Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version He removed the foreign altars and the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. New Living Translation He removed the foreign altars and the pagan shrines. He smashed the sacred pillars and cut down the Asherah poles. English Standard Version He took away the foreign altars and the high places and broke down the pillars and cut down the Asherim Berean Standard Bible He removed the foreign altars and high places, shattered the sacred pillars, and chopped down the Asherah poles. King James Bible For he took away the altars of the strange gods, and the high places, and brake down the images, and cut down the groves: New King James Version for he removed the altars of the foreign gods and the high places, and broke down the sacred pillars and cut down the wooden images. New American Standard Bible for he removed the foreign altars and high places, tore down the memorial stones, cut down the Asherim, NASB 1995 for he removed the foreign altars and high places, tore down the sacred pillars, cut down the Asherim, NASB 1977 for he removed the foreign altars and high places, tore down the sacred pillars, cut down the Asherim, Legacy Standard Bible for he removed the foreign altars and high places, shattered the sacred pillars, cut the Asherim in pieces, Amplified Bible He removed the foreign altars and high places and tore down the [pagan] pillars (obelisks, memorial stones), and cut to pieces the Asherim [the symbols of the goddess Asherah]. Christian Standard Bible He removed the pagan altars and the high places. He shattered their sacred pillars and chopped down their Asherah poles. Holman Christian Standard Bible He removed the pagan altars and the high places. He shattered their sacred pillars and chopped down their Asherah poles. American Standard Version for he took away the foreign altars, and the high places, and brake down the pillars, and hewed down the Asherim, Aramaic Bible in Plain English And he tore down the altars of foreign gods and high places, and he shattered monuments and he cut down the bronze statues. Brenton Septuagint Translation And he removed the altars of the strange gods, and the high places, and broke the pillars in pieces, and cut down the groves: Contemporary English Version He destroyed the local shrines and the altars to foreign gods. He smashed the stone images of gods and cut down the sacred poles used in worshiping the goddess Asherah. Douay-Rheims Bible And broke the statues, and cut down the groves. English Revised Version for he took away the strange altars, and the high places, and brake down the pillars, and hewed down the Asherim; GOD'S WORD® Translation He got rid of the altars of foreign gods, broke down the sacred stones, and cut down the poles dedicated to the goddess Asherah. Good News Translation He removed the foreign altars and the pagan places of worship, broke down the sacred stone columns, and cut down the symbols of the goddess Asherah. International Standard Version by removing the foreign altars and high places, tearing down the sacred pillars, cutting down the Asherim, and JPS Tanakh 1917 for he took away the strange altars, and the high places, and broke down the pillars, and hewed down the Asherim; Literal Standard Version and turns aside the altars of the stranger, and the high places, and breaks the standing-pillars, and cuts down the Asherim, Majority Standard Bible He removed the foreign altars and high places, shattered the sacred pillars, and chopped down the Asherah poles. New American Bible He removed the illicit altars and the high places, smashed the sacred pillars, and cut down the asherahs. NET Bible He removed the pagan altars and the high places, smashed the sacred pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles. New Revised Standard Version He took away the foreign altars and the high places, broke down the pillars, hewed down the sacred poles, New Heart English Bible for he took away the foreign altars, and the high places, and broke down the pillars, and cut down the Asherim, Webster's Bible Translation For he took away the altars of the strange gods, and the high places, and broke down the images, and cut down the groves: World English Bible for he took away the foreign altars and the high places, broke down the pillars, cut down the Asherah poles, Young's Literal Translation and turneth aside the altars of the stranger, and the high places, and breaketh the standing-pillars, and cutteth down the shrines, Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context Asa Reigns in Judah…2And Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God. 3He removed the foreign altars and high places, shattered the sacred pillars, and chopped down the Asherah poles. 