God’s Word Translation
2 Kings 23:12
12the altars that Judah’s kings had made and placed on the roof of Ahaz’s upstairs room, and the altars Manasseh had made in the two courtyards of the Lord’s temple. The king tore them down from there, crushed them, and dumped their rubble in the Kidron Valley.
2 Kings 23:12 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And the altars that were on the top of the upper chamber of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made, and the altars which Manasseh had made in the two courts of the house of the Lord, did the king beat down, and brake them down from thence, and cast the dust of them into the brook Kidron.
- New International Version (NIV)He pulled down the altars the kings of Judah had erected on the roof near the upper room of Ahaz, and the altars Manasseh had built in the two courts of the temple of the Lord. He removed them from there, smashed them to pieces and threw the rubble into the Kidron Valley.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And the altars on the roof of the upper chamber of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made, and the altars that Manasseh had made in the two courts of the house of the Lord, he pulled down and broke in pieces and cast the dust of them into the brook Kidron.
- New King James Version (NKJV)The altars that were on the roof, the upper chamber of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made, and the altars which Manasseh had made in the two courts of the house of the Lord, the king broke down and pulverized there, and threw their dust into the Brook Kidron.
Context of 2 Kings 23:12
10Josiah also made Topheth in the valley of Ben Hinnom unclean so that people would never again sacrifice their sons or daughters by burning them to the god Molech. 11He removed the horses that Judah’s kings had dedicated to the sun god at the entrance of the Lord’s temple. They were in the temple courtyard near the room of the eunuch Nathan Melech. He also burned the chariots of the sun god, the altars that Judah’s kings had made and placed on the roof of Ahaz’s upstairs room, and the altars Manasseh had made in the two courtyards of the Lord’s temple. The king tore them down from there, crushed them, and dumped their rubble in the Kidron Valley. 13The king made the illegal places of worship east of Jerusalem unclean. They were on the southern part of the Hill of Destruction. King Solomon of Israel had built them for Astarte (the disgusting goddess of the Sidonians), Chemosh (the disgusting god of Moab), and Milcom (the disgusting god of the Ammonites). 14Josiah crushed the sacred stones, cut down the poles dedicated to Asherah, and filled their places with human bones.
Read all of 2 Kings 232 Kings 23:12 word by word
וְאֶֽת־הַֽמִּזְבְּח֡וֹת אֲשֶׁ֣ר עַל־הַגָּג֩ עֲלִיַּ֨ת אָחָ֜ז אֲשֶׁר־עָשׂ֣וּ׀ מַלְכֵ֣י יְהוּדָ֗ה וְאֶת־הַֽמִּזְבְּחוֹת֙ אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂ֣ה מְנַשֶּׁ֔ה בִּשְׁתֵּ֛י חַצְר֥וֹת בֵּית־יְהוָ֖ה נָתַ֣ץ הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ וַיָּ֣רָץ מִשָּׁ֔ם וְהִשְׁלִ֥יךְ אֶת־עֲפָרָ֖ם אֶל־נַ֥חַל קִדְרֽוֹן׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And the altarsמִזְבֵּחַmizbêach · altarH4196
- on the topגָּגgâg · roofH1406
- of the upper chamberעֲלִיָּה‛ălîyâh · upper roomH5944
- of Ahazאָחָז'âchâz · AhazH271
- which the kingsמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- of Judahיְהוּדָהyehûdâh · JudahH3063
- had madeעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to makeH6213
- which Manassehמְנַשֶּׁהmenashsheh · ManassehH4519
- in the twoשְׁנַ֫יִםshenayim shettayim · twoH8147
- courtsחָצֵרchâtsêr · courtH2691
- of the houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: templeH1004
- of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- beat downנָתַץnâthats · to tearH5422
- downרוּץrûts · to run: piecesH7323
- from thence, and castשָׁלַךְshâlak · to throwH7993
- the dustעָפָר‛âphâr · dustH6083
- of them into the brookנַ֫חַלnachal nachlâh nachălâh · torrent: riverH5158
- Kidronקִדְרוֹןqidrôn · KidronH6939
Cross-references for 2 Kings 23:12
- Deuteronomy 22:8Whenever you build a new house, put a railing around the edge of the roof. Then you won’t be responsible for a death at your home if someone falls off the roof.
- Jeremiah 19:13The houses in Jerusalem, the houses of the kings of Judah, and all the rooftops of the houses will be unclean like this city Topheth. This is because people burned incense to the entire army of heaven and poured out wine offerings to other gods.’ ”
- Zephaniah 1:5I will remove those who worship all the stars in the sky on their rooftops and those who worship by swearing loyalty to the Lord while also swearing loyalty to the god Milcom.
- 2 Kings 21:5In the two courtyards of the Lord’s temple, he built altars for the entire army of heaven.
- 2 Chronicles 33:5In the two courtyards of the Lord’s temple, he built altars for the entire army of heaven.
- 2 Kings 23:6He took the pole dedicated to the goddess Asherah from the temple to the Kidron Valley outside Jerusalem. He burned it in the Kidron Valley, ground it to dust, and threw its ashes on the tombs of the common people.
Commentaries on 2 Kings 23:12
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12On the top of the upper chamber - Altars built on the flat roof of the house. Such altars were erected to the sun, moon, stars, etc.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4-20Verses 4-20 A parenthesis giving the earlier reforms of Josiah. 2 Kings 23:4 The priests of the second order - This is a new expression; and probably refers to the ordinary priests, called here “priests of the second order,” in contrast with the high priest, whose dignity was reviving (2 Kings 12:2 note). The vessels - This would include the whole apparatus of worship, altars, images, dresses, utensils, etc., for Baal, etc. (2 Kings 21:3-5 notes). The…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 4-14Verses 4-14 What abundance of wickedness in Judah and Jerusalem! One would not have believed it possible, that in Judah, where God was known, in Israel, where his name was great, in Salem, in Zion, where his dwelling-place was, such abominations should be found. Josiah had reigned eighteen years, and had himself set the people a good example, and kept up religion according to the Divine law; yet, when he came to search for idolatry, the depth and extent…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 12the upper chamber of Ahaz: People used rooftop altars for star worship (Jeremiah 19:13; Zephaniah 1:5) and Baal rituals (Jeremiah 32:29).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1212. the altars that were on the top of the upper chamber of Ahaz--Altars were reared on the flat roofs of houses, where the worshippers of "the host of heaven" burnt incense (Zep 1:5; Jr 19:13). Ahaz had reared altars for this purpose on the oleah, or upper chamber of his palace, and Manasseh on some portion of the roof of the temple. Josiah demolished both of these structures.Read the comment
Topics related to 2 Kings 23:12
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 2 Kings 23
- 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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