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Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers 2 Kings 16:10–16. His two-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
Though Ahaz had himself sacrificed in high places, on hills, and under every green tree (Kg2 16:4), yet God's altar had hitherto continued in its place and in use, and the king's burnt-offering and his meat-offering (Kg2 16:15) had been offered upon it by the priests that attended it; but here we have it taken away by wicked Ahaz, and another altar, an idolatrous one, put in the room of it - a bolder stroke than the worst of the kings had yet given to religion. We have here,
I.The model of this new altar, taken from one at Damascus, by the king himself, Kg2 16:10.
The king of Assyria having taken Damascus, thither Ahaz went, to congratulate him on his success, to return him thanks for the kindness he had done him by this expedition, and, as his servant and son, to receive his commands. Had he been faithful to his God, he would not have needed to crouch thus meanly to a foreign power. At Damascus, either while viewing the rarities of the place, or rather while joining with them in their devotions (for, when he was there, he thought it no harm to do as they did), he saw an altar that pleased his fancy extremely, not such a plain old-fashioned one as that which he had been trained up in attendance upon at Jerusalem, but curiously carved, it is likely, and adorned with image-work; there were many pretty things about it which he thought significant, surprising, very charming, and calculated to excite his devotion. Solomon had but a dull fancy, he thought, compared with the ingenious artist that made this altar. Nothing will serve him but he must have an altar just like this: a pattern of it must be taken immediately; he cannot stay till he returns himself, but sends it before him in all haste, with orders to Urijah the priest to get one made exactly according to this model and have it ready against he came home. The pattern God showed to Moses in the mount or to David by the Spirit was not comparable to this pattern sent from Damascus. The hearts of idolaters walked after their eyes, which are therefore said to go a whoring after their idols; but the true worshippers worship the true God by faith.
II.The making of it by Urijah the priests, Kg2 16:11.
This Urijah, it is likely, was the chief priest who at this time presided in the temple-service. To him Ahaz sent an intimation of his mind (for we read not of any express orders he gave him), to get an altar made by this pattern. And, without any dispute or objection, he put it in hand immediately, being perhaps as fond of it as the king was, at least being very willing to humour the king and desirous to curry favour with him. Perhaps he might have this excuse for gratifying the king herein, that, by this means, he might keep him to the temple at Jerusalem and prevent his totally deserting it for the high places and the groves. "Let us oblige him in this," thinks Urijah, "and then he will bring all his sacrifices to us; for by this craft we get our living." But, whatever pretence he had, it was a most base wicked thing for him that was a priest, a chief priest, to make this altar, in compliance with an idolatrous prince, for hereby,
1.He prostituted his authority and profaned the crown of his priesthood, making himself a servant to the lusts of men. There is not a greater disgrace to the ministry than obsequiousness to such wicked commands as this was.
2.He betrayed his trust. As priest, he was bound to maintain and defend God's institutions, and to oppose and witness against all innovations; and, for him to assist and serve the king in setting up an altar to confront the altar which by divine appointment he was consecrated to minister at, was such a piece of treachery and perfidiousness as may justly render him infamous to all posterity. Had he only connived at the doing of it, - had he been frightened into it by menaces, - had he endeavoured to dissuade the king from it, or but delayed the doing of it till he came home, that he might first talk with him about it, - it would not have been so bad; but so willingly to walk after his commandment, as if he were glad of the opportunity to oblige him, was such an affront to the God he served as was utterly inexcusable.
III.The dedicating of it.
Urijah, perceiving that the king's heart was much upon it, took care to have it ready against he came down, and set it near the brazen altar, but somewhat lower and further from the door of the temple. The king was exceedingly pleased with it, approached it with all possible veneration, and offered thereon his burnt-offering, etc., Kg2 16:12, Kg2 16:13. His sacrifices were not offered to the God of Israel, but to the gods of Damascus (as we find Ch2 28:23), and, when he borrowed the Syrians' altar, no marvel that he borrowed their gods. Naaman, the Syrian, embraced the God of Israel when he got earth from the land of Israel to make an altar of.
IV.The removal of God's altar, to make room for it.
