("he held fast")
1. The father of Jehoaddah, or Jarah, mentioned in the family tree of King Saul. He was a son of Micah and great-grandson of Jonathan.
2. King of Judah (c. 733-727 B.C.). When Ahaz was 20, he succeeded his father Jotham and ruled for 16 years. He was one of the kings who "did not do what was right in the sight of the Lord his God" (II Kgs 15:38, 16:1-2, II Chr 28:1). He practiced idolatry, and engaged in pagan sacrifices, even burning his own son (II Kgs 16:3-4; II Chr 28:3).
Early in his reign, Rezin, king of Aram (Syria) and Pekah, king of Israel, concluded an anti-Assyrian alliance and attempted to persuade Ahaz to join them in a single front. When he refused, the Syro-Ephraimite war of 733 broke out and Judah was invaded (II Kgs 15:37; 16:5; II Chr 28:5-8). The coalition intended to place a certain "son of Tabeel" on the throne of Judah in order to secure an anti-Assyrian dynasty (Is 7:6). Many captives were taken to Damascus and to Samaria. It was only thanks to the intervention of the prophet Oded that the captives taken to Samaria were released (II Chr 28:5-15). At the same time the Edomites took Elath and the Philistines invaded the west and south of the kingdom. Ahaz lost control of beth Shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, Sochoh, Timnah and Gimzo (II Kgs 16:6; II Chr 28:17-18). Ahaz was not strengthened by the prophet Isaiah's assurances that the Lord would not allow the Arameans and the Israelites to destroy Judah and place another king on the throne (Is 7:1-17). The helpless and terrified Ahaz turned to the king of Assyria Tiglath-Pileser III, and by despoiling the Temple treasury, bribed him to obtain his aid (II Kgs 16:7-8; II Chr 28:21). Tiglath-Pileser invaded Aram, captured its capital, Damascus, and killed Rezin. Ahaz, who is mentioned in one of Tiglath-pileser's inscriptions, became his vassal and went to Damascus to render homage to the Assyrian king. While in Damascus he admired the pagan altar and sent a model of it to the priest Urijah in Jerusalem to have it copied, and later, upon his return, sacrificed upon this altar. He also had the ritual objects of the Temple removed "on account of the king of Assyria" (II Kgs 16:9-18), and installed a sundial in the Temple (II Kgs 20:11).
When Ahaz die he was buried in the City of David (II Kgs 17:20) "but they did not bring him into the tombs of the kings of Israel". He was succeeded by his son Hezekiah (II Chr 28:27).
Ahaz is listed in the genealogy of Jesus given in the Book of Matthew (Matt 1:1, 9).
Concordance
AHAZ 1:
I Chr 8:35-36; 9:41-42
AHAZ 2:
II Kgs 15:38; 16:1-2, 5, 7-8,10-11, 15-17,19-20; 17:1; 18:1; 20:11; 23:12. I Chr 3:13. II Chr 27:9; 28:1, 16,19, 21-22, 24,27; 29:19. Is 1:1; 7:1, 3, 10,12; 14:28; 38:8. Hos 1:1. Mic 1:1. Matt 1:9
