2 Chronicles 28:24 kjv
And Ahaz gathered together the vessels of the house of God, and cut in pieces the vessels of the house of God, and shut up the doors of the house of the LORD, and he made him altars in every corner of Jerusalem.
2 Chronicles 28:24 nkjv
So Ahaz gathered the articles of the house of God, cut in pieces the articles of the house of God, shut up the doors of the house of the LORD, and made for himself altars in every corner of Jerusalem.
2 Chronicles 28:24 niv
Ahaz gathered together the furnishings from the temple of God and cut them in pieces. He shut the doors of the LORD's temple and set up altars at every street corner in Jerusalem.
2 Chronicles 28:24 esv
And Ahaz gathered together the vessels of the house of God and cut in pieces the vessels of the house of God, and he shut up the doors of the house of the LORD, and he made himself altars in every corner of Jerusalem.
2 Chronicles 28:24 nlt
The king took the various articles from the Temple of God and broke them into pieces. He shut the doors of the LORD's Temple so that no one could worship there, and he set up altars to pagan gods in every corner of Jerusalem.
2 Chronicles 28 24 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Kgs. 16:3-4 | Ahaz walked in the ways of the kings of Israel...made his son pass through fire, according to the abominations...burnt incense on the high places, on the hills, and under every green tree. | Ahaz's wickedness including human sacrifice. |
| 2 Kgs. 16:10-16 | Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-Pileser...saw an altar...and King Ahaz sent to Urijah the priest the pattern...So Urijah the priest built an altar. And he moved the bronze altar... | Ahaz imports foreign worship directly. |
| Jer. 7:30 | "The children of Judah have done evil in My sight," says the LORD; "They have set their abominations in the house which is called by My name, to pollute it." | Temple defilement by idol worship. |
| Eze. 8:5-16 | And He said to me, "Son of man, do you see what they are doing...even to bring Me to anger?..." | Idolatry within the Temple precincts. |
| Deut. 12:2-4 | "You shall utterly destroy all the places...You shall tear down their altars and break their sacred pillars...and you shall destroy the names of them...You shall not worship the LORD your God with such things." | Divine command to destroy idolatry, not embrace it. |
| 1 Kgs. 12:30-32 | Jeroboam also made shrines on the high places...and he made priests from all sorts of people who were not of the sons of Levi... | Parallel to Ahaz creating widespread, illegitimate worship. |
| Jer. 11:13 | "For according to the number of your cities were your gods, O Judah; And according to the number of the streets of Jerusalem you have set up altars to the shameful thing..." | Proliferation of altars and gods. |
| Isa. 1:4 | "Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a brood of evildoers, children who are corrupters! They have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked to anger the Holy One of Israel..." | Broader national apostasy context. |
| Lam. 2:6-7 | He has destroyed His tabernacle, as if it were a garden; He has destroyed His meeting place; The LORD has caused the appointed feasts and Sabbaths to be forgotten in Zion. | God abandoning His sanctuary due to sin. |
| Deut. 28:15 | "But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the LORD your God...all these curses shall come upon you..." | Covenant consequences for disobedience. |
| 2 Chron. 15:3-6 | Now for a long time Israel had been without the true God, without a teaching priest, and without law...Then distress came upon all the inhabitants... | Lack of true worship leads to distress. |
| Hos. 4:6 | My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me... | Spiritual destruction due to rejecting truth. |
| Ps. 78:58 | For they provoked Him with their high places, and moved Him to jealousy with their carved images. | Idolatry as provoking God to jealousy. |
| 1 Sam. 4:21-22 | And she named the child Ichabod, saying, "The glory has departed from Israel!" | Departure of God's glory/presence. |
| Eze. 10:18-19 | Then the glory of the LORD departed from the threshold of the temple and stood over the cherubim. And the cherubim lifted their wings... | God's glory departing from the Temple. |
| Mt. 21:12-13 | Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple...And He said to them, "It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer,' but you have made it a 'den of thieves.'" | Jesus' cleansing highlights temple's sanctity vs. its misuse. |
| 2 Chron. 29:3-7 | In the first year of his reign, in the first month, Hezekiah opened the doors of the house of the LORD and repaired them. And he brought in the priests and the Levites... | Direct contrast: Hezekiah restores temple. |
