The Meaning of 2 Kings 16:10 Explained

2 Kings 16:10

KJV: And king Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglathpileser 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.

YLT: And king Ahaz goeth to meet Tiglath-Pileser king of Asshur at Damascus, and seeth the altar that is in Damascus, and king Ahaz sendeth unto Urijah the priest the likeness of the altar, and its pattern, according to all its work,

Darby: And king Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria; and he saw the altar that was at Damascus, and king Ahaz sent to Urijah the priest the form of the altar, and the pattern of it, according to all its workmanship.

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 Reverse Interlinear

And king  Ahaz  went  to Damascus  to meet  Tiglathpileser  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. 

What does 2 Kings 16:10 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Kings 16:10-20 - High-Handed Idolatry
The calling in of the king of Assyria was fraught with disastrous consequences. "He distressed him and strengthened him not." Well may the Apostle warn us not to be yoked with unbelievers. Such alliances always result in the undoing of God's children. We cannot serve two masters. Thus in the hour of distress, notwithstanding the increasing and noble remonstrances of Isaiah, this same king Ahaz trespassed yet more against Jehovah.
It is remarkable, as showing the folly of the human heart, that in the lowest hour of his degradation before his conqueror Ahaz imitated the altar which he saw at Damascus. For this, the ancient brazen altar in Jehovah's Temple was displaced; and upon it in the sacred fane sacrifices were offered to the gods of the heathen. Alas, there is too much of this in the present day! Men are going back from the simplicity and spirituality of Christ to exploded philosophies and systems, which have failed in the past to satisfy soul hunger. Let us beware of the vacuum of the soul into which such evil things intrude. It is only as we are filled by the indwelling Spirit that we are immune against these temptations. [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Kings 16

1  Ahaz's wicked reign
5  Ahaz, assailed by Rezin and Pekah, hires Tiglath-Pileser against them
10  Ahaz, sending a pattern of an altar from Damascus to Urijah,
12  diverts the bronze altar to his own devotions,
17  He raids the temple
19  Hezekiah succeeds him

What do the individual words in 2 Kings 16:10 mean?

And went king Ahaz to meet - Tiglath-pileser King of Assyria to Damascus and saw - an altar that [was] at Damascus and sent to Urijah the priest the design of the altar and its pattern according to all its workmanship
וַיֵּ֣לֶךְ הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ אָחָ֡ז לִ֠קְרַאת תִּגְלַ֨ת פִּלְאֶ֤סֶר מֶֽלֶךְ־ אַשּׁוּר֙ דּוּמֶּ֔שֶׂק וַיַּ֥רְא אֶת־ הַמִּזְבֵּ֖חַ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּדַמָּ֑שֶׂק וַיִּשְׁלַח֩ אֶל־ אוּרִיָּ֣ה הַכֹּהֵ֗ן דְּמ֧וּת הַמִּזְבֵּ֛חַ וְאֶת־ תַּבְנִית֖וֹ לְכָֽל־ מַעֲשֵֽׂהוּ

וַיֵּ֣לֶךְ  And  went 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
אָחָ֡ז  Ahaz 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָחָז  
Sense: king of Judah, son Jotham, father of Hezekiah.
לִ֠קְרַאת  to  meet 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: קָרָא  
Sense: to encounter, befall, meet.
תִּגְלַ֨ת  - 
Parse:
פִּלְאֶ֤סֶר  Tiglath-pileser 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: תִּגְלַת פִּלְאֶסֶר 
Sense: an Assyrian king who attacked Samaria or northern kingdom of Israel in the reign of Pekah.
מֶֽלֶךְ־  King 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
אַשּׁוּר֙  of  Assyria 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: אַשּׁוּר  
Sense: the second son of Shem, eponymous ancestor of the Assyrians.
דּוּמֶּ֔שֶׂק  to  Damascus 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: דּוּמֶּשֶׂק 
Sense: an ancient trading city, capital of Syria, located in the plain east of Hermon, 30 (205 km) miles northeast of Jerusalem.
וַיַּ֥רְא  and  saw 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הַמִּזְבֵּ֖חַ  an  altar 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִזְבֵּחַ  
Sense: altar.
אֲשֶׁ֣ר  that  [was] 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
בְּדַמָּ֑שֶׂק  at  Damascus 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: דּוּמֶּשֶׂק 
Sense: an ancient trading city, capital of Syria, located in the plain east of Hermon, 30 (205 km) miles northeast of Jerusalem.
וַיִּשְׁלַח֩  and  sent 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
אוּרִיָּ֣ה  Urijah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אוּרִיָּה 
Sense: Hittite husband of Bathsheba.
הַכֹּהֵ֗ן  the  priest 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֹּהֵן  
Sense: priest, principal officer or chief ruler.
דְּמ֧וּת  the  design 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: דְּמוּת  
Sense: likeness, similitude adv.
הַמִּזְבֵּ֛חַ  of  the  altar 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִזְבֵּחַ  
Sense: altar.
תַּבְנִית֖וֹ  its  pattern 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: תַּבְנִית  
Sense: pattern, plan, form, construction, figure.
לְכָֽל־  according  to  all 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
מַעֲשֵֽׂהוּ  its  workmanship 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: מַעֲשֶׂה  
Sense: deed, work.