2 Kings 16:15
in 2 Kings 16Then King Ahaz commanded Uriah the priest, “Offer on the great altar the morning burnt offering, the evening grain offering, and the king’s burnt offering and grain offering, as well as the burnt offerings, grain offerings, and drink offerings of all the people of the land. Sprinkle on the altar all the blood of the burnt offerings and sacrifices. But I will use the bronze altar to seek guidance.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And 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 upon it all the blood of the burnt-offering, and all the blood of the sacrifice: but the brazen altar shall be for me to inquire by.
KJV
And king Ahaz commanded Urijah the priest, saying, Upon the great altar burn the morning burnt offering, and the evening meat offering, 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; and sprinkle upon it all the blood of the burnt offering, and all the blood of the sacrifice: and the brasen altar shall be for me to enquire by.
⋯
This verse in 2 Kings 16
Commentary
6 notes on this verseThe words "the bronze altar shall be for me to inquire by," that is, in order to consult [God]: [the king] says these words in a purely formal manner, and not seriously.
This site's exposition
But I will use the bronze altar to seek guidance
on 2 Kings 16:15-16
He kept the LORD's old altar for himself. “But I will use the bronze altar to seek guidance”, which some read as a private oracle and Barnes as setting the question aside. The Hebrew allows either sense, and Uriah the priest did just as King Ahaz had commanded.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Having thrust it out from the use for which it was instituted, which was to sanctify the gifts offered upon it, he pretends to advance it above its institution, which it is common for superstitious people to do. The altar was never designed for an oracle, yet Ahaz will have it for that use. The Romish church seemingly magnifies Christ's sacraments, yet wretchedly corrupts them.
And King Ahaz commanded Urijah the priest, saying,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
The brasen altar shall be for me to inquire by - The bulk of modern commentators translate - “As for the Brasen altar, it will be for me to inquire (or consider) what I shall do with it.”
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
The sin in this affair consisted in meddling with, and improving according to human taste and fancy, the altars of the temple, the patterns of which had been furnished by divine authority (Ex 25:40; Urijah was one of the witnesses taken by Isaiah to bear his prediction against Syria and Israel (Isa 8:2).
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
To visit. At intervals, when it enters my mind to visit it. 9 The Copper Altar will be for occasional use, thereby, establishing the new altar as the primary one.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
And the Copper Altar … he brought, etc. It is impossible to say that this was the Copper Altar that Moshe made, because it was hidden.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
42 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיְצַוֶּ֣ה | vaytzavuh | and he commanded | H6680 → | 494 times |
| הַמֶּֽלֶךְ־ | hamelekh- | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| אָ֠חָז | ʾachoz | Ahaz | H271 → | 42 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אוּרִיָּ֨ה | ʾuriyah | Uriah | H223 → | 39 times |
| הַכֹּהֵ֜ן | hakohen | the priest | H3548 → | 750 times |
| לֵאמֹ֗ר | lemor | <to> saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| עַ֣ל | ʾal | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הַמִּזְבֵּ֣חַ | hamizbeach | the altar | H4196 → | 401 times |
| הַגָּד֡וֹל | hagadol | <the> great | H1419 → | 526 times |
| הַקְטֵ֣ר | hakter | make smoke | H6999 → | 116 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| עֹֽלַת־ | ʾolat- | [the] burnt offering of | H5930 → | 287 times |
| הַבֹּקֶר֩ | haboker | the morning | H1242 → | 214 times |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| מִנְחַ֨ת | minchat | [the] grain offering of | H4503 → | 211 times |
| הָעֶ֜רֶב | haerev | the evening | H6153 → | |
| וְֽאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| עֹלַ֧ת | ʾolat | [the] burnt offering of | H5930 → | 287 times |
| הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| מִנְחָת֗וֹ | minchato | grain offering his | H4503 → | 211 times |
| וְ֠אֵת | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| עֹלַ֞ת | ʾolat | [the] burnt offering of | H5930 → | 287 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| עַ֤ם | ʾam | [the] people of | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ | haaretz | the land | H776 → | 2504 times |
| וּמִנְחָתָ֣ם | uminchatam | and grain offering their | H4503 → | 211 times |
| וְנִסְכֵּיהֶ֔ם | veniskeihem | and drink offerings their | H5262 → | |
