2 Kings 16:4

4 And he offered sacrifices, and burnt incense in (the) high places, and in (the) hills, and under each tree full of boughs. (And he offered sacrifices, and burned incense at the hill shrines, and on the hills, and under each tree full of boughs.)

2 Kings 16:4 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 16:4

And he sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places, and on
the hills
Which none of the kings of Judah before him ever did; for though they connived at this practice in the people, they never encouraged it by their own example; and very probably he offered sacrifices there to idols, see ( 2 Chronicles 28:25 ) whereas the people sacrificed to the true God, though at a wrong place:

and under every green tree;
and which is never said of the people, and seems to confirm it, that Ahaz sacrificed to other gods, since the Heathens used to place idols under green trees, and worship them, whom the Jews imitated, ( Jeremiah 2:2 ) ( 3:6 ) .

2 Kings 16:4 In-Context

2 Ahaz was of twenty years, when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem; he did not that, that was pleasant in the sight of his Lord God, as David, his father, did (he did not do what was pleasing before the Lord his God, as his forefather David did),

3 but he went in the way of the kings of Israel. Furthermore and he hallowed his son, and bare, or drew him, through the fire, after the idols of heathen men, which the Lord destroyed before the sons of Israel. (but he went in the way of the kings of Israel. And furthermore, he offered his own son in the fire, as a sacrifice to the idols of the heathen, whom the Lord had destroyed before the Israelites.)

4 And he offered sacrifices, and burnt incense in (the) high places, and in (the) hills, and under each tree full of boughs. (And he offered sacrifices, and burned incense at the hill shrines, and on the hills, and under each tree full of boughs.)

5 Then Rezin, king of Syria, and Pekah, son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up into Jerusalem to fight with Ahaz; and when they besieged Ahaz, they might not overcome him (but when they besieged Ahaz, they could not overcome him).

6 In that time Rezin, king of Syria, restored Elath to Syria, and casted out the Jews from Elath; and Idumeans and men of Syria came into Elath, and dwelled there till into this day. (At that time Rezin, the king of Syria, restored Elath to Syria, and cast out the Jews from Elath; and the Edomites and the Syrians came into Elath, and live there unto this day.)