SIL Translator’s Notes on 2 Kings 23:12

23:12a He pulled down the altars that the kings of Judah had set up on the roof near the upper chamber of Ahaz,

He destroyed the altars that were on the ⌊temple⌋ rooftop near the room of Ahaz. These had been built by ⌊some earlier⌋ kings of Judah.

-or-

Some of⌋ the ⌊past⌋ kings of Judah had caused/ordered places of sacrifice to be built on the upper level ⌊of the temple⌋ next to where Ahaz lived/stayed. Josiah had these broken down.

23:12b and the altars that Manasseh had set up in the two courtyards of the house of the LORD.

He also destroyed⌋ the altars that Manasseh had built in the two courtyards inside the house of Yahweh.

-or-

King⌋ Manasseh had caused/ordered places of sacrifice to be built in the two open halls of the the temple of Yahweh. |⌊Josiah had these broken down⌋ also.

23:12c The king pulverized them there

The Hebrew consonants that the Berean Standard Bible translates as “pulverized them” can also be read as “and he ran.” However most English translations agree with the Berean Standard Bible.

He pulled them down, broke them into ⌊small⌋ bits,

-or-

He had them carried away and crushed.

23:12d and threw their dust into the Kidron Valley.

and threw the heap of refuse/garbage into the brook Kidron.

-or-

Then he had the remains/dust scattered in the wadi/stream called Kidron.

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