2 Kings 21:7

2Ki 21:7 And he set a graven image of the grove that he had made in the house, of which the LORD said to David, and to Solomon his son, In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all tribes of Israel, will I put my name for ever:

Ver. 7. And he set a graven image of the grove, &c:] An image with a carved grove about it, {2Ki 23:6} that not God in the temple, but the devil in the grove, might there be worshipped.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2Ki 21:7. He set an image of the grove, &c. — The image of that Baal which was worshipped in the grove, or of some other of his idols. The word Asherah, here rendered grove, is nearly the same with Ashtaroth, or Astarte, the imaginary female deities, which were worshipped along with Baalim. This image seems to have been set up in the very temple itself, probably in the holy place; as if designed purposely to affront the Lord to his face, and set him at defiance: “desecrating,” says Henry, “what had been consecrated to God, and, in effect, turning him out of his own house, and putting the rebels in possession of it.”

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And he set a graven image--The placing of the Asherah within the precincts of the temple, which was dedicated to the worship of the true God, is dwelt upon as the most aggravated outrage of the royal idolater.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 7. He set a graven image of the grove that he had made in the house] Every one may see that Asherah here must signify an idol, and not a grove; and for the proof of this see the observations at the end of the chapter. 2Kg 21:26.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(7) A graven image of the grove.—The graven image of the Ashçrah (2Ki_21:3).

In the house of which the Lord said . . .—See 1Ki_8:16; 1Ki_9:3. It is meant that the Asherah was erected within the Temple itself, probably in the holy place—an act which was the climax of Manasseh’s impiety. (Comp. 23:4; Eze_43:7; Jer_7:30 seq.)

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

7. A graven image of the grave] R.V. the graven image of Asherah. Though usually of wood, such images were also made of silver and carved in stone. The image in question here would be specially grand in view of the position it was to occupy.

the Lord said to David] For the words to David cf. 2Sa_7:13; and to Solomon 1Ki_8:20.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Which was either an image that had been placed in a grove planted by him, and now removed into the house or temple of the Lord; or, as some think, this was a representation of a grove, a carved grove of gold or silver, in the midst of which an image was placed in the temple; though what Selden observes (b), seems best of all, that this was an image of Asherah, as in the original text; that is, of Astarte or Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Zidonians, Kg1 11:5, the same the Phoenicians are said to call Astroarche, and affirm it to be the moon (c): in Ch2 33:7 it is called a carved image the idol he had made; and an Arabic writer (d) says, it had four faces, which seems to be a figure of the cherubim; but, according to Suidas (e), it was the statue of Jupiter, who also says it had four faces:

of which the Lord said to David, and to Solomon his son: that is, of which house or temple:

in this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, will I put my name forever; see Kg1 8:29; see Gill on Kg2 21:3.

(b) De Dis Syris, Syntagm. 2. c. 2. p. 233. (c) Herodian. l. 5. c. 15. (d) Abulpharag. Hist. Dynast. Dyn. 3. p. 66. (e) In voce

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

A graven image of the grove - Rather, “the carved work of the Asherah.” This Asherah which Manasseh placed in the very temple itself, from where it was afterward taken by Josiah to be destroyed 2Ki 23:6. Such a profanation was beyond anything that had been done either by Athaliah 2Ki 11:18, or by Ahaz 2Ki 16:14-18; 2Ch 29:5-7.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Of the grove. Hebrew, "a graven thing of Ashera," the grove or Astarte, (Haydock) ver. 3. This was an engraving in sculpture of a sacred grove. (Sa) (Chap. xxiii. 6.) (Tirinus) --- My name. I alone will be adored, and there allow an altar to be erected. (Haydock)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

He set a graven image of the grove; either, first, The image of that Baal which was worshipped in the grove. Or, secondly, A representation of the grove, as may seem by comparing 2Ki 23:6. Or, thirdly, The graven image of Asherah, a god or goddess so called, possibly the same called elsewhere Ashtaroth. See Jdg 6:25,28; 2Ki 23:6; 2Ch 15:16.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

7. A graven image of the grove — Rather, the image of the Asherah; that is, the Asherah-pillar, or image, already mentioned in 2Ki_21:3. (English version, incorrectly, “grove.”) He refrained not even from setting up this abominable image in the very temple which had been consecrated to the pure worship of Jehovah.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And he set a graven image of the grove that he had made in the house. He introduced into the temple, and set up there for adoration, an elaborately wrought Asherah, or "sacred tree," probably copied from the elaborate sacred trees of the Assyrians ("Ancient Monarchies," vol. 2. p. 236). These had, in the center, the essential stele, or pillar, ornamented with rams" horns, symbols of fecundity, and crowned with a representation of a palm tree, the whole being encircled by a framework of metal, twined about it, and throwing out from the circumference, at intervals, either palms or blossoms, or in some instances pomegranates or fir-cones. All the parts represented either animal or vegetable productiveness. Of which the Lord said to David, and to Solomon his son, In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, will I put my Name forever. It was the extremest aggravation of Manasseh"s wickedness that he was not content to introduce his new religions into the land in other places, but brought them to God"s special city which he had chosen, namely, Jerusalem, and there established them, not on the opposite hills, as Solomon had done, (1Ki_11:7) or in a rival temple within the walls, as had been done by Athaliah, (2Ki_11:18) but within God"s holy temple itself. In each of the two courts he placed an idolatrous altar, whereon the people were invited to deposit their offerings; and probably in the temple building itself, perhaps in the very holy of holies, he placed that lust-exciting emblem of Astarte, which was the most horrible profanation of all true religion, turning the truth and grace of God into lasciviousness (Jud_1:4). What practical consequences followed on this profanation, we are not distinctly told; but we may readily surmise, especially in the light of 2Ki_23:7.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

An image - The image of that Baal which was worshipped in the grove.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

General Information:

The story of King Manasseh's reign continues.

that he had made

Manasseh probably did not do the work. His servants would have done the work. AT: "that Manasseh had ordered his servants to make" (See: Metonymy)

that I will put my name forever

Here Yahweh putting his "name" on the temple represents him designating it as the place to worship him. AT: "where I want people to worship me forever" (See: Metonymy)

the feet of Israel

The feet are a synecdoche for the person. AT: "the people of Israel" or "the Israelites" (See: Synecdoche)

even more than the nations that Yahweh had destroyed before the people of Israel

Here "nations" refers to the people who had lived in the land of Canaan before the Israelites had arrived. AT: "even more than the people whom Yahweh had destroyed as the people of Israel advanced through the land" (See: Metonymy)

translationWords

image

David

Solomon

tribe

Israel

obey

command

law

servant

Moses

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.