2 Chronicles 28:7

And Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim, slew Maaseiah the king's son,.... Who therefore must have escaped being burnt in the valley of Hinnom, or only was caused to pass through the fire there, 2 Chronicles 28:3 , and Azrikam the governor of the house; steward or treasurer in the king's house, in the same office as Sheban was, Isaiah 22:15. and Elkanah that was next to the king: prime minister of state.

28:1-27 The wicked reign of Ahaz in Judah. - Israel gained this victory because God was wroth with Judah, and made them the rod of his indignation. He reminds them of their own sins. It ill becomes sinners to be cruel. Could they hope for the mercy of God, if they neither showed mercy nor justice to their brethren? Let it be remembered, that every man is our neighbour, our brother, our fellow man, if not our fellow Christian. And no man who is acquainted with the word of God, need fear to maintain that slavery is against the law of love and the gospel of grace. Who can hold his brother in bondage, without breaking the rule of doing to others as he would they should do unto him? But when sinners are left to their own heart's lusts, they grow more desperate in wickedness. God commands them to release the prisoners, and they obeyed. The Lord brought Judah low. Those who will not humble themselves under the word of God, will justly be humbled by his judgments. It is often found, that wicked men themselves have no real affection for those that revolt to them, nor do they care to do them a kindness. This is that king Ahaz! that wretched man! Those are wicked and vile indeed, that are made worse by their afflictions, instead of being made better by them; who, in their distress, trespass yet more, and have their hearts more fully set in them to do evil. But no marvel that men's affections and devotions are misplaced, when they mistake the author of their trouble and of their help.

Verse 7. - The king's son . This can scarcely mean the child of Ahaz, considering Ahaz's age; some think a brother of the present king, son of Jotham, may be intended. We have also to fall back upon the use of the phrase, "king's son," for some special official of the king or court (see note on 2 Chronicles 18:25; and its parallel, 1 Kings 22:26 ). The governor of the house ; Revised Version, ruler. We have probably a sufficient clue to this designation in 1 Kings 4:6 ; and the designation itself, 2 Chronicles 18:3 ; 2 Kings 18:18 ; 2 Chronicles 19:11 . Next to the king ; Hebrew, מִשְׁנֵה הַמֶּלֶך ; literally, therefore, the next of the king , the general meaning of which expression cannot be doubtful (comp. 1 Chronicles 16:5 ; Esther 10:3 ; Nehemiah 11:9 ), but the exacter scope and functions of the person under the kings of the divided kingdom thus designated is less certain. It is naturally to be supposed his place may have been king's deputy in councils in his absence, or in and over the city itself, when he was at a distance with an army. 2 Chronicles 28:7

Maaseiah was either an officer called "the king's son" (compare 1 Kings 22:26 ), or perhaps a son of Jotham, since Ahaz could hardly have had a son old enough to take part in the battle (compare 2 Chronicles 28:1 ). Elkanah, as "second to the king," was probably the chief of the royal counselors.

(7) Maaseiah the king’s son —i.e., a prince of the royal house, related to Ahaz, but not his own son; or he would have been too young to be engaged in the battle. (Comp. 2Chronicles 18:25 : “Joash the king’s son.”) Azrikam the governor of the house—i.e., of the royal house, or palace. Azrikam was nagîd, “prince” or superintendent of the palace, a high court official. (Comp. 1Kings 4:6; 1Kings 18:3.) Elkanah . . . next to the king.—See margin. Elkanah was grand vizier. (Comp. 1Samuel 23:17; Esther 10:3.) The writer mentions the deaths of these three personages, because of their intimate connection with Ahaz, whose punishment he is describing. The blow which struck them struck the king. (Comp. 2Chronicles 24:23.)

7. Maaseiah the king's son—the sons of Ahaz being too young to take part in a battle, this individual must have been a younger son of the late King Jotham; Azrikam the governor of the house—that is, "the palace"; and Elkanah that was next to the king—that is, the vizier or prime minister (Ge 41:40; Es 10:3). These were all cut down on the field by Zichri, an Israelitish warrior, or as some think, ordered to be put to death after the battle. A vast number of captives also fell into the power of the conquerors; and an equal division of war prisoners being made between the allies, they were sent off under a military escort to the respective capitals of Syria and Israel [2Ch 28:8].

In this battle, Zichri, an Ephraimite hero, slew three men who were closely connected with the king: Maaseiah, the king's son, i.e., not a son of Ahaz, for in the first years of his reign, in which this war arose, he cannot have had an adult son capable of bearing arms, but a royal prince, a cousin or uncle of Ahaz, as in 2 Chronicles 18:25 ; 2 Chronicles 22:11 , etc. (cf. Caspari, loc. cit. S. 45ff.); Azrikam, a prince of the house, probably not of the house of God ( 2 Chronicles 31:13 ; 2 Chronicles 9:11 ), but a high official in the royal palace; and Elkanah, the second from the king, i.e., his first minister; cf. Esther 10:3 ; 1 Samuel 23:17 .