2 Chronicles 28:23
New International Version
He offered sacrifices to the gods of Damascus, who had defeated him; for he thought, “Since the gods of the kings of Aram have helped them, I will sacrifice to them so they will help me.” But they were his downfall and the downfall of all Israel.

New Living Translation
He offered sacrifices to the gods of Damascus who had defeated him, for he said, “Since these gods helped the kings of Aram, they will help me, too, if I sacrifice to them.” But instead, they led to his ruin and the ruin of all Judah.

English Standard Version
For he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus that had defeated him and said, “Because the gods of the kings of Syria helped them, I will sacrifice to them that they may help me.” But they were the ruin of him and of all Israel.

Berean Standard Bible
Since Damascus had defeated him, he sacrificed to their gods and said, “Because the gods of the kings of Aram have helped them, I will sacrifice to them that they may help me.” But these gods were the downfall of Ahaz and of all Israel.

King James Bible
For he sacrificed unto the gods of Damascus, which smote him: and he said, Because the gods of the kings of Syria help them, therefore will I sacrifice to them, that they may help me. But they were the ruin of him, and of all Israel.

New King James Version
For he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus which had defeated him, saying, “Because the gods of the kings of Syria help them, I will sacrifice to them that they may help me.” But they were the ruin of him and of all Israel.

New American Standard Bible
For he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus who had defeated him, and said, “Because the gods of the kings of Aram helped them, I will sacrifice to them so that they may help me.” But they became the downfall of him and all Israel.

NASB 1995
For he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus which had defeated him, and said, “Because the gods of the kings of Aram helped them, I will sacrifice to them that they may help me.” But they became the downfall of him and all Israel.

NASB 1977
For he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus which had defeated him, and said, “Because the gods of the kings of Aram helped them, I will sacrifice to them that they may help me.” But they became the downfall of him and all Israel.

Legacy Standard Bible
Indeed, he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus which had struck him, and said, “Because the gods of the kings of Aram helped them, I will sacrifice to them that they may help me.” But they became the stumbling of him and all Israel.

Amplified Bible
For he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus, which had defeated him, and he said, “Since the gods of the kings of Aram (Syria) helped them, I will sacrifice to them so that they may help me.” But they became the ruin and downfall of him and all of Israel.

Christian Standard Bible
He sacrificed to the gods of Damascus which had defeated him; he said, “Since the gods of the kings of Aram are helping them, I will sacrifice to them so that they will help me.” But they were the downfall of him and of all Israel.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
He sacrificed to the gods of Damascus which had defeated him; he said, “Since the gods of the kings of Aram are helping them, I will sacrifice to them so that they will help me.” But they were the downfall of him and of all Israel.

American Standard Version
For he sacrificed unto the gods of Damascus, which smote him; and he said, Because the gods of the kings of Syria helped them, therefore will I sacrifice to them, that they may help me. But they were the ruin of him, and of all Israel.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And he sacrificed to the gods of Darmsuq and said to them: “You are my gods and my Lords! You I fear and to you I sacrifice!” That was a stumbling block to Yehuda, and caused his soul to sin, and caused all the people of Yehuda to sin.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
I will seek after the gods of Damascus that smite me. And he said, Forasmuch as the gods of the king of Syria themselves strengthen them, therefore will I sacrifice to them, and they will help me. But they became a stumbling-block to him, and to all Israel.

Contemporary English Version
He said to himself, "The Syrian gods must have helped their kings defeat me. Maybe if I offer sacrifices to those gods, they will help me." That was the sin that finally led to the downfall of Ahaz, as well as to the destruction of Judah.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Sacrificed victims to the gods of Damascus that struck him, and he said: The gods of the kings of Syria help them, and I will appease them with victims, and they will help me; whereas on the contrary they were the ruin of him, and of all Israel.

English Revised Version
For he sacrificed unto the gods of Damascus, which smote him: and he said, Because the gods of the kings of Syria help them, therefore will I sacrifice to them, that they may help me. But they were the ruin of him, and of all Israel.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
He sacrificed to the gods of Damascus, the gods who had defeated him. He thought, "The gods of the kings of Aram are helping them. I'll sacrifice to them so that they will help me." But they ruined him and all Israel.

Good News Translation
He offered sacrifices to the gods of the Syrians, who had defeated him. He said, "The Syrian gods helped the kings of Syria, so if I sacrifice to them, they may help me too." This brought disaster on him and on his nation.

