15 And king Ahaz commandeth him -- Urijah the priest -- saying, `On the great altar perfume the burnt-offering of the morning, and the present of the evening, and the burnt-offering of the king, and his present, and the burnt-offering of all the people of the land, and their present, and their libations; and all the blood of the burnt-offering, and all the blood of the sacrifice, on it thou dost sprinkle, and the altar of brass is to me to inquire `by'.'
the one lamb thou dost prepare in the morning, and the second lamb thou dost prepare between the evenings; and a tenth `deal' of fine flour, mixed with beaten oil, a fourth part of a hin, and a libation, a fourth part of a hin, of wine, `is' for the one lamb. `And the second lamb thou dost prepare between the evenings; according to the present of the morning, and according to its libation, thou dost prepare for it, for sweet fragrance, a fire-offering, to Jehovah: --
and they bring in seven bullocks, and seven rams, and seven lambs, and seven young he-goats, for a sin-offering for the kingdom, and for the sanctuary, and for Judah; and he saith to sons of Aaron, the priests, to cause `them' to ascend on the altar of Jehovah. And they slaughter the oxen, and the priests receive the blood, and sprinkle on the altar; and they slaughter the rams, and sprinkle the blood on the altar; and they slaughter the lambs, and sprinkle the blood on the altar; and they bring nigh the he-goats of the sin-offering before the king and the assembly, and they lay their hands upon them; and the priests slaughter them, and make a sin-offering with their blood on the altar, to make atonement for all Israel, for `For all Israel,' said the king, ``is' the burnt-offering and the sin-offering.'
he hath turned aside the high places, and broken in pieces the standing-pillars, and cut down the shrine, and beaten down the brazen serpent that Moses made, for unto these days were the sons of Israel making perfume to it, and he calleth it `a piece of brass.'
On that day hath the king sanctified the middle of the court that `is' before the house of Jehovah, for he hath made there the burnt-offering, and the present, and the fat of the peace-offerings; for the altar of brass that `is' before Jehovah `is' too little to contain the burnt-offering, and the present, and the fat of the peace-offerings.
For Thou hast left Thy people, the house of Jacob. For they have been filled from the east, And `are' sorcerers like the Philistines, And with the children of strangers strike hands.
and from the time of the turning aside of the perpetual `sacrifice', and to the giving out of the desolating abomination, `are' days a thousand, two hundred, and ninety.
And strong ones out of him stand up, and have polluted the sanctuary, the stronghold, and have turned aside the continual `sacrifice', and appointed the desolating abomination.
And he hath strengthened a covenant with many -- one week, and `in' the midst of the week he causeth sacrifice and present to cease, and by the wing of abominations he is making desolate, even till the consummation, and that which is determined is poured on the desolate one.'
yea, while I am speaking in prayer, then that one Gabriel, whom I had seen in vision at the commencement, being caused to fly swiftly, is coming unto me at the time of the evening present.
And when the prince maketh a free-will burnt-offering, or free-will peace-offerings, to Jehovah, then he hath opened for himself the gate that is looking eastward, and he hath made his burnt-offering and his peace-offerings as he doth in the day of rest, and he hath gone out, and he hath shut the gate after his going out. `And a lamb, son of a year, a perfect one, thou dost make a burnt-offering daily to Jehovah; morning by morning thou dost make it. And a present thou dost make for it morning by morning, a sixth part of the ephah, and of oil a third part of the hin, to temper with the fine flour, a present to Jehovah, by a statute age-during -- continually;
`And the burnt-offering that the prince bringeth near to Jehovah on the day of rest `is' six lambs, perfect ones, and a ram, a perfect one. And the present `is' an ephah for a ram, and for the lambs a present, the gift of his hand, and of oil a hin for an ephah. And on the day of the new moon a bullock, a son of the herd, a perfect one, and six lambs and a ram, they are perfect. And with an ephah for a bullock, and an ephah for a ram, he prepareth a present, and for the lambs as his hand attaineth, and of oil a hin for an ephah.
