2 Kings 16 3

2 Kings 16:3 kjv

But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yea, and made his son to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel.

2 Kings 16:3 nkjv

But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel; indeed he made his son pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD had cast out from before the children of Israel.

2 Kings 16:3 niv

He followed the ways of the kings of Israel and even sacrificed his son in the fire, engaging in the detestable practices of the nations the LORD had driven out before the Israelites.

2 Kings 16:3 esv

but he walked in the way of the kings of Israel. He even burned his son as an offering, according to the despicable practices of the nations whom the LORD drove out before the people of Israel.

2 Kings 16:3 nlt

Instead, he followed the example of the kings of Israel, even sacrificing his own son in the fire. In this way, he followed the detestable practices of the pagan nations the LORD had driven from the land ahead of the Israelites.

2 Kings 16 verses

2 Kings 16 3 Meaning

King Ahaz of Judah abandoned the covenant loyalty to the Lord and intentionally adopted the wicked ways of the kings of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Going to an extreme measure of wickedness, he offered his own son in child sacrifice by fire, a detestable act characteristic of the pagan nations whom the Lord had already judged and removed from the land due to their profound abominations before the sons of Israel.

2 Kings 16 3 Context

2 Kings chapter 16 opens the account of King Ahaz's reign over Judah, immediately setting a tone of severe unfaithfulness. While the Davidic covenant held Judah to a higher standard, Ahaz willfully departed from the righteous path of his ancestor David and previous faithful kings of Judah. This verse, coming so early in the description of his kingship, quickly highlights the depth of his apostasy, encompassing both a systemic adoption of the idolatrous ways of the Northern Kingdom of Israel and, even more shockingly, the heinous practice of child sacrifice characteristic of the Canaanite nations. This was a turbulent period politically, with Judah caught between the powerful Assyrian Empire and threats from the Syro-Ephraimite coalition (Syria and Northern Israel), potentially leading Ahaz to seek supernatural protection through forbidden, syncretistic rituals rather than trusting the Lord.

2 Kings 16 3 Word analysis

• "But he walked": The Hebrew verb va-yelech (וַיֵּלֶךְ), from halak (הָלַךְ), literally means "to walk" or "to go." However, in a biblical context, it frequently signifies a lifestyle, conduct, or deliberate adherence to a specific path or way of life. Here, it implies Ahaz's conscious decision to adopt a wicked course of action.

• "in the way": Hebrew be-derekh (בְּדֶרֶךְ), meaning "in the path of" or "in the manner of." This emphasizes that Ahaz not only committed specific evil acts but entirely embraced the system and pattern of life exemplified by the ungodly.

• "of the kings of Israel": This refers to the kings of the Northern Kingdom of Israel (e.g., Jeroboam, Ahab), known for their persistent idolatry, particularly the golden calves at Dan and Bethel (1 Kgs 12:28-30) and Baal worship. By following their ways, Ahaz turned away from the unique covenant and laws given to Judah by YHWH.

• "indeed, he made his son pass through the fire": Hebrew gam beno he'evir ba-esh (גַּם־בְּנוֹ הֶעֱבִיר בָּאֵשׁ). He'evir (הֶעֱבִיר) is the Hiphil causative form of avar (עָבַר), meaning "to cause to pass over/through." Ba-esh (בָּאֵשׁ) means "in the fire." This phrase is a specific, damning reference to the practice of child sacrifice, explicitly condemned in the Torah as worship of Molech (Lev 18:21; Deut 18:10). While some scholars debate if "passing through the fire" was always literal immolation or sometimes a dedication rite involving fire, the strong connection to "abominations of the nations" and other explicit condemnations elsewhere firmly establishes it as a lethal ritual. It highlights the profound violation of human sanctity and divine law.

• "according to the abominations": Hebrew ke-to'avot (כְּתוֹעֲבוֹת). To'ebah (תּוֹעֵבָה) signifies something detestable, disgusting, or abhorrent in the sight of God. This term is consistently used for idolatrous practices, moral perversions, and anything that offends divine holiness and defiles the land.

• "of the nations": This refers to the indigenous Canaanite peoples whom God commanded Israel to drive out of the land. Their practices included child sacrifice, cult prostitution, and other grievous forms of idolatry. Ahaz was reverting to the very spiritual and moral degradation that characterized these nations.

• "whom the LORD had dispossessed before the sons of Israel": This critical clause underscores the historical and theological irony. God had expelled these nations specifically because of these abominable practices (Lev 18:24-25; Deut 9:4-5). Ahaz, by adopting their customs, was mimicking the behavior of those judged by God, placing Judah at risk of similar divine judgment and eventual expulsion from the land.

• "walked in the way of the kings of Israel; indeed, he made his son pass through the fire": This word-group paints a chilling picture of Ahaz's spiritual descent. He did not merely commit isolated sins; he systematically adopted a life of ungodliness patterned after the Northern Kingdom's deep-rooted idolatry, culminating in the horrific sin of child sacrifice, indicating extreme depravity and rejection of God.

• "according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD had dispossessed before the sons of Israel": This phrase functions as a severe theological indictment. It links Ahaz's specific sin directly to the practices that incurred God's judgment on the Canaanites. It implies a prophetic warning that Judah, by embracing the very evils that caused previous inhabitants to be dispossessed, risked suffering a similar fate.

2 Kings 16 3 Bonus section

The horrific act of child sacrifice was considered the ultimate spiritual betrayal in ancient Israel. It was a perversion of God's command for firstfruits and His system of atonement, replacing the substitutionary sacrifice of animals with the unholy shedding of innocent human blood. It represented a fundamental inversion of values, where life, God's sacred gift, was offered to false deities in desperation or to secure perceived blessings. Ahaz's decision was likely not just a religious one but politically motivated during a period of immense pressure from Assyria and its allies, showcasing a profound lack of faith in YHWH's covenant protection for Judah. This specific sin stands out as a stark warning against syncretism and compromise with ungodly cultures, illustrating how moral decay can reach its lowest point when true worship of God is abandoned.

2 Kings 16 3 Commentary

2 Kings 16:3 portrays King Ahaz of Judah as an epitome of spiritual betrayal. His reign, spanning 16 years, is immediately defined by an unprecedented departure from the worship of YHWH. Unlike even some less faithful Judean kings who maintained a basic reverence for the Lord, Ahaz deliberately adopted the established idolatry of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. This in itself was a significant step toward apostasy for a king of David's lineage. However, his wickedness escalated beyond Northern Israelite idolatry to embrace the utterly repugnant practice of child sacrifice, characteristic of the Canaanites. The act of "making his son pass through the fire" was a horrific ritual associated with the cult of Molech, an abomination explicitly forbidden and severely condemned by God in the Mosaic Law. It violated the sanctity of human life, denied God's unique power and provision, and perverted the concept of sacrifice. The author's explicit note that these were the "abominations of the nations whom the LORD had dispossessed" serves as a stark reminder. God had judged the original inhabitants of the land for these very defilements. Ahaz, in adopting such practices, effectively invoked the same divine judgment upon his own kingdom, setting Judah on a course towards ultimate destruction and exile, a testament to the consistency of God's righteous judgment against persistent wickedness.