2 Kings 16:17-18

16:17 King Ahaz took off the frames of the movable stands, and removed the basins from them. He took “The Sea” ¹  down from the bronze bulls that supported it ²  and put it on the pavement. 16:18 He also removed the Sabbath awning ³  that had been built ⁴  in the temple and the king’s outer entranceway, on account of the king of Assyria. ⁵ 

[16:17]  ¹ sn See the note at 1 Kgs 7:23.

[16:17]  ² tn Heb “that [were] under it.”

[16:18]  ³ tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew term מוּסַךְ (musakh; Qere) / מִיסַךְ (misakh; Kethib) is uncertain. For discussion see HALOT 557 s.v. מוּסַךְ and M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 189-90.

[16:18]  ⁴ tn Heb “that they built.”

[16:18]  ⁵ sn It is doubtful that Tiglath-pileser ordered these architectural changes. Ahaz probably made these changes so he could send some of the items and materials to the Assyrian king as tribute. See M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 190, 193.