2 Kings 21:3

3 He rebuilt the shrines that his father Hezekiah had destroyed, set up altars for Baal, and made a sacred pole, just as Israel's King Ahab had done. He bowed down to all the stars in the sky and worshipped them.

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 12 years old when he became king, and he ruled for fifty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Hephzibah.

2 He did what was evil in the LORD's eyes, imitating the detestable practices of the nations that the LORD had driven out before the Israelites.

3 He rebuilt the shrines that his father Hezekiah had destroyed, set up altars for Baal, and made a sacred pole, just as Israel's King Ahab had done. He bowed down to all the stars in the sky and worshipped them.

4 He even built altars in the two courtyards of the LORD's temple—the very place the LORD was speaking of when he said: "I will put my name in Jerusalem."

5 Manasseh built altars for all the stars in the sky in both courtyards of the LORD's temple.

Footnotes

• [a] Heb asherah, perhaps a pole devoted to the goddess Asherah