International Standard Version
He sacrificed to the gods of Damascus that had defeated him, reasoning, "The gods of the kings of Aram helped them, so I'll sacrifice to them so they will help me!" But those gods brought about his downfall, and the downfall of all of Israel, too.

JPS Tanakh 1917
For he sacrificed unto the gods of Damascus, which smote him; and he said: 'Because the gods of the kings of Aram helped them, therefore will I sacrifice to them, that they may help me.' But they were the ruin of him, and of all Israel.

Literal Standard Version
and he sacrifices to the gods of Damascus [which were] those striking him, and says, “Because the gods of the kings of Aram are helping them, I sacrifice to them, and they help me,” and they have been to him to cause him to stumble, and to all Israel.

Majority Standard Bible
Since Damascus had defeated him, he sacrificed to their gods and said, “Because the gods of the kings of Aram have helped them, I will sacrifice to them that they may help me.” But these gods were the downfall of Ahaz and of all Israel.

New American Bible
He sacrificed to the gods of Damascus who had defeated him, saying, “Since it was the gods of the kings of Aram who helped them, I will sacrifice to them that they may help me also.” However, they only furthered his downfall and that of all Israel.

NET Bible
He offered sacrifices to the gods of Damascus whom he thought had defeated him. He reasoned, "Since the gods of the kings of Damascus helped them, I will sacrifice to them so they will help me." But they caused him and all Israel to stumble.

New Revised Standard Version
For he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus, which had defeated him, and said, “Because the gods of the kings of Aram helped them, I will sacrifice to them so that they may help me.” But they were the ruin of him, and of all Israel.

New Heart English Bible
For he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus, which struck him; and he said, "Because the gods of the kings of Aram helped them, so I will sacrifice to them, that they may help me." But they were the ruin of him, and of all Israel.

Webster's Bible Translation
For he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus, which smote him: and he said, Because the gods of the kings of Syria help them, therefore will I sacrifice to them, that they may help me. But they were the ruin of him, and of all Israel.

World English Bible
For he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus which had defeated him. He said, “Because the gods of the kings of Syria helped them, I will sacrifice to them, that they may help me.” But they were the ruin of him and of all Israel.

Young's Literal Translation
and he sacrificeth to the gods of Damascus -- those smiting him, and saith, 'Because the gods of the kings of Aram are helping them, to them I sacrifice, and they help me,' and they have been to him to cause him to stumble, and to all Israel.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Idolatry of Ahaz
22In the time of his distress, King Ahaz became even more unfaithful to the LORD. 23Since Damascus had defeated him, he sacrificed to their gods and said, “Because the gods of the kings of Aram have helped them, I will sacrifice to them that they may help me.” But these gods were the downfall of Ahaz and of all Israel. 24Then Ahaz gathered up the articles of the house of God, cut them into pieces, shut the doors of the house of the LORD, and set up altars of his own on every street corner in Jerusalem.…

Cross References
2 Chronicles 25:14
When Amaziah returned from the slaughter of the Edomites, he brought back the gods of the Seirites, set them up as his own gods, bowed before them, and burned sacrifices to them.

Jeremiah 44:17
Instead, we will do everything we vowed to do: We will burn incense to the Queen of Heaven and offer drink offerings to her, just as we, our fathers, our kings, and our officials did in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. At that time we had plenty of food and good things, and we saw no disaster.

Jeremiah 44:18
But from the time we stopped burning incense to the Queen of Heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have lacked everything and have been perishing by sword and famine."


Treasury of Scripture

For he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus, which smote him: and he said, Because the gods of the kings of Syria help them, therefore will I sacrifice to them, that they may help me. But they were the ruin of him, and of all Israel.

2 Chronicles 25:14
Now it came to pass, after that Amaziah was come from the slaughter of the Edomites, that he brought the gods of the children of Seir, and set them up to be his gods, and bowed down himself before them, and burned incense unto them.

2 Kings 16:12,13
And when the king was come from Damascus, the king saw the altar: and the king approached to the altar, and offered thereon…

Damascus [heb] Darmesek

Habakkuk 1:11
Then shall his mind change, and he shall pass over, and offend, imputing this his power unto his god.

sacrifice to them

Jeremiah 10:5
They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.

