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2 Chronicles 34:7

34:6 And so did he in the cities of Manasseh, and Ephraim, and Simeon, even unto Naphtali, with their mattocks round about. mattocks: or, mauls
And when he had broken down the altars and the groves, and had beaten the graven images into powder, and cut down all the idols throughout all the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem. into: Heb. to make powder

KJV

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He broke down the altars, and beat the Asherah poles and the engraved images into powder, and cut down all the incense altars throughout all the land of Israel, then returned to Jerusalem.

And when he had broken down the altars and the groves, and had beaten the graven images into powder, and cut down all the idols throughout all the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem.

And when he had broken down the altars and the groves, and had beaten the graven images into powder, and cut down all the idols throughout all the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem. ¶

34:8 Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had purged the land, and the house, he sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, and Maaseiah the governor of the city, and Joah the son of Joahaz the recorder, to repair the house of the LORD his God.

What does 2 Chronicles 34:7 mean?

2 Chronicles 34:7 is a verse in the book of 2 Chronicles, in the Old Testament. In the original Hebrew, key words include נָתַץ (nâthats), מִזְבֵּחַ (mizbêach), אֲשֵׁרָה (ʼăshêrâh). It connects to 11 cross-referenced passages elsewhere in Scripture.

Hebrew interlinear

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And
when
he
had
broken
downנָתַץnâthats/naw-thats'/H5422to tear down
the
altarsמִזְבֵּחַmizbêach/miz-bay'-akh/H4196an altar
and
the
groves,אֲשֵׁרָהʼăshêrâh/ash-ay-raw'/H842Asherah (or Astarte) a Phoenician goddess; also an image of the same
and
had
beatenכָּתַתkâthath/kaw-thath'/H3807to bruise or violently strike
the
graven
imagesפְּסִילpᵉçîyl/pes-eel'/H6456an idol
into
powder,דָּקַקdâqaq/daw-kak'/H1854to crush (or intransitively) crumble
and
cut
downגָּדַעgâdaʻ/gaw-dah'/H1438to fell a tree; generally, to destroy anything
all
the
idolsחַמָּןchammân/kham-mawn'/H2553a sun-pillar
throughout
all
the
landאֶרֶץʼerets/eh'-rets/H776the earth (at large, or partitively a land)
of
Israel,יִשְׂרָאֵלYisrâʼêl/yis-raw-ale'/H3478Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity
he
returnedשׁוּבshûwb/shoob/H7725to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point); generally to retreat; often adverbial, again
to
Jerusalem.יְרוּשָׁלַ͏ִםYᵉrûwshâlaim/yer-oo-shaw-lah'-im/H3389Jerushalaim or Jerushalem, the capital city of Palestine
into:
Heb.
to
make
powder

Commentary on 2 Chronicles 34:7

HENRY_FULL · 2 Chronicles 34:5–9
s">b. c. 738.) 1 Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem: but he did not that which was right in the sight of the Lord , like David his father: 2 For he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and made also molten images for Baalim. 3 Moreover he burnt incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burnt his children in the fire, after the abominations of the heathen whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel. 4 He sacrificed also and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree. 5 Wherefore the Lord his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria; and they smote him, and carried away a great multitude of them captives, and brought them to Damascus. And he was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who smote him with a great slaughter. Never surely had a man greater opportunity of doing well than Ahaz had, finding things in a good posture, the kingdom rich and strong and religion established; and yet here we have him in these few verses, 1. Wretchedly corrupted and debauched. He had had a good education given him and a good example set him: but parents cannot give grace to their children. All the instructions he had were lost upon him: He did not that which was right in the sight of the Lord ( v. 1 ), nay, he did a great deal that was wrong, a wrong to God, to his own soul, and to his people; he walked in the way of the revolted Israelites and the devoted Canaanites, made molten images and worshipped them, contrary to the second commandment; nay, he made them for Baalim, contrary to the first commandment. He forsook the temple of the Lord and sacrificed and burnt incense on the hills, as if they would place him nearer heaven, and under every green tree, as if they would signify the protection and influence of heaven by their shade and dropping. To complete his wickedness, as one perfectly divested of all natural affection as well as religion and perfectly devoted to the service and interest of the great enemy of mankind, he burnt his children in the fire to Moloch ( v. 3 ), not thinking it enough to dedicate them to that infernal fiend by causing them to pass through the fire. See what an absolute sway the prince of the power of the air bears among the children of disobedience. 2. Wretchedly spoiled and made a prey of. When he forsook God, and at a vast expense put himself under the protection of false gods, God, who of right was his God, delivered him into the hands of his enemies, v. 5 . (1.) The Syrians insulted him and triumphed over him, beat him in the field and carried away a great many of his people into captivity. (2.) The king of Israel, though an idolater too, was made a scourge to him, and smote him with a great slaughter. The people suffered by these judgments: their blood was shed, their country wasted, their families ruined; for when they had a good king, though they did corruptly ( ch. xxvii. 2 ), yet then his goodness sheltered them; but now that they had a bad one all the defence had departed from them and an inundation of judgments broke in upon them. Those that knew not their happiness in the foregoing reign were taught to value it by the miseries of this reign. The King of Israel Defeats Ahaz. ( b. c. 738.)

