The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Kings — Section 372

81; xxii. 53; eh. viii. 1B, 27, etc.), whioh nature of the sacrifice, see the cor.,ment on Atho.lio.h had been the first to introduce this latter passage). And observed times. Into Judo.b (oh. xi. 1B), which Joo.eh had put Ir this translo.tion is right, the reference o.wo.y (oh. xi. 1B), but which Aho.z (2 Ohron. would be to II superstitious regard for lucky xxviii. 2) h11d reco.lled. And made a grove; nnd unlucky days, ench as we note in the lit<•rally, an Asherah, or emblem of Aetnrte accounts left of themselves by the Baby- (cornpo.re the comment on I Kings xiv. 23) lonian kings, who begin their buildings "in -as did Ahab King of Israel (see 1 Kings a happy month, on an auspicious day" (sea xvi. 33) and worshipped all the host of the author's • Herodotus,' vol. ii. p. 487). heaven, and served them, The worship Clf But probably the true meaning is, " he the host of heaven, or the entire multitude exercised fJa.u1<a.v!a.," or, "had regard to the of the heavenly bodies, commonly known as evil eye,'' a ~,ommon superstition in the Ea.et. So.bmanism or Ssabio.nism, was o.n ancient And need enchantments. A use of spells Bo.bylonian, Arabian, and Syrian practice. is perhaps intended,such as those by which It ho.d, perhaps, been introduced among the serpents (c•!l'ni) were charmed (see the com- Jews by Ahaz (eh. xxiii. 12). At any rate, ment on I~;."' xlvii. 9). And dealt with it was from the time of Manasseh one of te.milia.r spirits and wizards - rather, he the fo.vourite idolatries of the Jewish people. placed in office necromancer, (literally, a ne- 'l'he stnrs were beliaved to guide the des- cromancer) and wizards; i.e. he gave such tiny of men, and astrology was cultivated persons official positions a.t hie court, in- a.a n. me.in part, or even as the essence, of stead of putting them to death, as the Law religion, Astrological tracts form an im- (Lev. x.x. 27) required-he wrought mnoh portant element in the literature of the wickedness in the sight of the Lord, to Bnbylonians (see• Records of the Past,' vol. i. provoke him to anger; literally, he multi- pp. 153-163). The chief objects of adora- plied to work wickedne3B; i.e. he sought ont tion in this worship were the sun and every possible way ; he not only restored moon, the five planets, and the signs of the all the different kinds of heathen sacrifices zodiac. and idolatrous custom3 which had been in Ver. 4.-And he built altars in the house use under Ahaz, but carried his opposition of the Lord. He created, i.e., altars to other to Jehovah a great deal further. As Ewalu gods in the very temple of Jehovah (see says (' History of Israel,' vol. iv. p. 208), ver. 5). '.rhis was a po!lntion beyond any "He endeavoured to become acquainted that either Atho.liah or Ahaz ho.d ventured with all the heathen religions he could find on. Of which the Lord had said, In Jerusalem and introduce them into Judah. For this will I pnt my Name (see I Kings viii. 29; purpose he sent into the most distant lands ix.3; xiv. 21). Where Jehovah "put his where there was any famolll! cultus, and N nme,'' making the place his, and conde- grudged no pa.ins for his one ob~ect." scending, in a certain sense, to dwell there, Ver. 7.-And he set a graven lDlage of the it might at least have been expected that grove that he had made in the house. He he would not find himself confronted with introduced into the temple, and set up there rivals. for adoration, an elo.borately wrought .Ashe- Ver. 5.-And he built altars for all the rah, or "sacred tree," probably copied from hogt of heaven in the two oonrts of the the elaborate sacred trees of the .Assyria.us house of the Lord. The temple of Solomon (' Ancient l\Ionarchies,' vol. ii. p. 236). hnd two comts only, an inner and an outer. These had, in the centre, the essential 'fhe outer court woe for the people, the stele; or pillar, orno.mented with rams' horns, inner for the priests and Levites. Manas- symbols of fecundity, and crowned with s. seh desecrated the temple to the extent of representation of a. palm tree, the whole setting up in eaoh of these two courts cm being encircled by a fro.mework of metal, idolatrous altar, dedicated to the worship twined about it, and throwing out from the of the host of heaven. In the inner court circumference, at intervals, either palms or his o.ltnr w11s e. rival to the great brazen blossoms, or in some insto.nces pomegra- e.ltnr of Solomon (1 Kings ix. 64 ; 2 Chron. nates or fir-cones. All the parts representcu iv. 1), which Aho.z hnd for a. time removed either animal or vegeto.ble productiveness. from its place in front of the porch ( eh. xvi. Of whioh the Lord said to David, and to 11), but which Hezekiah had most ocrtl\inly Solomon his son, In this house, and in Jeru- reinsto.ted. salem, which I have ohosen out of all the Ver. 6.-And he made his son pass tribes of Israel, will I put my Name for ever. through the :fire. The author of Ohronioles It was the extremest aggravation of Mana.s- says, •• his sons" (2 Chron. xxxiii. 6); but seh's wickedness that he was not content this is, perhaps, rhetorical. It w11s usunlly to introduce bis new religions into the l11nd tho eldest son, who, as the most precious in other pll1res, but brought them to God's posaiblo offering, wo.s s11crificed to Moloch special city which he h11d chosen, namely, (see eh. iii. 27 ; xvi. 3 ; and, for the true Jeruso.lem, nnd t 1,cre establishe,l them, not  422 THE SEOOND BOOK OF THE KINGS. [cu. XXI. 1-2&.