The Second Book of Kings
Chapter Sixteen.
2-Kings. Chapter 16.
Brit-Am Commentary to 2-Kings. Chapter 16.
Contents:
King Ahaz of Judah.
Moloch Sacrifice and the Beltain of Britain, Ireland, and Scandinavia.
The Alliance of Aram and Israel Versus Judah.
The Conflicts of Judah and Israel.
King Ahaz and Temple Innovations.
SCROLL DOWN\
2 Kings 16
King Ahaz
of Judah.
Moloch Sacrifice and the Beltain of Britain, Ireland, and Scandinavia.
[2-Kings 16:1] In the seventeenth year
of Pekah
the son of Remaliah,
Ahaz
the son of Jotham,
king of Judah, began to reign.
The name Ahaz, pronounced in modern Hebrew like "Achaz", is said to be a
shortened form of "Yehoachaz" connoting "God Will Stengthen".
Ahaz was the son of Jotham who was a righteous man. He begat Hezekiah who also
became a righteous monarch.
Ahaz himself was a bad man.
We may have children who do not seem as good as think ourselves to be. Perhaps
they will have children who will be better.
Alternately we ourselves may not be as good as our forebears were but perhaps
our descendants will do better than we have done?
[2-Kings 16:2]
Ahaz
was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in
Jerusalem; and he did not do what was right in the sight of the LORD his God, as
his father David had done.
[2-Kings 16:3] But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel; indeed he made
his son pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the nations whom
the LORD had cast out from before the children of Israel.
Passing through the fire is associated with the rites of Molech but it was also
practised by adherents of baal.
The Celts [more correctly "Iberi" i.e. Hebrews as they named themselves.] of
Britain and Ireland also continued these practices:
# At
Beltain
two "needfires"
were lighted among the Gael [Scottish Highlanders] , between which they drove
their cattle for purification and luck; ##
This was one of the forms of Moloch worship which the Hebrews were
commanded not to do but which they did anyway after adopting the practice from
the Canaanites.
The term "bel" could also be applied to Moloch and "moloch" forms of worship
used for baal.
The Beltain was still practiced until recently in Britain and Scandinavia and
elsewhere: People and animals would be led between or over small fires on
certain days of the year. It was called "Beltain" in Britain which is Celtic for
"Fire of baal".
see Ezekiel 16:21
# ..you have slain My children and
offered them up to them by causing them to pass through the fire #
The consort of "Bel" in Gaul was named "Belisama".
This name is in effect a Syriac form of the title "Baal Shamayim" or "Baal of
the Heavens" who was worshipped in the Phoenician cities and in Northern Syria.
The Phoenician worship of baal was known in southern France and that the term "Bel"
in Mesopotamia (Assyria, Babylonia, etc) "Bel" was the equivalent of "baal".
In Scandinavia the god "Baldar" was also based on the figure of "baal".
Hysslop said the name "Baldar" derives from the Hebrew "baal adir" i.e. great
baal. Nowadays modern scholars dismiss much of what Hysslop claimed but in this
case he could well have been correct. Other Northern deities also derive from
Middle Eastern prototypes associated with baal worship.
John Salverda sent the following note:
Dear Yair, I note that you didn't mention the helpful quote from the very
capable Sir James George Frazer, who states in his book "The Golden Bough"
Chapter LXII, Section 4, Paragraph 4. (see how he links the practice to human
sacrifice)
# In the parish of
Callander,
a beautiful district of Western
Perthshire, the Beltane custom
was still in vogue towards the end of the eighteenth century. It has been
described as follows by the parish minister of the time:
"Upon the first day of May, which is called
Beltan,
or Baltein
day, all the boys in a township or hamlet, meet in the moors. They cut a table
in the green sod, of a round figure, by casting a trench in the ground, of such
circumference as to hold the whole company. They kindle a fire, and dress a
repast of eggs and milk in the consistence of a custard. They knead a cake of
oatmeal, which is toasted at the embers against a stone. After the custard is
eaten up, they divide the cake into so many portions, as similar as possible to
one another in size and shape, as there are persons in the company. They daub
one of these portions all over with charcoal, until it be perfectly black. They
put all the bits of the cake into a bonnet. Every one, blindfold, draws out a
portion. He who holds the bonnet, is entitled to the last bit. Whoever draws the
black bit, is the devoted person who is to be sacrificed to
Baal,
whose favour
they mean to implore, in rendering the year productive of the sustenance of man
and beast. There is little doubt of these inhuman sacrifices having been once
offered in this country, as well as in the east, although they now pass from the
act of sacrificing, and only compel the devoted person to leap three times
through the flames; with which the ceremonies of this festival are closed."
It is also to be noted that the present practice of abortion is similar to child
sacrifice to Moloch.
Abortion means killing the human foetus while it is still inside the womb though
in some cases the baby is murdered after being born.
The rational is often that this is for the good of the mother and society.
So too, in ancient times children were killed for what was considered the
ultimate good of the community.
[2-Kings 16:4] And he sacrificed and
burned incense on the high places, on the hills, and under every green tree.
Ahaz worshipped idols.
We may find this strange to understand but the situation was different then.
People believed that idol worship brought benefits. otherwise they would not
have done it. We too under pressure, emotional strain, or exceptional
circumstances may be tempted at times to do things we would not normally agree
with.
The Alliance of Aram and Israel Versus Judah.
[2-Kings 16:5] Then
Rezin
king of Syria and Pekah
the son of Remaliah,
king of Israel, came up to Jerusalem to make war; and they besieged
Ahaz
but could not overcome him.
Rezin king of the Aramaeans (Syrians) together Pekah King of the northern
Israelites attacked Judah. They besieged Jerusalem but could not take it. We
see here Israelites from the Ten Tribes allying themselves with heathen Gentiles
and attacking the Jews of Judah!
[2-Kings 16:6] At that time
Rezin
king of Aram
[Syria], captured Elath
for Aram
[Syria], and drove the men of Judah from
Elath.
Then the Edomites
went to Elath,
and dwell there to this day.
The term transliterated here from the Hebrew as "Elath" is actually spelt as "Ayloth".
It is identified with the present-day Elat (or somewhere near it) on the Red Sea
coast. Rezin drove the Jews away. The Edomites took advantage of the Jewish
absence and took the place over.
#
Rezin
King of Aram
captured Elath
for Aram
# :
There is a play on words here such as is frequently found in
Scripture. Daat Mikra tells us that there was a region named Aram (or "Aran")
near present-day Akaba in Jordan opposite Elat. The Aramaean nation comprised a
large body of peoples groups of whom were to be found throughout the Middle
East. The same applies to the Edomites and their offshoots. Edomites and
Aramaeans intermixed with each other.
This whole episode concerning Pekah of Israel and Rezin of Aram and their
intentions towards Judah is reflected in the Book of Isaiah chapters 7 and 8.
Here are the Brit-Am Summaries to Isaiah chapters 7 and 8. They enable us to put
the situation into some kind of perspective.
http://www.britam.org/isaiah/Isaiah6to10.html
Chapter 7: In the time of Isaiah
Rezin
the King of Aram
("Syria") and Pekah
the son of Remaliah
the King of the northern entity of "Israel" (the Ten Tribes) attempted to
conquer Jerusalem the capital of Judah but they could not (7:1). Isaiah was told
to take a message to King Ahaz
of Judah and tell him to be strengthened (7:4). The plans of his enemies would
not succeed (7:5-7). Ephraim (Samaria) was destined to be exiled completely at
the end of a prophesied sixty-five years.
Rashi
says that the expression "WITHIN SIXTY-FIVE YEARS EPHRAIM WILL BE BROKEN TO
PIECES SO THAT IT WILL NO LONGER BE A PEOPLE" (7:8) was a well-known quotation
from Amos that Ahaz
should have been aware of and that the already-predicted 65 year waiting period
would soon be up (7:8-9). Ahaz
King of Judah was requested to ask for a sign from heaven to affirm the
reassurance from heaven that Isaiah had imparted (7:10-11). He refused and was
rebuked (7:11-12). The sign given is that a young woman (a wife of King
Ahaz?)
who was already pregnant would bear a son named "Emanuel"(7:14). Shortly after
the child is weaned the combined Land (?) of "Israel" and "Aram"
will be deserted (7:16). The disaster would be occasioned by the King of Assyria
and the calamity will be as great as when the Northern Ten Tribes split away
from Judah and formed their own kingdom (7:17). The area will be cleaned out of
inhabitants like a razor passing over a head of hair and the rest of the body
(7:20). There will be desolation in the Northern Kingdom (7:22-25). How this
ties up with the 65 year scenario noted above is not clear.
Pekah
is listed as ruling over Israel in the tears 737-735 BCE. The Exile of the
northern kingdom occurred in stages and is conventionally considered to have
been completed with the fall of the city of Samaria in 722 BCE.
Chapter 8: Isaiah was told to take a
writing tablet and write words before witnesses indicating the speed of the
coming events involving the fall of Ephraim (8:1). He also begat (by his wife
who was a prophetess in her own right) a child to whom he bestowed the same
indicative expression he had written. The events were to take place before the
child learned to say "Daddy" or "Mummy" (8:4). The attack of Assyria would be
like an overflowing flood that would also involve a good portion of Judah (8:8).
Even so, despite the antagonism of foreign nations God will be with Judah
(8:10). We are warned against belief in "Conspiracy" Theories (8:12). We must
fear God only (8:13). He is "The Great Conspirer in the Sky". He judges both
Houses of Israel (8:14). God dwells on Mount Zion (8:18). Do not go to
spiritualists, witch doctors, and the like for they are involved with death
whereas our God is the God of Life (8:19). They who put their faith in entities
other than God will be disappointed and will end up cursing the other entities
(8:21).
Isaiah chapter nine continues to speak of this period.
These prophecies of Isaiah relate BOTH to his own times and to the future.
Isaiah 9:21 tells us that,
# Manasseh shall devour Ephraim, and
Ephraim Manasseh; Together they shall be against Judah.
For all this His anger is not turned away, But His hand is stretched out
still. #
We see that Manasseh was against Ephraim and Ephraim was against Manasseh. They
both ganged up together against Judah and that was not the end of it but civil
strife was also coming from elsewhere.
We have here an indication that not only did the the northern Kingdom join
forces with Aram versus Judah but also forces identified with Ephraim were
hostile to those of Manasseh and that the whole Kingdom of Israel may have been
in a state of virtual anarchy.
[2-Kings 16:7] So
Ahaz
sent messengers to
Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria,
saying, "I am your servant and your son. Come up and save me from the hand of
the king of Syria and from the hand of the king of Israel, who rise up against
me."
[2-Kings 16:8] And
Ahaz
took the silver and gold that was found in the house of the LORD, and in the
treasuries of the king's house, and sent it as a present to the king of Assyria.
[2-Kings 16:9] So the king of Assyria
heeded him; for the king of Assyria went up against Damascus and took it,
carried its people captive to Kir,
and killed Rezin.
The Arameans were taken to Kir which is understood to be an area of Armenia in
the Caucasus. The very name "Armenia" may derive from Aram"!
There were TWO DIFFERENT PLACES referred to as Damascus in Scripture. One was
where the present-day Damascus captial of Syria now stands . The other was in
the region of Gozan on the Habor River.
See:
BHR-63
Brit-Am Historical Reports
http://www.britam.org/BHR/BHR63.html#Max
#1. Max von Oppenheim
and Gozan
of Edom, Syria, and Israel.
We are not sure which "Damascus" is referred to here but are inclined to the
view that the Gozan region is intended.
See map below.
The
Conflicts of Judah and Israel.
Here is another source dealing with the period of our present study:
Free .pdf
book on Biblical History
KINGDOMS OF THE LORD
A History of the Hebrew Kingdoms from Saul to the Fall of Jerusalem
by David F. Payne (1988)
http://www.biblicalstudies.org.uk/book
_payne-kingdoms.html
Brit-Am Note:
We read one chapter of this work and skimmed through another. There is much we
disagree with.
Nevertheless the work is readable and has points of interest and potential
value.
D.F. Payne
Chapter Ten: The Fall of Samaria
Extracts:
THE
death of the strong king of Judah, Uzziah,
marked the end
of an era for both kingdoms. The careful dating of the prophet
Isaiah's call, "in the year of King Uzziah's
death" (Isaiah 6: 1), may
well have significance beyond the chronological. Now both the longlived
and competent Hebrew kings were dead, and the Assyrians
were once more on the march, led by one of their most able kings
ever, Tiglath-pileser
Ill. The Syrian kingdoms had weakened themselves by a bitter struggle between
themselves, Israel had fragmented, and Judah on its own was no
match for the Assyrians. The old treaty friendship between
Phoenicia and Israel had broken down, as is clear from the
denunciation of Tyre
by Amos (1 :9)...
An old enemy, Egypt, had
not interfered in Palestinian affairs for many long years, so past
hostilities could be conveniently forgotten. As for the Egyptians,
they had no particular affection for their small northern neighbours,
but they had no wish at all to see a powerful nation like Assyria
establishing its position on Egypt's frontiers, and were accordingly
ready to listen to pleas for help. Thus Egypt begins to come back
into our story .
..
The Assyrian records relating to "Azriau
of Yaudi"
[Azaria
of Judah] are broken
and difficult to read, but there is no doubt that the anti-Assyrian
coalition suffered a defeat, as a result of which tribute had to be paid
to Tiglath-pileser
III by no few local kings, including Uzziah
[Azariah]
himself, Menahem
of Israel, and Rezin
of Damascus. ... The
king of Damascus, Rezin,
retained his throne, but in Judah Uzziah's
death was followed fairly soon afterwards by the death of
his son Jotham,
while in Israel similarly
Menahem's son and
successor Pekahiah
had a very brief reign. Before long, accordingly,
the' three kings of these states were Rezin, Ahaz
(Uzziah's
grandson), and Pekah
respectively . .
A strong coalition seemed to offer the only hope. Some smaller states were
prepared to support
them in the enterprise; but Judah declined to do so. ...
The ringleaders of the coalition, Pekah
and Rezin,
were dismayed at the
refusal of Judah to
be implicated; indeed, according to Isaiah,
they were "burning with rage',' (Isaiah 7:4). ...therefore, they now attacked
Judah; hoping to
frighten Ahaz
into joining the confederacy, or to frighten his subjects
into deposing him, or else, at the worst, to render his kingdom
powerless to pose any ,threat to their enterprise....
The' combined armies of Israel and Damascus swept resistance
aside and besieged Jerusalem. The Syrian army also sent
detachments to liberate Edom, Judah's vassal...The Edomites
then swiftly captured Elath,
Judah's Red Sea port, and began to
raid southern Judah. Meanwhile, the Philistines were retrieving lost
ground and taking over parts of
Judaean territory on the West.
King Ahaz
himself had an additional, personal cause for anxiety; his
attackers had found a man they hoped would replace him as king of
Judah, a certain "son of Tabeel"
(Isaiah 7:6).
... One urgent task [for King
Ahaz of Judah] was to ensure an adequate water supply - always a problem for
Jerusalem in time of siege. He ventured in person beyond the city walls to
check on the situation at one of the few water conduits; and while thus
occupied ...He was confronted by the prophet Isaiah, who predicted the
downfall of both Samaria and Damascus, and advised him to keep calm and do
nothing except to exercise faith in God. .... It is clear that Ahaz
did not have the firm faith which Isaiah
recommended to him...
Discounting the prophet's advice, therefore, "Ahaz
sent messengersto Tiglath-pileser,
King of Assyriato
say, 'I am your servant
and your son, Come and save me from the King of Aram
and from
the King of Israel who are attacking me.' Ahaz
took the silver and
gold found in the house of the LORD and in the treasuries or the
royal palace and sent them to the King of Assyria as a bribe" (2
Kings 16:7f.).... Ahaz's
action had long-term effects which
were anything but beneficial
to Judah, First and foremost, Judah lost her right to
independent political policies....
The other long-term effect was religious. 2 Kings 16:10-18 is a passage
which is not altogether ea.sy
to interpret,but
it is stated plainly that the purpose of some at least of the innovations at the
Jerusalem temple was "to satisfy the King of Assyria". ...
But at least Ahaz
reaped the short-term benefits he was seeking:
"The ' King of Assyria listened to him; he advanced on Damascus,
captured it, deported its inhabitants to Kira
and put Rezin
to death"
(2 Kings 16:9)...The precise sequence of events is uncertain, but it seems most
probable that in
three successive years' campaigns (734-732 B.C.) the Assyrian
armies attacked and conquered the coastal plain, from Tyre
down to
the Egyptian border, the northern and eastern parts of Israel, and
finally -the kingdom of Damascus. The Philistine city of Gaza was taken, and its
king Hanunu
fled to Egypt.
The fate of Damascusis
briefly told on the Assyrian
Nimrud
Tablet: 13 "The widespread territory of Damascus in its whole extent
I restored 'to. the border of Assyria. My official I set over them as
district-governor. " In other words, not only was Rezin
executed
and some of his citizens deported (as 2. Kings records), but the
kingdom became a mere Assyrian province, its political integrity a
thing of the past.
But our chief interest lies in the kingdom of Israel, which seems to have felt
the main thrust of
Tiglathzpileser's second campaign
'of
these three years. The capital, Samaria, and the central and southern part of
the kingdom, Ephraim, emerged unscathed; but
that must have been small comfort. The full weight of the Assyrian
armies fell upon the north of the country, Galilee, and the great
fortress city of Hazor
fell; it was ruthlessly destroyed, and was never
rebuilt. Further south, the no less important city of Megiddo
suffered a similar fate; it was the Assyrians themselves who rebuilt
it. Tiglath-pileser
lists some of his captures in Galilee, and the
evidence permits us to trace his three-pronged attack on Israel. 14
From Hazor,
some of his troops marched west, and mastered the
coastal plain in the area of Acco
and Dor;
some marched south-west
and destroyed Megiddo; and the third army marched south and east
into Israelite Transjordan,
making that territory their own.
The citizens of Samaria could not doubt that it would be their turn
next, unless something were done swiftly to dissuade Tiglath-pileser
from further attacks. The action they took is stated succinctly by
both the Bible and the Nimrud
Tablet, in slightly different but complementary
terms; "Hoshea
son of Elah",
says 2 Kings 15:30,
"formed a conspiracy againstPekah
son of Remaliah,
attacked him,
killed him and usurped the throne." Tiglath-pileser
records of the
people of Israel that "Pekah
their king they deposed and
Hoshea I
set asking over them. "15 In other words, Hoshea
came to the throne
as leader of a pro-Assyrian faction, and the Assyrian king was
content to ratify his position (on receipt of tribute). "
Thus Israel, like Judah, became a mere puppet kingdom ' of
Assyria. Worse than that, she forfeited a great
deal - at least two thirds
- of her territory, for the Assyrians did not return the conquered
areas to the control of Samaria. Instead, Tiglath-pileser
reorganized his conquests, as Assyrian provinces, administered by
Assyrian governors. . Isaiah, who watched these events from the
safety of Judah, alludes
to Tiglath-pileser's
invasion in 9: 1, and may
be referring to the three new provinces when he speaks of "the way
of the sea" (i.e. the province of Dor,
on the Mediterranean coast),
"the land beyond the Jordan" (the province of Gilead), and
"Galilee of the nations" (the province of Megiddo - the Assyrians
rebuilt the city to serve as the administrative capital).16 The old
tribal areas of Zebulun
and Naphtali,
to which Isaiah also refers
here, were among those lost to Israel...
[2-Kings 16:10] Now King
Ahaz
went to Damascus to meet
Tiglath-Pileser king of
Assyria, and saw an altar that was at Damascus; and King
Ahaz
sent to Urijah
the priest the design of the altar and its pattern, according to all its
workmanship.
[2-Kings 16:11] Then Urijah
the priest built an altar according to all that King
Ahaz
had sent from Damascus. So
Urijah the priest made it
before King Ahaz
came back from Damascus.
[2-Kings 16:12] And when the king came back from Damascus, the king saw the
altar; and the king approached the altar and made offerings on it.
[2-Kings 16:13] So he burned his burnt offering and his grain offering; and
he poured his drink offering and sprinkled the blood of his peace offerings on
the altar.
We hope to do a separate Commentary on the Book of Chronicles.
Even so it is worth while here quoting at length from the parallel passages in
Chronicles since they help us understand what was going on:
2 Chronicles 28
1
Ahaz
was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in
Jerusalem; and he did not do what was right in the sight of the LORD, as his
father David had done. 2 For he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and
made molded images for the
Baals. 3 He burned incense in
the Valley of the Son of Hinnom,
and burned his children in the fire, according to the abominations of the
nations whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel. 4 And he
sacrificed and burned incense on the high places, on the hills, and under
every green tree.
5 Therefore the LORD his God delivered
him into the hand of the king of Syria. They defeated him, and carried away a
great multitude of them as captives, and brought them to Damascus. Then he was
also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who defeated him with a
great slaughter. 6 For Pekah
the son of Remaliah
killed one hundred and twenty thousand in Judah in one day, all valiant men,
because they had forsaken the LORD God of their fathers. 7
Zichri,
a mighty man of Ephraim, killed
Maaseiah
the king's son, Azrikam
the officer over the house, and
Elkanah
who was second to the king. 8 And the children of Israel carried away captive
of their brethren two hundred thousand women, sons, and daughters; and they
also took away much spoil from them, and brought the spoil to Samaria.
9 But a prophet of the LORD was there,
whose name was Oded;
and he went out before the army that came to Samaria, and said to them: 'Look,
because the LORD God of your fathers was angry with Judah, He has delivered
them into your hand; but you have killed them in a rage that reaches up to
heaven. 10 And now you propose to force the children of Judah and Jerusalem to
be your male and female slaves; but are you not also guilty before the LORD
your God? 11 Now hear me, therefore, and return the captives, whom you have
taken captive from your brethren, for the fierce wrath of the LORD is upon
you.'
12 Then some of the heads of the children of Ephraim,
Azariah
the son of Johanan,
Berechiah
the son of Meshillemoth,
Jehizkiah
the son of Shallum,
and Amasa
the son of Hadlai,
stood up against those who came from the war, 13 and said to them, 'You shall
not bring the captives here, for we already have offended the LORD. You intend
to add to our sins and to our guilt; for our guilt is great, and there is
fierce wrath against Israel.' 14 So the armed men left the captives and the
spoil before the leaders and all the assembly. 15 Then the men who were
designated by name rose up and took the captives, and from the spoil they
clothed all who were naked among them, dressed them and gave them sandals,
gave them food and drink, and anointed them; and they let all the feeble ones
ride on donkeys. So they brought them to their brethren at Jericho, the city
of palm trees. Then they returned to Samaria.
16 At the same time King
Ahaz
sent to the kings of Assyria to help him. 17 For again the
Edomites
had come, attacked Judah, and carried away captives. 18 The Philistines also
had invaded the cities of the lowland and of the South of Judah, and had taken
Beth Shemesh,
Aijalon,
Gederoth,
Sochoh
with its villages, Timnah
with its villages, and Gimzo
with its villages; and they dwelt there. 19 For the LORD brought Judah low
because of Ahaz
king of Israel, for he had encouraged moral decline in Judah and had been
continually unfaithful to the LORD. 20 Also
Tiglath-Pileser
king of Assyria came to him and distressed him, and did not assist him. 21 For
Ahaz
took part of the treasures from the house of the LORD, from the house of the
king, and from the leaders, and he gave it to the king of Assyria; but he did
not help him.
22 Now in the time of his distress King
Ahaz
became increasingly unfaithful to the LORD. This is that King
Ahaz.
23 For he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus which had defeated him, saying,
'Because the gods of the kings of Syria help them, I will sacrifice to them
that they may help me.' But they were the ruin of him and of all Israel. 24 So
Ahaz
gathered the articles of the house of God, cut in pieces the articles of the
house of God, shut up the doors of the house of the LORD, and made for himself
altars in every corner of Jerusalem. 25 And in every single city of Judah he
made high places to burn incense to other gods, and provoked to anger the LORD
God of his fathers.
26 Now the rest of his acts and all his ways, from first to last, indeed they
are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. 27 So
Ahaz
rested with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, in Jerusalem; but
they did not bring him into the tombs of the kings of Israel. Then Hezekiah
his son reigned in his place.
We see how Aram had taken many captives from Judah to Damascus. The Edomites
and Philstines had attacked Judah and were ravaging it.
Israel also attacked Judah killed 120,000 in habitants in one day. They also
took into captivity 200,000 men, women, and children from Judah intending to
make them slaves. The Prophet Oded met the Israelites on their return to Samaria
and upbraided them for non-fraternal attitude. Consequently the Israelites had a
change of heart. The Israelites gave their captives clothing and shoes, food and
ointment, set the weak on donkeys and conducted the whole of them to the city of
Jericho. From Jericho they would all have been able to make their own way back
to their settlements in Judah.
King
Ahaz
and Temple Innovations.
[2-Kings 16:14] He also
brought the bronze altar which was before the LORD, from the front of the
temple, from between the new altar and the house of the LORD, and put it on
the north side of the new altar.
The Commentators are divided in their opinion as to what is exactly meant here.
Originally there had been a bronze altar in the Tabernacle. This was in fact an
empty frame made out of bronze. The Israelites would carry this with them in
their journeying. When they encamped and set up the Tabernacle the bronze frame
would be filled with earth. When Solomon built the Temple this bronze frame was
replaced by a much larger altar made out of a molten stone-metal conglomerate.
The bronze frame was hidden in one of the numerous caves under the Temple
complex. Perhaps King Ahaz took it back out of its hiding place? This may be what is referred to here though most (if not all?)
commentators think differently.
[2-Kings 16:15] Then
King Ahaz
commanded Urijah
the priest, saying, ?On the great new altar burn the morning burnt offering,
the evening grain offering, the
king?s
burnt sacrifice, and his grain offering, with the burnt offering of all the
people of the land, their grain offering, and their drink offerings; and
sprinkle on it all the blood of the burnt offering and all the blood of the
sacrifice. And the bronze altar shall be for me to inquire by.
# to inquire by" from the Hebrew "le-baker": This translation is
consistent with the Radak and other Commentators.
It could also connote "at exceptional times" which is how the Malbim renders it.
It should be remembered by those who might be reserved concerning our dependence
on Rabbinical Commentators that all foreign language translations of the Bible
have been dependant upon them. If anything our learning of these sources enables
us to take an innovative approach at times while remaining faithful to both
tradition and the literal Hebrew text.
[2-Kings 16:16] Thus did
Urijah
the priest, according to all that King
Ahaz
commanded.
[2-Kings 16:17] And King Ahaz
cut off the panels of the carts, and removed the lavers from them; and he took
down the Sea from the bronze oxen that were under it, and put it on a pavement
of stones.
Radak suggests the Ahaz did all these things due to fear of the King of Assyria
as indicated in verse 16:18 below, "on account of the king of Assyria".
Remember that the word rendered by "oxen" throughout the English Translations is
"shor" or in the plural "shevarim" meaning "bulls" not "oxen" which are
castrated bulls. The Hebrew were forbidden to castrate animals and usually did
not do so. It may be that most bulls then extant were of a smaller build and
milder disposition than the ones we have today.
The "Sea" consisted of an enormous bronze basin supported by 12 bulls.
See illustrations below.
To our mind this symbolized the claim of the Kings of Judah to rule over all
Twelve Tribes of Israel and also over the Ocean.
The Kings of Assyria called themselves "Kings of the World" and claimed they
were the rightful rulers of humanity.
They may have found the "Sea" and 12 Bulls offensive.
[2-Kings 16:18] Also he
removed the Sabbath pavilion which they had built in the temple, and he
removed the king's outer entrance from the house of the LORD, on account of
the king of Assyria.
The Sabbath pavilion was apparently an edifice for the Kings of Judah to stay
in the Temple precincts during the daily and Sabbath services.
Only kings of Judah were allowed to sit in the Temple courtyard.
[2-Kings 16:19] Now the
rest of the acts of Ahaz
which he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings
of Judah?
[2-Kings 16:20] So Ahaz
rested with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the City of David.
Then Hezekiah his son reigned in his place.
To Be Continued!
