II Kings 16:15 · Bible study
2 Kings 16:15 Commentary: Ahaz's Great Altar and Apostasy
Hebrew · 8 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
King Ahaz replaces the bronze altar with a pagan copy, demoting God's ordained worship. A study of syncretism and royal usurpation in worship.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Ahaz replaces the bronze altar with a new one patterned after a pagan altar, reserving the original for his own inquiry.
- Key words: Great altar (המזבח הגדול), inquire/consider (לבקר), bronze altar (מזבח הנחשת).
- Main debate: Whether Ahaz's action was syncretistic worship of Yahweh through foreign forms, or outright apostasy.
- Theological theme: The corruption of worship when human authority supersedes divine command.
- Best use: As a cautionary text in sermons and studies about worship purity, authority, and the danger of syncretism.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Then 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.”
WEB World English Bible 2000
King Ahaz commanded Urijah the priest, saying, “On the great altar burn the morning burnt offering, the evening meal offering, the king’s burnt offering and his meal offering, with the burnt offering of all the people of the land, 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 will be for me to inquire by.”
KJV King James Version 1769
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.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
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.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And king Ahaz commandeth him--Urijah the priest--saying, `On the great altar perfume the burnt-offering of the morning, and the present of the evening, and the burnt-offering of the king, and his present, and the burnt-offering of all the people of the land, and their present, and their libations; and all the blood of the burnt-offering, and all the blood of the sacrifice, on it thou dost sprinkle, and the altar of brass is to me to inquire by .'
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And king Ahaz commanded Urijah the priest saying, Upon the great altar burn the morning burnt-offering, and the evening oblation, and the king's burnt-offering, and his oblation, and the burnt-offering of all the people of the land, and their oblation, and their drink-offerings; and sprinkle upon it all the blood of the burnt-offerings, and all the blood of the sacrifices; and the brazen altar shall be for me to inquire [by].
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And king Achaz commanded Urias, the priest, saying: Upon the great altar offer the morning holocaust, and the evening sacrifice, and the king's holocaust, and his sacrifice, and the holocaust of the whole people of the land, and their sacrifices, and their libations: and all the blood of the holocaust, and all the blood of the victim, thou shalt pour out upon it: but the altar of brass shall be ready at my pleasure.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y mandó el rey Achâz al sacerdote Urías, diciendo: En el gran altar encenderás el holocausto de la mañana y el presente de la tarde, y el holocausto del rey y su presente, y asimismo el holocausto de todo el pueblo de la tierra y su presente y sus libaciones: y esparcirás sobre él toda la sangre de holocausto, y toda la sangre de sacrificio: y el altar de bronce será mío para preguntar en él.
E mandou o rei Acaz ao sacerdote Urias, dizendo: No grande altar acenderás o holocausto da manhã e o presente da tarde, e o holocausto do rei e seu presente, e também o holocausto de todo o povo da terra e seu presente e suas libações; e espargirás sobre ele todo o sangue do holocausto, e todo o sangue do sacrifício; e o altar de bronze será meu para nele consultar.
Et le roi Achaz donna cet ordre au sacrificateur Urie: Fais brûler sur le grand autel l’ holocauste du matin et l’ offrande du soir, l’ holocauste du roi et son offrande, les holocaustes de tout le peuple du pays et leurs offrandes, verses-y leurs libations, et répands-y tout le sang des holocaustes et tout le sang des sacrifices; pour ce qui concerne l’ autel d’ airain, je m’ en occuperai.
Und der König Ahas gebot Uria, dem Priester, und sprach: Auf dem großen Altar sollst du anzünden die Brandopfer des Morgens und die Speisopfer des Abends und die Brandopfer des Königs und sein Speisopfer und die Brandopfer alles Volks im Lande samt ihrem Speisopfer und Trankopfer; und alles Blut der Brandopfer und das Blut aller andern Opfer sollst du darauf sprengen; aber mit dem ehernen Altar will ich denken, was ich mache.
En de koning Achaz gebood Uria, den priester, zeggende: Steek op het grote altaar aan het morgenbrandoffer, en het avondspijsoffer, en des konings brandoffer, en zijn spijsoffer, en het brandoffer van al het volk des lands, en hun spijsoffer, en hun drankofferen; en spreng daarop al het bloed des brandoffers, en al het bloed des slachtoffer; maar het koperen altaar zal mij zijn, om te onderzoeken.
E il re Achaz diede quest’ordine al sacerdote Uria: “Fa’ fumare sull’altar grande l’olocausto del mattino e l’oblazione della sera, l’olocausto del re e la sua oblazione, gli olocausti di tutto il popolo del paese e le sue oblazioni; versavi le loro libazioni, e spandivi tutto il sangue degli olocausti e tutto il sangue dei sacrifizi; quanto all’altare di rame toccherà a me a pensarvi”.
I rozkazał król Achaz Uryjaszowi kapłanowi, mówiąc: Na tym większym ołtarzu będziesz zapalał całopalenie poranne i ofiarę śniedną wieczorną, i całopalenie królewskie, i ofiarę śniedną jego, i całopalenie wszystkiego ludu ziemi, i ofiarę ich śniedną, i ofiary mokre ich, i wszelką krwią całopalenia, i wszelką krwią innych ofiar będziesz kropił na nim; ale ołtarz miedziany będzie mi na radzenie się Boga.
И дал приказание царь Ахаз священнику Урии, сказав: на большом жертвеннике сожигай утреннее всесожжение и вечернее хлебное приношение, и всесожжение от царя и хлебное приношение от него, и всесожжение от всех людей земли и хлебное приношение от них, и возлияние от них, и всякою кровью всесожжений и всякою кровью жертв окропляй его, а жертвенник медный останется до моего усмотрения.
亞哈斯 王 吩咐 祭司 烏利亞 說：「 早晨 的燔祭、 晚上的 素祭， 王的 燔祭、 素祭，國內 眾 民 的燔祭、素祭、奠祭 都要燒 在 大 壇上。 燔祭牲 和平安祭牲的 血 也要灑 在這壇上，只是銅 壇 我 要用以 求問耶和華。」
And King Ahaz gave orders to Urijah the priest, saying, Make the morning burned offering and the evening meal offering and the king's burned offering and meal offering, with the burned offerings of all the people and their meal offerings and drink offerings, on the great altar, and put on it all the blood of the burned offerings and of the beasts which are offered; but the brass altar will be for my use to get directions from the Lord.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · II Kings 16:15
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that Ahaz's command marks a serious departure from the worship God prescribed. The great altar was a copy of one seen in Damascus (Barnes, Keil). He ordered all regular offerings, the morning burnt offering, the evening meal offering, the king's offerings, and the people's sacrifices, to be brought to this new altar. The bronze altar, which God commanded as the sole place of sacrifice (Exodus 29:38-42), was moved aside and reserved for the king's personal inquiry. The Hebrew verb baqar is understood by several translators as 'I will consider' (Cambridge, Keil, Lange), while older versions like the KJV render it 'to inquire by' (to seek God's will). Either way, Ahaz demoted God's ordained altar and placed his own innovation above it. Urijah the priest complied without protest, an act condemned by all noted commentators. The consensus holds that Ahaz's action was a sinful usurpation of priestly authority and a step toward either syncretism or outright apostasy.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Syncretistic reform: Ahaz still offered to Yahweh on the new altar, but the form came from a pagan source, and he may have also worshipped other gods (v.3-4).
- Outright apostasy: Chronicles (28:23) says Ahaz sacrificed to the gods of Damascus, claiming they helped him, indicating he abandoned Yahweh entirely. The new altar was a step in that direction.
