2 Kings 16 17

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 brazen oxen that were under it, and put it upon the pavement of stones.

2 Kings 16:17 nkjv

And King Ahaz cut off the panels of the carts, and removed the lavers from them; and he took down the Sea from the bronze oxen that were under it, and put it on a pavement of stones.

2 Kings 16:17 niv

King Ahaz cut off the side panels and removed the basins from the movable stands. He removed the Sea from the bronze bulls that supported it and set it on a stone base.

2 Kings 16:17 esv

And King Ahaz cut off the frames of the stands and removed the basin from them, and he took down the sea from off the bronze oxen that were under it and put it on a stone pedestal.

2 Kings 16:17 nlt

Then the king removed the side panels and basins from the portable water carts. He also removed the great bronze basin called the Sea from the backs of the bronze oxen and placed it on the stone pavement.

2 Kings 16 verses

2 Kings 16 17 Meaning

King Ahaz, demonstrating his deep apostasy and political subservience, systematically dismantled and degraded the sacred bronze furnishings within the Temple courtyard. He stripped the ornamental panels from the bases supporting the lavers, removing the lavers themselves from their proper stands. Most notably, he took the magnificent bronze Sea off its elaborate foundation of twelve brazen oxen and repositioned it onto a common stone pavement. These actions deliberately stripped the holy vessels of their grandeur, functionality, and sacred symbolism, reflecting a profound disrespect for YHWH and the established protocols of His worship.

2 Kings 16 17 Context

King Ahaz's reign (c. 735-715 BCE) in Judah was marked by profound idolatry and a desperate reliance on foreign alliances. Judah was caught between powerful empires (Egypt, Assyria) and regional conflicts (Syro-Ephraimite War). Instead of trusting YHWH's promised protection (Isa 7), Ahaz sought relief from Assyria's Tiglath-Pileser III. This alliance came with a heavy cost: Judah became an Assyrian vassal, paying tribute and adopting Assyrian religious practices.

Verse 17 immediately follows Ahaz's construction of a replica of a foreign altar in the Jerusalem Temple (2 Ki 16:10-16). His actions demonstrate an intentional desecration of YHWH's house, making it conform to imperial policy or his own syncretistic preferences, rather than YHWH's specific commands. Dismantling the Temple furnishings served multiple purposes: providing material for tribute, reducing YHWH's worship apparatus, and subordinating the divine cult to foreign political and religious structures. This was an overt act of rebellion against the covenant and the exclusive worship of YHWH.

2 Kings 16 17 Word analysis

• And king Ahaz: Marks the active agent. "King" underscores his ultimate authority, which he used for wickedness, not righteousness. Ahaz's name (Hebrew: ’Achaz) means "he has grasped" or "possessor," ironic given his surrender of spiritual and political independence.

• cut off: Hebrew: yᵉqaṣṣēṣ (יְקַצֵּץ) from root qāṣaṣ. Implies a violent, destructive, and permanent cutting or stripping away, rather than a careful removal. It suggests a dismantling for ruin or reduction.

• the borders: Hebrew: hammisgerōt (הַמִּסְגְּרֹת) from misgeret. Refers to the decorative panels or enclosures that formed the elaborate frames of the bronze bases. These were ornamental, possibly engraved with cherubim, lions, or oxen (1 Ki 7:29), symbolizing divine order and majesty. Their removal stripped beauty and symbolic significance.

• of the bases: Hebrew: hammᵉkōnōt (הַמְּכֹנֹות) from mᵉkōnāh. Refers to the intricate, wheeled stands for the ten bronze lavers. These bases were architecturally significant and symbolic, designed to hold the sacred washing basins (1 Ki 7:27-39).

• and removed: Hebrew: vayyāsar (וַיָּסַר) from sūr. Indicates a decisive act of taking away or putting aside.

• the laver: Hebrew: hakkîyōr (הַכִּיֹּר) from kîyôr. A large basin used for ritual washing by priests. It symbolized purity and preparation for priestly service before God (Ex 30:18-21, 1 Ki 7:38-39). Removing it from its stand impeded its intended ritual function.

• from off them: "From upon them," referring to the bases.

