God’s Word Translation
2 Chronicles 11:15
15Instead, Jeroboam appointed ⌞his own⌟ priests for the illegal worship sites and the goat and calf statues he had made as idols.
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 in every region of Israel sided with Rehoboam. 14The priests abandoned their land and property and went to Judah and Jerusalem because Jeroboam and his descendants rejected them as the Lord’s priests. Instead, Jeroboam appointed ⌞his own⌟ priests for the illegal worship sites and the goat and calf statues he had made as idols. 16People from every tribe of Israel who were determined to seek the Lord God of Israel followed the Levitical priests to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the Lord God of their ancestors. 17So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah by supporting Rehoboam, son of Solomon, for three years. During ⌞those⌟ three years they lived the way David and Solomon had lived.
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 must stop sacrificing to goat idols and chasing after them as though they were prostitutes. This is a permanent law for the people and for future generations.
- Deuteronomy 32:17They sacrificed to demons that are not God, to gods they never heard of. These were new gods, who came from nearby, gods your ancestors never worshiped.
- 1 Corinthians 10:20Hardly! What I am saying is that these sacrifices which people make are made to demons and not to God. I don’t want you to be partners with demons.
- 1 Timothy 4:1The Spirit says clearly that in later times some believers will desert the Christian faith. They will follow spirits that deceive, and they will believe the teachings of demons.
- Revelation 16:14They are spirits of demons that do miracles. These spirits go to the kings of the whole world and gather them for the war on the frightening day of God Almighty.
- Exodus 32:4After he had worked on the gold with a tool, he made it into a statue of a calf. Then they said, “Israel, here are your gods who brought you out of Egypt.”
- 1 Kings 12:28After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves. He said, “You’ve been worshiping in Jerusalem long enough. Israel, here are your gods who brought you out of Egypt.”
- 1 Kings 14:9You have done more evil things than everyone before you. You made other gods, metal idols, for yourself. You made me furious and turned your back to me.
- Psalms 106:19At Mount Horeb they made ⌞a statue of⌟ a calf. They worshiped an idol made of metal.
- Hosea 8:5Get rid of your calf-shaped idol, Samaria. My anger burns against these people. How long will they remain unclean?
- Hosea 13:2They keep on sinning more and more. They make idols from silver for themselves. These idols are skillfully made. All of them are the work of craftsmen. People say this about the Israelites: “They offer human sacrifices and kiss calf-shaped idols.”
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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