2 Chronicles 28:20 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Distressed him, but strengthened him not— And yet in Exodus 16:9 it is said that he did help him. How then can he be said to have distressed him? Very well: for as he came to his assistance against the king of Syria, so he took Damascus, carried the people captive, and delivered Ahaz from the power of the Syrians: but this did Ahaz little good; for he helped him not to recover the cities which the Philistines had taken from him. He sent him no forces, nor enabled him to recruit his own. On the contrary, he rather weakened him by exhausting his treasures, and destroying Samaria, which opened a way for the invasion of his country with more facility, as it happened in the next reign. For, it is no uncommon thing, even in later ages, to hear of kingdoms, which have called in the help of some foreign prince against their enemies, being over-run and conquered by those who came to their assistance.