Attributed commentary excerpt
John Gill's Exposition on 2 Kings 21:6
A historical reference excerpt for this verse. Read it alongside the biblical text and other available sources.
Exposition of the Old and New Testament
John Gill (1697–1771) · 18th-century historical commentary
Source: BibleWord.ai's local reference edition of this named work.
And he made his son pass through the fire, etc.] To Molech, after the manner of the old Canaanites and Phoenicians; his son Amon, that succeeded him, and other children, as appears from (<143306>2 Chronicles 33:6), where mention is made of the place where it was done, the valley of the son of Hinnom: and observed times; lucky or unlucky, which was judged of by omens, and by the position of the stars: and used enchantments, and dealt with familiar spirits and wizards; to get knowledge of things to come; all which are forbid and condemned by the law of Moses; (see <051810>Deuteronomy 18:10-12), he wrought much wickedness in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger; in all those evils before mentioned, which were very abominable in the sight of God. Ver. 7 And he set a graven image of the grove that he had made in the house, etc.] Which was either an image that had been placed in a grove planted by him, and now removed into the house or temple of the Lord; or, as some think, this was a representation of a grove, a carved grove of gold or silver, in the midst of which an image was placed in the temple; though what Selden observes f246, seems best of all, that this was an image of Asherah, as in the original text; that is, of Astarte or Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Zidonians, (<111105>1 Kings 11:5), the same the Phoenicians are said to call Astroarche, and affirm it to be the moon f247: in (<143307>2 Chronicles 33:7) it is called a carved image the idol he had made; and an Arabic writer f248 says, it had four faces, which seems to be a figure of the cherubim; but, according to Suidas f249, it was the statue of Jupiter, who also says it had four faces: of which the Lord said to David, and to Solomon his son: that is, of which house or temple: in this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, will I put my name forever; (see <110829>1 Kings 8:29 9:3 (see Gill on “<122103>2 Kings 21:3”)).
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