| וְכָל־ | vekhol | and all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| דַּ֥ם | dam | [the] blood of | H1818 → | 360 times |
| עֹלָ֛ה | ʾolah | [the] burnt offering | H5930 → | 287 times |
| וְכָל־ | vekhol | and all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| דַּם־ | dam- | [the] blood of | H1818 → | 360 times |
| זֶ֖בַח | zevach | [the] sacrifice | H2077 → | 162 times |
| עָלָ֣יו | ʾalav | on it | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| תִּזְרֹ֑ק | tizrok | you will sprinkle | H2236 → | |
| וּמִזְבַּ֧ח | umizbach | and [the] altar of | H4196 → | 401 times |
| הַנְּחֹ֛שֶׁת | hanechoshet | <the> bronze | H5178 → | 140 times |
| יִֽהְיֶה־ | yihyeh- | it will belong | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| לִּ֖י | li | to me | ||
| לְבַקֵּֽר׃ | levaker | to consult | H1239 → |
וַיְצַוֶּ֣הand he commanded
vaytzavuhH6680 →494 times
הַמֶּֽלֶךְ־the king
hamelekh-H4428 →2525 times
אָ֠חָזAhaz
ʾachozH271 →42 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
אוּרִיָּ֨הUriah
ʾuriyahH223 →39 times
הַכֹּהֵ֜ןthe priest
hakohenH3548 →750 times
לֵאמֹ֗ר<to> saying
lemorH559 →5305 times
עַ֣לon
ʾalH5921 →5755 times
הַמִּזְבֵּ֣חַthe altar
hamizbeachH4196 →401 times
הַגָּד֡וֹל<the> great
hagadolH1419 →526 times
הַקְטֵ֣רmake smoke
hakterH6999 →116 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
עֹֽלַת־[the] burnt offering of
ʾolat-H5930 →287 times
הַבֹּקֶר֩the morning
habokerH1242 →214 times
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
מִנְחַ֨ת[the] grain offering of
minchatH4503 →211 times
הָעֶ֜רֶבthe evening
haerevH6153 →
וְֽאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
עֹלַ֧ת[the] burnt offering of
ʾolatH5930 →287 times
הַמֶּ֣לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
מִנְחָת֗וֹgrain offering his
minchatoH4503 →211 times
וְ֠אֵתand <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
עֹלַ֞ת[the] burnt offering of
ʾolatH5930 →287 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
עַ֤ם[the] people of
ʾamH5971 →1873 times
הָאָ֙רֶץ֙the land
haaretzH776 →2504 times
וּמִנְחָתָ֣םand grain offering their
uminchatamH4503 →211 times
וְנִסְכֵּיהֶ֔םand drink offerings their
veniskeihemH5262 →
וְכָל־and all
vekholH3605 →5413 times
דַּ֥ם[the] blood of
damH1818 →360 times
עֹלָ֛ה[the] burnt offering
ʾolahH5930 →287 times
וְכָל־and all
vekholH3605 →5413 times
דַּם־[the] blood of
dam-H1818 →360 times
זֶ֖בַח[the] sacrifice
zevachH2077 →162 times
עָלָ֣יוon it
ʾalavH5921 →5755 times
תִּזְרֹ֑קyou will sprinkle
tizrokH2236 →
וּמִזְבַּ֧חand [the] altar of
umizbachH4196 →401 times
הַנְּחֹ֛שֶׁת<the> bronze
hanechoshetH5178 →140 times
יִֽהְיֶה־it will belong
yihyeh-H1961 →3559 times
לִּ֖יto me
li
לְבַקֵּֽר׃to consult
levakerH1239 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Daniel 12:11And from the time the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination of desolation set up, there will be 1,290 days.
it leads to
- Daniel 11:31
His forces will rise up and desecrate the temple fortress. They will abolish the daily sacrifice and set up the abomination of desolation.
- Matthew 24:15
So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination of desolation,’ described by the prophet Daniel (let the reader understand),
- Revelation 11:2
But exclude the courtyard outside the temple. Do not measure it, because it has been given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for 42 months.
- Mark 13:14
So when you see the abomination of desolation standing where it should not be (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.
- Revelation 13:5
The beast was given a mouth to speak arrogant and blasphemous words, and authority to act for 42 months.
- Daniel 11:31
Through
2 Kings 18:4He removed the high places, shattered the sacred pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles. He also demolished the bronze snake called Nehushtan that Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites…
it leads to
- 2 Chronicles 31:1
When all this had ended, the Israelites in attendance went out to the cities of Judah and broke up the sacred pillars, chopped down the Asherah poles, and tore down the high places and…
- Numbers 21:8–9
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and mount it on a pole. When anyone who is bitten looks at it, he will live.”
- 2 Chronicles 31:1
Through
1 Kings 8:64On that same day the king consecrated the middle of the courtyard in front of the house of the LORD, and there he offered the burnt offerings, the grain offerings, and the fat of…
it leads to
- 2 Chronicles 4:1
He made a bronze altar twenty cubits long, twenty cubits wide, and ten cubits high.
- 2 Chronicles 4:1
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies3
About 2 Kings

This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ishodad of Merv, BOOKS OF SESSIONS 2 KINGS 16:15; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