Urijah was so modest that he put this altar at the lower end of the court, and left God's altar in its place, between this and the house of the Lord, Kg2 16:14. But that would not satisfy Ahaz; he removed God's altar to an obscure corner in the north side of the court, and put his own before the sanctuary, in the place of it. He thinks his new altar is much more stately, and much more sightly, and disgraces that; and therefore "let that be laid aside as a vessel in which there is no pleasure." His superstitious invention, at first, jostled with God's sacred institution, but at length jostled it out. Note, Those will soon come to make nothing of God that will not be content to make him their all. Ahaz durst not (perhaps for fear of the people) quite demolish the brazen altar and knock it to pieces; but, while he ordered all the sacrifices to be offered upon this new altar (Kg2 16:15), The brazen altar (says he) shall be for me to enquire by. Having thrust it out from the use for which it was instituted, which was to sanctify the gifts offered upon it, he pretends to advance it above its institution, which it is common for superstitious people to do. The altar was never designed for an oracle, yet Ahaz will have it for that use. The Romish church seemingly magnifies Christ's sacraments, yet wretchedly corrupts them. But some give another sense of Ahaz's purpose: "As for the brazen altar, I will consider what to do with it, and give order about it." The Jews say that, afterwards, of the brass of it he made that famous dial which was called the dial of Ahaz, Kg2 20:11. The base compliance of the poor-spirited priest with the presumptuous usurpations of an ill-spirited king is again taken notice of (Kg2 16:16): Urijah the priest did according to all that king Ahaz commanded. Miserable is the case of great men when those that should reprove them for their sins strengthen and serve them in their sins.
Historical interpretation
Historical Reception
One surviving comment on this verse from the historical church.
The words “the bronze altar shall be for me to inquire by,” that is, in order to consult [God]: [the king] says these words in a purely formal manner, and not seriously.
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Summary
Second Kings 16:15 meticulously records King Ahaz's audacious decree to Urijah the priest, mandating that all legitimate daily, royal, and communal sacrifices—including the morning burnt offering, evening grain offering, and various drink offerings—be transferred from the divinely ordained bronze altar to the newly constructed, pagan-inspired "great altar." This command not only usurped the sacred space and purpose of God's prescribed altar but also relegated it to a mere instrument for Ahaz's personal inquiry, profoundly corrupting the sacred worship practices of Judah and illustrating the king's deep-seated spiritual rebellion and the priesthood's alarming complicity.
Context
Literary Context
This verse serves as a climactic moment in the narrative of King Ahaz's profound apostasy, which is meticulously detailed in 2 Kings 16. The chapter opens by immediately establishing Ahaz's wicked reign, highlighting his deviation from the righteous path of his ancestor David. His journey to Damascus, undertaken as an act of political alliance with the powerful Assyrian Empire, proved to be a pivotal catalyst for his religious perversion. While there, he was captivated by a pagan altar, whose precise design and specifications he promptly sent back to Jerusalem, instructing Urijah the priest to construct a replica before his return (compare 2 Kings 16:10-12). Upon his return, Ahaz personally inspected the new altar and, without hesitation, commanded that all traditional temple sacrifices be offered upon it, thereby effectively replacing the divinely appointed bronze altar. Verse 15 solidifies this act of sacrilege, not only by mandating the use of the new altar for all primary offerings but also by explicitly demoting the original bronze altar to a subservient, almost superstitious, role for Ahaz's personal use, further demonstrating his complete disregard for Yahweh's commands.
Historical & Cultural Context
King Ahaz reigned over Judah for approximately 16 years (c. 735-715 BC), a tumultuous period characterized by the escalating threat of the Neo-Assyrian Empire. Unlike his righteous father Jotham, Ahaz pursued a policy of appeasement and alliance with Assyria, even engaging in horrific pagan practices such as sacrificing his own son in the fires of Molech (see 2 Kings 16:3). His trip to Damascus was part of this broader Assyrian strategy, where he formally met with Tiglath-Pileser III, the Assyrian monarch. In the ancient Near East, altars were central to religious cults, often reflecting the power and prestige of the deity or ruler they served. Ahaz's adoption of a foreign altar design and its imposition on the Jerusalem Temple was a direct importation of pagan religious practices, symbolizing his political and spiritual subservience to foreign powers and their gods. This act constituted a blatant disregard for the Mosaic Law, which strictly forbade idolatry and prescribed specific forms and locations for worship, particularly regarding the altar of burnt offering (e.g., Exodus 27:1-8 and Deuteronomy 12:5-7).
Key Themes
This verse powerfully illustrates several critical themes woven throughout 2 Kings. Firstly, it starkly portrays Apostasy and Idolatry, as Ahaz's actions represent a deliberate and defiant abandonment of the covenant with Yahweh and a wholesale embrace of foreign religious practices. His replacement of God's prescribed altar with a pagan model directly challenged divine authority and the purity required in worship. Secondly, the passage underscores the Perversion of Worship. The very rituals designed for atonement and communion with God—the daily burnt and grain offerings—were now defiled by being offered on an altar that symbolized rebellion and idolatry, effectively stripping them of their spiritual efficacy and meaning in God's eyes. Thirdly, the Complicity of Leadership is a stark and tragic theme, as Urijah the priest, who was divinely entrusted with upholding God's law and guiding the people in righteousness, readily obeyed Ahaz's ungodly commands. This demonstrates a dangerous compromise of spiritual integrity for political expediency, highlighting the failure of those meant to protect the sanctity of God's worship. Finally, this episode vividly depicts the profound conflict between Human Authority and Divine Command, where human will and political expediency attempt to override God's explicit instructions, leading inevitably to spiritual decay and, ultimately, national judgment.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This word signifies something "great in any sense," including size, importance, or even insolence. In this context, "great altar" refers to the new, larger altar Ahaz had constructed, which was a replica of the pagan altar he saw in Damascus. The term highlights not its divine approval, but its imposing physical presence and the king's inflated sense of authority in dictating worship, contrasting sharply with the divinely ordained, yet now demoted, bronze altar.
