2 Kings 18:4

2 Kings 18:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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.
• New International Version (NIV)He removed the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke into pieces the bronze snake Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been burning incense to it. (It was called Nehushtan.)
• English Standard Version (ESV)He removed the high places and broke the pillars and cut down the Asherah. And he broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the people of Israel had made offerings to it (it was called Nehushtan).
• New King James Version (NKJV)He removed the high places and broke the sacred pillars, cut down the wooden image and broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made; for until those days the children of Israel burned incense to it, and called it Nehushtan.

Context of 2 Kings 18:4

2He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother’s name was Abi, the daughter of Zechariah. 3And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father David had done. He removed the high places, shattered the sacred pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles. He also demolished the bronze snake called Nehushtan that Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had burned incense to it. 5Hezekiah trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel. No king of Judah was like him, either before him or after him. 6He remained faithful to the LORD and did not turn from following Him; he kept the commandments that the LORD had given Moses.

2 Kings 18:4 word by word

ה֣וּא׀ הֵסִ֣יר אֶת־הַבָּמ֗וֹת וְשִׁבַּר֙ אֶת־הַמַּצֵּבֹ֔ת וְכָרַ֖ת אֶת־הָֽאֲשֵׁרָ֑ה וְכִתַּת֩ נְחַ֨שׁ הַנְּחֹ֜שֶׁת אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂ֣ה מֹשֶׁ֗ה כִּ֣י עַד־הַיָּמִ֤ים הָהֵ֙מָּה֙ הָי֤וּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ מְקַטְּרִ֣ים ל֔וֹ וַיִּקְרָא־ל֖וֹ נְחֻשְׁתָּֽן׃Read the interlinear

• ·הוּאhû' hîy' · he/she/itH1931
• He removedסוּרsûr ώûr · to turn aside: removeH5493
• ·אֵת'êth · [Obj.]H853
• the high placesבָּמָהbâmâh · high placeH1116
• shatteredשָׁבַרshâbar · to breakH7665
• the sacred pillarsמַצֵּבָהmatstsêbâh · pillarH4676
• and cut downכָּרַתkârath · to cut: cutH3772
• the Asherah polesאֲשֵׁרָה'ăshêrâh 'ăshêyrâh · AsherahH842
• He also demolishedכָּתַתkâthath · to crushH3807
• the bronzeנְחֹ֫שֶׁתnechôsheth · bronzeH5178
• snakeנָחָשׁnâchâsh · serpentH5175
• calledקָרָאqârâ' · to call: call byH7121
• Nehushtanנְחֻשְׁתָּןnechûshtân · NehushtanH5180
• thatאֲשֶׁר'ăsher · whichH834
• Mosesמֹשֶׁהmôsheh · MosesH4872
• had madeעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to makeH6213
• forכִּיkîy · forH3588
• up toעַד‛ad · tillH5704
• thatהֵ֫מָּהhêm hêmmâh · they(masc.)H1992
• thatהָיָהhâyâh · to beH1961
• timeיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• the Israelitesבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
• the Israelitesיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• had burned incenseקָטַרqâţar · to offer: offerH6999

Cross-references for 2 Kings 18:4

• 2 Kings 12:3Nevertheless, the high places were not removed; the people continued sacrificing and burning incense there.
• 2 Kings 14:4Nevertheless, the high places were not taken away, and the people continued sacrificing and burning incense on the high places.
• 2 Kings 15:4Nevertheless, the high places were not taken away; the people continued sacrificing and burning incense there.
• Leviticus 26:30I will destroy your high places, cut down your incense altars, and heap your lifeless bodies on the lifeless remains of your idols; and My soul will despise you.
• 1 Kings 3:2The people, however, were still sacrificing on the high places because a house for the Name of the LORD had not yet been built.
• 1 Kings 15:14The high places were not removed, but Asa’s heart was fully devoted to the LORD all his days.
• 1 Kings 22:43And Jehoshaphat walked in all the ways of his father Asa; he did not turn away from them, but did what was right in the eyes of the LORD. The high places, however, were not removed; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.
• Psalms 78:58They enraged Him with their high places and provoked His jealousy with their idols.
• Ezekiel 20:28When I brought them into the land that I swore to give them and they saw any high hill or leafy tree, there they offered their sacrifices, presented offerings that provoked Me, sent up their fragrant incense, and poured out their drink offerings.
• 2 Kings 23:4Then the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, the priests second in rank, and the doorkeepers to remove from the temple of the LORD all the articles made for Baal, Asherah, and all the host of heaven. And he burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron and carried their ashes to Bethel.
• Deuteronomy 7:5Instead, 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.
• Deuteronomy 12:2Destroy completely all the places where the nations you are dispossessing have served their gods—atop the high mountains, on the hills, and under every green tree.
• Judges 6:25On that very night the LORD said to Gideon, “Take your father’s young bull and a second bull seven years old, tear down your father’s altar to Baal, and cut down the Asherah pole beside it.
• 1 Kings 15:12He banished the male shrine prostitutes from the land and removed all the idols that his fathers had made.
• 2 Chronicles 19:3However, some good is found in you, for you have removed the Asherah poles from the land and have set your heart on seeking God.”
• 2 Chronicles 31:1When all this had ended, the Israelites in attendance went out to the cities of Judah and broke up the sacred pillars, chopped down the Asherah poles, and tore down the high places and altars throughout Judah and Benjamin, as well as in Ephraim and Manasseh, until they had utterly destroyed them all. Then all the Israelites returned to their cities, each to his own property.

Commentaries on 2 Kings 18:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4Brake in pieces the brazen serpent - The history of this may be seen in Numbers 21:8; (note), Numbers 21:9; (note). We find that this brazen serpent had become an object of idolatry, and no doubt was supposed to possess, as a telesm or amulet, extraordinary virtues, and that incense was burnt before it which should have been burnt before the true God. And he called it Nehushtan - נהשתן . Not one of the versions has attempted to translate this word. Jarchi…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4He removed the high places - This religious reformation was effected in a violent and tumultuous manner (marginal reference). The “high places,” though forbidden in the Law (Deuteronomy 12:2-4, Deuteronomy 12:11-14; compare Leviticus 26:30), had practically received the sanction of Samuel 1 Samuel 7:10; 1 Samuel 9:12-14, David 2 Samuel 15:32, Solomon 1 Kings 3:4, and others, and had long been the favorite resorts of the mass of the people (see 1 Kings 3:2…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3-4Unlike Ahaz (2 Kings 16:2), Hezekiah was more like David. Hezekiah destroyed false worship objects, including pagan shrines, sacred pillars, and Asherah poles (see 2 Kings 16:3–10; 17:9–11, 19). The bronze serpent used by Moses (Numbers 21) had become an object of improper worship.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. He removed the high places and brake the images, &c.--The methods adopted by this good king for extirpating idolatry, and accomplishing a thorough reformation in religion, are fully detailed (2Ch 20:3; 31:19). But they are indicated very briefly, and in a sort of passing allusion. brake in pieces the brazen serpent--The preservation of this remarkable relic of antiquity (Nu 21:5-10) might, like the pot of manna and Aaron's rod, have remained an…Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Kings 18:4

• Brazen Serpent
• Groves
• Hezekiah
• High Places
• Iconoclasm
• Idolatry
• Israel, Prophecies Concerning
• Nehushtan
• Religion
• Revivals

In the dictionaries

• Israel
• Moses
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• Children of Israel
• Agreement
• Brass
• Carry
• Hezekiah
• Nehushtan

Commentaries on 2 Kings 18

• 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