Jeremiah 44:15-18
Then all the men which knew that their wives had burned incense unto other gods, and all the women that stood by, a great multitude, even all the people that dwelt in the land of Egypt, in Pathros, answered Jeremiah, saying, …

But they were

Isaiah 1:28
And the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together, and they that forsake the LORD shall be consumed.

Jeremiah 44:20-28
Then Jeremiah said unto all the people, to the men, and to the women, and to all the people which had given him that answer, saying, …

Hosea 13:9
O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in me is thine help.

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2 Chronicles 28
1. Ahaz, reigning wickedly, is greatly afflicted by the Syrians.
6. Judah, being captivated by the Israelites, is sent home by the counsel of Oded.
16. Ahaz sending for aid to Assyria, is not helped thereby,
22. In his distress he grows more idolatrous
26. He dying, Hezekiah succeeds him














(23) For (and) he sacrificed unto the gods of Damascus.--The statement of this verse is peculiar to the Chronicle; and the same may be said of the next also. Both here and in the preceding account of the relations of Ahaz to Tiglath-pileser, the writer appears to have drawn upon another source than the book of Kings.

Damascus may, perhaps, be put for the Damascenes, though in that case Aram would have been more natural. (Not "at Damascus," as Thenius renders.)

Which smote him.--Did the chronicler himself believe that the gods of Aram had any power or real existence? That such was the common belief of the Israelites in the days of Ahaz appears certain. (See Exodus 15:11; Judges 11:24; 1Samuel 26:19.) In the latter half of Isaiah we find the nothingness of the false gods strongly asserted; but there was also another current opinion, which St. Paul repeats, and which Milton has adopted in Paradise Lost, viz., that "the things which the heathen sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons" (1Corinthians 8:4; 1Corinthians 10:20; Deuteronomy 32:17). . . .

Verse 23. - He sacrificed unto the gods of Damascus, which smote him. The writer must be understood to speak from the point of view of Ahaz, in putting it, that it was the gods of Damascus who smote." The formula, all Israel, is a clear instance of how the name "Israel" is used as "Judah." The gods of Damascus were, of course, the same with those of Syria, of which Damascus was capital. Their names were Rimmon, Tabrim-men, Hadad, and some others. Perhaps no verse in Chronicles is more typical of the special moral aspects and aims of the writer.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
He sacrificed
וַיִּזְבַּ֗ח (way·yiz·baḥ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 2076: To slaughter for sacrifice

to the gods
לֵֽאלֹהֵ֣י (lê·lō·hê)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

of Damascus,
דַרְמֶשֶׂק֮ (ḏar·me·śeq)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 1834: Damascus -- a city in Aram (Syria)

which had defeated
הַמַּכִּ֣ים (ham·mak·kîm)
Article | Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 5221: To strike

him,
בּוֹ֒ (bōw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew

for he thought,
וַיֹּ֗אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“Since
כִּ֠י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

the gods
אֱלֹהֵ֤י (’ĕ·lō·hê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

of the kings
מַלְכֵֽי־ (mal·ḵê-)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 4428: A king

of Aram
אֲרָם֙ (’ă·rām)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 758: Aram -- Syria

have helped
מַעְזְרִ֣ים (ma‘·zə·rîm)
Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 5826: To surround, protect, aid

them,
אוֹתָ֔ם (’ō·w·ṯām)
Direct object marker | third person masculine plural
Strong's 853: Untranslatable mark of the accusative case

I will sacrifice
אֲזַבֵּ֖חַ (’ă·zab·bê·aḥ)
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 2076: To slaughter for sacrifice

to them
לָהֶ֥ם (lā·hem)
Preposition | third person masculine plural
Strong's Hebrew

that they may help me.”
וְיַעְזְר֑וּנִי (wə·ya‘·zə·rū·nî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine plural | first person common singular
Strong's 5826: To surround, protect, aid

But these
הֵ֚ם (hêm)
Pronoun - third person masculine plural
Strong's 1992: They

were
הָֽיוּ־ (hā·yū-)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

the downfall
לְהַכְשִׁיל֖וֹ (lə·haḵ·šî·lōw)
Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 3782: To totter, waver, to falter, stumble, faint, fall

of [Ahaz]
ל֥וֹ (lōw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew

and of all
וּלְכָל־ (ū·lə·ḵāl-)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

Israel.
יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ (yiś·rā·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc


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OT History: 2 Chronicles 28:23 For he sacrificed to the gods (2 Chron. 2Ch iiCh ii ch 2 chr 2chr)
2 Chronicles 28:22
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