This term refers to a "donation" or "tribute," specifically a "sacrificial offering (usually bloodless and voluntary)." In the KJV, "meat" is an archaic term for food in general, not animal flesh. This was typically a grain or cereal offering, often presented alongside burnt offerings, symbolizing dedication, thanksgiving, and the fruits of one's labor offered to God. Ahaz's command to burn this offering on the new altar thus perverted a fundamental act of devotion by moving it to an unauthorized, idolatrous site.
A primitive root meaning "to plough" or "break forth," but figuratively, "to inspect, admire, care for, consider," or "to inquire, search, seek out." While "to inquire" can have a positive connotation of seeking God, in Ahaz's context, his intention for the bronze altar—to "enquire by" it—suggests a superstitious or divinatory use, perhaps for personal omens, magical consultations, or a mere curiosity, rather than its divinely appointed purpose for corporate worship and atonement. This transforms a sacred instrument into a tool for personal, potentially pagan, manipulation.
Verse Breakdown
"And king Ahaz commanded Urijah the priest, saying"
This opening clause immediately establishes the king's absolute and illicit authority over religious matters, and the priest's alarming, immediate subservience. It highlights a critical reversal of roles: the king, not the priest, is dictating sacred religious practice, and Urijah, rather than upholding the Mosaic Law and challenging the king's ungodly decree, readily complies. This sets the stage for the profound perversion of worship that follows, demonstrating a dangerous erosion of spiritual authority and integrity.
"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"
This constitutes the core of Ahaz's sacrilege. He commands that all the regular, divinely prescribed daily and communal sacrifices—the morning and evening offerings (which were foundational to Israelite worship and atonement), as well as specific royal and popular offerings—be transferred from the legitimate bronze altar to the newly constructed, pagan-inspired "great altar." This act systematically desecrated the entire sacrificial system, rendering the offerings meaningless in God's sight, as they were performed on an unauthorized altar, symbolizing rebellion and syncretism rather than obedience and true worship.
"and sprinkle upon it all the blood of the burnt offering, and all the blood of the sacrifice"
This part of the command extends the perversion to the most sacred element of the sacrificial system: the blood. The sprinkling of blood was central to atonement and purification, symbolizing life offered to God as a means of covering sin (compare Leviticus 17:11). By commanding that this holy act be performed on the defiled "great altar," Ahaz further polluted the very means by which Israel was to draw near to God and receive forgiveness, effectively nullifying the spiritual efficacy of the rituals.
"and the brasen altar shall be for me to enquire [by]."
This final clause reveals Ahaz's ultimate contempt for God's design and his profound spiritual blindness. The bronze altar, divinely ordained for the most significant acts of national atonement and corporate worship, is stripped of its primary function. Instead, it is relegated to a personal, perhaps superstitious or divinatory, instrument for Ahaz's private "inquiry." This demotion is a profound act of disrespect, transforming a holy object into a mere curiosity or a tool for human manipulation, symbolizing Ahaz's complete disregard for God's revealed will and the sacredness of His sanctuary.
Literary Devices
The passage employs several potent literary devices to convey its message of spiritual decay and the king's audacious rebellion. Irony is profoundly evident, as the "great altar" built by Ahaz, intended to impress or perhaps appease foreign deities and secure political favor, ultimately becomes a symbol of Judah's spiritual diminishment and the king's profound unfaithfulness to Yahweh. The very acts of worship, divinely intended to bring the people closer to God and secure atonement, are perverted into acts of rebellion and idolatry. Contrast is also central, highlighting the stark difference between the divinely ordained bronze altar and the pagan-inspired "great altar," as well as the fundamental contrast between true, obedient worship and Ahaz's corrupted, self-serving rituals. This juxtaposition underscores the gravity of Ahaz's sin and the defilement of God's sanctuary. Furthermore, the narrative uses powerful Symbolism; the new altar symbolizes Ahaz's idolatry, his political alliances, and his spiritual apostasy, while the demoted bronze altar tragically symbolizes the rejection of God's covenant and the desecration of His holy sanctuary. Urijah the priest's immediate compliance, rather than courageous resistance, serves as a tragic symbol of compromised spiritual leadership and the pervasive moral decay within Judah.
