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Selected Verse: 2 Kings 16:17 - Strong Concordance
Verse |
Translation |
Text |
2Ki 16:17 |
Strong Concordance |
And king [04428] Ahaz [0271] cut off [07112] the borders [04526] of the bases [04350], and removed [05493] the laver [03595] from off them; and took down [03381] the sea [03220] from off the brasen [05178] oxen [01241] that were under it, and put [05414] it upon a pavement [04837] of stones [068]. |
|
King James |
And king Ahaz cut off the borders of the bases, and removed the laver from off them; and took down the sea from off the brasen oxen that were under it, and put it upon a pavement of stones. |
Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse
A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882] |
HE SPOILS THE TEMPLE. (Kg2 16:17-19)
cut off the borders of the bases, &c.--It is thought that he did this to use the elaborate sculpture in adorning his palace. |
Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834] |
See the marginal references. The acts recorded here, were probably not mere wanton acts of mutilation, but steps in the conversion of these sacred objects to other uses, as to the ornamentation of a palace or of an idol temple. The bases, the oxen, and the sea were not destroyed - they remained at Jerusalem until its final capture Jer 52:17, Jer 52:20. Probably they were restored to their original uses by Hezekiah Ch2 29:19.
A pavement of stones - Probably a pavement made expressly, for the stones of the court seem to have been covered with a planking of cedar Kg1 6:36; Kg1 7:12. |
Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78] |
Ahaz also laid his hand upon the other costly vessels of the court of the temple. He broke off the panels of the Solomonian stands, which were ornamented with artistic carving, and removed the basins from the stands, and took the brazen sea from the brazen oxen upon which they stood, and placed it upon a stone pavement. The ו before את־הכּיּר can only have crept into the text through a copyist's error, and the singular must be taken distributively: he removed from them (the stands) every single basin. אבנים מרצפת (without the article) is not the stone pavement of the court of the temple, but a pedestal made of stones (βάσις λιθίνη, lxx) for the brazen sea. The reason why, or the object with which Ahaz mutilated these sacred vessels, is not given. The opinion expressed by Ewald, Thenius, and others, that Ahaz made a present to Tiglath-pileser with the artistically wrought panels of the stands, the basins, and the oxen of the brazen sea, is not only improbable in itself, since you would naturally suppose that if Ahaz had wished to make a "valuable and very welcome present" to the Assyrian king, he would have chosen some perfect stands with their basins for this purpose, and not merely the panels and basins; but it has not the smallest support in the biblical text, - on the contrary, it has the context against it. For, in the first place, if the objects named had been sent to Tiglath-pileser, this would certainly have been mentioned, as well as the sending of the temple and palace treasures. And, again, the mutilation of these vessels is placed between the erection of the new altar which was constructed after the Damascene model, and other measures which Ahaz adopted as a protection against the king of Assyria (Kg2 16:18). Now if Ahaz, on his return from visiting Tiglath-pileser at Damascus, had thought it necessary to send another valuable present to that king in order to secure his permanent friendship, he would hardly have adopted the measures described in the next verse.
Kg2 16:18
"The covered Sabbath-stand, which they had built in the house (temple), and the outer entrance of the king he turned (i.e., removed) into the house of Jehovah before the king of Assyria." השּׁבּת מיסך (Keri מוּסך, from סכך, to cover) is no doubt a covered place, stand or hall in the court of the temple, to be used by the king whenever he visited the temple with his retinue on the Sabbath or on feast-days; and "the outer entrance of the king" is probably the special ascent into the temple for the king mentioned in Kg1 10:5. In what the removal of it consisted it is impossible to determine, from the want of information as to its original character. According to Ewald (Gesch. iii. p. 621) and Thenius, יהוה בּית הסב means, "he altered (these places), i.e., he robbed them of their ornaments, in the house of Jehovah." This is quite arbitrary. For even if יהוה בּית could mean "in the house of Jehovah" in this connection, הסב does not mean to disfigure, and still less "to deprive of ornaments." In Kg2 23:34 and Kg2 24:17 it signifies to alter the name, not to disfigure it. Again, אשּׁוּר מלך מפּני, "for fear of the king of Assyria," cannot mean, in this connection, "to make presents to the king of Assyria." And with this explanation, which is grammatically impossible, the inference drawn from it, namely, that Ahaz sent the ornaments of the king's stand and king's ascent to the king of Assyria along with the vessels mentioned in Kg2 16:17, also falls to the ground. If the alterations which Ahaz made in the stands and the brazen sea had any close connection with his relation to Tiglath-pileser, which cannot be proved, Ahaz must have been impelled by fear to make them, not that he might send them as presents to him, but that he might hide them from him if he came to Jerusalem, to which Ch2 28:20-21 seems to refer. It is also perfectly conceivable, as Zllich (Die Cherubimwagen, p. 56) conjectures, that Ahaz merely broke off the panels from the stands and removed the oxen from the brazen sea, that he might use these artistic works to decorate some other place, possibly his palace. - Whether these artistic works were restored or not at the time of Hezekiah's reformation or in that of Josiah, we have no accounts to show. All that can be gathered from Kg2 25:13-14; Jer 52:17, and Jer 27:19, is, that the stands and the brazen sea were still in existence in the time of Nebuchadnezzar, and that on the destruction of Jerusalem by the Chaldaeans they were broken in pieces and carried away to Babylonia as brass. The brazen oxen are also specially mentioned in Jer 52:20, which is not the case in the parallel passage Kg2 25:13; though this does not warrant the conclusion that they were no longer in existence at that time. |
17 And king [04428] Ahaz [0271] cut off [07112] the borders [04526] of the bases [04350], and removed [05493] the laver [03595] from off them; and took down [03381] the sea [03220] from off the brasen [05178] oxen [01241] that were under it, and put [05414] it upon a pavement [04837] of stones [068].
