anointed them] Part of the host’s duty; compare Luke vii. 44–46.
to Jericho] Jericho perhaps belonged to the Northern Kingdom; compare 1 Kings xvi. 34; 2 Kings ii. 4. A road led to it from Mount Ephraim past ‘Ain ed-Duk. G. A. Smith, Historical Geography of the Holy Land, pp. 266 ff.
the city of palm trees] Compare Deuteronomy xxxiv. 3. The phrase is an alternative name of Jericho; compare Judges i. 16, iii. 13. Date palms were common in Jericho down to the seventh century of the Christian era. Bädeker, Palestine⁵, pp. 128 f.
16–21 (= 2 Kings xvi. 7–9).
Ahaz invokes Assyrian aid.
There is an important variation here between Chronicles and Kings. According to Chronicles (verse 21) Ahaz gained nothing by his tribute to the king of Assyria; according to Kings the Assyrian accepted the offering and marched against Syria, capturing Damascus and slaying Rezin. Further in Chronicles it is said that the help of Assyria was invoked, not against the kings of Syria and Israel as in 2 Kings, but against Edomites and Philistines. Some alteration was required in consequence of the insertion in Chronicles of the midrashic narrative of verses 8–15, according to which Ahaz was delivered from his disaster at the hands of Israel not by the king of Assyria (so Kings) but simply through the awakening of Israel’s conscience and the consequent release of the captives and the spoil. If therefore the Chronicler was to introduce the story of Ahaz’ appeal to Assyria, he could only do so by supplying new enemies for Ahaz to combat. These, however, were appropriately found in the Philistines and Edomites, regarding whom the Chronicler seems to have had various traditions (see notes on xxi. 8, 16, xxvi. 6).
¹⁶At that time did king Ahaz send unto the kings[¹] of Assyria to help him. ¹⁷For again the Edomites had come and smitten Judah, and carried away captives[²].
[¹] Many ancient authorities read, king.
[²] Hebrew a captivity.
16. the kings] LXX. “king” (singular). This monarch was Tiglath-pileser IV; compare 1 Kings xvi. 7.
¹⁸The Philistines also had invaded the cities of the lowland, and of the South of Judah, and had taken Beth-shemesh, and Aijalon, and Gederoth, and Soco with the towns[¹] thereof, and Timnah with the towns[¹] thereof, Gimzo also and the towns[¹] thereof: and they dwelt there.