2 Kings 21:5 - Exposition

And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the Lord. The temple of Solomon had two courts only, an inner and an outer. The outer court was for the people, the inner for the priests and Levites. Manasseh desecrated the temple to the extent of setting up in each of these two courts an idolatrous altar, dedicated to the worship of the host of heaven. In the inner court his altar was a rival to the great brazen altar of Solomon ( 1 Kings 9:1-28 :64; 2 Chronicles 4:1 ), which Ahaz had for a time removed from its place in front of the porch ( 2 Kings 16:14 ), but which Hezekiah had most certainly reinstated.