Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Kings 23:12
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 broke [them] down from thence, and cast the dust of them into the brook Kidron.
12. the altars that were on the top [R.V. roof ] of the upper chamber of Ahaz ] This chamber must also have been erected on some of the buildings (perhaps over a gateway), by which the temple was encircled. It was evidently intended for the worship of the host of heaven. Altars on the roof are mentioned in Zep 1:5, and there it is expressly said that they were erected for this worship. Cf. also Jer 19:13; Jer 32:29. The worship of the heavenly host was therefore introduced into Judah as early as Ahaz’s time.
the altars which Manasseh had mode ] See above 2Ki 21:4-5.
did the king beat down [R.V. break ], and brake [R.V. beat ] them down from thence ] The former verb is rendered ‘break down’ in verses 7, 8 and 15, and that being rendered here consistently, the second verb must be translated differently. It will be seen from the margin both of A.V. and R.V. that the latter may also be rendered ‘he ran’, and this, which is a very well-supported translation, expresses the haste and eagerness manifested to complete the work of destruction.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 12. On the top of the upper chamber] Altars built on the flat roof of the house. Such altars were erected to the sun, moon, stars, &c.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
On the top of the upper chamber of Ahaz, i.e. upon the roof of the kings house. They were so mad upon their idols, that they were not content with all their public high places and altars, but made others upon their house-tops, for the worship of the heavenly bodies. See Jer 19:13; Zep 1:5.
Which Manasseh had made.
Quest. How could this be, when Manasseh had taken them away before, 2Ch 33:15?
Answ. Either these altars were not so fully destroyed as they should have been, the foundations of them being left through the neglect of the officers appointed to do that work, upon which Amon built his new altars; or if they were wholly rooted out, Amons new altars are called by his fathers name, because they were built by his example, and in the very same place where his fathers altars were; as the wells which Isaac digged in the same place where Abraham had digged them before, were therefore called by their ancient names, Gen 26:18. See more on the next verse.
In the two courts; the priests and the peoples. See 2Ki 21:5.
Cast the dust of them into the brook Kidron; partly to show his detestation of them, and partly to abolish the very remembrance of them as far as he could.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
12. the altars that were on the topof the upper chamber of AhazAltars were reared on the flatroofs of houses, where the worshippers of “the host of heaven”burnt incense (Zep 1:5; Jer 19:13).Ahaz had reared altars for this purpose on the oleah, or upperchamber of his palace, and Manasseh on some portion of the roof ofthe temple. Josiah demolished both of these structures.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And the altars that were on the top of the upper chamber of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made,…. Which were on the roof of the royal palace; the roofs of houses in Judah being flat, De 21:8 altars might be built upon them; so, in Arabia, altars were built on the tops of houses to offer incense thereon daily to the sun p; as here by Manasseh and Amon very probably, which might be chosen because nearer the heavens; for which reason the Heathens made use of high places to worship in, see Jer 19:13
and the altars which Manasseh had made in the two courts of the house of the Lord; 2Ki 21:5
did the king beat down; ordered to be demolished:
and brake them down from thence, and cast the dust of them into the brook Kidron; that there might be no remains of them to be put to any superstitious use.
p Strabo, Geograph l. 16. p. 539.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(12) And the altars that were on the top (roof) of the upper chamber of Ahaz.The roof of an upper chamber in one of the Temple courts. perhaps built over one of the gateways (comp. Jer. 35:4), appears to be meant. The altars were for star-worship, which was especially practised on housetops. (Comp. Jer. 19:13; Jer. 32:29; Zep. 1:5.)
Brake them down from thence.The Targum has removed from thence; the LXX. pulled them down from thence (). The Hebrew probably means ran from thence; marking the haste with which the work was done. The clause thus adds a vivid touch to the narrative. It is hardly necessary to alter the points with Kimchi and Thenius, so as to read, he caused to run from thence; i.e., hurried them away.
Cast the dust of them.Over the wall of the Temple enclosure, into the ravine beneath.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
12. On the top On the roof, which in many Oriental houses is a large, flat, solid surface, much frequented by the people, especially in the cool of the day.
Upper chamber of Ahaz Whether this was in the temple, or in some out-building of the court, cannot be determined; it was called after Ahaz, probably because he built it and used it for observing the stars and burning incense to the host of heaven. Compare Jer 19:13; Zep 1:5; and note on 2Ki 17:16. For this same purpose, also, had the later kings of Judah, namely, Manasseh and Amon, kept altars there.
Altars which Manasseh had made See 2Ki 21:5.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
2Ki 23:12. The altars that were on the top of the upper chamber Or, The altars on the house-top. The ancient idolaters and the magi were wont to sacrifice not only upon high places and mountains, but also upon the housetops. See Jer 32:29.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
2Ki 23:12 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.
Ver. 12. And the altars that were on the top. ] See Jer 19:13 Zep 1:5 . Ahaz was .
And the altars which Manasseh had made.
And brake them down from thence.
Into the brook Kidron,
a Vatab.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
top = roof, “[the roof] of”, &c. brake them down. The margin of Authorized Version seems preferable here: “hurried away [with them] from thence”.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
on the top: Deu 22:8, Jer 19:13, Zep 1:5
which Manasseh: 2Ki 21:5, 2Ki 21:21, 2Ki 21:22, 2Ch 33:5, 2Ch 33:15
brake them down from thence: or, ran from thence
cast: 2Ki 23:6
Reciprocal: 1Ki 15:13 – destroyed 2Ch 15:16 – cut down 2Ch 30:14 – altars 2Ch 34:4 – made dust Jer 7:30 – they Jer 19:4 – estranged Jer 31:40 – the brook Eze 5:11 – thou hast Eze 7:20 – but Eze 16:24 – thou hast Eze 23:38 – they have Eze 43:8 – setting Amo 5:26 – the tabernacle of your Moloch Joh 18:1 – the brook
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
2Ki 23:12. The altars on the top of the upper chamber, &c. Read, says Mr. Locke, the altars on the house-top. According to Jeremiah, chap. Jer 32:29, they were so mad upon their idols, that they were not content with their numerous public high places and altars, but made others upon their house-tops for the worship of Baal and others of their false gods. And the altars which Manasseh had made in the two courts, &c. We learn from 2Ch 33:13-15, that when Manasseh repented he took away all the altars he had built in the mount of the house of the Lord, and in Jerusalem; and it is probable those in the court of the priests, and in that of the people, were then removed; but, it seems, Amon set them up again in the very place where Manasseh had erected them, and therefore they are here called his altars. And cast the dust of them into the brook Kidron To show his detestation of them, and to abolish the very remembrance of them.