2 Kings 21:5

21:5 In the two courtyards of the Lord’s temple he built altars for all the stars in the sky.

2 Kings 5:1

Elisha Heals a Syrian General

5:1 Now Naaman, the commander of the king of Syria’s army, was esteemed and respected by his master, ¹  for through him the Lord had given Syria military victories. But this great warrior had a skin disease. ² 

2 Kings 17:16

17:16 They abandoned all the commandments of the Lord their God; they made two metal calves and an Asherah pole, bowed down to all the stars in the sky, ³  and worshiped ⁴  Baal.

2 Kings 21:3

21:3 He rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had destroyed; he set up altars for Baal and made an Asherah pole just like King Ahab of Israel had done. He bowed down to all the stars in the sky ⁵  and worshiped ⁶  them.

2 Kings 23:5

23:5 He eliminated ⁷  the pagan priests whom the kings of Judah had appointed to offer sacrifices ⁸  on the high places in the cities of Judah and in the area right around Jerusalem. (They offered sacrifices ⁹  to Baal, the sun god, the moon god, the constellations, and all the stars in the sky.)

2 Kings 23:4

23:4 The king ordered Hilkiah the high priest, the high-ranking priests, ¹⁰  and the guards ¹¹  to bring out of the Lord’s temple all the items that were used in the worship of ¹²  Baal, Asherah, and all the stars of the sky. ¹³  The king ¹⁴  burned them outside of Jerusalem in the terraces ¹⁵  of Kidron, and carried their ashes to Bethel. ¹⁶ 

¹ tn Heb “was a great man before his master and lifted up with respect to the face.”

² tn For a discussion of מְצֹרָע (mÿtsora’), traditionally translated “leprous,” see M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 63. Naaman probably had a skin disorder of some type, not leprosy/Hansen’s disease.

¹ tn The phrase כָל צְבָא הַשָּׁמַיִם (khol tsÿva’ hashamayim), traditionally translated “all the host of heaven,” refers to the heavenly lights, including stars and planets. In 1 Kgs 22:19 these heavenly bodies are pictured as members of the Lord’s royal court or assembly, but many other texts view them as the illegitimate objects of pagan and Israelite worship.

² tn Or “served.”

¹ sn See the note at 2 Kgs 17:16.

² tn Or “served.”

¹ tn Perhaps, “destroyed.”

² tn Or “burn incense.”

³ tn Or “burned incense.”

¹ tn Heb “the priests of the second [rank],” that is, those ranked just beneath Hilkiah.

² tn Or “doorkeepers.”

³ tn Heb “for.”

⁴ tn Heb “all the host of heaven” (also in v. 5).

⁵ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁶ tn Or “fields.” For a defense of the translation “terraces,” see M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 285.

⁷ map For location see Map4-G4; Map5-C1; Map6-E3; Map7-D1; Map8-G3.