2 Kings 15:4

KJV

Save that the high places were not removed: the people sacrificed and burnt incense still on the high places.

KJV (with Strong's)

Save that the high places {H1116} were not removed {H5493}: the people {H5971} sacrificed {H2076} and burnt incense {H6999} still on the high places {H1116}.

Complete Jewish Bible

However, the high places were not taken away; the people still sacrificed and offered on the high places.

Berean Standard Bible

Nevertheless, the high places were not taken away; the people continued sacrificing and burning incense there.

American Standard Version

Howbeit the high places were not taken away: the people still sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Second Kings 15:4 serves as a crucial qualifier in the otherwise positive assessment of King Azariah (also known as Uzziah) of Judah, highlighting a persistent spiritual compromise that plagued even the most righteous monarchs. Despite his general adherence to the Lord's commands, Azariah, like many predecessors, failed to eradicate the "high places"—unauthorized worship sites where the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense. This verse underscores a pervasive challenge within Judah: the difficulty of achieving complete spiritual obedience and the enduring allure of syncretistic or decentralized worship practices, even when a king's heart was largely devoted to Yahweh.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse is situated within the broader narrative of 2 Kings, which meticulously chronicles the reigns of kings in both Israel and Judah, often evaluating them against the standard of King David's faithfulness. Specifically, 2 Kings 15 begins with the reign of Azariah (Uzziah) over Judah, noting his long reign of 52 years. Verse 3 states that he "did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah had done." However, verse 4 immediately follows as a critical caveat, introducing a consistent refrain found throughout the books of Kings concerning even "good" kings. This pattern of a generally positive assessment followed by the "save that the high places were not removed" clause (e.g., [1 Kings 22:43](/1_kings/22-43 "1 Kings 22:43 - Jehoshaphat's Reign") regarding Jehoshaphat, [2 Kings 12:3](/2_kings/12-3 "2 Kings 12:3 - Joash's Reign") regarding Joash) emphasizes that this particular failure was a deeply entrenched issue, often overlooked or tolerated even by those who sought to lead the nation in righteousness. It sets the stage for understanding the eventual downfall of Judah, partly due to its persistent spiritual infidelity.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The "high places" (Hebrew: *bamot*) were elevated sites, often natural hills or constructed platforms, used for religious worship. Historically, such sites predated Israelite settlement and were common in Canaanite religion for offering sacrifices to various deities. While some *bamot* might have been dedicated to Yahweh, their existence outside the divinely appointed central sanctuary (first the Tabernacle, then the Temple in Jerusalem) constituted a direct violation of Mosaic Law, particularly as outlined in [Deuteronomy 12](/deuteronomy/12 "Deuteronomy 12 - The Central Place of Worship"). This law commanded that all sacrifices be brought to "the place the LORD your God will choose" ([Deuteronomy 12:5](/deuteronomy/12-5 "Deuteronomy 12:5 - The Chosen Place")). The continued use of high places by the people, even for Yahweh worship, represented a dangerous syncretism, blending legitimate worship with pagan forms and decentralized, often corrupt, practices. It also reflected a lack of full commitment to God's prescribed worship order, allowing for a personalized and localized spirituality rather than the unified, communal worship centered at the Temple.
* **Key Themes:** This verse powerfully contributes to several key themes within 2 Kings and the broader Deuteronomistic History. Firstly, it highlights the theme of **Incomplete Obedience** or **Partial Reform**. Even kings deemed "righteous" by the biblical author were often unable or unwilling to fully eradicate all forms of illicit worship, demonstrating that spiritual purity was an ongoing struggle, not a one-time achievement. Secondly, it underscores the **Persistence of Illicit Worship** among the populace. The fact that "the people sacrificed and burnt incense still on the high places" indicates a deep-seated popular attachment to these sites, making their removal a politically and religiously challenging task for any king. This popular resistance to full reform often undermined the efforts of even well-intentioned monarchs. Finally, the verse speaks to the **Accountability of Leadership**. The king's failure to remove the high places, despite his overall righteousness, is presented as a significant blemish on his reign, demonstrating that leadership inaction can perpetuate spiritual compromise and contribute to national sin, ultimately leading to divine judgment as seen in the later exile of Judah ([2 Kings 25](/2_kings/25 "2 Kings 25 - The Fall of Jerusalem")). This contrasts sharply with later reformers like King Hezekiah, who actively "removed the high places" ([2 Kings 18:4](/2_kings/18-4 "2 Kings 18:4 - Hezekiah's Reforms")).

