2 Kings 23:12

12 Also the king destroyed the altars, that were on the roofs of the solar of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made; and the king destroyed the altars, which Manasseh had made in the two great places of the temple of the Lord; and he ran from thence, and scattered the ashes of those altars into the strand of Kidron. (And the king destroyed the altars that were on the roof of the solarium of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made; and the king destroyed the altars which Manasseh had made in the two great courtyards of the Temple of the Lord; and he went from there, and scattered the ashes of those altars in the Kidron Valley.)

2 Kings 23:12 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 23:12

And the altars that were on the top of the upper chamber of
Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made
Which were on the roof of the royal palace; the roofs of houses in Judah being flat, ( Deuteronomy 21:8 ) altars might be built upon them; so, in Arabia, altars were built on the tops of houses to offer incense thereon daily to the sun ^F16; as here by Manasseh and Amon very probably, which might be chosen because nearer the heavens; for which reason the Heathens made use of high places to worship in, see ( Jeremiah 19:13 ) ( 32:29 ) ( Zephaniah 1:5 )

and the altars which Manasseh had made in the two courts of the house
of the Lord;
( 2 Kings 21:5 )

did the king beat down;
ordered to be demolished:

and brake them down from thence, and cast the dust of them into the
brook Kidron;
that there might be no remains of them to be put to any superstitious use.

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FOOTNOTES:

F16 Strabo, Geograph l. 16. p. 539.

2 Kings 23:12 In-Context

10 Also he defouled Topheth, which is in the even valley of the son of Hinnom, (so) that no man should hallow his son either his daughter by fire to Moloch. (And he defiled Topheth, which is in the Valley of Ben-hinnom, so that no man would sacrifice his son or his daughter in the fire to Moloch.)

11 Also he did away [the] horses, that the kings of Judah had given to the sun, in the entering of the temple of the Lord, beside the chamber of Nathanmelech, the gelding, that was in (the) Parvarim, (that is, the suburbs, or the living quarters); forsooth he burnt by fire the chariots of the sun. (And he did away the horses, that the kings of Judah had erected to the sun, at the entrance to the Temple of the Lord, beside the chamber of Nathanmelech, the eunuch, that was in the Parvarim, that is, in the suburbs, or the living quarters; and he burned up the chariots of the sun.)

12 Also the king destroyed the altars, that were on the roofs of the solar of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made; and the king destroyed the altars, which Manasseh had made in the two great places of the temple of the Lord; and he ran from thence, and scattered the ashes of those altars into the strand of Kidron. (And the king destroyed the altars that were on the roof of the solarium of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made; and the king destroyed the altars which Manasseh had made in the two great courtyards of the Temple of the Lord; and he went from there, and scattered the ashes of those altars in the Kidron Valley.)

13 Also the king defouled the high things, that were in Jerusalem at the right half of the hill of offence, that is, the hill of Olivet, which Solomon, king of Israel, had builded to Ashtoreth, the idol of Sidonians, and to Chemosh, the offence of Moab, and to Malcham, the abomination of the sons of Ammon; (And the king defiled the hill shrines that were east of Jerusalem, on the right side of the hill of offence, that is, south of the Mount of Olives, which Solomon, the king of Israel, had built for Ashtoreth, the false god of the Sidonians, and for Chemosh, the offensive god of Moab, and for Milcom, the abominable god of the Ammonites;)

14 and he all-brake [the] images, and cutted down (the) [maumet] woods (and cut down the sacred poles of Asherah), and filled the places of those with the bones of dead men