1 Kings 3:2

The people, however, were still sacrificing on the high places because a house for the Name of the LORD had not yet been built.

BSB

Parallel translations

4 additional translations

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KJV

Only the people sacrificed in high places, because there was no house built unto the name of the Lord, until those days.

ASV

Only the people sacrificed in the high places, because there was no house built for the name of Jehovah until those days.

YLT

Only, the people are sacrificing in high places, for there hath not been built a house for the name of Jehovah till those days.

DBT

Only, the people sacrificed on the high places; for there was no house built to the name of Jehovah, until those days.

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Voices4

On this verse

Only the people sacrificed in high places,.... On the tops of their houses, on hills and mountains, and particularly at the high place in Gibeon, where the tabernacle was: because there was no house built unto the name of the Lord until those days; to which they were obliged to repair as afterwards, and there offer their sacrifices, as the Lord had commanded, Deu 12:5.

John Gill· Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763)reformed

Related commentary

The people sacrificed in high places - Could there be any sin in this, or was it unlawful till after the temple was built? for prophets, judges, the kings which preceded Solomon, and Solomon himself, sacrificed on high places, such as Gibeon, Gilgal, Shiloh, Hebron, Kirjath-jearim, etc. But after the temple was erected, it was sinful to offer sacrifices in any other place; yet here it is introduced as being morally wrong, and it is introduced, 1Ki 3:3, as being an exceptionable trait in the character of Solomon.

Adam Clarke· Commentary on the Bible, 1832evangelical

High places - Which were groves, or other convenient places upon hills, in which the patriarchs used to offer up their sacrifices to God; and from them this custom was derived both to the Gentiles and the Jews: and in them the Gentiles sacrificed to idols, the Hebrew to the true God.

John Wesley· Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament, 1765evangelical

It was so by divine institution; from it the high places separated; yet while they worshipped God only, and in other things according to the rule, he graciously overlooked their weakness, and accepted their services; and it is owned that Solomon loved the Lord, though he burnt incense in the high places, and let not men be more severe than God is.

Matthew Henry· Commentary on the Whole Bible, 1710puritan

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Rabbinic commentary

How the Hebraic tradition has read this verse: and Marcus Brown’s own reading of it.

Cross-references

13 linked verses

The verses this one reaches12

1 Kings 22:43
And Jehoshaphat walked in all the ways of his father Asa; he did not turn away from them, but did what was right in the eyes of the LORD. The high places, however, were not removed; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.
2 Chronicles 33:17
Nevertheless, the people still sacrificed at the high places, but only to the LORD their God.
Deuteronomy 12:2–5
Destroy completely all the places where the nations you are dispossessing have served their gods—atop the high mountains, on the hills, and under every green tree.
1 Samuel 9:12
“Yes, he is ahead of you,” they answered. “Hurry now, for today he has come to the city because the people have a sacrifice on the high place.
Leviticus 26:30
I will destroy your high places, cut down your incense altars, and heap your lifeless bodies on the lifeless remains of your idols; and My soul will despise you.
2 Kings 18:4
He removed the high places, shattered the sacred pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles. He also demolished the bronze snake called Nehushtan that Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had burned incense to it.
1 Chronicles 28:3–6
but God said to me, ‘You are not to build a house for My Name, because you are a man of war who has spilled blood.’
Leviticus 17:3–6
‘Anyone from the house of Israel who slaughters an ox, a lamb, or a goat in the camp or outside of it
1 Chronicles 17:4–6
“Go and tell My servant David that this is what the LORD says: You are not the one to build Me a house in which to dwell.
1 Kings 5:3
“As you are well aware, due to the wars waged on all sides against my father David, he could not build a house for the Name of the LORD his God until the LORD had put his enemies under his feet.
Acts 7:47–49
But it was Solomon who built the house for Him.
1 Kings 14:23
They also built for themselves high places, sacred pillars, and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree.

1 more linked verses are grouped by book below ↓

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Original language

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Around this verse

Rare words are the text's own signal of a deliberate thread: the fewer the occurrences, the more the places it appears belong together.

The Judgment of Solomon — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain

1 Kings: From Solomon's glory to the divided kingdom: then Elijah's confrontation with Ahab and Jezebel dominating the second half. The promise of the Davidic covenant unfolding through temple glory, then beginning to unravel as idolatry and political fragmentation take hold.

Canon: Old Testament
Author: Compiler anonymous; Jewish tradition attributes to Jeremiah (Bava Batra 15a). The book draws on court annals and prophetic records cited by name.
Date: Events c. 970–852 BC; compilation during the late Judahite monarchy or exile

More cross-references1 further linked verses, grouped by book▾ open

Every other verse the study tradition links to this one, in the Bible’s own order. The first links in each book carry a line of their text; every reference opens its full verse page.

2 Chronicles1

2 Chronicles 15:17The high places were not removed from Israel, but Asa’s heart was fully devoted…

Cross-references are drawn from classic Bible study tools and open, shareable Bible data.

The walk8

Where the connections lead

Follow this verse’s cross-references two steps out. Each card is a verse this one points to, and beneath it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several different paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it. Every stop shows its own words, and every stop is a page.

Through
1 Kings 22:43
And Jehoshaphat walked in all the ways of his father Asa; he did not turn away from them, but did what was right in the eyes of the LORD. The high places, however, were…
leads to
- 1 Kings 15:14
  The high places were not removed, but Asa’s heart was fully devoted to the LORD all his days.
- 2 Kings 12:3
  Nevertheless, the high places were not removed; the people continued sacrificing and burning incense there.
Through
2 Chronicles 33:17
Nevertheless, the people still sacrificed at the high places, but only to the LORD their God.
leads to
- 2 Chronicles 32:12
  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’?
- 1 Kings 22:43
  And Jehoshaphat walked in all the ways of his father Asa; he did not turn away from them, but did what was right in the eyes of the LORD. The high places, however, were…
Through
Leviticus 26:30
I will destroy your high places, cut down your incense altars, and heap your lifeless bodies on the lifeless remains of your idols; and My soul will despise you.
leads to
- 2 Kings 23:20
  On the altars he slaughtered all the priests of the high places, and he burned human bones on them. Then he returned to Jerusalem.
- Ezekiel 6:13
  Then you will know that I am the LORD, when their slain lie among their idols around their altars, on every high hill, on all the mountaintops, and under every green tree and leafy…
- Isaiah 27:9
  Therefore Jacob’s guilt will be atoned for, and the full fruit of the removal of his sin will be this: When he makes all the altar stones like crushed bits of chalk, no Asherah…
- Ezekiel 6:3–6
  You are to say: ‘O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord GOD! This is what the Lord GOD says to the mountains and hills, to the ravines and valleys: I am…

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