2 Kings 23:15
in 2 Kings 23He even pulled down the altar at Bethel, the high place set up by Jeroboam son of Nebat, who had caused Israel to sin. Then he burned the high place, ground it to powder, and burned the Asherah pole.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Moreover the altar that was at Beth-el, and the high place which Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, had made, even that altar and the high place he brake down; and he burned the high place and beat it to dust, and burned the Asherah.
KJV
Moreover the altar that was at Beth–el, 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.
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This verse in 2 Kings 23
Commentary
4 notes on this verseMoreover, the altar that was at Bethel, and the high place which Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, had made. For the worship of the calf there: both that altar, and the high place, he brake down; according to an ancient prophecy of the man of God, 1Ki 13:3 and of Amos in later times, Amo 9:1. and burnt the high place, and stamped it small to powder; that there might be no remains of it: and burnt the grove; either the grove of trees on it, or the idol that was in it.
This site's exposition
who had caused Israel to sin
The altar at Bethel was the high place "set up by Jeroboam son of Nebat". Josiah "burned the high place, ground it to powder, and burned the Asherah pole", as he did Jerusalem's idols. The altar of 1 Kings 12:28 is undone by a king of Judah.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
The golden calf, it should seem, was gone ( thy calf, O Samaria! has cast thee off ), but the altar was there, which those that were wedded to their old idolatries made use of still.
), burnt what was combustible, and, since an idol is nothing in the world, he went as far towards the annihilating of it as he could; for he stamped it small to powder and made it as dust before the wind.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
The words behind it
30 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְגַ֨ם | vegam | and also | H1571 → | 769 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַמִּזְבֵּ֜חַ | hamizbeach | the altar | H4196 → | 401 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| בְּבֵֽית־ | beveit- | [was] at Beth- | H1008 → | 142 times |
| אֵ֗ל | ʾel | -el | H1008 → | 142 times |
| הַבָּמָה֙ | habamah | the high place | H1116 → | 102 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֨ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| עָשָׂ֜ה | ʾasah | he had made | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| יָרָבְעָ֤ם | yaraveam | Jeroboam | H3379 → | 104 times |
| בֶּן־ | ben- | [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| נְבָט֙ | nevat | Nebat | H5028 → | 25 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| הֶחֱטִ֣יא | hecheti' | he caused to sin | H2398 → | 238 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| גַּ֣ם | gam | also | H1571 → | 769 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַמִּזְבֵּ֧חַ | hamizbeach | the altar | H4196 → | 401 times |
| הַה֛וּא | hahu' | <the> that | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַבָּמָ֖ה | habamah | the high place | H1116 → | 102 times |
| נָתָ֑ץ | natatz | he tore down | H5422 → | 42 times |
| וַיִּשְׂרֹ֧ף | vaiyisrof | and he burned | H8313 → | 117 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַבָּמָ֛ה | habamah | the high place | H1116 → | 102 times |
| הֵדַ֥ק | hedak | he crushed [it] | H1854 → | |
| לְעָפָ֖ר | leafar | to dust | H6083 → | 110 times |
| וְשָׂרַ֥ף | vesaraf | and he burned | H8313 → | 117 times |
| אֲשֵׁרָֽה׃ | ʾasherah | [the] Asherah pole | H842 → | 40 times |
וְגַ֨םand also
vegamH1571 →769 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַמִּזְבֵּ֜חַthe altar
hamizbeachH4196 →401 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
בְּבֵֽית־[was] at Beth-
beveit-H1008 →142 times
אֵ֗ל-el
ʾelH1008 →142 times
הַבָּמָה֙the high place
habamahH1116 →102 times
אֲשֶׁ֨רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
עָשָׂ֜הhe had made
ʾasahH6213 →2628 times
יָרָבְעָ֤םJeroboam
yaraveamH3379 →104 times
בֶּן־[the] son of
ben-H1121 →4930 times
נְבָט֙Nebat
nevatH5028 →25 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwho
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
הֶחֱטִ֣יאhe caused to sin
hecheti'H2398 →238 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
גַּ֣םalso
gamH1571 →769 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַמִּזְבֵּ֧חַthe altar
hamizbeachH4196 →401 times
הַה֛וּא<the> that
hahu'H1931 →1879 times
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
הַבָּמָ֖הthe high place
habamahH1116 →102 times
נָתָ֑ץhe tore down
natatzH5422 →42 times
וַיִּשְׂרֹ֧ףand he burned
vaiyisrofH8313 →117 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַבָּמָ֛הthe high place
habamahH1116 →102 times
הֵדַ֥קhe crushed [it]
hedakH1854 →
לְעָפָ֖רto dust
leafarH6083 →110 times
וְשָׂרַ֥ףand he burned
vesarafH8313 →117 times
אֲשֵׁרָֽה׃[the] Asherah pole
ʾasherahH842 →40 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
1 Kings 14:16So He will give Israel over on account of the sins Jeroboam has committed and has caused Israel to commit.”
it leads to
- 1 Kings 12:30
And this thing became a sin; the people walked as far as Dan to worship before one of the calves.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 1 Kings 13:34
And this was the sin of the house of Jeroboam that led to its extermination and destruction from the face of the earth.
- 1 Kings 15:34
And Baasha did evil in the sight of the LORD and walked in the way of Jeroboam and in his sin, which he had caused Israel to commit.
- 1 Kings 15:30
because of the sins Jeroboam had committed and had caused Israel to commit, and because he had provoked the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger.
- 1 Kings 12:30
Through
1 Kings 12:28After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves and said to the people, “Going up to Jerusalem is too much for you. Here, O Israel, are your gods, who brought you up out…
it leads to
- Exodus 32:4
He took the gold from their hands, and with an engraving tool he fashioned it into a molten calf. And they said, “These, O Israel, are your gods, who brought you up out of…
- 2 Kings 17:16
They abandoned all the commandments of the LORD their God and made for themselves two cast idols of calves and an Asherah pole. They bowed down to all the host of heaven and served…
- Exodus 32:8
How quickly they have turned aside from the way that I commanded them! They have made for themselves a molten calf and have bowed down to it. They have sacrificed to it and said,…
- Exodus 32:4
Through
1 Kings 21:22I will make your house like that of Jeroboam son of Nebat and like that of Baasha son of Ahijah, because you have provoked My anger and caused Israel to sin.’
it leads to
- 1 Kings 16:3
So now I will consume Baasha and his house, and I will make your house like that of Jeroboam son of Nebat:
- 1 Kings 16:3
Where this verse is studied
About 2 Kings
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.