2 Kings 21:4

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

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 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.

6 He made his son pass through the fire, practiced witchcraft and divination, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did a great amount of evil in the Lord's sight, provoking [Him].

Footnotes

• [a] Dt 12:11,14; 1 Kg 9:3