2 Kings 16:15

15 Then King Ahaz commanded Urijah the priest, saying, "Upon the great altar burn 1the morning burnt offering and the evening meal offering and the king's burnt offering and his meal offering, with the burnt offering of all the people of the land and their meal offering and their drink offerings; and sprinkle on it all the blood of the burnt offering and all the blood of the sacrifice. But 2the bronze altar shall be for me to inquire by."

2 Kings 16:15 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 16:15

And King Ahaz commanded Urijah the priest, saying
Who was not to be commanded by the king in matters of worship, but to attend to the laws and institutions of God:

saying, upon the great altar;
meaning the new one, which either was of a larger size than the altar of God, or was greater in the esteem of Ahaz:

burn the morning burnt offering, and the evening meat offering;
the daily sacrifice, morning and evening:

and the king's burnt sacrifice, and his meat offering, with the
burnt offering of all the people of the land, and their
meat offering, and their drink offerings;
such as were offered up at any time on the account of the rulers of the land in particular, or of the whole congregation of Israel, see ( Leviticus 4:1-35 )

and sprinkle upon it all the blood of the burnt offering, and all the
blood of the sacrifice;
as it used to be sprinkled upon the altar of the Lord:

and the brasen altar shall be for me to inquire by;
to search, inquire, and consider what was to be done with it; for altars were never inquired by as oracles; the meaning is, that it was never to be made use of but by him, and when he pleased.

2 Kings 16:15 In-Context

13 and burned his burnt offering and his meal offering, and poured his drink offering and sprinkled the blood of his peace offerings on the altar.
14 The bronze altar, which was before the LORD , he brought from the front of the house, from between his altar and the house of the LORD , and he put it on the north side of his altar.
15 Then King Ahaz commanded Urijah the priest, saying, "Upon the great altar burn the morning burnt offering and the evening meal offering and the king's burnt offering and his meal offering, with the burnt offering of all the people of the land and their meal offering and their drink offerings; and sprinkle on it all the blood of the burnt offering and all the blood of the sacrifice. But the bronze altar shall be for me to inquire by."
16 So Urijah the priest did according to all that King Ahaz commanded.
17 Then King Ahaz cut off the borders of the stands, and removed the laver from them; he also took down the sea from the bronze oxen which were under it and put it on a pavement of stone.

Cross References 2

Footnotes 2

  • [a]. Lit "commanded him, Urijah"
  • [b]. Lit "offer in smoke"
New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, California.  All rights reserved.