Is not this that with which my lord drinketh? and he observeth diligently with it; ye have done evil `in' that which ye have done.'
And he hath caused his sons to pass over through fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and observed clouds and used enchantments and witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and a wizard; he hath multiplied to do the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah, to provoke him to anger.
And the number of the burnt-offerings that the assembly have brought in, is seventy oxen, a hundred rams, lambs two hundred; for a burnt-offering to Jehovah `are' all these.
And the king and all the people are sacrificing a sacrifice before Jehovah, and king Solomon sacrificeth the sacrifice of the herd, twenty and two thousand, and of the flock, a hundred and twenty thousand, and the king and all the people dedicate the house of God.
And it cometh to pass in the morning, at the ascending of the `morning'-present, that lo, waters are coming in from the way of Edom, and the land is filled with the waters,
and the king goeth to Gibeon, to sacrifice there, for it `is' the great high place; a thousand burnt-offerings cause to ascend doth Solomon on that altar.
And they bring in the ark of Jehovah, and set it up in its place, in the midst of the tent which David hath spread out for it, and David causeth to ascend burnt-offerings before Jehovah, and peace-offerings. And David finisheth from causing to ascend the burnt-offering, and the peace-offerings, and blesseth the people in the name of Jehovah of Hosts,
`Command the sons of Israel, and thou hast said unto them, My offering, My bread for My fire-offerings, My sweet fragrance, ye take heed to bring near to Me in its appointed season. `And thou hast said to them, This `is' the fire-offering which ye bring near to Jehovah: two lambs, sons of a year, perfect ones, daily, a continual burnt-offering; the one lamb thou preparest in the morning, and the second lamb thou preparest between the evenings; and a tenth of the ephah of flour for a present, mixed with beaten oil, a fourth of the hin; a continual burnt-offering, which was made in mount Sinai, for sweet fragrance, a fire-offering to Jehovah; and its libation, a fourth of the hin for the one lamb; in the sanctuary cause thou a libation of strong drink to be poured out to Jehovah. `And the second lamb thou dost prepare between the evenings; as the present of the morning, and as its libation thou preparest -- a fire-offering, a sweet fragrance to Jehovah. `And on the sabbath-day, two lambs, sons of a year, perfect ones, and two-tenth deals of flour, a present, mixed with oil, and its libation; the burnt-offering of the sabbath in its sabbath, besides the continual burnt-offering and its libation.
`And if the whole company of Israel err ignorantly, and the thing hath been hidden from the eyes of the assembly, and they have done `something against' one of all the commands of Jehovah `concerning things' which are not to be done, and have been guilty; when the sin which they have sinned concerning it hath been known, then have the assembly brought near a bullock, a son of the herd, for a sin-offering, and they have brought it in before the tent of meeting; and the elders of the company have laid their hands on the head of the bullock, before Jehovah, and `one' hath slaughtered the bullock before Jehovah. `And the priest who is anointed hath brought in of the blood of the bullock unto the tent of meeting, and the priest hath dipped his finger in the blood, and hath sprinkled seven times before Jehovah at the front of the vail, and `some' of the blood he doth put on the horns of the altar which `is' before Jehovah, which `is' in the tent of meeting; and all the blood he doth pour out at the foundation of the altar of the burnt-offering, which `is' at the opening of the tent of meeting; and all its fat he doth lift up from it, and hath made perfume on the altar. `And he hath done to the bullock as he hath done to the bullock of the sin-offering, so he doth to it; and the priest hath made atonement for them, and it hath been forgiven them; and he hath brought out the bullock unto the outside of the camp, and hath burned it as he hath burned the first bullock; it `is' a sin-offering of the assembly. `When a prince doth sin, and hath done `something against' one of all the commands of Jehovah his God `regarding things' which are not to be done, through ignorance, and hath been guilty -- or his sin wherein he hath sinned hath been made known unto him, then he hath brought in his offering, a kid of the goats, a male, a perfect one, and he hath laid his hand on the head of the goat, and hath slaughtered it in the place where he doth slaughter the burnt-offering before Jehovah; it `is' a sin-offering. `And the priest hath taken of the blood of the sin-offering with his finger, and hath put on the horns of the altar of the burnt-offering, and its blood he doth pour out at the foundation of the altar of the burnt-offering, and with all its fat he doth make perfume on the altar, as the fat of the sacrifice of the peace-offerings; and the priest hath made atonement for him because of his sin, and it hath been forgiven him.