4He commanded the people of Judah to seek the LORD, the God of their fathers, and to observe the law and the commandments.… Cross References Exodus 34:13 Rather, you must tear down their altars, smash their sacred stones, and chop down their Asherah poles. Deuteronomy 7:5 Instead, this is what you are to do to them: tear down their altars, smash their sacred pillars, cut down their Asherah poles, and burn their idols in the fire. 1 Kings 15:12 He banished the male shrine prostitutes from the land and removed all the idols that his fathers had made. 2 Chronicles 14:2 And Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God. 2 Chronicles 14:4 He commanded the people of Judah to seek the LORD, the God of their fathers, and to observe the law and the commandments. Treasury of Scripture For he took away the altars of the strange gods, and the high places, and broke down the images, and cut down the groves: For he took Deuteronomy 7:5 But thus shall ye deal with them; ye shall destroy their altars, and break down their images, and cut down their groves, and burn their graven images with fire. 1 Kings 11:7,8 Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon… 1 Kings 14:22-24 And Judah did evil in the sight of the LORD, and they provoked him to jealousy with their sins which they had committed, above all that their fathers had done… the high places 2 Chronicles 15:17 But the high places were not taken away out of Israel: nevertheless the heart of Asa was perfect all his days. Leviticus 26:30 And I will destroy your high places, and cut down your images, and cast your carcases upon the carcases of your idols, and my soul shall abhor you. 1 Kings 15:12-14 And he took away the sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made… brake 2 Chronicles 34:4 And they brake down the altars of Baalim in his presence; and the images, that were on high above them, he cut down; and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images, he brake in pieces, and made dust of them, and strowed it upon the graves of them that had sacrificed unto them. Exodus 34:13 But ye shall destroy their altars, break their images, and cut down their groves: Deuteronomy 7:5,25 But thus shall ye deal with them; ye shall destroy their altars, and break down their images, and cut down their groves, and burn their graven images with fire… images [heb] statue 2 Kings 23:14 And he brake in pieces the images, and cut down the groves, and filled their places with the bones of men. cut down Judges 6:25-28 And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD said unto him, Take thy father's young bullock, even the second bullock of seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath, and cut down the grove that is by it: … 1 Kings 11:7 Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon. 2 Kings 18:4 He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan. Jump to Previous Altars Asherah Asherahs Asherim Ashe'rim Brake Breaketh Broke Broken Columns Cut Cutteth Foreign Gods Groves Hewed High Images Pillars Places Poles Removed rs Sacred Shrines Smashed Standing-Pillars Stones Strange Stranger Tore Turneth Upright WoodJump to Next Altars Asherah Asherahs Asherim Ashe'rim Brake Breaketh Broke Broken Columns Cut Cutteth Foreign Gods Groves Hewed High Images Pillars Places Poles Removed rs Sacred Shrines Smashed Standing-Pillars Stones Strange Stranger Tore Turneth Upright Wood2 Chronicles 14 1. Asa following, destroys idolatry6. having peace, he strengthens his kingdom with forts and armies 9. Calling of God, he overthrows Zerah, and spoils the Ethiopians Verse 3. - The altars of the strange (gods); Hebrew, the altars of the stranger, meaning, of course, "the altars of the gods of the stranger." This expression, "strange gods," is found in the Authorized Version about thirteen times for the Hebrew גֵכָר, or הַגֵּכָר, and would be most correctly rendered, "The gods [or, 'god'] of the stranger," i.e. of the foreigner, as it is rendered in the solitary instance of Deuteronomy 31:16. The high places. Comp. ver. 5 and 2 Chronicles 15:17, which