And the king of Assyria hearkened unto him: for the king of Assyria went up against Damascus, and took it, and carried the people of it captive to Kir, and slew Rezin.

2 KINGS 16:9KJV
Know the Bible

2 Kings 16:9 (KJV)

What does 2 Kings 16:9 mean?

2 Kings 16:9 describes how the king of Assyria responded to a request for help by attacking Damascus, capturing it, taking its people away to Kir, and killing King Rezin. This verse shows the direct result of an alliance between the king of Judah and the powerful Assyrian empire.

In this scene, King Ahaz of Judah had asked the Assyrian king for military support against his enemies. The king of Assyria agreed, marched against the city of Damascus (the capital of Aram/Syria), conquered it, deported its people, and executed its king, Rezin. This event marks a major shift in the region’s power and sets up further consequences for Judah’s reliance on foreign help.

The Hebrew behind 2 Kings 16:9

  • "hearkened" (שָׁמַע, shamaʿ): This word means to listen or obey. Here, it shows that the king of Assyria not only heard Ahaz’s request but acted on it.
  • "captive" (גָּלָה, galah): This word means to carry away or exile. The use of this word highlights that the people of Damascus were not just defeated but forcibly relocated, a common Assyrian practice.
  • "slew" (מֵת, muth): This word means to kill or put to death. The verse makes it clear that Rezin, the king of Aram, was not just defeated but executed, ending his reign completely.

Why 2 Kings 16:9 matters

  • This verse clarifies that the king of Assyria’s intervention was not just military aid but a total takeover, including deportation and execution, which would have lasting effects on the region.
  • The verse emphasizes the seriousness of Judah’s choice to seek help from Assyria, showing that such alliances could bring both immediate relief and long-term consequences.
  • It connects to the wider story by showing how political decisions and alliances shaped the fate of nations and their leaders in this period of Israel’s history.

Where else these words appear

“Kir” Hebrew H7024 · used in 5 verses

  • Isaiah 15:1 The burden of Moab. Because in the night Ar of Moab is laid waste, and brought to silence; because in the night Kir of Moab is laid waste, and brought to silence;
  • Isaiah 22:6 And Elam bare the quiver with chariots of men and horsemen, and Kir uncovered the shield.
  • Amos 1:5 I will break also the bar of Damascus, and cut off the inhabitant from the plain of Aven, and him that holdeth the sceptre from the house of Eden: and the people of Syria shall go into captivity unto Kir, saith the LORD.

“Rezin” Hebrew H7526 · used in 11 verses

  • 2 Kings 15:37 In those days the LORD began to send against Judah Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah.
  • Ezra 2:48 The children of Rezin, the children of Nekoda, the children of Gazzam,
  • Isaiah 7:4 And say unto him, Take heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither be fainthearted for the two tails of these smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin with Syria, and of the son of Remaliah.

“Damascus” Hebrew H1834 · used in 40 verses

  • Genesis 14:15 And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus.
  • 2 Kings 16:11 And Urijah the priest built an altar according to all that king Ahaz had sent from Damascus: so Urijah the priest made it against king Ahaz came from Damascus.
  • Isaiah 17:3 The fortress also shall cease from Ephraim, and the kingdom from Damascus, and the remnant of Syria: they shall be as the glory of the children of Israel, saith the LORD of hosts.

“took” Hebrew H8610 · used in 60 verses

  • Genesis 4:21 And his brother's name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ.
  • 2 Kings 14:13 And Jehoash king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash the son of Ahaziah, at Bethshemesh, and came to Jerusalem, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim unto the corner gate, four hundred cubits.
  • Jeremiah 50:16 Cut off the sower from Babylon, and him that handleth the sickle in the time of harvest: for fear of the oppressing sword they shall turn every one to his people, and they shall flee every one to his own land.