What is clear: Ahaz's command was a serious violation of God's instructions for worship and a usurpation of priestly authority.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| The nature of the new altar | It was a copy of an altar Ahaz saw in Damascus, built by Urijah before Ahaz returned. | Some see it as an attempt to worship Yahweh using foreign forms (syncretism); others view it as a direct replacement for the bronze altar, effectively abandoning Yahweh worship (apostasy). |
| The meaning of 'inquire by' (לבקר) | Ahaz reserved the bronze altar for his own personal use, whatever that use was. | Older translations (KJV, Geneva) take it as 'to inquire of God' (seeking guidance). Most modern commentators (Cambridge, Keil, Lange) read it as 'I will consider' (a later decision), suggesting Ahaz had no intention of using it for worship. |
| The role of Urijah the priest | He carried out the king's command without recorded objection. | Some hold him complicit in the sin; others suggest political pressure or fear made him comply, though this is speculative. |
| Ahaz's religious stance | His actions deviated from God's instructions for worship. | Was he still loyal to Yahweh while mixing in foreign elements? Or had he already abandoned Yahweh, as 2 Chronicles 28:23 indicates he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus? The narrative here does not explicitly say he renounced Yahweh, but the later Chronicles passage suggests apostasy. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Ahaz reigned during a period of crisis. The northern kingdom of Israel and Syria threatened Judah, so he sought protection from Tiglath-Pileser, king of Assyria (2 Kings 16:7-9). While visiting Damascus to pay homage to his new overlord, Ahaz saw an altar and sent its design to Urijah the priest, who built a copy in Jerusalem. When Ahaz returned, he offered sacrifices on this new altar, then commanded that all burnt offerings, meal offerings, and drink offerings be made on it.
The bronze altar had stood before the temple since Solomon's time. God had consecrated it with fire from heaven at the temple's dedication (2 Chronicles 7:1). Ahaz moved it to the north side of his new altar and said, 'The bronze altar will be for me to inquire by.' The verb baqar can mean to seek God through prayer or sacrifice, but here most commentators take it as 'I will consider what to do with it' (Cambridge, Keil, Lange). Ahaz was not planning to use it for genuine worship; he was postponing its fate.
Ahaz's actions fit a pattern of syncretism and apostasy. Earlier he had walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, even making his son pass through the fire (2 Kings 16:3). By replacing the prescribed altar with a foreign design, he violated the central command to worship only where God chose (Deuteronomy 12:5-6). He also usurped the priestly role, giving orders to Urijah as if the priest were a civil servant. The entire episode shows a king who saw worship as a matter of convenience and preference rather than obedience.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note one significant variant. The LXX, reading the Hebrew verb with different vowel points, renders the phrase 'for the morning' instead of 'to inquire/consider' (Cambridge). The Chethib (written form) of ויצוהו (v. 15) is not to be altered, according to Keil. The received Masoretic text is otherwise stable, and no other variants are mentioned by the supplied commentators.
Reception History
Christian interpreters have long seen this verse as a warning against altering God's prescribed worship. Matthew Henry (1710) called it 'a bolder stroke than the worst of the kings had yet given to religion.' Wesley (1754) noted that Ahaz 'pretended to advance it above its institution' while actually underdoing true worship. Keil and Delitzsch (1876) described it as a sin because any altar built according to human plan and a heathen model was 'practically the same as an idolatrous altar.' In Reformed and evangelical traditions, this passage has been used to argue for the regulative principle of worship, that only what God commands should be done. The broader church has read it as a cautionary tale about the ease with which good intentions in worship can become disobedience.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The pattern from the world: Ahaz copies a pagan altar he admired in Damascus.
- The king's command: He supersedes the priestly role and centralizes worship on his new altar.
- The bronze altar sidelined: God's ordained worship is demoted for human preference.
Five-point outline
- Ahaz's trip to Damascus and his fascination with a foreign altar.
- Urijah builds the copy without protest.
- The king offers on the new altar and then commands all sacrifices to be brought there.
- The bronze altar is moved aside and reserved for the king's personal consideration.
- The temple furniture is further vandalized (vv. 17-18).
Illustration hooks
- A family replacing a treasured heirloom recipe with a trendy version from a magazine, discarding what’s been handed down.
- A church building committee that mimics a popular megachurch design, then rearranges the service to fit the new space.
