King Ahaz’s name tells it all. His name means “possessor,” and the verb means “grasp” or “seize” and in nominal uses means “possession” or “portion.” As King of Judah, Ahaz has his portion and his realm.

But in Isaiah the verb is normally used in threatening contexts. Isaiah 5:29 contains a pun on Ahaz’s name: An army is coming, roaring and growling like a lion that “seizes” ( ahaz ) its prey. In two other places in Isaiah, the verb is used to describe the onset of labor pains, which symbolize the writhing anguish that grips nations under Yahweh’s judgment (13:8; 21:3). Ahaz the possession becomes Ahaz the possessed.

The verb is used in Genesis 25. Ahaz is what Jacob does to Esau’s heel. King Ahaz could play the role of supplanter of a brother, Israel, but he refuses to grasp what is offered to him. So he will be seized.