2 Chronicles 15:16

2 Chronicles 15:16 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And also concerning Maachah the mother of Asa the king, he removed her from being queen, because she had made an idol in a grove: and Asa cut down her idol, and stamped it, and burnt it at the brook Kidron.
• New International Version (NIV)King Asa also deposed his grandmother Maakah from her position as queen mother, because she had made a repulsive image for the worship of Asherah. Asa cut it down, broke it up and burned it in the Kidron Valley.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Even Maacah, his mother, King Asa removed from being queen mother because she had made a detestable image for Asherah. Asa cut down her image, crushed it, and burned it at the brook Kidron.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Also he removed Maachah, the mother of Asa the king, from being queen mother, because she had made an obscene image of Asherah; and Asa cut down her obscene image, then crushed and burned it by the Brook Kidron.

Context of 2 Chronicles 15:16

14They swore an oath to the Lord with a loud voice, with [jubilant] shouting, with trumpets, and with horns. 15All Judah rejoiced over the oath, for they had sworn with all their heart and had sought Him with their whole heart, and He let them find Him. So the Lord gave them rest on every side. He also removed Maacah, King Asa’s mother, from the position of queen mother, because she had made a repulsive image for [the goddess] Asherah. Asa cut down her idol, crushed it, and burned it at the Brook Kidron. 17But the high places [of pagan worship] were not removed from Israel. Nevertheless Asa’s heart was blameless all his days. 18He brought the things that his father [Abijah] had dedicated and those things that he had dedicated into the house of God—silver and gold and utensils.

2 Chronicles 15:16 word by word

וְגַֽם־מַעֲכָ֞ה אֵ֣ם׀ אָסָ֣א הַמֶּ֗לֶךְ הֱסִירָהּ֙ מִגְּבִירָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־עָשְׂתָ֥ה לַאֲשֵׁרָ֖ה מִפְלָ֑צֶת וַיִּכְרֹ֤ת אָסָא֙ אֶת־מִפְלַצְתָּ֔הּ וַיָּ֕דֶק וַיִּשְׂרֹ֖ף בְּנַ֥חַל קִדְרֽוֹן׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Maachahמַעֲכָהma‛ăkâh ma‛ăkâth · MaacahH4601
• the motherאֵם'êm · motherH517
• of Asaאָסָא'âsâ' · AsaH609
• the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• he removedסוּרsûr ώûr · to turn aside: removeH5493
• queenגְּבִירָהgebîyrâh · queenH1377
• because she had madeעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to makeH6213
• an idolמִפְלֶ֫צֶתmiphletseth · horrid thingH4656
• in a groveאֲשֵׁרָה'ăshêrâh 'ăshêyrâh · AsherahH842
• cut downכָּרַתkârath · to cut: cutH3772
• and stampedדָּקַקdâqaq · to crushH1854
• and burntשָׂרַףώâraph · to burnH8313
• at the brookנַ֫חַלnachal nachlâh nachălâh · torrent: valleyH5158
• Kidronקִדְרוֹןqidrôn · KidronH6939

Cross-references for 2 Chronicles 15:16

• 1 Kings 15:13He also deposed his [great-grand]mother Maacah from being queen mother, because she had made a horrid (obscene, vulgar) image for [the goddess] Asherah. Asa cut down her horrid image, and burned it by the Brook Kidron.
• 1 Kings 15:2He reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother was Maacah [grand]daughter of Abishalom (Absalom).
• 2 Chronicles 14:3He 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].
• Exodus 32:27He said to them, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel, ‘Every man strap his sword on his thigh and go back and forth from gate to gate throughout the camp, and every man kill his brother, and every man his friend, and every man his neighbor [all who continue pagan worship].’ ”
• Deuteronomy 13:6“If your brother, the son of your mother, or your son or daughter, or the wife you cherish, or your friend who is as [precious to you as] your own life (soul), entices you secretly, saying, ‘Let us go and serve other gods’ (gods whom neither you nor your fathers have known,
• Deuteronomy 33:9Who said of his father and mother, ‘I did not consider them’; Nor did he acknowledge his brothers, Nor did he regard his own sons, For the priests observed Your word, And kept Your covenant.
• Zechariah 13:3And if anyone still [appears as a prophet and falsely] prophesies, then his father and his mother who gave birth to him will say to him, ‘You shall not live, for you have spoken lies in the name of the Lord’; and his father and his mother who gave birth to him shall pierce him through when he prophesies.
• Mark 3:21When His own family heard this they went to take custody of Him; for they were saying, “He is out of His mind.”
• 2 Corinthians 5:16So from now on we regard no one from a human point of view [according to worldly standards and values]. Though we have known Christ from a human point of view, now we no longer know Him in this way.
• 2 Chronicles 34:7he tore down the altars and beat and crushed the Asherim and the carved images into powder, and cut to pieces all the incense altars throughout the land of Israel. Then he returned to Jerusalem.
• Exodus 32:20Then Moses took the calf they had made and burned it in the fire, and ground it to powder, and scattered it on the surface of the water and made the Israelites drink it.
• Leviticus 26:30I will destroy your high places [devoted to idolatrous worship], and cut down your incense altars, and heap your dead bodies upon the [crushed] bodies of your idols, and My soul will detest you [with deep and unutterable loathing].
• Deuteronomy 7:5But this is how you shall deal with them: you shall tear down their altars and smash to pieces their sacred pillars, and cut down their Asherim (symbols of the goddess Asherah), and burn their carved or sculpted images in the fire.
• Deuteronomy 9:21I took your sinful thing, the calf which you had made, and burned it in the fire and thoroughly crushed it, grinding the metal thoroughly until it was as fine as dust; and I threw its dust into the brook that came down from the mountain.
• 1 Kings 15:14But the high places [of idol worship] were not removed. Nevertheless, Asa’s heart was entirely devoted to the Lord all his days.
• 2 Kings 23:6Josiah brought out the Asherah from the house of the Lord to the Brook Kidron outside Jerusalem, and burned it there, and ground it to dust, and threw its dust on the graves of the common people [who had sacrificed to it].

Commentaries on 2 Chronicles 15:16

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16Concerning Maachah - See the matter fully explained in the note on 1 Kings 15:13; (note). The Jews imagine that Maachah repented, and her name became changed into Michaiah, daughter of Uriel of Gibeah; and that this was done that there might be no mention of her former name, lest it should be a reproach to her: but we have already seen another gloss on this name. See on 2 Chronicles 11:20; (note).Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 16The queen mother was the leading lady of the realm, usually holding the position for life. When she died, the title went to the mother of the next in line for the throne. There is no evidence that the queen mother had official duties, but she had significant influence. Asherah is well known from Canaanite stories as the wife of the god El and the mother of seventy children, including Baal. Her image likely had noticeable sexual features, which was common…Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Chronicles 15:16

• Iconoclasm
• Maachah

In the dictionaries

• Asa
• Covenant
• Grove
• Idol
• Queen
• Renew
• Abijah
• Asherah
• Kidron, the Brook
• Maacah; Maachah

Commentaries on 2 Chronicles 15

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings