King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
Hath not the same Hezekiah taken away his high places and his altars, and commanded Judah and Jerusalem, saying, Ye shall worship before one altar, and burn incense upon it?
Complete Jewish Bible:
Isn't this the same Hizkiyahu who removed [your God's] high places and altars and ordered Y'hudah and Yerushalayim to worship before one altar and offer sacrifices only on it?
Berean Standard Bible:
Did not Hezekiah himself remove His high places and His altars and say to Judah and Jerusalem, ‘You must worship before one altar, and on it you shall burn sacrifices’?
American Standard Version:
Hath not the same Hezekiah taken away his high places and his altars, and commanded Judah and Jerusalem, saying, Ye shall worship before one altar, and upon it shall ye burn incense?
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
Hath not the same Hezekiah{H3169} taken away{H5493} his high places{H1116} and his altars{H4196}, and commanded{H559} Judah{H3063} and Jerusalem{H3389}, saying{H559}, Ye shall worship{H7812} before{H6440} one{H259} altar{H4196}, and burn incense{H6999} upon it?
Cross-References (KJV):
2 Chronicles 31:1
- ¶ Now when all this was finished, all Israel that were present went out to the cities of Judah, and brake the images in pieces, and cut down the groves, and threw down the high places and the altars out of all Judah and Benjamin, in Ephraim also and Manasseh, until they had utterly destroyed them all. Then all the children of Israel returned, every man to his possession, into their own cities.
2 Chronicles 4:1
- ¶ Moreover he made an altar of brass, twenty cubits the length thereof, and twenty cubits the breadth thereof, and ten cubits the height thereof.
1 Kings 7:48
- ¶ And Solomon made all the vessels that [pertained] unto the house of the LORD: the altar of gold, and the table of gold, whereupon the shewbread [was],
Exodus 30:1
- ¶ And thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon: [of] shittim wood shalt thou make it.
Exodus 30:6
- And thou shalt put it before the vail that [is] by the ark of the testimony, before the mercy seat that [is] over the testimony, where I will meet with thee.
2 Kings 18:22
- But if ye say unto me, We trust in the LORD our God: [is] not that he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and hath said to Judah and Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem?
Exodus 40:26
- And he put the golden altar in the tent of the congregation before the vail:
Explore This Verse Across Other Resources:
Commentary for 2 Chronicles 32:12
2 Chronicles 32:12 is a verse set within the narrative of King Hezekiah's reign over Judah, specifically during the Assyrian threat led by Sennacherib. The historical context is the late 8th century BCE, a time when the Assyrian Empire was expanding and exerting its power over the nations of the Ancient Near East, including the kingdoms of Israel and Judah.
In this verse, the Assyrian officials are speaking to the people of Judah, attempting to persuade them to surrender to Sennacherib by undermining their trust in Hezekiah. They highlight Hezekiah's religious reforms, where he removed the "high places" (local shrines that were often associated with idolatry and pagan worship) and centralized worship in Jerusalem at the Temple's altar. The Assyrians use this information to suggest that Hezekiah's actions have provoked the anger of the local gods by abolishing their sanctuaries, implying that Judah's current predicament is a result of Hezekiah's impious religious reforms.
The themes present in this verse include the tension between polytheism and monotheism, the political manipulation of religious sentiment, and the challenge of maintaining religious integrity in the face of foreign pressure. Hezekiah's reforms reflect a commitment to the worship of Yahweh alone and the centralization of worship in Jerusalem, which was in accordance with the Deuteronomic law. This verse also illustrates the Assyrian strategy of psychological warfare, using propaganda to weaken the resolve of their enemies by sowing doubt and fear among the populace.
In summary, 2 Chronicles 32:12 captures a moment of crisis in Judah's history, where the Assyrian empire is not only threatening militarily but also attempting to undermine the religious foundations of Hezekiah's reforms. The verse underscores the significance of Hezekiah's religious policies and the political ramifications they had in the face of a powerful adversary. It also serves as a testament to the faith and leadership of Hezekiah, who, despite the taunts and threats, remained steadfast in his commitment to the worship of Yahweh as the sole deity of Judah.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
- Strong's Number: H3169
There are 42 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יְחִזְקִיָּה
Transliteration: Yᵉchizqîyâh
Pronunciation: yekh-iz-kee-yaw'
Description: or יְחִזְקִיָּהוּ; from יְרוּשָׁא and יָהּ; strengthened of Jah; Jechizkijah, the name of five Israelites; Hezekiah, Jehizkiah. Compare חִזְקִיָּה. - Strong's Number: H5493
There are 283 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: סוּר
Transliteration: çûwr
Pronunciation: soor
Description: or שׂוּר; (Hosea 9:12), a primitive root; to turn off (literal or figurative); be(-head), bring, call back, decline, depart, eschew, get (you), go (aside), [idiom] grievous, lay away (by), leave undone, be past, pluck away, put (away, down), rebel, remove (to and fro), revolt, [idiom] be sour, take (away, off), turn (aside, away, in), withdraw, be without. - Strong's Number: H1116
There are 92 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: בָּמָה
Transliteration: bâmâh
Pronunciation: bam-maw'
Description: from an unused root (meaning to be high); an elevation; height, high place, wave. - Strong's Number: H4196
There are 338 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: מִזְבֵּחַ
Transliteration: mizbêach
Pronunciation: miz-bay'-akh
Description: from זָבַח; an altar; altar. - Strong's Number: H559
There are 4434 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אָמַר
Transliteration: ʼâmar
Pronunciation: aw-mar'
Description: a primitive root; to say (used with great latitude); answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [idiom] plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), [idiom] still, [idiom] suppose, talk, tell, term, [idiom] that is, [idiom] think, use (speech), utter, [idiom] verily, [idiom] yet. - Strong's Number: H3063
There are 754 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יְהוּדָה
Transliteration: Yᵉhûwdâh
Pronunciation: yeh-hoo-daw'
Description: from יָדָה; celebrated; Jehudah (or Judah), the name of five Israelites; also of the tribe descended from the first, and of its territory; Judah. - Strong's Number: H3389
There are 600 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יְרוּשָׁלַ͏ִם
Transliteration: Yᵉrûwshâlaim
Pronunciation: yer-oo-shaw-lah'-im
Description: rarely יְרוּשָׁלַיִם; a dual (in allusion to its two main hills (the true pointing, at least of the former reading, seems to be that of יְרוּשָׁלֵם)); probably from (the passive participle of) יָרָה and שָׁלַם; founded peaceful; Jerushalaim or Jerushalem, the capital city of Palestine; Jerusalem. - Strong's Number: H7812
There are 166 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: שָׁחָה
Transliteration: shâchâh
Pronunciation: shaw-khaw'
Description: a primitive root; to depress, i.e. prostrate (especially reflexive, in homage to royalty or God); bow (self) down, crouch, fall down (flat), humbly beseech, do (make) obeisance, do reverence, make to stoop, worship. - Strong's Number: H6440
There are 1890 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: פָּנִים
Transliteration: pânîym
Pronunciation: paw-neem'
Description: plural (but always as singular) of an unused noun פָּנֶה; from פָּנָה); the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.); [phrase] accept, a-(be-) fore(-time), against, anger, [idiom] as (long as), at, [phrase] battle, [phrase] because (of), [phrase] beseech, countenance, edge, [phrase] employ, endure, [phrase] enquire, face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-part), form(-er time, -ward), from, front, heaviness, [idiom] him(-self), [phrase] honourable, [phrase] impudent, [phrase] in, it, look(-eth) (-s), [idiom] me, [phrase] meet, [idiom] more than, mouth, of, off, (of) old (time), [idiom] on, open, [phrase] out of, over against, the partial, person, [phrase] please, presence, propect, was purposed, by reason of, [phrase] regard, right forth, [phrase] serve, [idiom] shewbread, sight, state, straight, [phrase] street, [idiom] thee, [idiom] them(-selves), through ([phrase] -out), till, time(-s) past, (un-) to(-ward), [phrase] upon, upside ([phrase] down), with(-in, [phrase] -stand), [idiom] ye, [idiom] you. - Strong's Number: H259
There are 801 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אֶחָד
Transliteration: ʼechâd
Pronunciation: ekh-awd'
Description: a numeral from אָחַד; properly, united, i.e. one; or (as an ordinal) first; a, alike, alone, altogether, and, any(-thing), apiece, a certain, (dai-) ly, each (one), [phrase] eleven, every, few, first, [phrase] highway, a man, once, one, only, other, some, together, - Strong's Number: H6999
There are 112 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: קָטַר
Transliteration: qâṭar
Pronunciation: kaw-tar'
Description: a primitive root (identical with through the idea of fumigation in a close place and perhaps thus driving out the occupants); to smoke, i.e. turn into fragrance by fire (especially as an act of worship); burn (incense, sacrifice) (upon), (altar for) incense, kindle, offer (incense, a sacrifice).