דברי הימים ב, פרק כ״ח, פסוק ט״ז

Faced with a severe military crisis, the king of Judah made a calculated decision to seek help from a foreign superpower. During this time, the armies of Aram and Ephraim—the northern Kingdom of Israel—formed an alliance and joined forces to wage war against King Ahaz.

At this critical moment, the prophet Isaiah approached the king with a message of reassurance, promising him that he had absolutely nothing to fear from these advancing armies. Ahaz, however, refused to believe the prophecy. Instead of trusting the message, he decided to rely entirely on his own political maneuvering [מלבי״ם].

To secure his kingdom, Ahaz dispatched messengers to the Assyrian empire to request military assistance against Israel and Aram. This appeal was rooted in clear strategic thinking. Assyria was a rapidly expanding power, and its geographic location directly behind the Arameans made it the ideal ally to strike the enemy from the rear [ביאור שטיינזלץ].