Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Kings 16:3
But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yea, and made his son to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel.
3. he walked in the way of the kings of Israel ] This is more fully explained by the Chronicler, and means that he followed after all kinds of heathen idolatry, not that he introduced the worship of the calves from Israel into Judah. ‘He made molten images for the Baalim, and burnt incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom.’ ‘It is hard not to be infected with a contagious neighbourhood. Whoever read that the kingdom of Israel was seasoned with the vicinity of the true religion of Judah? Goodness, such as our nature is, is not so apt to spread. A tainted air doth more easily affect a sound body, than a wholesome air can clear the sick’. (Bp. Hall.)
yea, and made his son to pass through the fire ] i.e. To Moloch. Thus introducing into Judah once more, as in Solomon’s days (1Ki 11:7) the worship of ‘the abomination of the children of Ammon’. The words of this verse might be made to refer only to a passing through flame, as a ceremony significant of purification. But the words of the Chronicler are stronger: ‘he burnt his children in the fire.’ From which it would appear that not one son only was offered. That the children offered in such sacrifices were actually burnt is seen from 2Ki 17:31; Eze 16:21; and many other passages. But from the words of Ezekiel it may perhaps be inferred that the victims were first slain and then burnt. ‘Thou hast taken thy sons and thy daughters whom thou hast borne unto me and these hast thou sacrificed unto them to be devoured thou hast slain my children and delivered them up in causing them to pass through the fire unto them.’
according to the abominations of the heathen ] The word ‘abomination’ is constantly employed of idols and their worship, their rites being often of the foulest character. The heathen practices of Tyre and Sidon, of the Ammonites, and of the Syrians of Damascus all now found place and worshippers in Jerusalem.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Ahaz was the worst of all the kings of Judah. He imitated the worst of the Israelite kings – Ahab and Ahaziah – by a re-introduction of the Baal worship, which had been rooted out of Israel by Jehu and out of Judah by Jehoiada.
And made Iris son to pass through the fire – i. e. Ahaz adopted the Moloch worship of the Ammonites and Moabites 2Ki 3:27; Mic 6:7, and sacrificed at least one son, probably his firstborn, according to the horrid rites of those nations, and the Canaanite tribes Deu 12:31; Psa 106:37-38. Hereto, apparently, the Jews had been guiltless of this abomination. They had been warned against it by Moses (marginal reference; Deu 18:10); and if (as some think) they had practiced it in the wilderness Eze 20:26; Amo 5:26, the sin must have been rare and exceptional; from the date of their entrance into the promised land they had wholly put it away. Now, however, it became so frequent (compare 2Ki 17:17; 2Ki 21:6) as to meet with the strongest protest from Jeremiah and Ezekiel (Jer 7:31-32; Jer 19:2-6; Jer 32:35; Eze 16:20; Eze 20:26; Eze 23:37, etc.).
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 3. Made his son to pass through the fire] On this passage I beg leave to refer the reader to my notes on Le 18:21; Le 20:2; Le 20:14, where the subject is considered at large.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Made his son to pass through the fire; either,
1. By way of lustration, to pass hastily through it, so as to be scorched, and, as it were, baptized with it. Or,
2. By way of oblation, so as to be utterly consumed, and offered for a burntoffering, which was the practice of heathens, and of some Israelites, in imitation of them; of which see 2Ki 21:6; Psa 105:35; Jer 7:31; which seems best to agree with 2Ch 28:3, where it is said he burnt his children, i.e., some of them; first one, as is here noted; and afterwards others of them, as is there observed. Of these practices, see more on Lev 18:21; Deu 18:10.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
3. walked in the way of the kings ofIsraelThis is descriptive of the early part of his reign,when, like the kings of Israel, he patronized the symbolic worship ofGod by images but he gradually went farther into gross idolatry (2Ch28:2).
made his son to pass throughthe fire (2Ki 23:10).The hands of the idol Moloch being red hot, the children were passedthrough between them, which was considered a form of lustration.There is reason to believe that, in certain circumstances, thechildren were burnt to death (Ps106:37). This was strongly prohibited in the law (Lev 18:21;Lev 20:2-5; Deu 18:10),although there is no evidence that it was practised in Israel tillthe time of Ahaz.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel….. Worshipping the calves as they did; which, as it was contrary to the religious sentiments in which he was educated, so against his political interest, which was the only, or at least the principal thing, which swayed with the kings of Israel to continue that idolatry:
yea, and made his son to pass through the fire; between two fires to Molech, by way of lustration; which might be true of Hezekiah his son, and others of his sons, for he had more he burnt with fire, as appears from 2Ch 28:3, both ways were used in that sort of idolatry,
[See comments on Le 18:21],
according to the abominations of the heathen, whom the Lord cast out from before the children of Israel; the old Canaanites; so the Carthaginians, a colony of the Phoenicians, used in time of calamity to offer human sacrifices, and even their children, to appease their deities l. Theodoret says, he had seen in some cities, in his time, piles kindled once a year, over which not only boys, but men, would leap, and infants were carried by their mothers through the flames; which seemed to be an expiation or purgation, and which he takes to be the same with the sin of Ahaz.
l Justin. e Trogo, Hist. l. 18. c. 6. Curt. Hist. l. 4. c. 3. Pescennius Festus apud Lactant. de fals. Relig. l. 1. c. 21.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(3) But he walked in the way.See Notes on 2Ch. 28:2.
