2 Kings 16:10
in 2 Kings 16Then King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria. On seeing the altar in Damascus, King Ahaz sent Uriah the priest a model of the altar and complete plans for its construction.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And king Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, and saw the altar that was at Damascus; and king Ahaz sent to Urijah the priest the fashion of the altar, and the pattern of it, according to all the workmanship thereof.
KJV
And king Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath–pileser king of Assyria, and saw an altar that was at Damascus: and king Ahaz sent to Urijah the priest the fashion of the altar, and the pattern of it, according to all the workmanship thereof.
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This verse in 2 Kings 16
Commentary
6 notes on this verseAhaz went to Damascus - He had received so much help on the defeat of Rezin, that he went to Damascus to meet the king of Assyria, and render him thanks. Ahaz sent to Urijah the priest the fashion of the altar - This was some idolatrous altar, the shape and workmanship of which pleased Ahaz so well that he determined to have one like it at Jerusalem. For this he had no Divine authority, and the compliance of Urijah was both mean and sinful.
This site's exposition
the fashion of the altar, and the pattern of it
on 2 Kings 16:10-11
At Damascus, paying his respects to the king he now serves, Ahaz admires a pagan altar and sends its exact pattern home, and Urijah the priest builds it before the king even returns, with no recorded word of protest. Henry sets this eagerly copied foreign design against the pattern God himself gave Moses for the tabernacle, a pattern no king before Ahaz thought to improve on. The priesthood meant to guard the house instead executes a layman's design on schedule.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
The pattern God showed to Moses in the mount or to David by the Spirit was not comparable to this pattern sent from Damascus. The hearts of idolaters walked after their eyes, which are therefore said to go a whoring after their idols; but the true worshippers worship the true God by faith.
And King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglathpileser king of Assyria,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
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
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
And saw an altar - Rather, “The altar,” i. e. an Assyrian altar, and connected with that formal recognition of the Assyrian deities which the Ninevite monarchs appear to have required of all the nations whom they received into their empire. The fashion of the altar - Assyrian altars were not very elaborate, but they were very different from the Jewish. They were comparatively small, and scarcely suited for “whole burnt-offerings.” One type was square, about half the height of a man, and ornamented round the top with a sort of battlement. Another had a triangular base and a circular top consisting of a single flat stone. A third was a sort of portable stand, narrow, and about the height of a man. This last was of the kind which the kings took with them in their expeditions.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
Before [king Achaz] came. [He built the altar] before the king came from Damesek. 1 Achaz decided to worship the idols of Arom because he believed they were responsible for his defeat. See II Divrei Hayomim:23.
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
27 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֵּ֣לֶךְ | vaiyelekh | and he went | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| אָחָ֡ז | ʾachaz | Ahaz | H271 → | 42 times |
| לִ֠קְרַאת | likrat | to meet | H7122 → | 139 times |
| תִּגְלַ֨ת | tiglat | Tiglath- | H8407 → | 12 times |
| פִּלְאֶ֤סֶר | pileser | pileser | H8407 → | 12 times |
| מֶֽלֶךְ־ | melekh- | [the] king of | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| אַשּׁוּר֙ | ʾashur | Assyria | H804 → | 151 times |
| דּוּמֶּ֔שֶׂק | dumesek | Damascus | H1834 → | 45 times |
| וַיַּ֥רְא | vaiyar' | and he saw | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַמִּזְבֵּ֖חַ | hamizbeach | the altar | H4196 → | 401 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| בְּדַמָּ֑שֶׂק | bedamasek | [was] in Damascus | H1834 → | 45 times |
| וַיִּשְׁלַח֩ | vaiyishlach | and he sent | H7971 → | 845 times |
| הַמֶּ֨לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| אָחָ֜ז | ʾachaz | Ahaz | H271 → | 42 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| אוּרִיָּ֣ה | ʾuriyah | Uriah | H223 → | 39 times |
| הַכֹּהֵ֗ן | hakohen | the priest | H3548 → | 750 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| דְּמ֧וּת | demut | [the] likeness of | H1823 → | |
| הַמִּזְבֵּ֛חַ | hamizbeach | the altar | H4196 → | 401 times |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| תַּבְנִית֖וֹ | tavnito | pattern its | H8403 → | |
| לְכָֽל־ | lekhol | for all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| מַעֲשֵֽׂהוּ׃ | maasehu | work its | H4639 → | 236 times |
וַיֵּ֣לֶךְand he went
vaiyelekhH1980 →1546 times
הַמֶּ֣לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
אָחָ֡זAhaz
ʾachazH271 →42 times
לִ֠קְרַאתto meet
likratH7122 →139 times
תִּגְלַ֨תTiglath-
tiglatH8407 →12 times
פִּלְאֶ֤סֶרpileser
pileserH8407 →12 times
מֶֽלֶךְ־[the] king of
melekh-H4428 →2525 times
אַשּׁוּר֙Assyria
ʾashurH804 →151 times
דּוּמֶּ֔שֶׂקDamascus
dumesekH1834 →45 times
וַיַּ֥רְאand he saw
vaiyar'H7200 →1300 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַמִּזְבֵּ֖חַthe altar
hamizbeachH4196 →401 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
בְּדַמָּ֑שֶׂק[was] in Damascus
bedamasekH1834 →45 times
וַיִּשְׁלַח֩and he sent
vaiyishlachH7971 →845 times
הַמֶּ֨לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
אָחָ֜זAhaz
ʾachazH271 →42 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
אוּרִיָּ֣הUriah
ʾuriyahH223 →39 times
הַכֹּהֵ֗ןthe priest
hakohenH3548 →750 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
דְּמ֧וּת[the] likeness of
demutH1823 →
הַמִּזְבֵּ֛חַthe altar
hamizbeachH4196 →401 times
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
תַּבְנִית֖וֹpattern its
tavnitoH8403 →
לְכָֽל־for all
lekholH3605 →5413 times
מַעֲשֵֽׂהוּ׃work its
maasehuH4639 →236 times
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
Romans 12:2Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of…
it leads to
- 1 Peter 1:14
As obedient children, do not conform to the passions of your former ignorance.
- Ephesians 4:22–24
to put off your former way of life, your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;
- 2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come!
- Colossians 3:10
and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.
- 1 John 2:15–17
Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
- 1 Peter 1:14
Through
Matthew 15:6he need not honor his father or mother with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition.
it leads to
- 1 Timothy 5:8
If anyone does not provide for his own, and especially his own household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
- Jeremiah 8:8
How can you say, ‘We are wise, and the Law of the LORD is with us,’ when in fact the lying pen of the scribes has produced a deception?
- 1 Timothy 5:8
Through
Isaiah 8:2And I will appoint for Myself trustworthy witnesses—Uriah the priest and Zechariah son of Jeberekiah.”
it leads to
- 2 Kings 16:10–11
Then King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria. On seeing the altar in Damascus, King Ahaz sent Uriah the priest a model of the altar and complete plans for its…
- 2 Kings 16:10–11
About 2 Kings
Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PlaceUpper MesopotamiaAssyriaMesopotamian empire whose capital Nineveh repented at Jonah's preaching and fell to Nahum's burden in 612 BC; the rod of God's ang…
- PlaceSyriaDamascusThe Syrian city Saul was travelling to with letters of arrest when the light stopped him on the road; he entered it blind and left…
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.