Wesley Corpus

Chapter XXVIII Ahaz reigns ill, ver. 1 - 4. Is smitten by the Syrians and Israelites, ver. 5 - 8. who send back the captives they had taken, ver. 9 - 15. Ahaz sends for help to the king of Asyria, but in vain, ver. 16 - 21. Yet he continues in idolatry, ver. 22 - 25. and dies, ver. 26, 27. His God - God was his God, tho' not by special relation, (which Ahaz had renounced) yet by his sovereign dominion over him: for God did not forfeit his right by Ahaz's denying it. Forsaken - Ahaz walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and God chose the king of Israel for his scourge: it is just with God, to make them a plague to us, whom we have made our patterns, or partners in sin. A rage - An unbounded rage, which cries to God for vengeance, against such bloody men. To keep under - It ill becomes sinners to be cruel. Shew mercy to them, for you are undone, unless God shew you mercy. Left the captives - And herein they shewed a more truly heroic bravery, than they did in taking them. It is true honour for a man to yield to reason and religion even in spite of interest. Were expressed - Who were appointed to take care about the management of this business. Kings - Princes, who may be called kings in a more general signification of the word. Low - As high as they were before in wealth and power. They that will not humble themselves under the word of God will be humbled by his judgments. Naked - Taking away their ornament and their defence and strength, namely their treasures, which he sent to the Assyrian to no purpose; their frontier towns, and other strong holds, which by his folly and wickedness were lost; their religion, and the Divine protection, which was their great and only firm security. Distressed - Or, straitened him, by robbing him of his treasures.