Theological and Thematic Connections
The account of Ahaz's perversion of worship in 2 Kings 16:15 resonates deeply with the biblical emphasis on true worship and the profound dangers of idolatry and syncretism. God consistently demands exclusive devotion and worship conducted strictly according to His revealed will, not human invention, cultural trends, or political expediency. Ahaz's actions represent a direct and flagrant violation of the first two commandments—having no other gods before Yahweh and not making graven images or bowing down to them (see Exodus 20:3-6). His imposition of a foreign altar and the demotion of God's altar demonstrate a fundamental misunderstanding, indeed a contempt, for God's holiness, sovereignty, and His prescribed means of atonement. This episode serves as a powerful and enduring warning against spiritual syncretism, where elements of true faith are mixed with pagan practices, ultimately leading to apostasy, divine judgment, and the spiritual ruin of a nation. It underscores the timeless truth that God values obedience and a pure heart in worship far more than the mere performance of rituals, especially when those rituals are offered on defiled altars.
Reflection and Application
The narrative of King Ahaz and Urijah the priest in 2 Kings 16:15 offers profound and sobering lessons for contemporary believers regarding the nature of true worship and the insidious perils of spiritual compromise. In a world that often prioritizes personal preference, cultural relevance, or political expediency over divine truth, this passage calls us to critically examine the foundations of our own faith and worship practices. Are we genuinely worshipping God on His terms, or are we subtly introducing "foreign altars" into our spiritual lives—whether they be worldly values, self-serving ambitions, human traditions, or even seemingly innocuous cultural trends that dilute the purity and exclusivity of our devotion to Christ? The complicity of Urijah, the priest entrusted with upholding God's law, serves as a stark reminder that spiritual leaders, and indeed all believers, have a solemn responsibility to courageously uphold God's truth, even when it is unpopular, inconvenient, or challenges established human authority. Authentic worship is not merely about performing rituals or attending services; it is fundamentally about a heart submitted to God's revealed will, seeking to honor Him in spirit and truth. This requires constant discernment to distinguish between genuine devotion and practices that, while appearing religious, may be rooted in human desire, cultural conformity, or even outright rebellion rather than divine command.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What was the significance of the "great altar" Ahaz commanded to be built?
The "great altar" was profoundly significant because it was not a divinely sanctioned structure but a deliberate replica of a pagan altar Ahaz had admired in Damascus. Its construction and mandated use symbolized Ahaz's profound spiritual rebellion, his adoption of foreign idolatrous practices, and his direct challenge to God's authority and the purity of worship in the Jerusalem Temple. By commanding all legitimate, divinely prescribed sacrifices to be offered on this new, unauthorized altar, Ahaz effectively defiled the entire sacrificial system and introduced a blatant element of syncretism into Israelite worship, which was strictly forbidden by God's law (e.g., Deuteronomy 12:2-4). This act represented a national turning away from Yahweh.
Why was Urijah the priest's compliance so problematic?
Urijah's compliance was deeply problematic because, as a priest, he held a sacred office entrusted with upholding God's law, guarding the sanctity of the Temple, and mediating between God and the people. His primary duty was to ensure that worship was conducted precisely according to divine commands, not human whims, especially those that were idolatrous or rebellious. By readily obeying Ahaz's command to build and use the pagan altar and demote the bronze altar, Urijah failed in his sacred duty. He prioritized the king's decree and likely his own personal safety or position over God's explicit instructions, demonstrating a dangerous compromise of spiritual integrity and setting a terrible precedent for the people, effectively facilitating the king's apostasy and the defilement of the sanctuary (compare Malachi 2:7-8).
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
The perversion of worship under King Ahaz, as meticulously detailed in 2 Kings 16:15, powerfully underscores humanity's inherent inability to approach a holy God on its own terms and highlights the desperate need for a perfect High Priest and a final, undefiled sacrifice. The Old Testament sacrificial system, with its divinely ordained altars and rituals, was always a shadow, pointing forward to the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Ahaz's audacious attempt to replace God's altar with a human-designed one, and to pervert the very acts of atonement, demonstrates the utter futility of human efforts to bridge the gap with God through corrupted or unauthorized means. In stark contrast, Jesus Christ is the true and perfect Lamb of God whose sacrifice was offered once for all on the ultimate "altar" of the cross—not a man-made structure, but a divine appointment and a cosmic event (see Hebrews 9:26-28). He serves as our High Priest, not like Urijah who compromised, but one who is "holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens" (Hebrews 7:26). Through Christ, believers are invited to worship God "in spirit and truth" (John 4:24), no longer bound by physical altars or humanly devised rituals, but by the perfect and complete work of the Son, who has opened a new and living way to the Father (Hebrews 10:19-20).