REZIN, or Rasin, King of Syria. He made an Alliance with Pekah Son of Remaliah King of Israel, to invade Ahaz King of Judah1, and to make an Irruption into his Kingdom. The first Year of his Reign they laid Siege to Jerusalem: But not being able to take it, they laid Waste the Country round about, and went back again. The Year following they return’d into the Country of Judah, and the Lord deliver’d up to ‘em the Army and the Country of Ahaz. After this, the two Confederate Princes separated their Armies; and that of Resin betook themselves to plunder every-where, and to carry away the Captives: This they did without finding any Resistance, and carry’d to Damascus the Captives and the Booty they had taken2. Pekah also, on his Part, kill’d in one Day and in one Battle an hundred and twenty thousand Men of Ahaz’s Army, and took two hundred thousand Prisoners besides. But when they were brought into Samaria, the Prophet Oded caus’d them to be sent back into the Land of Judah.
About the same time, Rezin King of Syria assaulted Elath, or Ailat, upon the Red-Sea, and took it: He drove out the Jews from hence, and settled the Idumeans in their Room, who, probably, had engaged him to undertake this War. The Hebrew Text and the Vulgate seem to intimate,3 that Rezin King of Syria made a Conquest of Elath for the Syrians. But the Tenour of the Discourse sufficiently shews, that it ought to be read, for the Idumeans; and that in the Hebrew it should be read Edom, instead of Aram. The Difference between these two Words, in the Original, is hardly to be perceived. Ahaz finding himself not strong enough to withstand Rezin and Pekah, apply’d himself to Tiglath-pilneser King of Assyria, and offer’d him a very large Sum of Money to come to his Assistance. Tiglath-pilneser first marched against Damascus, took the City, and put Rezin to Death: He also carry’d away his People to Kir, probably upon the River Cyrus in Iberia4.
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Footnotes
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2 Kings xv. 37, 38. xvi. 5, 6. In the Year of the World 3262, before Christ 738. before the vulgar Era 742. See also 2 Chron. xxviii. 5, 6, 7. ↩
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2 Chron. xxviii. 5. In the Year of the World 3263, before Christ 737, before the vulgar Era 741. ↩
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2 Kings xvi. 6. In the Year of the World 3263; ,את לארםread ,לאדםLeedom, instead of Learam. ↩
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2 Kings xvi. 9. In the Year of the World 3264, before Christ 736, before the Vulgar Era 740. ↩