2 Kings 21 · Verse 6

2 Kings 21:6

And he made his son pass through the fire, and observed times, and used enchantments, and dealt with familiar spirits and wizards: he wrought much wickedness in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger.

2 Kings 21:6, King James Version

2 Kings 21:6 in other translations

BSB	He sacrificed his own son in the fire, practiced sorcery and divination, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did great evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger.
WEB	He made his son to pass through the fire, practiced sorcery, used enchantments, and dealt with those who had familiar spirits and with wizards. He did much evil in the LORD’s sight, to provoke him to anger.
ASV	And he made his son to pass through the fire, and practised augury, and used enchantments, and dealt with them that had familiar spirits, and with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of Jehovah, to provoke him to anger.
YLT	and he hath caused his son to pass through fire, and observed clouds, and used enchantment, and dealt with a familiar spirit and wizards; he hath multiplied to do the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah--to provoke to anger.
DARBY	And he caused his son to pass through the fire, and used magic and divination, and appointed necromancers and soothsayers: he wrought evil beyond measure in the sight of Jehovah, to provoke him to anger.
BBE	And he made his son go through the fire, and made use of secret arts and signs for reading the future; he gave positions to those who had control of spirits and to wonder-workers; he did much evil in the eyes of the Lord, moving him to wrath.
Webster	And he made his son pass through the fire, and observed times, and used enchantments, and dealt with familiar spirits and wizards: he committed much wickedness in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.

What does 2 Kings 21:6 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

6. made his son pass through the fire--(See on 2Ki 16:3). observed times--from an observation of the clouds. used enchantments--jugglery and spells. dealt with familiar spirits--Septuagint, "ventriloquists," who pretended to ask counsel of a familiar spirit and gave the response received from him to others. and wizards--wise or knowing ones, who pretended to reveal secrets, to recover things lost and hidden treasure, and to interpret dreams. A great influx of these impostors had, at various times, poured from Chaldea into the land of Israel to pursue their gainful occupations, especially during the reigns of the latter kings; and Manasseh was not only their liberal patron, but zealous to appear himself an adept in the arts. He raised them to be an influential class at his court, as they were in that of Assyria and Babylon, where nothing was done till they had ascertained the lucky hour and were promised a happy issue.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 6 Made his son pass through the fire - Consecrated him to Moloch. Observed times - ועונן veonen; he practiced divination by the clouds; by observing their course at particular times, their different kinds, contrary directions, etc., etc. Used enchantments - ונחש venichesh; he used incantations, spells, and charms. Dealt with familiar spirits - ועשה אוב veasah ob; he was a necromancer; was a raiser of spirits, whom he endeavored to press into his service; he had a Python. And wizards - וידענים veyiddeonim; the knowing ones, the white witches, and such like; see on Lev 19:26-31 (note), where most of these terms are particularly explained and illustrated.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 2 Kings 21:1-9

Young persons generally desire to become their own masters, and to have early possession of riches and power. But this, for the most part, ruins their future comfort, and causes mischief to others. It is much happier when young persons are sheltered under the care of parents or guardians, till age gives experience and discretion. Though such young persons are less indulged, they will afterwards be thankful. Manasseh…

Read the full comment on 2 Kings 21:1-9 →

2 Kings 21:6 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וְהֶעֱבִ֤ירve.he.'e.Virand he made passH5674

אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853

בְּנוֹ֙be.Noson hisH1121

בָּאֵ֔שׁba.'Eshin the fireH784

וְעוֹנֵ֣ןve.'o.Nenand he practiced soothsayingH6049

וְנִחֵ֔שׁve.ni.Cheshand he practiced divinationH5172

וְעָ֥שָׂהve.'A.sahand he dealt withH6213

א֖וֹב'ovnecromancerH178

וְיִדְּעֹנִ֑יםve.yi.de.'o.Nimand soothsayersH3049

הִרְבָּ֗הhir.Bahhe increasedH7235

לַעֲשׂ֥וֹתla.'a.Sotto doH6213

הָרַ֛עha.Ra'the evilH7451

בְּעֵינֵ֥יbe.'ei.Neiin [the] eyes ofH5869

יְהוָ֖הYah.wehYahwehH3068

לְהַכְעִֽיס\׃le.hakh.'Isto provoke [him] to angerH3707

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 2 Kings 21:6

2 Kings 17:17
And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger.
Leviticus 19:31
Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the Lord your God.
Leviticus 18:21
And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the Lord.
2 Kings 16:3
But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yea, and made his son to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen, whom the Lord cast out from before the children of Israel.
Leviticus 19:26
Ye shall not eat any thing with the blood: neither shall ye use enchantment, nor observe times.
Deuteronomy 18:10-14
There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord: and because of these abominations the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee. Thou shalt be perfect with the Lord thy God. …
2 Chronicles 33:6
And he caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom: also he observed times, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger.
Isaiah 8:19
And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead?
2 Kings 24:3-4
Surely at the commandment of the Lord came this upon Judah, to remove them out of his sight, for the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he did; And also for the innocent blood that he shed: for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; which the Lord would not pardon.
Acts 16:16
And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying:
Leviticus 20:2-3
Again, thou shalt say to the children of Israel, Whosoever he be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel, that giveth any of his seed unto Molech; he shall surely be put to death: the people of the land shall stone him with stones. And I will set my face against that man, and will cut him off from among his people; because he hath given of his seed unto Molech, to defile my sanctuary, and to profane my holy name.
Isaiah 19:3
And the spirit of Egypt shall fail in the midst thereof; and I will destroy the counsel thereof: and they shall seek to the idols, and to the charmers, and to them that have familiar spirits, and to the wizards.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

A.M. 3321. B.C. 683. he made.
16:3; 17:17; Le 18:21; 20:2,3; 2Ch 28:3; 33:6; Mic 6:7
observed times.
Le 19:26,31; De 18:10-14
familiar.
1Ch 10:13; Isa 8:19; 19:3; Ac 16:16
wrought.
24:3,4; Ge 13:13

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

2 Kings 21:5
And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the Lord.
2 Kings 21:6
And he made his son pass through the fire, and observed times, and used enchantments, and dealt with familiar spirits and wizards: he wrought much wickedness in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger.
2 Kings 21:7
And he set a graven image of the grove that he had made in the house, of which the Lord said to David, and to Solomon his son, In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all tribes of Israel, will I put my name for ever:

Read all of 2 Kings 21

2 Kings 21:6 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Y pasó á su hijo por fuego, y miró en tiempos, y fué agorero, é instituyó pythones y adivinos, multiplicando así el hacer lo malo en ojos de Jehová, para provocarlo á ira.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	et il fit passer son fils par le feu, et il pronostiquait, et pratiquait les enchantements, et il établit des évocateurs d’esprits et des diseurs de bonne aventure: il fit outre mesure ce qui est mauvais aux yeux de l’ Éternel, pour le provoquer à colère.
German Elberfelder 1871	Und er ließ seinen Sohn durchs Feuer gehen, und er trieb Zauberei und Wahrsagerei, und bestellte Totenbeschwörer und Wahrsager: er tat viel Böses in den Augen Jehovas, um ihn zu reizen.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Et traduxit filium suum per ignem: et ariolatus est, et observavit auguria, et fecit pythones, et aruspices multiplicavit, ut faceret malum coram Domino, et irritaret eum.