2 Kings 21:3
Context21:3 He rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had destroyed; he set up altars for Baal and made an Asherah pole just like King Ahab of Israel had done. He bowed down to all the stars in the sky 1 and worshiped 2 them.
2 Kings 21:6
Context21:6 He passed his son 3 through the fire 4 and practiced divination and omen reading. He set up a ritual pit to conjure up underworld spirits, and appointed magicians to supervise it. 5 He did a great amount of evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger. 6
1 sn See the note at 2 Kgs 17:16.
2 tn Or “served.”
3 tc The LXX has the plural “his sons” here.
4 sn See the note at 2 Kgs 16:3.
5 tn Heb “and he set up a ritual pit, along with conjurers.” The Hebrew אוֹב (’ov), “ritual pit,” refers to a pit used by a magician to conjure up underworld spirits. In 1 Sam 28:7 the witch of Endor is called a בַעֲלַת אוֹב (ba’alat ’ov), “owner of a ritual pit.” See H. Hoffner, “Second millennium Antecedents to the Hebrew ’OñBù,” JBL 86 (1967), 385-401.
6 tc Heb “and he multiplied doing what is evil in the eyes of the