דברי הימים ב, פרק כ״ח, פסוק כ״ג

A crushing military defeat leads King Ahaz to a distorted religious conclusion. Rather than returning to God after his loss, he chooses to worship the gods of the enemy forces that overpowered him. He offers sacrifices to the gods of Damascus, acting in direct response to the people of Damascus who struck him down in battle [מצודת דוד]. Ahaz operates under the misguided logic that the gods of Aram actively assist their followers [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Assuming their military success stems from this foreign divine power, he concludes that offering his own sacrifices to these gods will secure their help for himself.

This dangerous mindset quickly translates into severe action. During a trip to Damascus to meet the king of Assyria, Ahaz observes a local altar. Convinced that the Aramean gods are the true source of prosperity, he orders an exact replica of this altar to be constructed inside the Temple of God in Jerusalem. By taking this step, he completely casts aside the original copper altar, choosing to prioritize a structure dedicated to foreign worship [מלבי״ם].

Ultimately, Ahaz's hope for new divine assistance is completely destroyed. The idol worship fails to bring him victory and instead becomes the direct cause of his own ruin and the downfall of the entire nation [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Because of this betrayal, God punishes him with even greater severity [מצודת דוד]. This spiritual collapse sets off a continuous downward spiral. What begins with replacing the original copper altar with a foreign replica ends with the damaging and cutting apart of all the sacred vessels within the Temple [מלבי״ם].