¹tn Heb “and he did not do what was proper in the eyes of the Lord his God, like David his father.”

²tn Heb “he walked in the way of.”

³sn This may refer to child sacrifice, though some interpret it as a less drastic cultic practice. For discussion see Cogan and Tadmor, II Kings, 266-67.

⁴tn Heb “like the abominable practices of the nations.”

⁵tn Heb “went up to Jerusalem for battle.”

⁶tn That is, Jerusalem, Ahaz’s capital city.

⁷tn Heb “they were unable to fight.” The object must be supplied from the preceding sentence. Elsewhere when the Niphal infinitive of <jl follows the verb lky, the infinitive appears to have the force of “prevail against.” See Num 22:11; 1 Sam 17:9; and the parallel passage in Isa 7:1.

⁸tc Some prefer to read “the king of Edom” and “for Edom” here. The names Syria (Heb “Aram,” <ra) and Edom (<da) are easily confused in the Hebrew consonantal script.

⁹tn Heb “from Elath.”

¹⁰tc The consonantal text (Kethib), supported by many medieval Hebrew mss, the Syriac version, and some mss of the Targum and Vulgate, read “Syrians” (Heb “Arameans”). The marginal reading (Qere), supported by the LXX, Targums, and Vulgate read “Edomites.”

¹¹tn Heb “son.” Both terms (“servant” and “son”) reflect Ahaz’s subordinate position as Tiglath-pileser’s subject.

¹²tn Heb “hand, palm.”

¹³tn Heb “who have arisen against.”

¹⁴tn Heb “that was found.”

¹⁵tn Or “bribe money.”

¹⁶tn Heb “listened to him.”

¹⁷tn Heb “the king of Assyria.”

¹⁸tn Heb “it.”

¹⁹tn Heb “in Damascus.”

²⁰tn Heb “the likeness of the altar and its pattern for all its work.”

²¹tn Heb “according to all that King Ahaz sent from Damascus.”

²²tn Heb “so Uriah the priest did, until the arrival of King Ahaz from Damascus.”

²³tn Heb “and the king.”

²⁴tn Heb “the altar.”

²⁵tn Or “ascended it.”

²⁶tn The word “new” is added in the translation for clarification.

²⁷tn That is, the newly constructed altar.

²⁸tn Heb “for me to seek.” The precise meaning of rqb, “seek,” is uncertain in this context. For discussion see Cogan and Tadmor, II Kings, 189.

²⁹tn Heb “according to all which.”

³⁰sn See the note at 1 Kgs 7:23.

³¹tn Heb “that [were] under it.”

³²tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew term Eswm (Qere) / Esym (Kethib) is uncertain. For discussion see HALOT 2:557 and Cogan and Tadmor, II Kings, 189-90.

³³tn Heb “that they built.”

³⁴sn It is doubtful that Tiglath-pileser ordered these architectural changes. Ahaz probably made these changes so he could send some of the items and materials to the Assyrian king as tribute. See Cogan and Tadmor, II Kings, 190, 193.

³⁵tn Heb “As for the rest of the events of Ahaz, and that which he did, are they not written on the scroll of the events of the days of the kings of Judah?”

³⁶tn Heb “lay down with his fathers.”