| 2 Chron. 30:1 | And Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah...to come to the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, to keep the Passover to the LORD God of Israel. | Restoration of communal worship. |
| Ezra 6:11-12 | Also I issue a decree that whoever alters this edict, let a timber be pulled from his house...and let his house be made a refuse heap because of this. And may the God who causes His name to dwell there destroy every king or people who put their hand to alter it...to destroy this house of God which is in Jerusalem. | Protecting the sanctity of the rebuilt Temple. |
| Hag. 1:4, 9 | "Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and this temple to lie in ruins?..." | Neglect of God's house is rebuked. |
| Jn. 2:19-21 | Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." Then the Jews said, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple..." but He was speaking of the temple of His body. | Jesus as the ultimate Temple of God. |
| 1 Cor. 3:16-17 | Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are. | Believers as the living temple, warning against defilement. |
| Eph. 2:19-22 | ...fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. | The Church as a spiritual temple for God. |
| Gal. 6:7-8 | Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption... | Principle of sowing and reaping applied to spiritual actions. |
2 Chronicles 28 verses
2 Chronicles 28 24 Meaning
2 Chronicles 28:24 describes King Ahaz's deliberate and extreme acts of apostasy against the worship of YHWH. He dismantled and defiled the sacred vessels of the Temple, symbolizing the disruption of legitimate worship. Furthermore, he explicitly closed the doors of the House of the LORD, effectively ceasing public access and communal worship. In place of reverence for YHWH, Ahaz erected numerous altars to foreign deities throughout Jerusalem, promoting widespread idolatry and national rebellion against the one true God. These actions represent a profound rejection of God's covenant and His presence among His people, leading Judah further into spiritual darkness and divine judgment.
2 Chronicles 28 24 Context
This verse appears in 2 Chronicles chapter 28, which details the wicked reign of King Ahaz of Judah. Ahaz was one of Judah's most corrupt kings, actively engaging in and promoting pagan practices, including human sacrifice (2 Chron. 28:3). He rejected YHWH and sought an alliance with Assyria out of fear of Aram and Israel (2 Chron. 28:16). Despite being divinely disciplined through defeat by the Syro-Israelite coalition (2 Chron. 28:5-8), Ahaz, instead of repenting, descended further into apostasy. He rationalized his defeats by assuming the gods of his enemies were stronger, leading him to offer sacrifices to them (2 Chron. 28:22-23). Verse 24 details the culmination of his defiant rejection of YHWH, where he completely abandoned legitimate Temple worship, not just allowing, but actively instituting, idolatry throughout Jerusalem. His actions paved the way for Judah's further decline and set a stark contrast for his righteous son, Hezekiah, who would later purify the Temple. Historically, Judah was increasingly influenced by Assyria, which brought not only political subjugation but also cultural and religious syncretism, a path Ahaz enthusiastically embraced.
2 Chronicles 28 24 Word analysis
- Ahaz (אחז, ʼAḥaz): Means "He has grasped" or "possessor." In this context, it is the name of the twelfth king of Judah, whose reign was marked by profound spiritual rebellion and political weakness, directly contrasted with the lineage of David who was to walk in the LORD's ways.
- gathered together (וַיִּקְבֹּץ, wayyiqboṣ): From the root קבץ (qabaṣ), "to gather, collect." Implies a deliberate act of acquisition or concentration. This was not accidental.
- vessels (כְּלֵי, kělê): From כלי (kělî), "article, implement, vessel, utensil, instrument." Refers to the sacred objects used in Temple service (e.g., basins, pitchers, altars, lamps, menorah). These were consecrated items essential for cultic rituals, symbolic of God's dwelling and the people's interaction with Him. Their destruction rendered legitimate worship impossible.
- house of God (בֵּית הָאֱלֹהִים, bêṯ hāʼělōhîm): Refers specifically to the Temple in Jerusalem, the designated dwelling place for the Name of YHWH, central to Judahite worship and national identity. Repeated phrase emphasizes the sacred context of the objects being desecrated.
- cut in pieces (וַיְקַצֵּץ, wayĕqaṣṣēṣ): From קצץ (qaṣaṣ), "to cut off, cut in pieces, cut down, chop off." This is a severe, violent act of destruction, not merely moving or hiding them. It denotes complete contempt and irreversible damage, signifying an active undoing of sacred order.
- shut up (וַיִּסְגֹּר, wayyisgor): From סגר (sāgar), "to shut, close, lock, deliver." This signifies the official cessation of Temple access and thus of all regular worship, sacrifices, and priestly duties. It was a formal state-mandated closure.