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Commentary on 2 Kings 16 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 16
2Ki 16:1-16. Ahaz' Wicked Reign over Judah.
1-4. Ahaz … did not that which was right in the sight of the Lord—[See on 2Ch 28:1.] The character of this king's reign, the voluptuousness and religious degeneracy of all classes of the people, are graphically portrayed in the writings of Isaiah, who prophesied at that period. The great increase of worldly wealth and luxury in the reigns of Azariah and Jotham had introduced a host of corruptions, which, during his reign, and by the influence of Ahaz, bore fruit in the idolatrous practices of every kind which prevailed in all parts of the kingdom (see 2Ch 28:24).
3. walked in the way of the kings of Israel—This is descriptive of the early part of his reign, when, like the kings of Israel, he patronized the symbolic worship of God by images but he gradually went farther into gross idolatry (2Ch 28:2).
made his son to pass through the fire—(2Ki 23:10). The hands of the idol Moloch being red hot, the children were passed through between them, which was considered a form of lustration. There is reason to believe that, in certain circumstances, the children were burnt to death (Ps 106:37). This was strongly prohibited in the law (Le 18:21; 20:2-5; De 18:10), although there is no evidence that it was practised in Israel till the time of Ahaz.
5. Then Rezin king of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel came up to Jerusalem—Notwithstanding their great efforts and military preparations, they failed to take it and, being disappointed, raised the siege and returned home (compare Isa 7:1).
6. Rezin … recovered Elath—which Azariah had got into his possession (2Ki 14:22).
the Syrians came to Elath, and dwelt there unto this day—The Septuagint version has "the Edomites," which the most judicious commentators and travellers [Robinson] prefer.
7-9. So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-pileser—In spite of the assurance given him by Isaiah by two signs, the one immediate, the other remote (Isa 7:14; 8:4), that the confederate kings would not prevail against him, Ahaz sought aid from the Assyrian monarch, to purchase which he sent the treasures of the palace and temple. Tiglath-pileser marched against Damascus, slew Rezin the king, and carried the people of Damascus into captivity to Kir, which is thought to have been the city Karine (now Kerend), in Media.
10-16. And king Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-pileser—This was a visit of respect, and perhaps of gratitude. During his stay in that heathen city, Ahaz saw an altar with which he was greatly captivated. Forthwith a sketch of it was transmitted to Jerusalem, with orders to Urijah the priest to get one constructed according to the Damascus model, and let this new altar supersede the old one in the temple. Urijah, with culpable complaisance, acted according to his instructions (2Ki 16:16). The sin in this affair consisted in meddling with, and improving according to human taste and fancy, the altars of the temple, the patterns of which had been furnished by divine authority (Ex 25:40; 26:30; 27:1; 1Ch 28:19). Urijah was one of the witnesses taken by Isaiah to bear his prediction against Syria and Israel (Isa 8:2).
2Ki 16:17-19. He Spoils the Temple.
17. cut off the borders of the bases, &c.—It is thought that he did this to use the elaborate sculpture in adorning his palace.
18. the covert for the Sabbath—the portico through which the priests entered the temple on the Sabbath.
the king's entry without—a private external entrance for the king into the temple. The change made by Ahaz consisted in removing both of these into the temple from fear of the king of Assyria, that, in case of a siege, he might secure the entrance of the temple from him.