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

#### Key Word Analysis
* **High Places (Hebrew, _bamah'_):** This term refers to elevated sites, either natural hills or artificial mounds, which served as locations for religious worship and sacrifice. While some *bamot* were initially used for legitimate Yahweh worship (e.g., [1 Samuel 9:12](/1_samuel/9-12 "1 Samuel 9:12 - Samuel at the High Place")), their association with Canaanite fertility cults and their use outside the divinely ordained central sanctuary (the Temple in Jerusalem) made them objects of divine disapproval. Their continued existence symbolized a persistent spiritual compromise and a failure to fully centralize and purify Israelite worship as commanded in the Torah.
* **Sacrificed (Hebrew, _zavach'_):** This verb denotes the act of slaughtering an animal for an offering, typically for religious purposes. In the context of the high places, it refers to the performance of sacrificial rites. The problem was not the act of sacrificing itself, which was central to Israelite worship, but the location and often the manner in which it was done, outside the parameters of God's explicit commands for a unified, pure worship system.
* **Burnt Incense (Hebrew, _qatar'_):** This verb means "to make a sacrifice smoke" or "to burn incense." Incense burning was a significant part of ancient worship, creating a fragrant offering that ascended to the deity. While legitimate incense burning occurred in the Temple, its practice on the high places, often in conjunction with unauthorized sacrifices and sometimes to foreign gods, further marked these sites as centers of illicit and syncretistic worship, contributing to the spiritual pollution of the land.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"Save that the high places were not removed:"** This opening clause functions as a critical exception or qualification to the generally positive assessment of King Azariah's reign. It highlights a significant and persistent failure in his spiritual reforms. The non-removal of these sites indicates either an inability, an unwillingness, or a lack of priority on the part of the king to fully implement the Mosaic commands regarding centralized worship. This omission is consistently noted as a flaw even in otherwise righteous kings, underscoring its gravity in the eyes of the biblical author.
* **"the people sacrificed and burnt incense still on the high places."** This second clause explains the consequence of the high places remaining: the populace continued their unauthorized worship practices there. The word "still" (Hebrew, *'od*) emphasizes the ongoing, entrenched nature of this problem. It was not a new development but a persistent habit, demonstrating the deep-rooted popular attachment to these local shrines and the challenge of fully transitioning the nation to the exclusive, centralized worship at the Jerusalem Temple. This continuation of illicit worship practices by the people underscores the king's responsibility in allowing such spiritual compromise to persist.

#### Literary Devices
The verse employs **Irony** by immediately following a positive assessment of Azariah's reign ("did that which was right in the sight of the LORD") with a glaring exception of spiritual failure. This creates a tension, highlighting the nuanced and often incomplete nature of obedience. Furthermore, the **Repetition** of this exact phrase or similar sentiments across the reigns of multiple kings in 1 and 2 Kings (e.g., Joash, Amaziah, Jehoshaphat) functions as a **Leitmotif**, a recurring theme or phrase that emphasizes the pervasive and persistent nature of the "high places" problem throughout Judah's history. This repetition underscores the deep spiritual struggle and the consistent failure of leadership to fully eradicate a practice that God had explicitly forbidden, ultimately contributing to the narrative's overarching theme of Israel's covenant infidelity and its consequences.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
This verse powerfully illustrates the biblical concept of incomplete obedience and the enduring challenge of spiritual purity. While Azariah was generally righteous, his failure to remove the high places reveals a significant area of compromise that allowed the people to persist in practices contrary to God's revealed will. Theologically, this highlights that true devotion requires not just a general inclination towards righteousness but a thorough and uncompromising commitment to God's commands, even when it involves dismantling deeply entrenched, culturally accepted forms of worship that deviate from divine standards. The high places, whether used for Yahweh or foreign gods, represented a fragmented and often syncretistic spirituality, undermining the singularity of Yahweh's worship and the unity of His people. This persistent issue ultimately contributed to the spiritual decay that led to Judah's judgment and exile, serving as a stark reminder that partial obedience is still disobedience in the eyes of a holy God who demands exclusive worship and fidelity.

* [Deuteronomy 12:4](/deuteronomy/12-4 "Prohibition of High Places")
* [Leviticus 17:3-7](/leviticus/17-3 "Sacrifices at the Tent of Meeting")
* [Jeremiah 7:30-31](/jeremiah/7-30 "Abominations in the Temple")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
The enduring presence of the "high places" in Judah, even under generally righteous kings, serves as a profound spiritual mirror for believers today. It compels us to examine our own lives for areas of "incomplete obedience"—those lingering habits, hidden compromises, or culturally accepted practices that, while perhaps not overtly sinful, subtly divert our full devotion from God or are not fully aligned with His Word. Just as the high places represented a decentralized and often syncretistic worship that competed with the pure, centralized worship at the Temple, we must ask ourselves if there are "high places" in our hearts or lives where we allow fragmented loyalties, partial surrender, or comfortable compromises to reside. True spiritual health and vibrant faith demand a thorough cleansing, a relentless pursuit of holiness that leaves no room for anything that dilutes our singular devotion to Christ. This often requires courageous and uncomfortable dismantling of old patterns, even those that feel familiar or are socially accepted, to ensure that our worship and lives are fully consecrated to the Lord alone.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **What are the "high places" in my own life—areas of compromise or partial obedience that hinder my complete devotion to God?**
* **How does the persistence of the high places in Judah's history challenge my understanding of what it means to be truly righteous?**
* **In what ways might I be allowing cultural norms or personal preferences to subtly undermine God's clear commands for my life and worship?**
* **What steps can I take to actively "remove" these spiritual high places and ensure my worship is singular and pure?**

