states of Syria and Israel lay at his feet, he naturally proceeded to require a most unequivocal acknowledgment of vassalage from Ahaz.

He thus distressed or oppressed him by reducing his kingdom to a mere dependency of Assyria, besides depriving him of all his treasure, which Ahaz had sent as the price of this ruinous help.

Distressed him, but strengthened him not. —This is correct. A possible rendering is: “and besieged him, and conquered him not”; but the context is against it. (The word chazaq, “strengthened,” everywhere else means to be strong, or, to prevail. The Septuagint omits the last words, rendering the whole καὶ ἐπάταξεν αὐτόν. Syriac and Arabic say, “besieged him.” The Vulgate has: et afflixit eum, et nullo resistente vastavit. That Judah now became tributary to Assyria is evident from 2 Kings 18:7; 2 Kings 18:14; 2 Kings 18:20.