2 Kings 23:12

2Ki 23:12 And the altars that [were] on the top of the upper chamber of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made, and the altars which Manasseh had made in the two courts of the house of the LORD, did the king beat down, and brake [them] down from thence, and cast the dust of them into the brook Kidron.

Ver. 12. And the altars that were on the top.] See Jer 19:13 Zep 1:5. Ahaz was ειδωλομανης.

And the altars which Manasseh had made.] These, after his repentance, he cast out of the city, {2Ch 33:15} but not so thoroughly abolished; hence they became snares to his successors.

And brake them down from thence.] Or, Ran from thence; quam citissime potuit discedens illinc, {a} he got out of those loathsome places as soon as he could.

Into the brook Kidron,] i.e., The town ditch.

{a} Vatab.

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 23:12. The altars on the top of the upper chamber, &c. — “Read,” says Mr. Locke, “the altars on the house-top.” According to Jeremiah, chap. Jer 32:29, they were so mad upon their idols, that they were not content with their numerous public high places and altars, but made others upon their house-tops for the worship of Baal and others of their false gods. And the altars which Manasseh had made in the two courts, &c. — We learn from 2Ch 33:13-15, that when Manasseh repented he took away all the altars he had built in the mount of the house of the Lord, and in Jerusalem; and it is probable those in the court of the priests, and in that of the people, were then removed; but, it seems, Amon set them up again in the very place where Manasseh had erected them, and therefore they are here called his altars. And cast the dust of them into the brook Kidron — To show his detestation of them, and to abolish the very remembrance of them.

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

23:12 upper room of Ahaz: Roof-top altars were used for astral worship (Jer 19:13; Zeph 1:5) and rituals associated with Baal (Jer 32:29).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Or, valley.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

the altars that were on the top of the upper chamber of Ahaz--Altars were reared on the flat roofs of houses, where the worshippers of "the host of heaven" burnt incense (Zep 1:5; Jer 19:13). Ahaz had reared altars for this purpose on the oleah, or upper chamber of his palace, and Manasseh on some portion of the roof of the temple. Josiah demolished both of these structures.

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 12. On the top of the upper chamber] Altars built on the flat roof of the house. Such altars were erected to the sun, moon, stars, &c.

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

(12) And the altars that were on the top (roof) of the upper chamber of Ahaz.—The roof of an upper chamber in one of the Temple courts. perhaps built over one of the gateways (comp. Jer_35:4), appears to be meant. The altars were for star-worship, which was especially practised on housetops. (Comp. Jer_19:13; Jer_32:29; Zep_1:5.)

Brake them down from thence.—The Targum has removed from thence; the LXX. pulled them down from thence (κατέσπασεν). The Hebrew probably means ran from thence; marking the haste with which the work was done. The clause thus adds a vivid touch to the narrative. It is hardly necessary to alter the points with Kimchi and Thenius, so as to read, he caused to run from thence; i.e., hurried them away.

Cast the dust of them.—Over the wall of the Temple enclosure, into the ravine beneath.

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

12. the altars that were on the top [R.V. roof] of the upper chamber of Ahaz] This chamber must also have been erected on some of the buildings (perhaps over a gateway), by which the temple was encircled. It was evidently intended for the worship of the host of heaven. Altars on the roof are mentioned in Zep_1:5, and there it is expressly said that they were erected for this worship. Cf. also Jer_19:13; Jer_32:29. The worship of the heavenly host was therefore introduced into Judah as early as Ahaz’s time.

the altars which Manasseh had mode] See above 2Ki_21:4-5.

did the king beat down [R.V. break], and brake [R.V. beat] them down from thence] The former verb is rendered ‘break down’ in verses 7, 8 and 15, and that being rendered here consistently, the second verb must be translated differently. It will be seen from the margin both of A.V. and R.V. that the latter may also be rendered ‘he ran’, and this, which is a very well-supported translation, expresses the haste and eagerness manifested to complete the work of destruction.

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.

And the high places that were before Jerusalem,.... Not only that were within the city, and at the gates of it, but what were without it:

which were on the right hand of the mount of corruption: the mount of Olives, so called from the idolatry and corrupt worship performed in it, by way of reproach, with a small alteration of the letters of the word for at the right hand, or south of this mountain, as the Targum; though others say (q), on the north side of the mount of Olives, four furlongs or half a mile from Jerusalem, were high places:

which Solomon king of Israel had builded for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Zidonians, and for Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites, and for Milcom the abomination of the children of Ammon; of which See Gill on Kg1 11:5, Kg1 11:7.

did the king defile; by casting unclean things into them. Rauwolff (r) says,"before Mount Zion toward the south, at the other side of the rivulet Kidron, lies the mount of transgression, called Mashith, Kg2 23:13, this is higher and steeper than any hereabout; there you still see some old walls of habitations, wherein the concubines of Solomon did live;''and Mr. Maundrell (s) observes, that below the hill stands now a village called Siloe, where it is said he kept them.