### FAQ

**What exactly were the "high places" and why were they problematic?**

Answer: The "high places" (Hebrew: *bamot*) were elevated sites, often natural hills or man-made platforms, used for religious worship and sacrifice throughout the ancient Near East. While some might have been used for legitimate worship of Yahweh in early Israelite history (e.g., before the Temple was built), they became problematic for several reasons. Firstly, God commanded a centralized place of worship in [Deuteronomy 12](/deuteronomy/12 "Deuteronomy 12 - The Central Place of Worship"), where all sacrifices were to be brought to the "place the LORD your God will choose" ([Deuteronomy 12:11](/deuteronomy/12-11 "Deuteronomy 12:11 - The Chosen Place")). This was to prevent syncretism, ensure purity of worship, and maintain the unity of the people around a single, divinely ordained sanctuary. Secondly, the high places were often associated with Canaanite fertility cults and pagan practices, leading to spiritual corruption and the worship of other gods. Even when used for Yahweh worship, they often incorporated pagan rituals or reflected a fragmented, unauthorized approach to God, undermining the exclusive and holy nature of His covenant with Israel. Their continued existence represented a failure to fully obey God's command for pure and centralized worship.

**Why did "good" kings like Azariah fail to remove the high places, despite doing "that which was right in the sight of the LORD"?**

Answer: The failure of otherwise "good" kings like Azariah (Uzziah) to remove the high places highlights the deep-seated nature of this problem and the complexities of leadership. Several factors likely contributed:
1. **Popular Entrenchment:** The high places were deeply ingrained in the popular religious life of the people. They were local, convenient, and traditional. Removing them would have been highly unpopular and potentially politically destabilizing.
2. **Lack of Full Conviction/Courage:** While these kings were generally righteous, they may have lacked the full spiritual conviction or political courage to undertake such a comprehensive and unpopular reform. It required a level of zeal that few possessed (King Hezekiah and Josiah being notable exceptions, as seen in [2 Kings 18:4](/2_kings/18-4 "2 Kings 18:4 - Hezekiah's Reforms") and [2 Kings 23:8](/2_kings/23-8 "2 Kings 23:8 - Josiah's Reforms")).
3. **Misunderstanding of God's Will:** Some kings might have genuinely believed that worshiping Yahweh at these local shrines was acceptable, perhaps viewing them as legitimate alternatives or supplements to the Temple, despite the clear commands in the Torah.
4. **Practical Difficulties:** The sheer number and widespread distribution of these sites across the land would have made their complete eradication a monumental task.
This persistent failure underscores that even those with good intentions can fall short of complete obedience, and that true reform requires unwavering commitment to God's standards above all else.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
The persistent failure to remove the high places, even under righteous kings, vividly foreshadows humanity's inherent inability to achieve complete spiritual purity and obedience through the Law. It demonstrates the deep-seated nature of sin and compromise within the human heart, which even the most well-intentioned efforts cannot fully eradicate. This recurring deficiency in the Old Covenant points directly to the necessity of a New Covenant and a perfect High Priest. Jesus Christ, unlike the kings of Judah, perfectly fulfilled the Law and offered the ultimate, once-for-all sacrifice, rendering all other sacrificial systems, including those on the high places, obsolete ([Hebrews 10:11-14](/hebrews/10-11 "Hebrews 10:11-14 - Christ's Perfect Sacrifice")). He is the true "place" where worship is to occur, not in a physical temple or on a high place, but "in spirit and truth" ([John 4:23-24](/john/4-23 "John 4:23-24 - Worship in Spirit and Truth")). Through His atoning work, Christ not only removes the penalty of sin but also empowers believers to live lives of genuine, internal righteousness, transforming our hearts so that we become the very "temple of the Holy Spirit" ([1 Corinthians 6:19](/1_corinthians/6-19 "1 Corinthians 6:19 - Your Body is a Temple")). The "high places" in our lives—any lingering idols, compromises, or areas of partial obedience—are now to be dismantled by the power of the Spirit, as we are called to present our bodies as "living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God" ([Romans 12:1-2](/romans/12-1 "Romans 12:1-2 - Living Sacrifice")), fully devoted to Him alone.

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

2 Kings 14:4

Howbeit the high places were not taken away: as yet the people did sacrifice and burnt incense on the high places.

2 Kings 12:3

But the high places were not taken away: the people still sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places.

1 Kings 15:14

But the high places were not removed: nevertheless Asa's heart was perfect with the LORD all his days.

2 Chronicles 17:6

And his heart was lifted up in the ways of the LORD: moreover he took away the high places and groves out of Judah.

2 Kings 18:4

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.

2 Chronicles 34:3

For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David his father: and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images.

2 Chronicles 32:12

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?