New Living Translation
2 Chronicles 15:16
16King Asa even deposed his grandmother Maacah from her position as queen mother because she had made an obscene Asherah pole. He cut down her obscene pole, broke it up, and burned it in the Kidron Valley.
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 shouted out their oath of loyalty to the Lord with trumpets blaring and rams’ horns sounding. 15All in Judah were happy about this covenant, for they had entered into it with all their heart. They earnestly sought after God, and they found him. And the Lord gave them rest from their enemies on every side. King Asa even deposed his grandmother Maacah from her position as queen mother because she had made an obscene Asherah pole. He cut down her obscene pole, broke it up, and burned it in the Kidron Valley. 17Although the pagan shrines were not removed from Israel, Asa’s heart remained completely faithful throughout his life. 18He brought into the Temple of God the silver and gold and the various items that he and his father had dedicated.
Read all of 2 Chronicles 152 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 even deposed his grandmother Maacah from her position as queen mother because she had made an obscene Asherah pole. He cut down her obscene pole and burned it in the Kidron Valley.
- 1 Kings 15:2He reigned in Jerusalem three years. His mother was Maacah, the granddaughter of Absalom.
- 2 Chronicles 14:3He removed the foreign altars and the pagan shrines. He smashed the sacred pillars and cut down the Asherah poles.
- Exodus 32:27Moses told them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Each of you, take your swords and go back and forth from one end of the camp to the other. Kill everyone—even your brothers, friends, and neighbors.”
- Deuteronomy 13:6“Suppose someone secretly entices you—even your brother, your son or daughter, your beloved wife, or your closest friend—and says, ‘Let us go worship other gods’—gods that neither you nor your ancestors have known.
- Deuteronomy 33:9The Levites obeyed your word and guarded your covenant. They were more loyal to you than to their own parents. They ignored their relatives and did not acknowledge their own children.
- Zechariah 13:3If anyone continues to prophesy, his own father and mother will tell him, ‘You must die, for you have prophesied lies in the name of the Lord.’ And as he prophesies, his own father and mother will stab him.
- Mark 3:21When his family heard what was happening, they tried to take him away. “He’s out of his mind,” they said.
- 2 Corinthians 5:16So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now!
- 2 Chronicles 34:7He destroyed the pagan altars and the Asherah poles, and he crushed the idols into dust. He cut down all the incense altars throughout the land of Israel. Finally, he returned to Jerusalem.
- Exodus 32:20He took the calf they had made and burned it. Then he ground it into powder, threw it into the water, and forced the people to drink it.
- Leviticus 26:30I will destroy your pagan shrines and knock down your places of worship. I will leave your lifeless corpses piled on top of your lifeless idols, and I will despise you.
- Deuteronomy 7:5This is what you must do. You must break down their pagan altars and shatter their sacred pillars. Cut down their Asherah poles and burn their idols.
- Deuteronomy 9:21I took your sin—the calf you had made—and I melted it down in the fire and ground it into fine dust. Then I threw the dust into the stream that flows down the mountain.
- 1 Kings 15:14Although the pagan shrines were not removed, Asa’s heart remained completely faithful to the Lord throughout his life.
- 2 Kings 23:6The king removed the Asherah pole from the Lord’s Temple and took it outside Jerusalem to the Kidron Valley, where he burned it. Then he ground the ashes of the pole to dust and threw the dust over the graves of the people.
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
In the dictionaries
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
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