EasyEnglish Bible 2018
2 Chronicles 11:15
15Jeroboam chose his own priests to offer sacrifices at the altars that he had built on the hills. They worshipped the idols of goats and young bulls that Jeroboam had made.
2 Chronicles 11:15 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And he ordained him priests for the high places, and for the devils, and for the calves which he had made.
- New International Version (NIV)when he appointed his own priests for the high places and for the goat and calf idols he had made.
- English Standard Version (ESV)and he appointed his own priests for the high places and for the goat idols and for the calves that he had made.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then he appointed for himself priests for the high places, for the demons, and the calf idols which he had made.
Context of 2 Chronicles 11:15
13The priests and Levites who lived everywhere in Israel agreed to serve Rehoboam. 14The Levites even left their lands and their houses to come to Judah and Jerusalem. They came because Jeroboam and his sons refused to let them serve the Lord as his priests. Jeroboam chose his own priests to offer sacrifices at the altars that he had built on the hills. They worshipped the idols of goats and young bulls that Jeroboam had made. 16But some people from every tribe in Israel still wanted to worship the Lord, Israel's God. So they came with the Levites to Jerusalem. They came to offer sacrifices to the Lord, the God of their ancestors. 17These people helped to make the kingdom of Judah stronger. They were faithful to Solomon's son Rehoboam for three years. During that time, they lived in the way that David and Solomon had taught them to live.
Read all of 2 Chronicles 112 Chronicles 11:15 word by word
וַיַּֽעֲמֶד־לוֹ֙ כֹּֽהֲנִ֔ים לַבָּמ֖וֹת וְלַשְּׂעִירִ֑ים וְלָעֲגָלִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשָֽׂה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for 2 Chronicles 11:15
- Leviticus 17:7The people give sacrifices in the fields to worship idols that seem like goats. They must never do this again. This rule is for now and for all time.
- Deuteronomy 32:17They offered sacrifices to demons, instead of to God. They worshipped new gods which they had not known before. Your ancestors had never respected those gods.
- 1 Corinthians 10:20But the people who offer food to idols are worshipping demons. They are not worshipping God when they do that. I do not want you to share in what they do to worship demons.
- 1 Timothy 4:1God's Spirit tells us clearly that, in later times, some people will stop believing the message about Jesus Christ. Instead, they will listen to bad spirits who want people to believe wrong things. They will listen to the message that comes from demons.
- Revelation 16:14Those bad spirits are the spirits of demons. They had the power to do miracles. They went to all the rulers in the whole world, to bring them together to fight in a big war. That war will happen on the great day of God, who has all power and authority.
- Exodus 32:4Aaron took the gold rings from the people. He melted the gold and he used a tool to make an image of a calf. Then the people said, ‘Look, people of Israel! This is our god who brought us up out of Egypt!’
- 1 Kings 12:28So King Jeroboam talked to his advisors. He used gold to make images of two young cows. He said to the people, ‘It is too difficult for you to go to Jerusalem to worship the Lord, as you have done before. So I have made these gold cows for you instead. Look at them, Israelite people! These are your gods that rescued you and brought you out from Egypt.’
- 1 Kings 14:9But you have done more evil things than any of the kings who lived before you. You have made me very angry. You have used metal to make images of other gods that you could worship. You have turned away from me.
- Psalms 106:19At Horeb, the Israelites used gold to make a cow, and they worshipped it.
- Hosea 8:5People of Samaria, you have made an image of a calf as your idol. But I hate that idol! I am very angry with the Israelites. How much longer will it be before I have to punish them?
- Hosea 13:2Now the Israelites continue to do more and more sins. They use metal to make idols for themselves. They use clever skills to make idols from silver. All their idols are only things that people have made themselves. People offer sacrifices to the image of a calf. They say, ‘Kiss the calf!’
Commentaries on 2 Chronicles 11:15
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 15And he ordained him priests - for the devils - שעירים seirim, the hairy ones; probably goats: for as the golden calves, or oxen, were in imitation of the Egyptian ox-god, Apis; so they no doubt paid Divine honors to the goat, which we know was an object of religious veneration in Egypt.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15The high places - i. e., the two sanctuaries at Dan and Bethel. For the devils - literally, “for the goats:” probably the word is used (as in Leviticus 17:7) for objects of idolatrous worship generally.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 13-23Verses 13-23 When the priests and Levites came to Jerusalem, the devout, pious Israelites followed them. Such as set their hearts to seek the Lord God of Israel, left the inheritance of their fathers, and went to Jerusalem, that they might have free access to the altar of God, and be out of the temptation to worship the calves. That is best for us, which is best for our souls; in all our choices, religious advantages must be sought before all outward…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 15Some scholars think Jeroboam set up goat and calf idols as platforms for the Lord. They note that the Canaanites believed their gods stood on animals (compare Exodus 32:5, where the gold calf was used in “a feast to the LORD”). However, Jeroboam never specifically credited the Lord with rescuing Israel (1 Kings 12:28), so others believe he might have meant other gods stood on the animals. Still others think Jeroboam might have copied the Egyptians, who…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 13-1713-17. the priests and the Levites ... resorted to him out of all their coasts--This was an accession of moral power, for the maintenance of the true religion is the best support and safeguard of any nation; and as it was peculiarly the grand source of the strength and prosperity of the Hebrew monarchy, the great numbers of good and pious people who sought an asylum within the territories of Judah contributed greatly to consolidate the throne of Rehoboam…Read the comment
Topics related to 2 Chronicles 11:15
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 2 Chronicles 11
- 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
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