Meaning of the Name Ahaz
Ahaz is connected with the Hebrew verb ahaz, meaning "to seize" or "to grasp." The name is therefore usually explained as "he has grasped," "he seized," or "holder/possessor." It may also function as a shortened form of a longer theophoric name.
Origin
The name Ahaz is of Hebrew origin.
Who is Ahaz in the Bible?
Ahaz is known as a king of Judah, remembered especially for policies marked by distrust in God. Under pressure from Aram and Israel he sought help from Assyria and also promoted practices tied to religious corruption. Isaiah's Immanuel sign is given in his days.
The story of Ahaz in the Bible
Ahaz is remembered as one of the negative examples among the kings of Judah. Scripture states plainly that, unlike his ancestor David, he did not do what was right in the LORD's sight; he embraced idolatrous practices and followed the detestable customs of the surrounding nations. His reign passed through a severe test under pressure from Rezin king of Aram and Pekah king of Israel as they moved against Jerusalem. In those days of crisis the prophet Isaiah called him to trust and told him to ask the LORD for a sign; when Ahaz refused, the famous word of the sign known by the name Immanuel was given in his time. Yet Ahaz placed his confidence not in the LORD but in Assyria, sending gifts from the treasuries of the temple and the palace to ask the Assyrian king for help — a policy that left him dependent and deepened the nation's religious decay. His story, told in 2 Kings 16, 2 Chronicles 28, and Isaiah, reads as a warning about the cost of misplaced trust.
Is Ahaz mentioned in the Quran?
The name Ahaz does not appear in the Quran; the story of this king of Judah is told in the Old Testament, in 2 Kings, 2 Chronicles, and Isaiah.
Verses where Ahaz appears
- 2 Kings 16:2 —
Twenty years old was Ahaz when he began to reign; and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem: and he didn’t do that which was right in the eyes of Yahweh his God, like David his father.
- 2 Chronicles 28:1 —
Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign; and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem: and he didn’t do that which was right in the eyes of Yahweh, like David his father;
- Isaiah 7:14 —
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin will conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.