Amplified Bible
2 Kings 21:6
6He made his son pass through the fire and burned him [as an offering to Molech]; he practiced witchcraft and divination, and dealt with mediums and soothsayers. He did great evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking Him to anger.
2 Kings 21:6 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And he made his son pass through the fire, and observed times, and used enchantments, and dealt with familiar spirits and wizards: he wrought much wickedness in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger.
- New International Version (NIV)He sacrificed his own son in the fire, practiced divination, sought omens, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the eyes of the Lord, arousing his anger.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And he burned his son as an offering and used fortune-telling and omens and dealt with mediums and with necromancers. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Also he made his son pass through the fire, practiced soothsaying, used witchcraft, and consulted spiritists and mediums. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke Him to anger.
Context of 2 Kings 21:6
4And he built [pagan] altars in the house (temple) of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, “In Jerusalem I will put My Name (Presence).” 5And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courtyards of the house of the Lord. He made his son pass through the fire and burned him [as an offering to Molech]; he practiced witchcraft and divination, and dealt with mediums and soothsayers. He did great evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking Him to anger. 7He made a carved image of the [goddess] Asherah and set it up in the house (temple), of which the Lord said to David and to his son Solomon, “In this house and in Jerusalem [in the tribe of Judah], which I have chosen from all the tribes of Israel, I will put My Name forever. 8And I will not make the feet of Israel wander anymore from the land which I gave their fathers, if only they will be careful to act in accordance with everything that I have commanded them, and with all the law that My servant Moses commanded them.”
Read all of 2 Kings 212 Kings 21:6 word by word
וְהֶעֱבִ֤יר אֶת־בְּנוֹ֙ בָּאֵ֔שׁ וְעוֹנֵ֣ן וְנִחֵ֔שׁ וְעָ֥שָׂה א֖וֹב וְיִדְּעֹנִ֑ים הִרְבָּ֗ה לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת הָרַ֛ע בְּעֵינֵ֥י יְהוָ֖ה לְהַכְעִֽיס׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And he made his sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- passעָבַר‛âbar · to passH5674
- through the fireאֵשׁ'êsh · fireH784
- and observed timesעָנַן‛ânan · to divineH6049
- and used enchantmentsנָחַשׁnâchash · to divineH5172
- and dealtעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
- with familiar spiritsאוֹב'ôb · mediumH178
- and wizardsיִדְּעֹנִיyidde‛ônîy · spiritistH3049
- muchרָבָהrâbâh · to multiplyH7235
- wickednessרַעra‛ râ‛âh · bad: evilH7451
- in the sightעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eye: seeingH5869
- of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- to angerכָּעַסka‛as · to provokeH3707
Cross-references for 2 Kings 21:6
- 2 Kings 16:3Instead he walked in the way of the [idolatrous] kings of Israel, and even made his son pass through the fire [as a human sacrifice], in accordance with the repulsive [and idolatrous] practices of the [pagan] nations whom the Lord drove out before the Israelites.
- 2 Kings 17:17They made their sons and their daughters pass through the fire [as human sacrifices], and used divination [to foretell the future] and enchantments; and they sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking Him to anger.
- Leviticus 18:21You shall not give any of your children to offer them [by fire as a sacrifice] to Molech [the god of the Ammonites], nor shall you profane the name of your God [by honoring idols as gods]. I am the Lord.
- Leviticus 20:2“Moreover, you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘Any Israelite or any stranger residing in Israel who gives any of his children to Molech (the god of the Ammonites) [as a human sacrifice] shall most certainly be put to death; the people of the land shall stone him with stones.
- 2 Chronicles 28:3And he burned incense in the Valley of Ben-hinnom and burned his sons [as an offering], in accordance with the repulsive acts of the [pagan] nations whom the Lord had driven out before the sons (descendants) of Israel.
- 2 Chronicles 33:6He made his sons pass through the fire [as an offering to his gods] in the Valley of Ben-hinnom; and he practiced witchcraft, used divination, and practiced sorcery, and dealt with mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking Him to anger.
- Micah 6:7Will the Lord be delighted with thousands of rams, Or with ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I present my firstborn for my acts of rebellion, The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
- Leviticus 19:26‘You shall not eat anything with the blood, nor practice divination [using omens or witchcraft] or soothsaying.
- Deuteronomy 18:10There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or daughter pass through the fire [as a sacrifice], one who uses divination and fortune-telling, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer,
- 1 Chronicles 10:13So Saul died for his trespass which he committed against the Lord, for his failure to keep the word of the Lord; and also because he consulted a medium [regarding a spirit of the dead], to inquire of her,
- Isaiah 8:19When the people [instead of trusting God] say to you, “Consult the mediums [who try to talk to the dead] and the soothsayers who chirp and whisper and mutter,” should not a people consult their God? Should they consult the dead on behalf of the living?
- Isaiah 19:3Then the spirit of the Egyptians will become exhausted within them and emptied out; And I will confuse their strategy, So that they will consult the idols and the spirits of the dead, And mediums and soothsayers.
- Acts 16:16It happened that as we were on our way to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave-girl who had a spirit of divination [that is, a demonic spirit claiming to foretell the future and discover hidden knowledge], and she brought her owners a good profit by fortune-telling.
- 2 Kings 24:3Surely this came on Judah at the command of the Lord, to remove them from His sight because of the sins of [King] Manasseh, in accordance with everything that he had done,
- Genesis 13:13But the men of Sodom were extremely wicked and sinful against the Lord [unashamed in their open sin before Him].
Commentaries on 2 Kings 21:6
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 6Made his son pass through the fire - Consecrated him to Moloch. Observed times - ועונן veonen ; he practiced divination by the clouds; by observing their course at particular times, their different kinds, contrary directions, etc., etc. Used enchantments - ונחש venichesh ; he used incantations, spells, and charms. Dealt with familiar spirits - אוב ועשה veasah ob ; he was a necromancer; was a raiser of spirits, whom he endeavored to press into his service…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 6On the meaning of the phrase “passing through the fire,” see 2 Kings 16:3, and Leviticus 20:2-5. To “observe times” was forbidden in the Law (marginal references), and was no doubt among the modes of divination practiced by the Canaanite nations. It has been explained as, (1) Predicting from the state of the clouds and atmosphere; (2) Fascination with the eye; (3) Watching and catching at chance words as ominous. Dealt with familiar spirits - This…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 6Manasseh's evil actions included taking part in the terrible Molech ceremonies and various forbidden cult and occult practices (2 Kings 16:3; see Leviticus 18:21). provoking Him to anger: God reacted to Manasseh's awful religious practices with fair judgment, just as he did with the northern kingdom (2 Kings 17:18–20).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 66. made his son pass through the fire--(See on 2Ki 16:3). observed times--from an observation of the clouds. used enchantments--jugglery and spells. dealt with familiar spirits--Septuagint, "ventriloquists," who pretended to ask counsel of a familiar spirit and gave the response received from him to others. and wizards--wise or knowing ones, who pretended to reveal secrets, to recover things lost and hidden treasure, and to interpret dreams. A great…Read the comment
Topics related to 2 Kings 21:6
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 2 Kings 21
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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