Charles Ellicott Commentary 2 Chronicles 28:5

"Wherefore Jehovah his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria; and they smote him, and carried away of his a great multitude of captives, and brought them to Damascus. And he was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who smote him with a great slaughter." — 2 Chronicles 28:5 (ASV)

THE WAR WITH REZIN OF SYRIA AND PEKAH OF ISRAEL; OR, THE SYRO-EPHRAITE CAMPAIGN (2 Chronicles 28:5–9). (Compare to 2 Kings 16:5; Isaiah 7:1.)

Wherefore (and) the Lord his God delivered him. —These opening words help us to understand the basis of the variations of the present account from that of 2 Kings 16. The chronicler intends, not so much to describe a campaign, as to select those events of it which most conspicuously illustrate God’s chastisements of the apostate Ahaz.

Accordingly, throughout the description, the historical is subordinated to the didactic motive. (Compare to the account of the Syrian invasion, 2 Chronicles 24:23–24.) Not history for its own sake, but history teaching by example, is what the writer desires to present.

At the same time, the events here recorded are above critical suspicion. Thenius characterizes the whole section (2 Chronicles 28:5–15) as “thoroughly historical.”

Into the hand of the king of Syria—Rezin of Damascus. (Compare to 2 Kings 16:5.) Instead of relating the joint attempt against Jerusalem and the seizure of Elath by Rezin, the chronicler prefers to record two severe defeats suffered by Ahaz in the open field before his retreat behind the walls of Jerusalem. (See Note on 2 Chronicles 17:17; 2 Chronicles 22:1.)

After these successes, the confederates converged upon the capital, and the panic inspired by the news of their coming is finely depicted in Isaiah 7:2. Their attempt proved ineffectual, as the prophet had foretold.

Smote him. —Literally, smote in him, that is, in his army; defeated him. (A similar remark applies in the next sentence.)

Carried away ... captives. —Literally, and led captive from him a great captivity (Deuteronomy 21:11).

And he was also delivered. —A second terrible reverse, which took place, perhaps, while Rezin was absent in Idumea. At that time Rezin king of Syria recovered Elath to Syria, and drove the Jews out of Elath: and the Arameans (or Edomites) came to Elath, and dwelt there to this day (2 Kings 16:6).