2 Kings 18:16

16 In that time Hezekiah (also) brake (up) the gates of the temple of the Lord, and the plates of gold, which he had fastened (to them), and he gave those to the king of Assyrians. (And at that time Hezekiah also broke apart the gates of the Temple of the Lord; and he gave the gold plates, which he had fastened to the gates, to the king of Assyria.)

2 Kings 18:16 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 18:16

At that time did Hezekiah cut off the gold from the doors of
the temple of the Lord
The plates of gold with which they were covered; or scraped off the gold from them, as the Targum interprets it:

and from the pillars which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid:
or the posts, as the Targum, the lintel or side posts of the doors of the temple; which though covered in Solomon's time, the gold was worn off, or had been taken off by Ahaz, but was renewed by Hezekiah; and who, in this time of distress, thought he might take it off again, no doubt with a full purpose to replace it, when he should be able. This is one of the three things the Talmudic writers ^F19 disapprove of in Hezekiah:

and gave it to the king of Assyria;
to make up the thirty talents of gold he demanded.

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FOOTNOTES:

F19 T. Bab. Beracot, fol. 10. 2.

2 Kings 18:16 In-Context

14 Then Hezekiah, king of Judah, sent messengers to the king of Assyrians into Lachish, and said, I have sinned (I have done wrong); go away from me, and I shall bear all things, that thou shalt put to me. Therefore the king of Assyrians putted on Hezekiah, king of Judah, (a fine of) three hundred talents of silver, and thirty talents of gold.

15 And Hezekiah gave all the silver, that was found in the house of the Lord, and in the king's treasures, to the king of Assyrians. (And Hezekiah gave all the silver, that was found in the House of the Lord, and in the treasuries of the palace, to the king of Assyria.)

16 In that time Hezekiah (also) brake (up) the gates of the temple of the Lord, and the plates of gold, which he had fastened (to them), and he gave those to the king of Assyrians. (And at that time Hezekiah also broke apart the gates of the Temple of the Lord; and he gave the gold plates, which he had fastened to the gates, to the king of Assyria.)

17 Forsooth the king of Assyrians sent Tartan (and Rabsaris) and Rabshakeh from Lachish to king Hezekiah, with strong hand to Jerusalem; and when they had gone up, they came to Jerusalem, and stood beside the water conduit of the higher cistern, which is in the way of the fuller, or of (the) tucker. (And the king of Assyria sent Tartan, and Rabsaris, and Rabshakeh, from Lachish to King Hezekiah, with a strong army against Jerusalem; and when they had gone up, they came to Jerusalem, and stood beside the water conduit of the higher cistern, which is on the way to the fullers, or to the tuckers.)

18 And they called (for) the king; soothly Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah, the sovereign of the house, and Shebna, the scribe, and Joah, (the) chancellor, the son of Asaph, went out to them.