2 Kings 16:17

17 Then King Ahaz cut off the frames of the water carts^[a] and removed the bronze basin from [each of] them. He took the reservoir^[b][c]from the bronze oxen that were under it and put it on a stone pavement.

2 Kings 16:17 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 16:17

And King Ahaz cut off the borders of the bases, and removed
the laver from off them
In the temple there were ten lavers for the priests to wash in, which are here meant, the singular being put for the plural; and these had bases of brass, on which they were set; and about these bases were borders, which had on them figures of various creatures, lions, oxen, and cherubim; and these Ahaz cut off, either to deface them, in contempt of them, or to convert the brass to other uses, as he might also the bases themselves, since he removed the lavers from off of them, see ( 1 Kings 7:27-30 )

and took down the sea from off the brasen oxen [that were] under it;
the molten sea Solomon made, which he set upon twelve oxen made of brass; this Ahaz took down from thence, either to abate its magnificence, and render it despicable, or for the sake of the brass, of which the oxen were made, see ( 1 Kings 7:23-26 )

and put it upon a pavement of stones;
not upon the floor of the temple, for that was of wood, fir, or cedar, but on rows of stones, placed instead of bases for it to stand upon.

2 Kings 16:17 In-Context

15 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 his grain offering. [Also offer] the burnt offering of all the people of the land, their grain offering, and their drink offerings. Sprinkle on the altar all the blood of the burnt offering and all the blood of sacrifice. The bronze altar will be for me to seek guidance."

16 Uriah the priest did everything King Ahaz commanded.

17 Then King Ahaz cut off the frames of the water carts and removed the bronze basin from [each of] them. He took the reservoirfrom the bronze oxen that were under it and put it on a stone pavement.

18 To satisfy the king of Assyria, he removed from the Lord's temple the Sabbath canopy they had built in the palace, and [he closed] the outer entrance for the king.

19 The rest of the events of Ahaz's [reign], along with his accomplishments, are written about in the Historical Record of Judah's Kings.

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit the stands
• [b]. Lit sea
• [c]. 1Kg 7:23-25,38-39; 2 Ch 28:24