God’s Word Translation
2 Kings 21:6
6He burned his son as a sacrifice, consulted fortunetellers, cast evil spells, and appointed ⌞royal⌟ mediums and psychics. He did many things that made the Lord furious.
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
4He built altars in the Lord’s temple, where the Lord had said, “I will put my name in Jerusalem.” 5In the two courtyards of the Lord’s temple, he built altars for the entire army of heaven. He burned his son as a sacrifice, consulted fortunetellers, cast evil spells, and appointed ⌞royal⌟ mediums and psychics. He did many things that made the Lord furious. 7Manasseh had an idol of Asherah made. Then he set it up in the temple, where the Lord had said to David and his son Solomon, “I have chosen this temple and Jerusalem from all the tribes of Israel. I will put my name here forever. 8I will never again make Israel’s feet wander from the land that I gave to their ancestors if they will obey all the commands and all the Teachings that my servant Moses gave 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 16:3He followed the example of the kings of Israel and even sacrificed his son by burning him alive. Sacrificing ⌞children⌟ was one of the disgusting things done by the nations that the Lord had forced out of the Israelites’ way.
- 2 Kings 17:17They sacrificed their sons and daughters by burning them alive. They practiced black magic and cast evil spells. They sold themselves by doing what the Lord considered evil, and they made him furious.
- Leviticus 18:21Never give your children as sacrifices to the god Molech ⌞by burning them alive⌟. If you do, you are dishonoring the name of your God. I am the Lord.
- Leviticus 20:2“Tell the Israelites: If Israelites or foreigners living among you give one of their children as a sacrifice to ⌞the god⌟ Molech, they must be put to death. The common people must stone them to death.
- 2 Chronicles 28:3He burned sacrifices in the valley of Ben Hinnom and sacrificed his son by burning him alive, one of the disgusting things done by the nations that the Lord had forced out of the Israelites’ way.
- 2 Chronicles 33:6He burned his son as a sacrifice in the valley of Ben Hinnom, consulted fortunetellers, cast evil spells, practiced witchcraft, and appointed ⌞royal⌟ mediums and psychics. He did many things that made the Lord furious.
- Micah 6:7Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams or with endless streams of olive oil? Should I give him my firstborn child because of my rebellious acts? Should I give him my young child for my sin?
- Leviticus 19:26“Never eat any meat with blood still in it. “Never cast evil spells, and never consult fortunetellers.
- Deuteronomy 18:10You must never sacrifice your sons or daughters by burning them alive, practice black magic, be a fortuneteller, witch, or sorcerer,
- 1 Chronicles 10:13So Saul died because of his unfaithfulness to the Lord: He did not obey the Lord’s word. He asked a medium to request information ⌞from a dead person⌟.
- Isaiah 8:19People will say to you, “Ask for help from the mediums and the fortunetellers, who whisper and mutter.” Shouldn’t people ask their God for help instead? Why should they ask the dead to help the living?
- Isaiah 19:3The Egyptians will lose courage. I will unravel their plans. They will turn to idols, ghosts, mediums, and fortunetellers.
- Acts 16:16One day when we were going to the place of prayer, a female servant met us. She was possessed by an evil spirit that told fortunes. She made a lot of money for her owners by telling fortunes.
- 2 Kings 24:3Without a doubt, this happened to Judah because the Lord had commanded it to happen. He wanted to remove the people of Judah from his sight because of Manasseh’s sins—everything he had done,
- Genesis 13:13(The people who lived in Sodom were very wicked. They committed terrible sins against the Lord.)
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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