• and took down: Hebrew: wᵉhôrid (וְהוֹרִד) from yārad. Signifies moving something from a higher position to a lower one, physically reducing its status.

• the sea: Hebrew: hayyām (הַיָּם) from yām. Specifically, the "bronze sea" (yam hannechōsheth). This massive basin was the primary source of water for priestly ablutions in the Temple courtyard (1 Ki 7:23-26). It was a central and grand feature, symbolizing cleansing and divine abundance.

• from off the brazen oxen: Hebrew: mê‘al habbᵉqārim habbōḏarim. These were twelve sculpted bronze oxen that formed the base for the bronze Sea, grouped in sets of three facing each cardinal direction. They represented stability, strength, or possibly the twelve tribes, elevating the Sea as a significant liturgical element (1 Ki 7:25). Separating the Sea from its foundational oxen visually stripped it of its designed support and symbolism.

• that were under it: Indicates the integral relationship between the oxen and the Sea's structure.

• and put it: Hebrew: vayyittᵉnēhû (וַיִּתְּנֵהוּ) from nāthan. Simple act of placing.

• upon a pavement of stones: Hebrew: ‘al marṣephet ’avānim. This denotes a common, mundane stone surface, contrasting sharply with the intricate and symbolic brazen oxen base. This action drastically downgraded the sacred Sea from a majestic, elevated furnishing to a low-lying, utilitarian object, stripped of its visual and cultic distinctiveness.

• Words-group analysis:

  • "cut off the borders of the bases, and removed the laver from off them": This shows Ahaz's intentional defacement of sacred items. The decorative "borders" were integral to the bases' beauty and integrity. Their removal signifies a desacralization, reducing functional beauty to mere utility. It's a calculated act of architectural and spiritual vandalism within God's house.
  • "took down the sea from off the brazen oxen that were under it, and put it upon a pavement of stones": This act is more profound. The bronze Sea's elevation upon twelve oxen signified its sacred, exalted status, reflecting divine cosmic order and priestly purification. To remove it from such a pedestal and place it on a "pavement of stones" – a mundane, unadorned surface – drastically lowered its status, profaning a sacred symbol into a common washing trough. This visually represented Ahaz's broader contempt for YHWH's worship and holiness, placing the symbols of divine order into common chaos.

2 Kings 16 17 Bonus section

• Financial expediency: While the text does not explicitly state it, some interpretations suggest Ahaz might have sold the bronze or melted it down to pay tribute to Tiglath-Pileser III. Regardless, this financial motive would be subservient to his core apostasy and rejection of YHWH's commands.
• Archaeological Parallels: Ancient Near Eastern monarchs frequently asserted dominance by dismantling or re-purposing the religious iconography of subjugated nations. Ahaz preemptively enacts this subjugation on his own people's most sacred space, further illustrating his vassalage to Assyria.
• Symbolic Violence: Ahaz's acts were not just functional changes; they were a form of symbolic violence against YHWH's character as a holy God requiring pure worship. The destruction of these specific cleansing vessels represents his abandonment of the very concept of ritual and spiritual purity necessary to approach YHWH.

2 Kings 16 17 Commentary

2 Kings 16:17 presents Ahaz's escalating campaign of desecrating the Temple in Jerusalem. Following his adoption of the Damascus altar as the primary sacrificial place, his actions here are directed at the essential bronze vessels: the lavers and the immense bronze Sea. These furnishings, meticulously designed by Solomon according to divine blueprint, were central to the Temple's system of ritual purification necessary for priestly service and drawing near to a holy God.

Ahaz's dismantling was more than a pragmatic alteration or an act of obtaining materials for tribute. It was a theological statement, an intentional devaluation of YHWH's prescribed worship. By stripping the decorative panels and taking down the Sea from its distinctive oxen base, he reduced these magnificent, sacred items to utilitarian objects, undermining their purpose as symbols of YHWH's glory and the purity required for worship. The act represented Ahaz's profound apostasy and submission to foreign political and religious authority over YHWH's exclusive sovereignty. He stripped the very symbols of YHWH's sacred standards and distinctiveness within the land, paralleling his own stripped spiritual condition.