ACAZ
“sustained”.
Son of Jotham, who reigned sixteen years, from the year 734 B.C. (2 Kings 16:1). He was distinguished by his idolatry and contempt for the true God, and many of Isaiah’s prophecies are directed against him (see 2 Kings 7, 8, 9).
He burned his own children, consecrating them to idols. He built an altar in the temple of Jerusalem after the Syrian model, and even closed it entirely, for which he lost the favor of Jehovah and suffered several defeats in the war with Pekah and Rezin.
Pekah, king of Israel, took several captives who were freed by the intervention of the prophet Obed (2 Chron. 28:5-15), and suffered other setbacks at the hands of the Edomites and Philistines (2 Chron. 28:16-20 ).
Disregarding Isaiah’s advice, he requested help from Tiglath-pileser, king of Assyria, which he took advantage of to make him his tributary.
His name appears in an inscription of Tiglath-pileser as one of his vassals, and this is proof of the historicity of the biblical story, contrary to the rationalists of a couple of centuries ago, who denied it.
He was so hated by his own subjects that they denied him burial among the kings of Israel.