2 Kings 16 4

2 Kings 16:4 kjv

And he sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree.

2 Kings 16:4 nkjv

And he sacrificed and burned incense on the high places, on the hills, and under every green tree.

2 Kings 16:4 niv

He offered sacrifices and burned incense at the high places, on the hilltops and under every spreading tree.

2 Kings 16:4 esv

And he sacrificed and made offerings on the high places and on the hills and under every green tree.

2 Kings 16:4 nlt

He offered sacrifices and burned incense at the pagan shrines and on the hills and under every green tree.

2 Kings 16 verses

2 Kings 16 4 Meaning

King Ahaz of Judah engaged in direct acts of rebellion against the LORD by participating in forbidden worship practices. He offered sacrifices and burned incense at sites explicitly prohibited by God's law: "on the high places," "on the hills," and "under every green tree." These actions signify a deep embrace of Canaanite paganism and a deliberate rejection of Yahweh's exclusive claim to worship, aligning him with the most apostate kings of Israel and Judah.

2 Kings 16 4 Context

Chapter 16 of 2 Kings introduces King Ahaz, a direct descendant of David, whose reign in Judah (c. 735-715 BC) is characterized by unprecedented wickedness and a drastic departure from Yahwistic worship. Unlike many of his predecessors who might have tolerated existing high places but still honored the LORD, Ahaz actively embraced and promoted paganism. Verse 4 details his comprehensive engagement in prohibited cultic practices. Historically, this period was tumultuous for Judah, caught between the rising power of the Neo-Assyrian Empire (under Tiglath-pileser III) and the Syro-Ephraimite alliance (Syria and Israel) that threatened Judah. Ahaz, facing this threat, did not turn to the LORD for deliverance but sought assistance from Assyria, demonstrating a political and religious apostasy. Culturally, "high places," "hills," and "green trees" were ubiquitous features of ancient Near Eastern, particularly Canaanite, religious landscapes. These were not simply physical locations but established sites for worship, fertility rites, and sometimes child sacrifice (as implied in the broader context of Ahaz's reign), which the God of Israel had explicitly forbidden to His people as abominations (Deut 12:2-4).

2 Kings 16 4 Word analysis

• And he: Refers to Ahaz (Hebrew: וַיַּעַשׂ – wayya‘as from עָשָׂה – ‘asah, to do/make). This simple conjunction immediately connects the action to the king, highlighting his personal culpability and active involvement in apostasy, a stark contrast to kings who merely allowed the high places to remain.
• sacrificed (וַיְזַבֵּחַ – vayyizabeach from זָבַח – zabach): Means to slaughter an animal as an offering. This term typically refers to a legitimate act of worship but when performed outside the Temple or to other gods, it signifies a direct act of rebellion and idolatry. It emphasizes the King's personal, hands-on participation in the illicit rites, mirroring proper worship but directed away from Yahweh.
• and burned incense (וַיְקַטֵּר – vayiqatter from קָטַר – qatar): Means to cause sacrificial smoke to ascend, a highly sacred priestly act typically performed in the Tabernacle or Temple to Yahweh. By performing it elsewhere and to other gods, Ahaz usurped a priestly function and engaged in overt pagan worship, directly engaging in rites associated with Canaanite deities, including their fertility cults and abominable practices.
• on the high places (בַּבָּמוֹת – bavamot from בָּמָה – bamah): A very common term in the Hebrew Bible for cultic sites, usually on elevated ground. These were often repurposed Canaanite sanctuaries featuring altars, standing stones (massebot), and sacred poles (asherim), used for the worship of Baal, Asherah, and other deities. Their use was explicitly forbidden by Deuteronomic law (Deut 12), which mandated centralized worship to prevent syncretism. Their persistence reflects a consistent failure of Judah's kings to eradicate pagan influence.
• and on the hills (וְעַל־הַגְּבָעוֹת – v'al-haggeva'ot from גִּבְעָה – giv‘ah): Similar to high places, this refers to natural elevated ground. While "high places" could be specific prepared sites, "hills" conveys a more general, ubiquitous presence of idolatrous worship, often in open, public settings, showing the pervasive nature of Ahaz's idolatry throughout the land.
• and under every green tree (וְתַחַת כָּל־עֵץ רַעֲנָן – v'tachat kol-etz ra'anan): Refers to the ancient practice of using large, flourishing trees or sacred groves as cultic centers. "Green" (ra'anan) signifies vitality and prosperity, often linking to fertility rituals common in Canaanite worship (e.g., Asherah worship), where such trees symbolized life and growth. This imagery frequently appears in prophetic condemnations of idolatry (e.g., Jer 2:20; Ezek 6:13), underscoring a deep involvement in pagan nature cults that promised fertility and abundance but led away from Yahweh.

• Words-group Analysis: "sacrificed and burned incense": These two actions together represent the fundamental public acts of worship in the ancient world. Ahaz performing both outside the prescribed Mosaic Law, indicates a complete rejection of proper Yahwistic devotion and an embracing of foreign cultic rituals, likely to gain perceived benefits from other deities. This is an intentional syncretism. "on the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree": This repeated formula emphasizes the comprehensive, widespread, and thorough nature of Ahaz's idolatry. It suggests that there was no location consecrated for forbidden worship that he neglected. This triad also appears frequently in prophetic warnings, serving as a symbolic representation of total apostasy and departure from the LORD, illustrating a deliberate embrace of the very practices God had commanded His people to destroy.

2 Kings 16 4 Bonus section

The extent of Ahaz's apostasy extends beyond this verse, revealing a pattern of complete religious defection. He also participated in child sacrifice, burning his son in the fire (2 Kgs 16:3), a most abhorrent Canaanite practice, likely linked to the deity Moloch. Furthermore, he demonstrated an open contempt for the LORD's Temple by altering its structure to accommodate an Assyrian altar he admired in Damascus (2 Kgs 16:10-16) and even removed sacred elements and closed the temple doors (2 Chr 28:24). This pervasive and active promotion of foreign cults at all levels, from common hillsides to the sacred Jerusalem Temple itself, underscores Ahaz's pivotal role in Judah's spiritual corruption. His reign represents a dark period, where the covenant community wilfully mirrored the very nations they were commanded to distinguish themselves from, bringing immense divine displeasure.

2 Kings 16 4 Commentary

2 Kings 16:4 vividly describes King Ahaz's profound religious deviation, portraying him not merely as passively tolerating paganism, but actively championing it. His choice to "sacrifice and burn incense" was an overt act of cultic worship. Crucially, his selection of "high places, hills, and under every green tree" as venues reveals a deliberate embrace of Canaanite practices explicitly forbidden by the Mosaic Law. This was a profound breach of the covenant, rejecting the LORD's exclusivity and promoting syncretism. Ahaz's actions were foundational to Judah's deeper decline, fostering widespread idolatry among the people and directly contributing to God's future judgments. This spiritual infidelity paved the way for subsequent national weakness and ultimately, the kingdom's downfall, illustrating how a leader's choices dictate a nation's spiritual health and fate.