2 Kings 21:3

3 And he was turned, and builded [up] (again the) high things, which Hezekiah, his father (had) destroyed; and he raised up altars of Baal, and he made maumet woods, as Ahab, king of Israel, had done; and he worshipped withoutforth all the knighthood of (the) heaven(s), and worshipped it in heart. (And he rebuilt the hill shrines, which his father Hezekiah had destroyed; and he raised up altars for Baal, and he made idol groves, or a sacred pole, like Ahab, the king of Israel, had done; and he worshipped withoutforth all the host of heaven, and also worshipped them with his heart.)

2 Kings 21:3 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 21:3

For he built up again the high places which Hezekiah his
father had destroyed
The temples and altars upon them, see ( 2 Kings 18:4 ) ,

and he reared up altars for Baal;
in the high places he rebuilt:

and made a grove, as did Ahab king of Israel:
which was either an idol itself, or a shade of trees where idols were placed; or rather Asherah, rendered "a grove", is the same with Astarte, the goddess of the Zidonians, the figure of which he made and worshipped; for groves were not so soon and easily planted, raised, and made; so the same in ( 1 Kings 16:33 )

and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them:
the sun, moon, and stars, particularly the planets Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, and Venus.

2 Kings 21:3 In-Context

1 Manasseh was of twelve years, when he began to reign, and he reigned five and fifty years in Jerusalem; the name of his mother was Hephzibah.
2 And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, after the evils of heathen men, the which men the Lord did away from the face of the sons of Israel.
3 And he was turned, and builded [up] (again the) high things, which Hezekiah, his father (had) destroyed; and he raised up altars of Baal, and he made maumet woods, as Ahab, king of Israel, had done; and he worshipped withoutforth all the knighthood of (the) heaven(s), and worshipped it in heart. (And he rebuilt the hill shrines, which his father Hezekiah had destroyed; and he raised up altars for Baal, and he made idol groves, or a sacred pole, like Ahab, the king of Israel, had done; and he worshipped withoutforth all the host of heaven, and also worshipped them with his heart.)
4 And he builded altars in the house of the Lord, of which the Lord said, I shall set my name in Jerusalem. (And he built altars in the House of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, I shall set my name in Jerusalem there.)
5 And he builded altars to all the knighthood of (the) heaven(s) in the two large places of the temple of the Lord; (And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two large courtyards of the Temple of the Lord;)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.