2 Chronicles 32:12
in 2 Chronicles 32Did 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’?
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
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
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?
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This verse in 2 Chronicles 32
Commentary
5 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
besieged Lachish
on 2 Chronicles 32:9-15
What Chronicles keeps is the charge Hezekiah’s reform provoked: “Did not Hezekiah himself remove His high places and His altars”. The enemy turns the work into evidence that Judah’s God had been offended. John Gill refers to his notes on the parallel in Isaiah 36 for the speech’s fuller detail.
This site's exposition
worship before one altar
The one altar is the rule of Deuteronomy 12, which bound Israel to sacrifice at the place the LORD would choose. The envoy counts the loss of the high places as an insult to the LORD. He knew the reform and misread its law.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
After, &c. - An emphatical preface, signifying, that notwithstanding all his zeal for God, God saw fit to exercise him with a sore trial. And God ordered it at this time, that he might have an opportunity of shewing himself strong, on the behalf of his returning people. It is possible, we may be in the way of our duty, and yet meet with trouble and danger.
Hath not the same Hezekiah taken away his high places,.... For the sense of this and the three following verses, see the notes on Isa 36:17; see Gill on Isa 36:18, Isa 36:19, Isa 36:20.
The real answer God gave to Sennacherib's blasphemies, and to Hezekiah's prayers, in the total rout of the Assyrian army, to the shame of Sennacherib and the honour of Hezekiah,
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
Did not he - Hezekiah - who trusts in his God, did he not transgress?
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 3 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
18 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| הֲלֹא־ | halo'- | ¿ not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| הוּא֙ | hu' | that | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| יְחִזְקִיָּ֔הוּ | yechizkiyahu | Hezekiah | H2396 → | 127 times |
| הֵסִ֥יר | hesir | did he remove | H5493 → | 299 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| בָּמֹתָ֖יו | bamotav | high places his | H1116 → | 102 times |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| מִזְבְּחֹתָ֑יו | mizbechotav | altars his | H4196 → | 401 times |
| וַיֹּ֨אמֶר | vaiyomer | and did he say? | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לִֽיהוּדָ֤ה | lihudah | to Judah | H3063 → | 819 times |
| וְלִֽירוּשָׁלִַ֙ם֙ | velirushalim | and to Jerusalem | H3389 → | 643 times |
| לֵאמֹ֔ר | lemor | <to> saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לִפְנֵ֨י | lifnei | <to> before | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| מִזְבֵּ֧חַ | mizbeach | an altar | H4196 → | 401 times |
| אֶחָ֛ד | ʾechad | one | H259 → | 971 times |
| תִּֽשְׁתַּחֲו֖וּ | tishtachavu | you will bow down | H7812 → | 172 times |
| וְעָלָ֥יו | vealav | and on it | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| תַּקְטִֽירוּ׃ | taktiru | you will make smoke | H6999 → | 116 times |
הֲלֹא־¿ not
halo'-H3808 →5168 times
הוּא֙that
hu'H1931 →1879 times
יְחִזְקִיָּ֔הוּHezekiah
yechizkiyahuH2396 →127 times
הֵסִ֥ירdid he remove
hesirH5493 →299 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
בָּמֹתָ֖יוhigh places his
bamotavH1116 →102 times
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
מִזְבְּחֹתָ֑יוaltars his
mizbechotavH4196 →401 times
וַיֹּ֨אמֶרand did he say?
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
לִֽיהוּדָ֤הto Judah
lihudahH3063 →819 times
וְלִֽירוּשָׁלִַ֙ם֙and to Jerusalem
velirushalimH3389 →643 times
לֵאמֹ֔ר<to> saying
lemorH559 →5305 times
לִפְנֵ֨י<to> before
lifneiH6440 →2123 times
מִזְבֵּ֧חַan altar
mizbeachH4196 →401 times
אֶחָ֛דone
ʾechadH259 →971 times
תִּֽשְׁתַּחֲו֖וּyou will bow down
tishtachavuH7812 →172 times
וְעָלָ֥יוand on it
vealavH5921 →5755 times
תַּקְטִֽירוּ׃you will make smoke
taktiruH6999 →116 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
2 Kings 18:4He 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…
it leads to
- 2 Chronicles 31:1
When all this had ended, the Israelites in attendance went out to the cities of Judah and broke up the sacred pillars, chopped down the Asherah poles, and tore down the high places and…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Numbers 21:8–9
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and mount it on a pole. When anyone who is bitten looks at it, he will live.”
- 2 Kings 18:22
But if you say to me, ‘We trust in the LORD our God,’ is He not the One whose high places and altars Hezekiah has removed, saying to Judah and Jerusalem: ‘You must worship…
- 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.
- 1 Kings 3:2–3
The people, however, were still sacrificing on the high places because a house for the Name of the LORD had not yet been built.
- 2 Chronicles 31:1
Through
2 Chronicles 31:1When all this had ended, the Israelites in attendance went out to the cities of Judah and broke up the sacred pillars, chopped down the Asherah poles, and tore down the high places and…
it leads to
- 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…
- Exodus 23:24
You must not bow down to their gods or serve them or follow their practices. Instead, you are to demolish them and smash their sacred stones to pieces.
- 2 Kings 18:4
Through
2 Kings 18:22But if you say to me, ‘We trust in the LORD our God,’ is He not the One whose high places and altars Hezekiah has removed, saying to Judah and Jerusalem: ‘You must worship…
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 2:15
The spiritual man judges all things, but he himself is not subject to anyone’s judgment.
- 1 Corinthians 2:15
Where this verse is studied
About 2 Chronicles

Who and where
3 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonPatriarchsJudahJacob's fourth son who pledges himself for Benjamin; the tribe that carries the scepter to Shiloh (49:10) and the line to Christ (…
- PersonDivided kingdomHezekiahThe reforming king of Judah who trusted Jehovah against Sennacherib, spread the Assyrian letter before the LORD, was granted fifte…
- PlaceJerusalemJerusalemThe city David took from the Jebusites and made his capital, where Solomon built the temple, where Christ was crucified and rose,…
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
