Ahaz was twenty years old … and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem: This sentence follows the common formula that is used to summarize the reign of a ruler of Israel or Judah by stating his age when he took over (twenty years old), the length of his reign (sixteen years), and his capital (Jerusalem). See the comments on 2 Chr 13.2. According to this verse, Ahaz died when he was 36 years old (20 + 16); but according to 2 Kgs 18.2, Ahaz’s son Hezekiah began to rule when Hezekiah was 25 years old. If both of these accounts are correct, then Ahaz was only eleven years old when his son Hezekiah was born. Obviously, there are difficulties in determining the chronology in Ahaz’s reign, but translators should follow the text and not attempt to harmonize the various accounts.

And he did not do what was right in the eyes of the LORD, like his father David: See the comments on 2 Chr 14.2. The evaluation of the reign of Ahaz is negative when compared with King David. The Chronicler often judges other kings of Judah by the standard of David (see 2 Chr 11.17; 29.2; 34.2). The phrase like his father David may be misunderstood to mean that David also did not do what was right in the eyes of the LORD. So Good News Translation renders this phrase as “He did not follow the good example of his ancestor King David,” and other versions says “contrary to his ancestor David” (Bible en français courant, Parole de Vie, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente). David was not the father of Ahaz, but his most famous ancestor. A possible model for this whole sentence is “He did not do what the LORD saw as right, so he was not like his ancestor David.”

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Chronicles, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2014. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .