2 Kings 16:1

2 KINGS CHAPTER 16 Ahaz's idolatry, 2 KINGS 16:1. Rezin king of Syria, and Pekah king of Israel, war against him: he hireth Tiglath-pileser against them, 2 KINGS 16:5. Ahaz goeth to Damascus to meet the king of Assyria; seeth an altar; the pattern whereof he sends to Urijah, who maketh one like it a... [ Continue Reading ]

2 Kings 16:2

TWENTY YEARS OLD WAS AHAZ WHEN HE BEGAN TO REIGN: of the difficulty hence arising, SEE POOLE ON "2 KINGS 18:2", to which it more properly belongs.... [ Continue Reading ]

2 Kings 16:3

MADE HIS SON TO PASS THROUGH THE FIRE; either, 1. By way of lustration, to pass hastily through it, so as to be scorched, and, as it were, baptized with it. Or, 2. By way of oblation, so as to be utterly consumed, and offered for a burntoffering, which was the practice of heathens, and of some Isra... [ Continue Reading ]

2 Kings 16:4

After the manner of the heathens: SEE POOLE ON "DEUTERONOMY 12:2"; SEE POOLE ON "JEREMIAH 2:20"; SEE POOLE ON "HOSEA 4:13".... [ Continue Reading ]

2 Kings 16:5

Because God of his own mere grace undertook their protection, as he promised to do, and disappointed the hopes and design of their enemies; of which see on ISA 7.... [ Continue Reading ]

2 Kings 16:6

RECOVERED ELATH, i.e. took it from the Jews, who had not long since taken it, 2 KINGS 14:22. It lay in the land of Edom, upon the Red Sea, very conveniently for navigation; of which SEE POOLE ON "1 KINGS 9:26".... [ Continue Reading ]

2 Kings 16:7

I AM THY SERVANT AND THY SON; I yield myself to thee, as thy vassal, to serve and obey thee, and pay thee tribute, upon condition thou dost assist me against my enemies. OUT OF THE HAND OF THE KING OF SYRIA, AND OUT OF THE HAND OF THE KING OF ISRAEL; for though they were now gone from Jerusalem, yet... [ Continue Reading ]

2 Kings 16:9

AGAINST DAMASCUS, the metropolis of the Syrians, and the head of that kingdom, ISAIAH 7:8; as was prophesied, AMOS 1:5. KIR; not Kir of Moab, ISAIAH 15:1, but a part of Media, which then was subject to the king of Assyria.... [ Continue Reading ]

2 Kings 16:10

TO MEET TIGLATH-PILESER KING OF ASSYRIA; to congratulate his victory, and acknowledge his favour and help, and to beg the continuance of it. SAW AN ALTAR of an excellent structure, upon which the Syrians used to offer to their idols: see 2 CHRONICLES 28:23.... [ Continue Reading ]

2 Kings 16:11

So he complied with the king's command against his own conscience, and against the express command of that great God, to which the king and he both were subject. He made haste, and delayed not to do it, to please the king, and advance himself.... [ Continue Reading ]

2 Kings 16:12

To wit, a sacrifice, and that not unto God, but unto the Syrian idols, as appears from 2 CHRONICLES 28:23,24, to whom that altar was appropriated. Whether he offered by himself, or by a priest, is not certain.... [ Continue Reading ]

2 Kings 16:13

For the heathens, and Ahaz, in imitation of them, offered the same sorts of offerings to their false gods which the Israelites did to the true, the devil being noted to be God's ape in his worship.... [ Continue Reading ]

2 Kings 16:14

THE BRAZEN ALTAR OF BURNT-OFFERINGS, made by Solomon, and placed there by God's appointment. Which was before the Lord, i.e. from before the Lord's house: SEE POOLE ON "LEVITICUS 1:3". _From between the altar and the house of the Lord_; or rather, _from between his altar_, &c., or, _that altar_, &c.... [ Continue Reading ]

2 Kings 16:15

UPON THE GREAT ALTAR, i.e. this new altar; which was greater than Solomon s, either in quantity, or in his estimation. Whatsoever is offered to the true God, either in my name, (for possibly he did not yet utterly forsake God, but worshipped idols with him,) or on the behalf of the people, shall be... [ Continue Reading ]

2 Kings 16:16

Having once began to debauch his conscience, he could not now make an honourable retreat; and therefore proceeds to execute all the king's commands.... [ Continue Reading ]

2 Kings 16:17

Which he did, either to express his contempt of them, or to render them inconvenient for the uses to which they had been designed; or to dispose of them, or of the brass of them, in some other place and way, as best suited with his fancy; or for the king of Assyria as it follows in the next verse.... [ Continue Reading ]

2 Kings 16:18

THE COVERT FOR THE SABBATH; the form and use whereof is now unknown. It is generally understood of some building or covert; either that where the priests, after their weekly course was ended, abode until the next course came and relieved them, which was done upon the sabbath day; see 2 KINGS 11:5,7;... [ Continue Reading ]

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