The Meaning of 2 Kings 16:11 Explained

2 Kings 16:11

KJV: And Urijah the priest built an altar according to all that king Ahaz had sent from Damascus: so Urijah the priest made it against king Ahaz came from Damascus.

YLT: and Urijah the priest buildeth the altar according to all that king Ahaz hath sent from Damascus; so did Urijah the priest till the coming in of king Ahaz from Damascus.

Darby: And Urijah the priest built an altar according to all that king Ahaz had sent from Damascus; thus Urijah the priest made it, against king Ahaz came from Damascus.

ASV: And Urijah the priest built an altar: according to all that king Ahaz had sent from Damascus, so did Urijah the priest make it against the coming of king Ahaz from Damascus.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And Urijah  the priest  built  an altar  according to all that king  Ahaz  had sent  from Damascus:  so Urijah  the priest  made  [it] against king  Ahaz  came  from Damascus. 

What does 2 Kings 16:11 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 16:11 mean?

And built Urijah the priest - an altar according to all that had sent King Ahaz from Damascus so made [it] the priest before came back King from Damascus
וַיִּ֛בֶן אוּרִיָּ֥ה הַכֹּהֵ֖ן אֶת־ הַמִּזְבֵּ֑חַ כְּכֹ֣ל אֲשֶׁר־ שָׁלַח֩ הַמֶּ֨לֶךְ אָחָ֜ז מִדַּמֶּ֗שֶׂק כֵּ֤ן עָשָׂה֙ הַכֹּהֵ֔ן עַד־ בּ֥וֹא הַמֶּֽלֶךְ־ מִדַּמָּֽשֶׂק

וַיִּ֛בֶן  And  built 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בָּנָה  
Sense: to build, rebuild, establish, cause to continue.
אוּרִיָּ֥ה  Urijah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אוּרִיָּה 
Sense: Hittite husband of Bathsheba.
הַכֹּהֵ֖ן  the  priest 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֹּהֵן  
Sense: priest, principal officer or chief ruler.
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.
הַמִּזְבֵּ֑חַ  an  altar 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִזְבֵּחַ  
Sense: altar.
כְּכֹ֣ל  according  to  all 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
אֲשֶׁר־  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
שָׁלַח֩  had  sent 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
הַמֶּ֨לֶךְ  King 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
אָחָ֜ז  Ahaz 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָחָז  
Sense: king of Judah, son Jotham, father of Hezekiah.
מִדַּמֶּ֗שֶׂק  from  Damascus 
Parse: Preposition-m, 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.
כֵּ֤ן  so 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֵּן 
Sense: so, therefore, thus.
עָשָׂה֙  made  [it] 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
הַכֹּהֵ֔ן  the  priest 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֹּהֵן  
Sense: priest, principal officer or chief ruler.
עַד־  before 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
בּ֥וֹא  came  back 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
הַמֶּֽלֶךְ־  King 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
מִדַּמָּֽשֶׂק  from  Damascus 
Parse: Preposition-m, 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.