(q) Vid Adrichom. Theatrum T. S. p. 171. (r) Travels, par. 3. c. 4. p. 233. (s) Journey from Aleppo, &c. p. 102.

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

Upper chamber, to be nearer the host of heaven, which they adored. (Haydock) --- We are assured that the Arabs also adored the sun, and offered incense to it on the tops of their houses. The prophets often upbraid the people with this practice, Jeremias xix. 13., and Sophonias i. 5. (Calmet) --- It is wonderful that Ezechias had not before removed these remnants of his father’s infidelity; and still more that Manasses, after his repentance, had not destroyed what he had unlawfully erected in the courts of the priests and of the people. But Amon might have restored them. --- Ran. This shews the zeal of the king. Hebrew and Septuagint, "and thence he broke or tore them."

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).

On the top of the upper chamber of Ahaz, i.e. upon the roof of the king’s house. They were so mad upon their idols, that they were not content with all their public high places and altars, but made others upon their house-tops, for the worship of the heavenly bodies. See Jer 19:13; Zep 1:5.

Which Manasseh had made.

Quest. How could this be, when Manasseh had taken them away before, 2Ch 33:15?

Answ. Either these altars were not so fully destroyed as they should have been, the foundations of them being left through the neglect of the officers appointed to do that work, upon which Amon built his new altars; or if they were wholly rooted out, Amon’s new altars are called by his father’s name, because they were built by his example, and in the very same place where his father’s altars were; as the wells which Isaac digged in the same place where Abraham had digged them before, were therefore called by their ancient names, Gen 26:18. See more on the next verse.

In the two courts; the priests’ and the people’s. See 2Ki 21:5.

Cast the dust of them into the brook Kidron; partly to show his detestation of them, and partly to abolish the very remembrance of them as far as he could.

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

12. On the top — On the roof, which in many Oriental houses is a large, flat, solid surface, much frequented by the people, especially in the cool of the day.

Upper chamber of Ahaz — Whether this was in the temple, or in some out-building of the court, cannot be determined; it was called after Ahaz, probably because he built it and used it for observing the stars and burning incense to the host of heaven. Compare Jer_19:13; Zep_1:5; and note on 2Ki_17:16. For this same purpose, also, had the later kings of Judah, namely, Manasseh and Amon, kept altars there.

Altars which Manasseh had made — See 2Ki_21:5.

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

And the altars that were on the top of the upper chamber of Ahaz. It would seem that "the upper chamber of Ahaz" was within the temple precincts, since the pollutions spoken of, both before and after, are pollutions belonging to the temple. It may have been erected on the flat roof of one of the gates, or on the top of a store-chamber. Altars upon roofs were a new form of idolatry, apparently connected with the worship of the "host of heaven" (see Jer_19:13; Zep_1:5) Which the kings of Judahi.e. Manasseh and Amen, perhaps also Ahazhad made, and the altars which Manasseh had made in the two courts of the house of the Lord. (see above, 2Ki_21:4, 2Ki_21:5) As Manasseh, on his repentance, merely "cast these altars out of the city", (2Ch_33:15) it was easy for Amen to replace them. They belonged to the worship of the "host of heaven." Did the king beat down, and brake them down from thence, and east the dust of them into the brook Kidron (comp. ver. 6, and the comment ad loc.).

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

The top - Upon the roof of the king's house. They were so mad upon their idols, that they were not content with all their publick high places and altars, but made others upon their house-tops, for the worship of the heavenly bodies. Cast - To shew his detestation of them: and to abolish the very remembrance of them.

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

Josiah the king destroyed ... Josiah smashed ... The king ruined ... He broke ... he filled

Josiah would have commanded his workers to do these things. It is likely that Hilkiah and the priests who assisted him did these things. AT: "Josiah the king commanded them to destroy ... They smashed ... He had them ruin ... He had them break ... they filled" (See: Metonymy)

Kidron Valley

place name. See how you translated this in 2 Kings 23:4. (See: How to Translate Names)

filled those places with the bones of human beings

"covered the ground with human bones so people could not use it as a shrine anymore"

translationWords

king

Ahaz

Manasseh

court

temple

Yahweh

high place

corrupt

Solomon

Israel

false god

Sidon

Moab

Ammon

Asherah

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

He quickly removed them from there. And he eliminated them from there.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.