- A team leader who overrides the team’s core mission to follow his own agenda, justifying it as innovation.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Was Ahaz's new altar really that wrong? Wasn't he still offering to Yahweh?
- Why does it matter where or how we worship, as long as we are sincere?
- How can we tell when a change in church practice crosses the line from helpful adaptation to disobedience?
Leading a Discussion
This passage shows a king taking control of worship, replacing what God commanded with a design from a foreign nation. Urijah the priest goes along without resistance. As you discuss, consider the subtle ways we can prioritize our preferences over God's instructions.
Discussion questions
- What does Ahaz's command reveal about his view of God and worship?
- Why might Urijah the priest have obeyed? What pressures could he have felt?
- Read Exodus 29:38-42. How does Ahaz's new altar compare to what God commanded there?
- The bronze altar was to be for Ahaz to 'inquire by' or 'consider.' What does this tell us about his attitude toward the existing altar?
- In what ways might we be tempted to modernize worship in ways that actually disobey God?
- How can we make sure our worship practices are shaped by Scripture rather than by cultural trends?
- What does this passage teach about the importance of godly leadership in worship?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Genesis 44:5 | Isn’t this that from which my lord drinks, and by which he indeed divines? You have done evil in so doing.’” |
| Exodus 29:39 | The one lamb you shall offer in the morning; and the other lamb you shall offer at evening; |
| Exodus 29:41 | The other lamb you shall offer at evening, and shall do to it according to the meal offering of the morning and according to its drink offering, for a pleasant aroma, an offering made by fire to Yahweh. |
| Leviticus 4:13 | “‘If the whole congregation of Israel sins, and the thing is hidden from the eyes of the assembly, and they have done any of the things which Yahweh has commanded not to be done, and are guilty; |
| Leviticus 4:26 | All its fat he shall burn on the altar, like the fat of the sacrifice of peace offerings; and the priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin, and he will be forgiven. |
| Numbers 28:2 | “Command the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘See that you present my offering, my food for my offerings made by fire, as a pleasant aroma to me, in their due season.’ |
| Numbers 28:10 | this is the burnt offering of every Sabbath, in addition to the continual burnt offering and its drink offering. |
| II Samuel 6:17 | They brought in Yahweh’s ark, and set it in its place in the middle of the tent that David had pitched for it; and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before Yahweh. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
7 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes notes that older readers took the phrase to mean the bronze altar was used for inquiring of God, but modern commentators read it differently. He highlights that the same words can be understood as a question: what should I do with this altar?
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator distinguishes between "burnt offering," where the whole animal is consumed, and "sacrifice," where only a portion is burned. For the bronze altar's fate, he reads Ahaz's words not as a desire to seek God but as a postponement: "I will decide later what to do with it."
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note stresses Ahaz’s arrogance in reassigning the bronze altar for his own private use, saying it “shalbe for me to inquire of God.” By ordering the priest to move the prescribed offerings to a new altar, Ahaz effectively sets aside God’s instruction for his own self-willed worship.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill highlights that Ahaz overstepped his royal authority by commanding a priest in matters of worship, which was not his place. He also clarifies that Ahaz's statement about the bronze altar being for him "to inquire by" does not mean using it as an oracle; it means he alone would decide when it could be used.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch notes that Ahaz likely did not see his new Damascus-style altar as idolatrous but as an altar for the Lord. Yet because God Himself prescribed the sanctuary's form, any altar built on a pagan pattern was effectively the same as an idolatrous one, making the innovation a deliberate sin against Jehovah.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry sees this as a new and bolder assault on true religion. Earlier kings had tolerated high places and idolatry, but Ahaz goes further by removing God's altar entirely and replacing it with a pagan copy, striking at the very heart of worship.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley sees Ahaz as pretending to honor God by enlarging the new altar's role, but in truth he is acting superstitiously, elevating human invention above divine instruction. The lesson is that overdoing what God commands is the same as underdoing it: true wisdom is to obey exactly what He has said.