2 Chronicles 17:6
in 2 Chronicles 17And his heart took delight in the ways of the LORD; furthermore, he removed the high places and Asherah poles from Judah.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And his heart was lifted up in the ways of Jehovah: and furthermore he took away the high places and the Asherim out of Judah.
KJV
And his heart was lifted up in the ways of the Lord: moreover he took away the high places and groves out of Judah.
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This verse in 2 Chronicles 17
Commentary
8 notes on this verseOf Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, it is written, "And the Lord was with Jehoshaphat, who walked in the first ways of David, his father." From this it is clear that Jehoshaphat possessed the justice that David first possessed and that he did not commit the sins that David later committed. "He trusted not in Baalim," he says, "but in the God of his father and walked in his commandments, and not according to the sins of Israel. And the Lord established the kingdom in his hand and all Judah brought presents to Jehoshaphat.
This site's exposition
stablished the kingdom in his hand
on 2 Chronicles 17:5-6
The Lord stablishes the kingdom in Jehoshaphat's hand and prosperity follows: Judah brings him presents and he has riches and honour in abundance. His heart is lifted up in the ways of the Lord, a phrase Barnes reads as encouraged rather than proud, since the usual bad sense of the idiom does not fit a king praised in the same breath, and he takes away the high places and groves. Chronicles will say at 20:33 that the high places were not taken away, because the people had not prepared their hearts, and both verses stand: the royal reform and the popular relapse are both true of one reign.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
He was valiant and resolute for God and his ways. Groves - Those wherein idols were worshipped, and though Asa had done this before, yet either he did not do it thoroughly; or the Jews (who were many of them mad upon their idols) had secretly made new ones, in the latter part of his reign, when he grew more infirm in body, and more remiss in God's cause.
It is meant of those in which idols were worshipped; for those that were dedicated to the true God only were not taken away, ch. xx. It was only idolatry that he abolished.
And his heart was lifted up in the ways of the Lord,....
He brought his heart to his work, and lifted up his heart in it; that is, he had a sincere regard to God in it. Unto thee, O Lord! do I lift up my soul. His heart was enlarged in that which is good, Ps. cxix.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
His heart was lifted up - This expression generally occurs in a bad sense Deu 8:14; 2Ch 26:16; Psa 131:1; Pro 18:12; but here it must be taken differently. The margin “was encouraged” expresses fairly the true meaning. He first began by setting an example of faithfulness to Yahweh. He then proceeded to use his best endeavors to extirpate idolatry. He took away the high places - Compare 2Ch 20:33, and see the 2Ch 15:17 note.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
his heart was lifted up in the ways of the Lord--Full of faith and piety, he possessed zeal and courage to undertake the reformation of manners, to suppress all the works and objects of idolatry (see on 2Ch 20:33), and he held out public encouragement to the pure worship of God.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
The words behind it
11 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּגְבַּ֥הּ | vaiyigbah | and it was high | H1361 → | 34 times |
| לִבּ֖וֹ | libo | heart his | H3820 → | 595 times |
| בְּדַרְכֵ֣י | bedarkhei | in [the] ways of | H1870 → | 707 times |
| יְהוָ֑ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| וְע֗וֹד | veod | and again | H5750 → | 490 times |
| הֵסִ֛יר | hesir | he removed | H5493 → | 299 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַבָּמ֥וֹת | habamot | the high places | H1116 → | 102 times |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הָאֲשֵׁרִ֖ים | haasherim | the Asherah poles | H842 → | 40 times |
| מִיהוּדָֽה׃ פ | mihudah | from Judah | H3063 → | 819 times |
וַיִּגְבַּ֥הּand it was high
vaiyigbahH1361 →34 times
לִבּ֖וֹheart his
liboH3820 →595 times
בְּדַרְכֵ֣יin [the] ways of
bedarkheiH1870 →707 times
יְהוָ֑הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
וְע֗וֹדand again
veodH5750 →490 times
הֵסִ֛ירhe removed
hesirH5493 →299 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַבָּמ֥וֹתthe high places
habamotH1116 →102 times
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
הָאֲשֵׁרִ֖יםthe Asherah poles
haasherimH842 →40 times
מִיהוּדָֽה׃ פfrom Judah
mihudahH3063 →819 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
Psalms 119:1Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the Law of the LORD.
it leads to
- Luke 11:28
But He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”
- Ezekiel 11:20
so that they may follow My statutes, keep My ordinances, and practice them. Then they will be My people, and I will be their God.
- James 1:25
But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom, and continues to do so—not being a forgetful hearer, but an effective doer—he will be blessed in what he does.
- Psalms 128:1
Blessed are all who fear the LORD, who walk in His ways!
- John 13:17
If you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
- Luke 11:28
Through
Hosea 14:9Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; whoever is discerning, let him know them. For the ways of the LORD are right, and the righteous walk in them but the rebellious stumble in…
it leads to
- Proverbs 10:29
The way of the LORD is a refuge to the upright, but destruction awaits those who do evil.
- Psalms 107:43
Let him who is wise pay heed to these things and consider the loving devotion of the LORD.
- John 8:47
Whoever belongs to God hears the words of God. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”
- Proverbs 10:29
About 2 Chronicles
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
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); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Against the Pelagians 2.21; 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.