2 Kings 16:14-18

16:14 He moved the bronze altar that stood in the Lord’s presence from the front of the temple (between the altar and the Lord’s temple) and put it on the north side of the new 1  altar. 16:15 King Ahaz ordered Uriah the priest, “On the large altar 2  offer the morning burnt sacrifice, the evening grain offering, the royal burnt sacrifices and grain offering, the burnt sacrifice for all the people of Israel, their grain offering, and their libations. Sprinkle all the blood of the burnt sacrifice and other sacrifices on it. The bronze altar will be for my personal use.” 3  16:16 So Uriah the priest did exactly as 4  King Ahaz ordered.

16:17 King Ahaz took off the frames of the movable stands, and removed the basins from them. He took “The Sea” 5  down from the bronze bulls that supported it 6  and put it on the pavement. 16:18 He also removed the Sabbath awning 7  that had been built 8  in the temple and the king’s outer entranceway, on account of the king of Assyria. 9 

1 tn The word “new” is added in the translation for clarification.

2 tn That is, the newly constructed altar.

3 tn Heb “for me to seek.” The precise meaning of בָּקַר (baqar), “seek,” is uncertain in this context. For discussion see M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 189.

4 tn Heb “according to all which.”

5 sn See the note at 1 Kgs 7:23.

6 tn Heb “that [were] under it.”

7 tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew term מוּסַךְ (musakh; Qere) / מִיסַךְ (misakh; Kethib) is uncertain. For discussion see HALOT 557 s.v. מוּסַךְ and M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 189-90.

8 tn Heb “that they built.”

9 sn It is doubtful that Tiglath-pileser ordered these architectural changes. Ahaz probably made these changes so he could send some of the items and materials to the Assyrian king as tribute. See M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 190, 193.