2 Chronicles 28:23 Meaning: When Trouble Pushes Us Away from God
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.
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.
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.
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.
And he sacrificed to thegods of Damascus, which had smitten him; and he said, Since thegods 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.
Meaning in one sentence
What made Ahaz sacrifice to the gods that defeated him? And why did it ruin him? A close look at a tragic choice and a warning for us.
Context
The Chronicler is near the end of his account of Ahaz, king of Judah. The country was under heavy attack, from Syria, from Israel, from Edom and the Philistines. Ahaz had already refused to trust the Lord. He stripped the temple to pay the king of Assyria for help, but that only brought more trouble. The chapter shows a man who, in his distress, kept turning away from God instead of toward Him. This verse explains the worst of his choices: he offered sacrifices to the gods of the very people who had beaten him in battle.
Key Words
Three words open up this scene. The first is zavach, the Hebrew verb for sacrificing. It means to slaughter an animal on an altar: an act of worship that Ahaz should have directed only toward the Lord. Instead, he gave it to the gods of Damascus.
Then there is azar, “to help.” This is the word Ahaz kept using, he thought the Syrian gods helped their worshippers. The same word appears in the psalmist’s cry for help from the Lord. Ahaz wanted the right thing but looked in the wrong direction.
Finally, kashal means “to stumble” or “to cause to fall.” The Chronicler says these gods became a kashal for Ahaz, not a help, but a tripwire. The thing he trusted became the thing that ruined him.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christian readers have long seen a problem here: does the verse claim that idols actually defeated Ahaz? Some early interpreters (including the Syriac and Arabic versions) read it as Ahaz’s own words, “the gods of Damascus smote me”, reporting his mistaken belief, not the truth. Others, like Matthew Henry, simply call Ahaz’s reasoning foolish and point to the tragic irony: he worshipped the gods of his enemies, hoping for aid, and only brought destruction on himself. Across traditions, the agreement is that the verse exposes the emptiness of trusting anything other than the living God.
A common misunderstanding
Living This Out
When you are in real trouble, a financial crisis, a broken relationship, a health scare, the temptation is to grab whatever looks like it might work. Ahaz saw that Syria was winning, so he copied their religion. You and I do the same, just with different tools: a new strategy, a frantic fix, a compromise the old self would have resisted. This week, pause before you react. Ask yourself: Am I running toward God, or am I just imitating whatever seems to be working for other people? The one who made you is the one who can help you.
Main takeaway: Running to the things that hurt others will never save you, only the Lord can be trusted in your trouble.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
King Ahaz was scared, so he prayed to some statues. But statues cannot help you. Only God can.
For ages 9, 12
When King Ahaz was losing battles, he started copying the people who were winning, even their fake gods. He thought if he did what they did, he would get what they got. But it backfired, and things got worse. When you are scared, do not just copy the world. Ask God what He wants you to do.
Questions People Ask
Did the gods of Damascus actually defeat Ahaz?
The verse is reporting what Ahaz believed, that the gods of the Syrian kings helped them win. The Chronicler does not say the idols had power; he simply records Ahaz’s mistaken reasoning. The final line makes clear that these gods brought ruin, not victory.
Why did Ahaz sacrifice to gods that beat him?
Ahaz thought, “If their gods helped them, maybe those gods will help me too.” It was a desperate attempt to gain the favor of what he perceived as a winning team. But he was already ignoring the Lord, who had given him every reason to trust.
What does “they were the ruin of him” mean?
The Hebrew word for “ruin” here (kashal) means to cause someone to stumble or fall. The gods Ahaz ran to did not save him, they became the very thing that tripped him up. His idolatry led to his downfall and weakened the whole nation.
How is this verse different from 2 Kings 16, where Ahaz copies an altar?
Second Kings focuses on Ahaz copying a pagan altar he saw in Damascus. Second Chronicles records his motivation: he thought the gods behind that altar had given Syria victory. Both passages show Ahaz turning away from the Lord to adopt foreign worship.
Does this verse mean we should never ask for help from people who don’t trust God?
Not exactly. The problem is not asking for help, it is trusting other things instead of the Lord. Ahaz sacrificed to false gods and abandoned the temple. The warning is about where you place your ultimate trust, not about accepting help from anyone.
For pastors & researchers
Hebrew interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study