Tree of Life Version
2 Kings 21:3
3For he rebuilt the shrines that his father Hezekiah had destroyed and he erected altars for Baal and made an Asherah pole, as King Ahab of Israel had done, and bowed down to all the host of heaven and worshipped them.
2 Kings 21:3 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)For he built up again the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; and he reared up altars for Baal, and made a grove, as did Ahab king of Israel; and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them.
- New International Version (NIV)He rebuilt the high places his father Hezekiah had destroyed; he also erected altars to Baal and made an Asherah pole, as Ahab king of Israel had done. He bowed down to all the starry hosts and worshiped them.
- English Standard Version (ESV)For he rebuilt the high places that Hezekiah his father had destroyed, and he erected altars for Baal and made an Asherah, as Ahab king of Israel had done, and worshiped all the host of heaven and served them.
- New King James Version (NKJV)For he rebuilt the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; he raised up altars for Baal, and made a wooden image, as Ahab king of Israel had done; and he worshiped all the host of heaven and served them.
Context of 2 Kings 21:3
1Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned 55 years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hephzi-bah. 2But he did what was evil in Adonai’s eyes, following the abominations of the nations that Adonai had dispossessed before Bnei-Yisrael. For he rebuilt the shrines that his father Hezekiah had destroyed and he erected altars for Baal and made an Asherah pole, as King Ahab of Israel had done, and bowed down to all the host of heaven and worshipped them. 4He even built altars in Adonai’s House, where Adonai had said, “In Jerusalem I will put My Name.” 5He built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the House of Adonai.
Read all of 2 Kings 212 Kings 21:3 word by word
וַיָּ֗שָׁב וַיִּ֙בֶן֙ אֶת־הַבָּמ֔וֹת אֲשֶׁ֥ר אִבַּ֖ד חִזְקִיָּ֣הוּ אָבִ֑יו וַיָּ֨קֶם מִזְבְּחֹ֜ת לַבַּ֗עַל וַיַּ֤עַשׂ אֲשֵׁרָה֙ כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשָׂ֗ה אַחְאָב֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וַיִּשְׁתַּ֙חוּ֙ לְכָל־צְבָ֣א הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וַֽיַּעֲבֹ֖ד אֹתָֽם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- For he built upבָּנָהbânâh · to buildH1129
- againשׁוּבshûb · to return: rescueH7725
- the high placesבָּמָהbâmâh · high placeH1116
- which Hezekiahחִזְקִיָּהוּchizqîyâh chizqîyâhû yechizqîyâh yechizqîyâhû · HezekiahH2396
- his fatherאָב'âb · fatherH1
- had destroyedאָבַד'âbad · to perishH6
- and he reared upקוּםqûm · to arise: raiseH6965
- altarsמִזְבֵּחַmizbêach · altarH4196
- for Baalבַּעַלba‛al · BaalH1168
- and madeעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to makeH6213
- a groveאֲשֵׁרָה'ăshêrâh 'ăshêyrâh · AsherahH842
- as didעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
- Ahabאַחְאָב'ach'âb 'echâb · AhabH256
- kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- and worshippedשָׁחָהshâchâh · to bowH7812
- all the hostצָבָאtsâbâ' tsebâ'âh · armyH6635
- of heavenשָׁמַיִםshâmayim shâmeh · heavenH8064
- and servedעָבַד‛âbad · to serve: ministerH5647
Cross-references for 2 Kings 21:3
- 2 Kings 18:4He removed the high places, smashed the pillars and cut down the Asherah poles. He also broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made—for up to those days Bnei-Yisrael were still burning incense to it—it was called Nehushtan .
- 2 Chronicles 32:12Has not the same Hezekiah removed His high places and His altars, and commanded Judah and Jerusalem saying, “You shall worship before one altar and upon it you shall burn incense?”
- 2 Chronicles 34:3In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek after the God of his father David. In the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, the Asherah poles, and the carved and molten images.
- 2 Kings 10:18Then Jehu gathered all the people together and said to them, “Ahab served Baal a little, but Jehu will serve him much!
- 1 Kings 16:31Now, as if it was a trifling thing to walk in the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, he also took as wife Jezebel the daughter of King Ethbaal of the Sidonians, and went and served Baal and worshipped him.
- 1 Kings 18:21Then Elijah approached all the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If Adonai is God, follow Him; but if Baal is, follow him.” But the people did not answer him, not even a word.
- 2 Kings 8:18But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab did—for Ahab’s daughter was his wife—and he did what was evil in Adonai’s eyes.
- Micah 6:16Now, you observe the statutes of Omri and every practice of the house of Ahab, and you walk in their counsels. Therefore I will make you a horror, and her inhabitants a hissing, so you will bear the scorn of My people.
- 2 Kings 17:16So they abandoned all the mitzvot of Adonai their God. So they made for themselves molten images, two calves, and made an Asherah pole, and bowed down to all the host of heavens, and worshipped Baal,
- 2 Kings 23:4Then the king commanded Hilkiah the kohen gadol , the kohanim of the second order and the doorkeepers to bring out of the Temple of Adonai all the vessels made for Baal and Asherah, and all the host of heaven, and he burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron, and took their ashes to Bethel.
- Deuteronomy 4:19and so that you do not lift up your eyes toward the heavens and see the sun and the moon and the stars—all the heavenly host—and are drawn away and bow down and worship them. Adonai your God has allotted them to all the peoples under all the heavens.
- Deuteronomy 17:3This person goes and serves other gods and worships them—the sun or moon or any of the heavenly host, which I have not commanded.
- 2 Chronicles 33:3For he rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had demolished, he reerected altars for the Baalim, made Asherah poles, and bowed down to all the host of heaven and worshipped them.
- Job 31:26if I looked at the sun when it shines or the moon moving in splendor,
Commentaries on 2 Kings 21:3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3Made a grove - He made Asherah, the Babylonian Melitta or Roman Venus. See 2 Kings 17:10, and the observations at the end of that chapter; and see here on 2 Kings 21:7; (note). Worshipped all the host of heaven - All the stars and planets, but particularly the sun and the moon.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3The first step in the re-establishment of idolatry seems to have been the restoration of the high places where Yahweh was professedly worshipped 2 Kings 18:22, but with idolatrous rites 1 Kings 14:23. The next was to re-introduce the favorite idolatry of Israel, Baal-worship, which had formerly flourished in Judaea under Athaliah 2 Kings 11:18, and Ahaz 2 Chronicles 28:2. After this, Manasseh seems to have especially affected Sabaism, which had been…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3-5Manasseh turned away from his faith by rebuilding local pagan shrines that his father had destroyed (2 Kings 18:3). He also encouraged evil religious practices linked to Baal worship and set up an Asherah pole (see 2 Kings 18:3; 1 Kings 16:32) and brought back the worship of stars. God had judged the northern kingdom for these sins (2 Kings 17:16).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-182Ki 21:1-18. Manasseh's Wicked Reign, and Great Idolatry. 1-3. Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign--He must have been born three years after his father's recovery; and his minority, spent under the influence of guardians who were hostile to the religious principles and reforming policy of his father, may account in part for the anti-theocratic principles of his reign. The work of religious reformation which Hezekiah had zealously carried…Read the comment
Topics related to 2 Kings 21:3
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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