Trouble with Aram

7 ·When [^LIn the days of] Ahaz, son of Jotham and grandson of Uzziah, was king of Judah [^C735–715 bc], Rezin king of Aram [^C740–733 bc; Aram is the Hebrew name for Syria] and Pekah son of Remaliah, the king of Israel [^C752–732 bc], went up to Jerusalem to fight against it [^Cin about 735–734 bc]. But they were not able to ·defeat [or mount an attack against] the city [2 Kin. 16:5–18; 2 Chr. 28:16–21].

² ·Ahaz king of Judah received a message [^LIt was reported to the house of David; ^Cthe reigning dynasty] saying, “The armies of ·Aram [Syria] and ·Israel [^LEphraim; ^Cinfluential northern tribe of Israel, used here to refer to the whole northern kingdom] have joined together [^Cin an alliance against the Assyrian empire].”

When Ahaz heard this, ·he [^Lhis heart] and the ·people [^Lheart of his people] were ·frightened [^Lshaken]. They shook with fear like trees of the forest blown by the wind.