says, "But the high places were not taken away out of Israel;" and 1 Kings 15:14, which says, "But the high places were not removed," without limiting this non-removal to "of Israel." On the question of this apparent inconsistency and surface-contradiction, see our Introduction, §7, pp. 16:1 and 17:2. Further, it may here be well distinctly to note how little is even the apparent discrepancy or contradiction alleged in this subject, throwing in the analogous passages in Jehoshaphat's history (2 Chronicles 17:6; 2 Chronicles 20:33), in case these may reflect any light on the question. Firstly, we will remove out of our way the parallel in 1 Kings 15:14, with the observation that it is evident from its immediate context that it corresponds with the last statement of our Chronicles (2 Chronicles 15:17), savouring of a retrospective summarizing of the compiler, not with the first statements (2 Chronicles 14:3, 5), which set forth Asa's prospective purpose of heart, his resolution, and, no doubt, his edicts. Secondly, we may notice that there is a plain-enough distinction made by the writer in vers. 3 and 5 respectively - the one saying that Asa "took away the high places," without any further limitation; the other saying within two verses, "Also out of all the cities of Judah" (note by the way here the suggestive stress laid upon "the cities," possibly as more easily coped with than country districts) "he took away the high places." The only legitimate inference (taking into account both the words used, and the fact that the last written are found close upon the former, with the significant conjunction "also") must be that some different information was intended in the two places. Ver. 3 finds Asa as much master of "Judah" as ver. 5. Therefore the natural interpretation of ver. 3 must be that Asa at once abolished "the high places" nearest home, nearest Jerusalem, most within his own personal reach; then "also" that he did and ordered the same to be done in "all the cities of Judah," and it was done at the time, if only for the time. Thirdly, include the statement of 2 Chronicles 15:17, if we do not insist (as we might insist very fairly when pressed on a point of alleged inconsistency or contradiction) on the fact that now the high places "of Israel" arc distinctly designated, and that therein those outlying parts of Asa's more or less acknowledged sway outside of Judah and his thoroughest control are designedly described, let us instead take the help of an exactly analogous (and analogously alleged) discrepancy (2 Chronicles 17:7 compared with 2 Chronicles 20:33), and we find there that the very key with which to unlock the difficulty is provided to our hand. Jehoshaphat (2 Chronicles 17:6) "took away the high places;" "the people" (2 Chronicles 20:33) did not faithfully and with a constant heart follow suit, but had failed to prepare, i.e. to turn "their hearts unto the God of their fathers." How well the juxtaposition of these very words would tell, nay, do tell, with the emphatic words of 1 Kings 15:14! "Nevertheless Asa's heart was perfect with the Lord all his days;" and with our 2 Chronicles 15:17, "Nevertheless the heart of Asa was perfect all his days." In both these passages the antithesis is patent between Asa's heart and the people's hearts, between Asa's "all his days" and the people's uncertainty and apostasy. The fidelity of Bible history and its non-cunningly, non-fabulously devised tenor are gratefully corroborated by the inquisition made into such a supposed "discrepancy," inconsistency," "contradiction." Notice once more the confirming indication, so far as it goes, of the one verb that commands the next verse, as there noted upon. Brake down the images; Hebrew, מַצֵּבות. It occurs in the Authorized Version thirty-two times, and is rendered "pillar" or "pillars" twelve times; "image" or "images" nineteen times; and "garrisons" once. It appears simply to have slipped from the signification of pillar into the rendering of the word "image," by aid of the intermediate word "statue." It is used of the pillar or statue of Baal in 2 Kings 3:2; 2 Kings 10:26, 27, with his name expressed; and in 2 Chronicles 18:4; 2 Chronicles 23:14, without that name expressed. Cut down the groves; Hebrew, וַיְגַדַּע אֶת־הָאֲשֵׁרִים. The verb here used implies the "cutting," "cutting down," "pruning" of trees. It is undoubtedly applied also to other cutting and cutting