2 Kings 16:15

Translations

Modern

Then King Ahaz commanded Uriah the priest, “Offer on the great altar the morning burnt offering, the evening grain offering, and the king’s burnt offering and grain offering, as well as the burnt offerings, grain offerings, and drink offerings of all the people of the land. Splatter on the altar all the blood of the burnt offerings and sacrifices. But I will use the bronze altar to seek guidance.”

Traditional

And king Ahaz commanded Urijah the priest, saying, Upon the great altar burn the morning burnt offering, and the evening meat offering, and the king’s burnt sacrifice, and his meat offering, with the burnt offering of all the people of the land, and their meat offering, and their drink offerings; and sprinkle upon it all the blood of the burnt offering, and all the blood of the sacrifice: and the brasen altar shall be for me to enquire by.

Literal

And King Ahaz commanded Urijah the priest, saying, “On the great altar burn the burnt offering of the morning, and the grain offering of the evening, and the burnt offering of the king, and his grain offering, and the burnt offering of all the people of the land, and their grain offerings, and their drink offerings. And all the blood of the burnt offering and all the blood of the sacrifice sprinkle on it. And the bronze altar shall be for me to seek guidance.”

Latin

Præcepit quoque rex Achaz Uriæ sacerdoti, dicens: Super altare majus offer holocaustum matutinum, et sacrificium vespertinum, et holocaustum regis, et sacrificium ejus, et holocaustum universi populi terræ, et sacrificia eorum, et libamina eorum: et omnem sanguinem holocausti, et universum sanguinem victimæ super illud effundes: altare vero æreum erit paratum ad voluntatem meam.

Original

Hebrew

English

Then King Ahaz commanded Uriah the priest, “Offer on the great altar the morning burnt offering, the evening grain offering, and the king’s burnt offering and grain offering, as well as the burnt offerings, grain offerings, and drink offerings of all the people of the land. Splatter on the altar all the blood of the burnt offerings and sacrifices. But I will use the bronze altar to seek guidance.”

Notes

2 Kings 16:15–16

Ahaz ordered that the daily sacrifices (Numbers 28:1–8) and the king's and people's offerings be made on the new altar. He then limited the bronze altar to his own private use. The text says this was to seek guidance, likely meaning he intended to use it for pagan divination. This demand showed arrogant disrespect toward the Lord and his worship. Uriah the priest obeyed the king instead of resisting him (2 Kings 16:10–11, 16).

Theme notes and profiles

Ahaz Assyria Fearing People

Events

Reign of Ahaz

Related verses

Exodus 29:39–41
Offer one lamb in the morning and the other at twilight.
2 Chronicles 29:21–24
They brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs, and seven male goats as a sin offering for the kingdom, for the sanctuary, and for Judah. And the king commanded the priests, the descendants of Aaron, to offer them on the altar of the LORD.
1 Kings 8:64
On that same day the king consecrated the middle of the courtyard in front of the house of the LORD, and there he offered the burnt offerings, the grain offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings, since the bronze altar before the LORD was too small to contain all these offerings.
2 Kings 18:4
He removed the high places, shattered the sacred pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles. He also demolished the bronze snake called Nehushtan that Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had burned incense to it.
2 Kings 3:20
The next morning, at the time of the morning sacrifice, water suddenly flowed from the direction of Edom and filled the land.
Daniel 11:31
His forces will rise up and desecrate the temple fortress. They will abolish the daily sacrifice and set up the abomination of desolation.
Hosea 4:12
My people consult their wooden idols, and their divining rods inform them. For a spirit of prostitution leads them astray and they have played the harlot against their God.
Numbers 28:2–10
“Command the Israelites and say to them: See that you present to Me at its appointed time the food for My food offerings, as a pleasing aroma to Me.
2 Chronicles 33:6
He sacrificed his sons in the fire in the Valley of Ben-hinnom. He practiced sorcery, divination, and witchcraft, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did great evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger.
Isaiah 2:6
For You have abandoned Your people, the house of Jacob, because they are filled with influences from the east; they are soothsayers like the Philistines; they strike hands with the children of foreigners.
2 Samuel 6:17–18
So they brought the ark of the LORD and set it in its place inside the tent that David had pitched for it. Then David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.
2 Chronicles 29:35
Furthermore, the burnt offerings were abundant, along with the fat of the peace offerings and the drink offerings for the burnt offerings. So the service of the house of the LORD was established.

Parallels

2 Chronicles 28:16–27

People

Ahaz: King of Judah, son of Jotham Uriah: Priest during the reign of King Ahaz

Glossary

Ahaz (King) Alliance Kings, Books of First and Second Nineveh, Ninevite Oholah and Oholibah Uriah

Topics

Ahaz: Visits Damascus Altar in Solomon's Temple: Removed by Ahaz, and One of Idolatrous Fashion Substituted Church and State: State Superior to Religion: Ahaz, in Transforming the Altars Kings: Who Reigned Over Judah: Ahaz Prophecies Concerning Israel: Ahaz Changes the Nature of the Altar in the Temple Temple: Solomon's: Ahaz Changes the Pattern of the Altar In The Altar of Burnt-Offering: Ahaz Removed and Profaned Urijah: A Priest in Ahaz: Builds a New Altar for Ahaz

2 Kings 16:15

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