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 for twenty-nine years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Abi the daughter of Zechariah. 3He did what was right in the sight of the Lord, in accordance with everything that his father David had done. He removed the high places and smashed the memorial stones to pieces, and cut down the Asherah. He also crushed to pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the sons of Israel had been burning incense to it; and it was called Nehushtan. 5He trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel; and after him there was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, nor among those who came before him. 6For he clung to the Lord; he did not desist from following Him, but kept His commandments, which the Lord had commanded 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

• He removedסוּרsûr ώûr · to turn aside: removeH5493
• the highבָּמָהbâmâh · high placeH1116
• and smashedשָׁבַרshâbar · to breakH7665
• the memorialמַצֵּבָהmatstsêbâh · pillarH4676
• and cutכָּרַתkârath · to cut: cutH3772
• downכָּרַתkârath · to cut: cutH3772
• Asherahאֲשֵׁרָה'ăshêrâh 'ăshêyrâh · AsherahH842
• He also crushedכָּתַתkâthath · to crushH3807
• the bronzeנְחֹ֫שֶׁתnechôsheth · bronzeH5178
• serpentנָחָשׁnâchâsh · serpentH5175
• that Mosesמֹשֶׁהmôsheh · MosesH4872
• had madeעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to makeH6213
• for untilעַד‛ad · tillH5704
• daysיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• the sonsבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
• of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• had been burningקָטַרqâţar · to offer: burnH6999
• to it; and it was calledקָרָאqârâ' · to call: call byH7121
• Nehushtanנְחֻשְׁתָּןnechûshtân · NehushtanH5180

Cross-references for 2 Kings 18:4

• 2 Kings 12:3Only the high places did not end; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.
• 2 Kings 14:4Only the high places were not eliminated; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.
• 2 Kings 15:4Only the high places were not eliminated; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.
• Leviticus 26:30I then will destroy your high places, and cut down your incense altars, and pile your remains on the remains of your idols, for My soul will loathe you.
• 1 Kings 3:2The people were still sacrificing on the high places, because there was no house built for the name of the Lord until those days.
• 1 Kings 15:14But the high places were not eliminated; nevertheless Asa’s heart was wholly devoted to the Lord all his days.
• 1 Kings 22:43He walked entirely in the way of his father Asa; he did not turn aside from it, doing what was right in the sight of the Lord. However, the high places were not taken away; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.
• Psalms 78:58For they provoked Him with their high places And moved Him to jealousy with their carved images.
• Ezekiel 20:28When I had brought them into the land which I swore to give to them, then they saw every high hill and every tree thick with branches, and there they offered their sacrifices and there they presented the provocation of their offering. There also they made their soothing aroma and there they poured out their drink offerings.
• 2 Kings 23:4Then the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, the priests of the second order, and the doorkeepers to bring out of the temple of the Lord all the utensils that had been made for Baal, for Asherah, and for all the heavenly lights; and he burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of the Kidron Valley, and carried their ashes to Bethel.
• Deuteronomy 7:5But this is what you shall do to them: you shall tear down their altars, smash their memorial stones, cut their Asherim to pieces, and burn their carved images in the fire.
• Deuteronomy 12:2You shall utterly destroy all the places where the nations whom you are going to dispossess serve their gods, on the high mountains, on the hills, and under every leafy tree.
• Judges 6:25Now on the same night the Lord said to him, “Take your father’s bull and a second bull seven years old, and tear down the altar of Baal which belongs to your father, and cut down the Asherah that is beside it;
• 1 Kings 15:12He also removed the male cult prostitutes from the land and removed all the idols which his fathers had made.
• 2 Chronicles 19:3But there is some good in you, for you have removed the Asheroth from the land and you have set your heart to seek God.”
• 2 Chronicles 31:1Now when all this was finished, all Israel who were present went out to the cities of Judah, broke the memorial stones in pieces, cut down the Asherim and pulled down the high places and the altars throughout Judah and Benjamin, as well as in Ephraim and Manasseh, until they had destroyed them all. Then all the sons of Israel returned to their cities, each to his possession.

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
• Children of Israel
• Agreement
• Brass
• Carry
• Hezekiah
• Nehushtan
• Put
• Serpent, Fiery

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