Cross-references

Related passages from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

Exodus 20:2

I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. bondage: Heb. servants

Exodus 20:3

Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

Judges 2:14

And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies.

2 Kings 16:5

Then Rezin king of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to war: and they besieged Ahaz, but could not overcome him.

2 Kings 16:6

At that time Rezin king of Syria recovered Elath to Syria, and drave the Jews from Elath: and the Syrians came to Elath, and dwelt there unto this day. from Elath: Heb. from Eloth

2 Chronicles 24:24

For the army of the Syrians came with a small company of men, and the LORD delivered a very great host into their hand, because they had forsaken the LORD God of their fathers. So they executed judgment against Joash.

2 Chronicles 33:11

Wherefore the LORD brought upon them the captains of the host of the king of Assyria, which took Manasseh among the thorns, and bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon. of the king: Heb. which were the king's fetters: or, chains

2 Chronicles 36:5

Jehoiakim was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem: and he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD his God.

2 Chronicles 36:17

Therefore he brought upon them the king of the Chaldees, who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion upon young man or maiden, old man, or him that stooped for age: he gave them all into his hand.

Isaiah 7:1

And it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up toward Jerusalem to war against it, but could not prevail against it.

Isaiah 7:6

Let us go up against Judah, and vex it, and let us make a breach therein for us, and set a king in the midst of it, even the son of Tabeal: vex: or, waken

Verses like this

Other verses that share key original-language words with 2 Chronicles 34:7.

2 Chronicles 34:4

And they brake down the altars of Baalim in his presence; and the images, that were on high above them, he cut down; and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images, he brake in pieces, and made dust of them, and strowed it upon the graves of them that had sacrificed unto them. the images: or, the sun images graves: Heb. face of the graves

Deuteronomy 12:3

And ye shall overthrow their altars, and break their pillars, and burn their groves with fire; and ye shall hew down the graven images of their gods, and destroy the names of them out of that place. overthrow: Heb. break down

Deuteronomy 7:5

But thus shall ye deal with them; ye shall destroy their altars, and break down their images, and cut down their groves, and burn their graven images with fire. their images: Heb. their statues, or, pillars

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. present: Heb. found images: Heb. statues until: Heb. until to make an end

2 Kings 23:15

Moreover the altar that was at Bethel, and the high place which Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, had made, both that altar and the high place he brake down, and burned the high place, and stamped it small to powder, and burned the grove.

2 Chronicles 14:3

For he took away the altars of the strange gods, and the high places, and brake down the images, and cut down the groves: images: Heb. statues

2 Chronicles 15:16

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. mother: that is, grandmother idol: Heb. horror

2 Chronicles 33:19

His prayer also, and how God was intreated of him, and all his sin, and his trespass, and the places wherein he built high places, and set up groves and graven images, before he was humbled: behold, they are written among the sayings of the seers. the seers: or, Hosai

Frequently asked questions

What does 2 Chronicles 34:7 say?

2 Chronicles 34:7 (King James Version) reads: "And when he had broken down the altars and the groves, and had beaten the graven images into powder, and cut down all the idols throughout all the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem. into: Heb. to make powder"

Is 2 Chronicles 34:7 in the Old or New Testament?

2 Chronicles 34:7 is in the Old Testament of the Bible, in the book of 2 Chronicles.

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