2Ki 16:14-20 | TNotes | STEP | 16:14 Solomon had originally placed the bronze altar in front of the Temple (see Exod 40:6 ; 2 Chr 4:1 ; 7:7-10 ). At first, Ahaz positioned his new altar so that worshipers would come to it before coming to the bronze altar. Then Ahaz had the bronze altar placed ... on the north side of the new altar, completely replacing the bronze altar as the center of sacrificial activity.

16:14 ^a Solomon had originally placed the bronze altar in front of the Temple (see Exod 40:6 ^b; 2 Chr 4:1 ^c; 7:7-10 ^d). At first, Ahaz positioned his new altar so that worshipers would come to it before coming to the bronze altar. Then Ahaz had the bronze altar placed ... on the north side of the new altar, completely replacing the bronze altar as the center of sacrificial activity.
Summary for 2Kgs 16:15-16: 16:15-16 ^e Ahaz ordered that standard daily sacrifices (Num 28:1-8 ^f) as well as the individual offerings of the king and people would be made on the new altar. Ahaz then restricted the bronze altar to his personal use (literally for seeking/inquiry), probably to use it for pagan divination. This demand displayed a callous insolence against the Lord and his worship. Uriah the priest complied with Ahaz’s demands (2 Kgs 16:10-11 ^g, 16 ^h), rather than resisting the king.
Summary for 2Kgs 16:17-18: 16:17-18 ⁱ Because the side panels and basins from the ... water carts and the Sea were made of bronze (see 1 Kgs 7:25-40 ^j), Ahaz might have used them to pay tribute or for some other project.

• In deference: Apparently at the request of the king of Assyria, Ahaz removed the canopy that led to the inner court as well as to the king’s private entrance to the Temple. Judah paid a heavy price in loss of freedom because of Ahaz’s trust in the Assyrian king’s military intervention on their behalf (2 Kgs 16:7-8 ^k, 10 ^l).
16:19 ^m The rest of the events in Ahaz’s reign: In further rejection of the Lord, Ahaz removed the utensils from the Temple “and broke them into pieces” (2 Chr 28:24 ⁿ). He then closed the Temple and discontinued services there, instead promoting paganism throughout the land (2 Chr 28:25 ^o; 29:7 ^p). In redefining the worship of Judah so completely, his apostasy was similar to that of Jeroboam I (cp. 2 Kgs 3:3 ^q; 13:2 ^r; 16:2-4 ^s; 17:21 ^t; 1 Kgs 12:25-33 ^u; 16:26 ^v; 22:52 ^w)