The Meaning of 2 Kings 16:17 Explained

2 Kings 16:17

KJV: And king Ahaz cut off the borders of the bases, and removed the laver from off them; and took down the sea from off the brasen oxen that were under it, and put it upon a pavement of stones.

YLT: And king Ahaz cutteth off the borders of the bases, and turneth aside from off them the laver, and the sea he hath taken down from off the brazen oxen that are under it, and putteth it on a pavement of stones.

Darby: And king Ahaz cut off the panels of the bases, and removed the lavers from off them; and took down the sea from off the brazen oxen that were under it, and put it upon a stone pavement.

ASV: And king Ahaz cut off the panels of the bases, and removed the laver from off them, and took down the sea from off the brazen oxen that were under it, and put it upon a pavement of stone.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And king  Ahaz  cut off  the borders  of the bases,  and removed  the laver  from off them; and took down  the sea  from off the brasen  oxen  that [were] under it, and put  it upon a pavement  of stones. 

What does 2 Kings 16:17 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 16:17 mean?

And cut off King Ahaz - the panels of the carts and removed from them - - the lavers and the Sea he took down from the oxen bronze that [were] under it and put it on a pavement of stones
וַיְקַצֵּץ֩ הַמֶּ֨לֶךְ אָחָ֜ז אֶת־ הַמִּסְגְּר֣וֹת הַמְּכֹנ֗וֹת וַיָּ֤סַר מֵֽעֲלֵיהֶם֙ [ואת־] (אֶת־) הַכִּיֹּ֔ר וְאֶת־ הַיָּ֣ם הוֹרִ֔ד מֵעַ֛ל הַבָּקָ֥ר הַנְּחֹ֖שֶׁת אֲשֶׁ֣ר תַּחְתֶּ֑יהָ וַיִּתֵּ֣ן אֹת֔וֹ עַ֖ל מַרְצֶ֥פֶת אֲבָנִֽים

וַיְקַצֵּץ֩  And  cut  off 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קָצוּץ 
Sense: to cut off.
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.
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.
הַמִּסְגְּר֣וֹת  the  panels 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: מִסְגֶּרֶת  
Sense: border, fastness, rim.
הַמְּכֹנ֗וֹת  of  the  carts 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine plural
Root: מְכֹונָה  
Sense: fixed resting place, base, pedestal.
וַיָּ֤סַר  and  removed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: סוּר 
Sense: to turn aside, depart.
מֵֽעֲלֵיהֶם֙  from  them 
Parse: Preposition-m, third person masculine plural
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
[ואת־]  - 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Direct object marker
(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.
הַכִּיֹּ֔ר  the  lavers 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הַיָּ֣ם  the  Sea 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יָם  
Sense: sea.
הוֹרִ֔ד  he  took  down 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָרַד  
Sense: to go down, descend, decline, march down, sink down.
הַבָּקָ֥ר  the  oxen 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בָּקָר  
Sense: cattle, herd, oxen, ox.
הַנְּחֹ֖שֶׁת  bronze 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: נְחֹשֶׁת 
Sense: copper, bronze.
אֲשֶׁ֣ר  that  [were] 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
תַּחְתֶּ֑יהָ  under  it 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
וַיִּתֵּ֣ן  and  put 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
מַרְצֶ֥פֶת  a  pavement  of 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: מַרְצֶפֶת  
Sense: pavement.
אֲבָנִֽים  stones 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: אֶבֶן  
Sense: stone (large or small).