Made his son to pass through the fire.The chronicler rightly explains this as a sacrifice by fire. That such an appalling rite is really intended may be seen by reference to 2Ki. 17:31; Jer. 19:5; Eze. 16:20; Eze. 23:37; Jer. 32:35. The expression, To make-to pass through the fire to Moloch (Lev. 18:21) may have originated, as Movers suggests, in the idea that the burning was a kind of passage to union with the deity, after the dross of the flesh had been purged away; or it may be a mere euphemism. Ahaz appears to have been the first Israelite king who offered such a sacrifice. He, no doubt, regarded it as a last desperate resource against the oppression of his northern enemies. It is absurd to suppose that the king intended it in love to his child, as Thenius suggests. (See Jdg. 11:31.) Such dreadful sacrifices were only made in cases of dire extremity. (Comp. 2Ki. 3:27.)
The heathen.More particularly the Ammonites, who made such sacrifices to Molech or Milcom.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
3. Walked in the way of the kings of Israel By running into all sorts of idolatry, and forming leagues with the heathen. His reign was a period of enormous wickedness, and to Judah one of numerous disasters.
Made his son to pass through the fire This expression, more fully written in 2Ki 23:10, to pass through the fire to Molech, is interpreted by the rabbies to mean merely the passing between two burning pyres as a purificatory rite. But this is refuted by the parallel passage in 2Ch 28:3: He burnt his children in the fire, and also by the unequivocal statements of the following texts: Psa 106:37-38; Jer 7:31; Jer 19:4-5; Eze 16:20-21; Eze 23:37. A comparison of all these passages will show that the victims were slain before they were burned. The laws of Moses warned the Israelites against this very abomination, Compare Lev 18:21; Lev 20:2-4; Deu 18:10. The rabbinical theory evidently sprung from a desire to escape the charge of the atrocious idolatries of the ancient Jews.
Abominations of the heathen Several of the Canaanitish nations, as well as the Ammonites and Moabites, appear to have practised this horrible rite. According to Movers, “the burning of the children was regarded as a passing through, by which they attained to purification with the deity after the dissolution of the earthly, impure dross of the body.”
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
2Ki 16:3 But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yea, and made his son to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel.
Ver. 3. But he walked in the way, &c. ] He “did wickedly as he could,” as if he had been “delivered to do all these abominations,” as Jer 7:10 .
According to the abominations of the heathen.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
he walked. Compare 2Ch 28:2.
son. See note on 2Ch 28:3.
to pass through the fire. The first king of Judah to do this. Followed in it by Manasseh (2Ki 21:6; 2Ki 23:10). Compare Jer 7:31. Eze 20:26, and Lev 18:21.
heathen = nations.
children = sons.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
he walked: 2Ki 8:18, 1Ki 12:28-30, 1Ki 16:31-33, 1Ki 21:25, 1Ki 21:26, 1Ki 22:52, 1Ki 22:53, 2Ch 22:3, 2Ch 28:2-4
made his son: 2Ki 17:17, 2Ki 23:10, Lev 18:21, Lev 20:2, Deu 12:31, Deu 18:10, 2Ch 33:6, Psa 106:37, Psa 106:38, Jer 32:35, Eze 16:21, Eze 20:26, Eze 20:31
according: 2Ki 21:2, 2Ki 21:11, Deu 12:31, 1Ki 14:24, 2Ch 33:2, Psa 106:35, Eze 16:47
Reciprocal: Lev 18:27 – General 2Ki 15:37 – In those days 2Ki 17:8 – walked 2Ki 17:19 – walked 2Ki 21:6 – he made 2Ch 28:3 – burnt Isa 57:5 – under Eze 11:12 – but Eze 16:20 – and these Mic 1:5 – they Mic 1:13 – for Mic 6:7 – shall Mic 6:16 – the works
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
2Ki 16:3. He walked in the way of the kings of Israel Who all worshipped the calves, and were therefore idolaters. He was not joined in any affinity with them, as Jehoram and Ahaziah were with the house of Ahab, but of his own accord and voluntary motion, and, without any instigation, he walked in their way. The kings of Israel pleaded policy and reasons of state for their idolatry; but Ahaz had no such pretence: in him it was the most unreasonable and impolitic conduct that could be. They were his enemies, and had manifested that they were enemies to themselves too by their idolatry; yet he walked in their way. And made his son to pass through the fire By way of oblation, so as to be consumed for a burnt- offering, which was the practice of heathen, and of some Israelites in imitation of them. Thus 2Ch 28:3, it is said, He burned his children in the fire, that is, some of them, first one, as is here mentioned, and afterward others, as is there observed. See on Lev 18:21, and Deu 18:10. According to the abominations of the heathen, whom the Lord cast out It was an instance of his great folly that, in his religion, he would be guided by and imitate those whom he saw fallen into the ditch before his eyes; and of his great impiety, that he would conform to those usages which God had declared to be abominable to him.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
16:3 But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yea, and made his son to {b} pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel.
(b) That is, offered him to Molech or made him pass between two fires, as the manner of the Gentiles was, Lev 18:21, De 18:10.