“And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, even in Jerusalem: but they brought him not into the sepulchres of the kings of Israel: and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead.”
My Notes
What Does 2 Chronicles 28:27 Mean?
"And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, even in Jerusalem: but they brought him not into the sepulchres of the kings of Israel: and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead." Ahaz dies and receives a FINAL DISHONOR: he's buried in Jerusalem but NOT in the royal tombs. The kings of Judah had a designated burial area — the 'sepulchres of the kings.' Ahaz is EXCLUDED. The man who reigned as king is denied the burial of a king. The crown was his. The tomb is not.
The phrase "they brought him not into the sepulchres of the kings" (velo hevi'uhu leqivrei malkhei Yisrael — they did not bring him to the tombs of the kings of Israel) is POSTHUMOUS judgment: the community that buried Ahaz CHOSE to exclude him from the royal tombs. The exclusion isn't accidental. It's DELIBERATE — a collective decision that Ahaz's reign doesn't deserve the honor of the royal cemetery. The burial location is the verdict. The tomb-exclusion is the final review.
The phrase "Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead" is the CONTRAST: immediately after recording Ahaz's dishonorable burial, the text introduces HEZEKIAH — one of Judah's greatest kings. The worst father produces the best son. The king denied a royal tomb is succeeded by the king who will pray against Sennacherib. The dishonor of one reign gives way to the glory of the next.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What verdict will your choices earn — and what does the community's evaluation say about your legacy?
- 2.What does Ahaz's exclusion from the royal tombs teach about how communities judge leaders after death?
- 3.How does the worst father (Ahaz) producing the best son (Hezekiah) describe the possibility of breaking generational patterns?
- 4.What 'Ahaz' season in your life can be followed by a 'Hezekiah' season — and what does the transition require?
Devotional
Buried in the city — but NOT in the royal tombs. Ahaz receives the final judgment from his own people: you were king, but you don't deserve to be buried WITH the kings. The exclusion is the community's verdict. The tomb-location is the posthumous review. The crown didn't earn you a place among the honored dead.
The DELIBERATENESS matters: 'they brought him NOT into the sepulchres.' This isn't an oversight. It's a DECISION. The people who buried Ahaz chose — consciously, collectively — to exclude him from the company of kings. The burial site is the community's EVALUATION. The location of your rest reflects the quality of your reign.
The CONTRAST with Hezekiah is the narrative's gift: the worst father, the best son. Ahaz invited Assyria, copied pagan altars, and stripped the temple. Hezekiah will cleanse the temple, celebrate Passover, and trust God against Sennacherib. The dishonored tomb is immediately followed by the honored succession. The darkness is followed by light. The shame yields to glory.
This is one of the Bible's most hopeful truths: a terrible predecessor doesn't DETERMINE the successor. Ahaz's faithlessness doesn't contaminate Hezekiah's faithfulness. The son is NOT bound by the father's failures. The worst reign can be followed by the best reign. The generational curse can be broken by the next generation's choice.
What 'tomb exclusion' — what posthumous verdict — will your choices earn? And what 'Hezekiah' can follow even the worst 'Ahaz' season?
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
The kings of Israel - It is a common thing for the writer of this book to put Israel for Judah. He still considers them…
Here is, I. The great distress which the kingdom of Ahaz was reduced to for his sin. In general, 1. The Lord brought…
Cross References
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