- doors (דַּלְתֹות, dalttōt): From דֶּלֶת (deleth), "door, leaf, gate." Refers to the main entrance doors of the Temple, symbolizing the deliberate act of cutting off the nation's access to God's presence.
- house of the LORD (בֵּית יְהוָה, bêṯ YHWH): Another designation for the Temple, emphasizing its direct connection to the covenant name of God (YHWH), further underscoring Ahaz's defiance. The shift from "House of God" to "House of the LORD" might implicitly highlight the rejection of the covenantal relationship.
- made him altars (וַיַּעַשׂ לֹו מִזְבְּחֹות, wayyaʿaś lōw mizbĕḥōwt): "made for himself altars." The Hebrew literally says "he made for him/himself altars." The "him" likely refers to the pagan deities he worshipped. This phrase implies Ahaz’s personal initiative and investment in idolatry, constructing places for false worship in the same space where God’s people should have sought Him.
- altars (מִזְבְּחֹות, mizbĕḥōt): Plural of מִזְבֵּחַ (mizbeaḥ), "altar." These were structures for sacrifices, now for foreign gods.
- every corner of Jerusalem (בְּכָל פִּנָּה בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם, bĕḵāl pinnāh bîrūšālayim): "in every corner in Jerusalem." "Corner" (פִּנָּה, pinnāh) implies widely, thoroughly, pervading all areas. This indicates a pervasive and public establishment of pagan worship, turning the holy city into a network of idolatrous shrines, openly defying YHWH and demonstrating a full spiritual reorientation of the nation.
- Word-groups Analysis:
- "gathered together the vessels of the house of God, and cut in pieces the vessels of the house of God": This highlights a two-fold act of desecration. First, gathering them up (perhaps for transport or for destruction), and then specifically "cutting them in pieces." The repetition emphasizes the deliberate, violent nature of the defilement, aiming to make these sacred items unusable for YHWH worship. This goes beyond mere neglect; it is an active affront to God's holy objects and the divine service.
- "and shut up the doors of the house of the LORD": This signifies the complete institutional cessation of authorized worship. By locking the Temple, Ahaz denied his people access to the prescribed means of atonement, prayer, and communion with God. This act was symbolic of shutting off God from Judah, leading to spiritual darkness and national alienation from their divine protector.
- "and he made him altars in every corner of Jerusalem": This represents the replacement of singular, unified, authorized worship of YHWH with widespread, fragmented, and illegitimate idolatry. "Every corner" emphasizes the systematic and comprehensive nature of his idolatrous policy, aiming to infuse paganism into every aspect of public life and literally displace God's presence in the capital city.
2 Chronicles 28 24 Bonus section
The severe nature of Ahaz's defilement, particularly "cutting in pieces" the Temple vessels, resonates with prophecies of judgment where the Temple itself is abandoned or destroyed due to the people's wickedness. This act contrasts sharply with righteous kings who opened or repaired the Temple doors, like Hezekiah in the very next chapter (2 Chron. 29:3). Ahaz’s actions also indicate a spiritual warfare perspective where the physical objects and places of worship become targets for enemy forces—both human (Assyria, etc.) and spiritual (idolatrous forces)—because they symbolize God’s power and presence. This profound shift by Ahaz away from God reveals a deliberate "un-creation" or "undoing" of God's order, directly counteracting the initial acts of creation and establishment of His dwelling.
2 Chronicles 28 24 Commentary
2 Chronicles 28:24 encapsulates Ahaz's radical rebellion against YHWH, moving beyond mere participation in idolatry to systematic, institutionalized apostasy. His actions were not a result of ignorance or passive neglect, but a deliberate dismantling of true worship and its replacement with foreign pagan practices. The destruction of Temple vessels was a sacrilege that crippled the very functions of the Levitical priesthood. The closure of the Temple doors represented a national excommunication from the presence of God, a direct insult to God's covenantal faithfulness. The proliferation of altars for foreign gods throughout Jerusalem completed his spiritual overhaul, declaring to the world that Judah's allegiance was now elsewhere. Ahaz, driven by fear of human enemies and trust in foreign powers, utterly abandoned the divine covenant, illustrating the dangers of spiritual compromise and the dire consequences of prioritizing worldly solutions over faithful dependence on God. This act sets a precedent for severe divine judgment and highlights the centrality of true worship for a nation's spiritual and even physical well-being.