2 Kings 16:17

“And King Ahaz cut off the borders of the bases, and removed the laver from off them, etc.] In the temple there were ten lavers for the priests to wash in, which are here meant, the singular being put for the plural; and these had bases of brass, on which they were set; and about these bases were borders, which had on them figures of various creatures, lions, oxen, and cherubim; and these Ahaz cut off, either to deface them, in contempt of them, or to convert the brass to other uses, as he might also the bases themselves, since he removed the lavers from off of them, (see <110727>1 Kings 7:27-30) and took down the sea from off the brasen oxen [that were] under it; the molten sea Solomon made,…”

“HE SPOILS THE TEMPLE. (Kg2 16:17-19) cut off the borders of the bases, &c.--It is thought that he did this to use the elaborate sculpture in adorning his palace.”

“See the marginal references. The acts recorded here, were probably not mere wanton acts of mutilation, but steps in the conversion of these sacred objects to other uses, as to the ornamentation of a palace or of an idol temple. The bases, the oxen, and the sea were not destroyed - they remained at Jerusalem until its final capture Jeremiah 52:17, Jeremiah 52:20. Probably they were restored to their original uses by Hezekiah 2 Chronicles 29:19. A pavement of stones - Probably a pavement made expressly, for the stones of the court seem to have been covered with a planking of cedar 1Ki 6:36; 1 Kings 7:12. return to 'Top of Page'”

“16:17-18 Because the side panels and basins from the . . . water carts and the Sea were made of bronze (see 1 Kgs 7:25-40), 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, 10).”

“am 3265, bc 739 cut off: Ch2 28:24, Ch2 29:19 borders: Kg1 7:23, Kg1 7:27-39; Ch2 4:14 sea: Kg2 25:13-16; Kg1 7:23-26; Ch2 4:15; Jer 52:20 4 Kings (2 Kings) 16:18”

“Ahaz also laid his hand upon the other costly vessels of the court of the temple. He broke off the panels of the Solomonian stands, which were ornamented with artistic carving, and removed the basins from the stands, and took the brazen sea from the brazen oxen upon which they stood, and placed it upon a stone pavement. The ו before את־הכּיּר can only have crept into the text through a copyist's error, and the singular must be taken distributively: he removed from them (the stands) every single basin. אבנים מרצפת (without the article) is not the stone pavement of the court of the temple, but a pedestal made of stones (βάσις λιθίνη, lxx) for the brazen sea. The reason why, or the object…”