2 Kings 21:4

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."

2 Kings 21:4 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 21:4

And he built altars in the house of the Lord
In the holy place, as distinct from the courts in the next verse; and these were sacred to the idols of the Gentiles:

of which the Lord said, in Jerusalem will I put my name;
in the temple there, devoted to his service, called by his name, and where his name was called upon, see ( Deuteronomy 12:5 ) ( 16:6 ) and to erect altars to idols here must be very abominable to him.

2 Kings 21:4 In-Context

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.

6 He burned his own son alive, consulted sign readers and fortune-tellers, and used mediums and diviners. He did much evil in the LORD's eyes and made him angry.