down, as of the "breaking" of a red (Zechariah 11:10), of an arm (1 Samuel 2:31), of horns (Jeremiah 48:25), of bars or bolts (Isaiah 45:2). It occurs in all twenty-three times. It is here employed to describe the destroying of what according to the Authorized Version arc called "groves" (Septuagint, ἄλσος; Vulgate, lucus) - a word which with little doubt misleads for the rendering of our אֲשֵׁרִים. Before this same word we have also another Hebrew verb for "cutting," of very frequent occurrence in its simple and metaphorically derived uses included, viz. כָּרַת. The first uses of this verb with the above word are found in Judges 6:25, 26, 30. That word means literally "fortune," but in its ultimate derivation "straightness," and hence supposed to designate, in Phoenician and Aramaean idolatry, Astarte or the planet Venus, who is constantly associated in such idolatry with Baal (Judges 3:7). But see for the first occurrence of the word, Exodus 34:13, where there is no express mention of Baal, but where the idolatries of the Amorite, Canaanite, Hittite, Hivite, Perizzite, and Jebusite are being spoken cf. When we take into consideration the probable ultimate derivation of the word, the fact of the verbs that speak of "cutting" being uniformly applied to what it represents, the "burning" to which this was condemned (Judges 6:26) when cut down, and a series of statements that represent it as "set up under every green tree" (1 Kings 14:23; 2 Kings 17:10; see also 1 Kings 15:13; 2 Kings 21:7; 2 Kings 23:6; 2 Chronicles 15:16), it not only becomes perfectly certain that "grove" and "groves" cannot rightly render the word, but directs us with the light of those passages that speak of it coupled with Baal as an object of worship, and that speak of prophet and priest called by its name (Judges 3:7 (compared with Judges 2:13; 10:6; 1 Samuel 7:4); 1 Kings 18:19; 2 Kings 21:3; 2 Kings 23:4), to the strong conviction that it should be at once written with a capital letter, and rendered as a proper name; that it may possibly be a synonym with Ashtoreth, 1.q. Astarte, or a representation in wooden pillar, stock or trunk fashion, of some supposed aspect of her passion or dominion, very likely in the voluptuous or sensual direction (see the nevertheless very doubtful Septuagint and Vulgate, 2 Chronicles 15:16; and Vulgate, Judges 3:7). Conder, in 'Handbook to the Bible,' p. 187, 2nd edit., speaks of "Baal-peor (Numbers 25:3) as identified by St. Jerome with the classical Priapus;" and adds "the Asherah (rendered 'grove' in our version) was also apparently a similar emblem" (2 Kings 23:7). The analogy of the sacred tree of the Assyrians sculptured on the monuments of Nineveh ('Nineveh and Persepolis,' p. 299, Fergusson), which was probably a straight trunk or stock garlanded at certain times with ribbons and flowers, has been opportunely pointed to (see also Professor Dr. Murphy's 'Handbook: Chronicles,' p. 115). Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew He removedוַיָּ֛סַר (way·yā·sar) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 5493: To turn aside the foreign הַנֵּכָ֖ר (han·nê·ḵār) Article | Noun - masculine singular Strong's 5236: That which is foreign, foreignness altars מִזְבְּח֥וֹת (miz·bə·ḥō·wṯ) Noun - masculine plural construct Strong's 4196: An altar and high places, וְהַבָּמ֑וֹת (wə·hab·bā·mō·wṯ) Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - feminine plural Strong's 1116: An elevation shattered וַיְשַׁבֵּר֙ (way·šab·bêr) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 7665: To break, break in pieces their sacred pillars, הַמַּצֵּב֔וֹת (ham·maṣ·ṣê·ḇō·wṯ) Article | Noun - feminine plural Strong's 4676: Something stationed, a column, an idol and chopped down וַיְגַדַּ֖ע (way·ḡad·da‘) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 1438: To fell a, tree, to destroy anything the Asherah poles. הָאֲשֵׁרִֽים׃ (hā·’ă·šê·rîm) Article | Noun - feminine plural Strong's 842: A Phoenician goddess, also an image of the same Links 2 Chronicles 14:3 NIV2 Chronicles 14:3 NLT 2 Chronicles 14:3 ESV 2 Chronicles 14:3 NASB 2 Chronicles 14:3 KJV 2 Chronicles 14:3 BibleApps.com 2 Chronicles 14:3 Biblia Paralela 2 Chronicles 14:3 Chinese Bible 2 Chronicles 14:3 French Bible 2 Chronicles 14:3 Catholic Bible OT History: 2 Chronicles 14:3 For he took away the foreign altars (2 Chron. 2Ch iiCh ii ch 2 chr 2chr) |
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