18 And the covert [04329] [04329] for the sabbath [07676] that they had built [01129] in the house [01004], and the king's [04428] entry [03996] without [02435], turned [05437] he from the house [01004] of the LORD [03068] for [06440] the king [04428] of Assyria [0804].
19 Now the rest [03499] of the acts [01697] of Ahaz [0271] which he did [06213], are they not written [03789] in the book [05612] of the chronicles [01697] [03117] of the kings [04428] of Judah [03063]?
12 And the great [01419] court [02691] round about [05439] was with three [07969] rows [02905] of hewed stones [01496], and a row [02905] of cedar [0730] beams [03773], both for the inner [06442] court [02691] of the house [01004] of the LORD [03068], and for the porch [0197] of the house [01004].
36 And he built [01129] the inner [06442] court [02691] with three [07969] rows [02905] of hewed stone [01496], and a row [02905] of cedar [0730] beams [03773].
19 Moreover all the vessels [03627], which king [04428] Ahaz [0271] in his reign [04438] did cast away [02186] in his transgression [04604], have we prepared [03559] and sanctified [06942], and, behold, they are before [06440] the altar [04196] of the LORD [03068].
20 The two [08147] pillars [05982], one [0259] sea [03220], and twelve [08147] [06240] brasen [05178] bulls [01241] that were under the bases [04350], which king [04428] Solomon [08010] had made [06213] in the house [01004] of the LORD [03068]: the brass [05178] of all these vessels [03627] was without weight [04948].
17 Also the pillars [05982] of brass [05178] that were in the house [01004] of the LORD [03068], and the bases [04350], and the brasen [05178] sea [03220] that was in the house [01004] of the LORD [03068], the Chaldeans [03778] brake [07665], and carried [05375] all the brass [05178] of them to Babylon [0894].
13 And the pillars [05982] of brass [05178] that were in the house [01004] of the LORD [03068], and the bases [04350], and the brasen [05178] sea [03220] that was in the house [01004] of the LORD [03068], did the Chaldees [03778] break in pieces [07665], and carried [05375] the brass [05178] of them to Babylon [0894].
20 The two [08147] pillars [05982], one [0259] sea [03220], and twelve [08147] [06240] brasen [05178] bulls [01241] that were under the bases [04350], which king [04428] Solomon [08010] had made [06213] in the house [01004] of the LORD [03068]: the brass [05178] of all these vessels [03627] was without weight [04948].
19 For thus saith [0559] the LORD [03068] of hosts [06635] concerning the pillars [05982], and concerning the sea [03220], and concerning the bases [04350], and concerning the residue [03499] of the vessels [03627] that remain [03498] in this city [05892],
17 Also the pillars [05982] of brass [05178] that were in the house [01004] of the LORD [03068], and the bases [04350], and the brasen [05178] sea [03220] that was in the house [01004] of the LORD [03068], the Chaldeans [03778] brake [07665], and carried [05375] all the brass [05178] of them to Babylon [0894].
13 And the pillars [05982] of brass [05178] that were in the house [01004] of the LORD [03068], and the bases [04350], and the brasen [05178] sea [03220] that was in the house [01004] of the LORD [03068], did the Chaldees [03778] break in pieces [07665], and carried [05375] the brass [05178] of them to Babylon [0894].
14 And the pots [05518], and the shovels [03257], and the snuffers [04212], and the spoons [03709], and all the vessels [03627] of brass [05178] wherewith they ministered [08334], took they away [03947].
20 And Tilgathpilneser [08407] king [04428] of Assyria [0804] came [0935] unto him, and distressed [06696] him, but strengthened [02388] him not.
21 For Ahaz [0271] took away a portion [02505] out of the house [01004] of the LORD [03068], and out of the house [01004] of the king [04428], and of the princes [08269], and gave [05414] it unto the king [04428] of Assyria [0804]: but he helped [05833] him not.
17 And king [04428] Ahaz [0271] cut off [07112] the borders [04526] of the bases [04350], and removed [05493] the laver [03595] from off them; and took down [03381] the sea [03220] from off the brasen [05178] oxen [01241] that were under it, and put [05414] it upon a pavement [04837] of stones [068].
17 And the king [04428] of Babylon [0894] made Mattaniah [04983] his father's brother [01730] king [04427] in his stead, and changed [05437] his name [08034] to Zedekiah [06667].
34 And Pharaohnechoh [06549] made Eliakim [0471] the son [01121] of Josiah [02977] king [04427] in the room of Josiah [02977] his father [01], and turned [05437] his name [08034] to Jehoiakim [03079], and took [03947] Jehoahaz [03059] away [03947]: and he came [0935] to Egypt [04714], and died [04191] there.
5 And the meat [03978] of his table [07979], and the sitting [04186] of his servants [05650], and the attendance [04612] of his ministers [08334], and their apparel [04403], and his cupbearers [08248], and his ascent [05930] by which he went up [05927] unto the house [01004] of the LORD [03068]; there was no more spirit [07307] in her.
18 And the covert [04329] [04329] for the sabbath [07676] that they had built [01129] in the house [01004], and the king's [04428] entry [03996] without [02435], turned [05437] he from the house [01004] of the LORD [03068] for [06440] the king [04428] of Assyria [0804].
18 And the covert [04329] [04329] for the sabbath [07676] that they had built [01129] in the house [01004], and the king's [04428] entry [03996] without [02435], turned [05437] he from the house [01004] of the LORD [03068] for [06440] the king [04428] of Assyria [0804].