2 Kings 21:3

3 He rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had destroyed^[a] and reestablished the altars for Baal. He made an Asherah,^[b] as King Ahab of Israel had done; he also worshiped the whole heavenly host and served 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; he reigned 55 years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Hephzibah.

2 He did what was evil in the Lord's sight, imitating the abominations of the nations that the Lord had dispossessed before the Israelites.

3 He rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had destroyed and reestablished the altars for Baal. He made an Asherah, as King Ahab of Israel had done; he also worshiped the whole heavenly host and served them.

4 He would build altars in the Lord's temple, where the Lord had said, "Jerusalem is where I will put My name."

5 He built altars to the whole heavenly host in both courtyards of the Lord's temple.

Footnotes

• [a]. 2 Kg 18:4; 2 Ch 31:1
• [b]. 2 Kg 23:26