2 Chronicles 14:5

He also removed the high places and incense altars from all the cities of Judah, and under him the kingdom was at peace.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Asa acts as king over Judah immediately after commanding the people to seek the Lord and keep the law. This reform occurs during his reign, directly preceding the construction of fortified cities in a period of divinely granted rest.

The words — The verb וַ/יָּ֙סַר (va/i.Ya.sar) literally means "he removed," taking two direct objects: הַ/בָּמ֖וֹת (ha./ba.Mot), "the high places," and הַֽ/חַמָּנִ֑ים (ha./cha.ma.Nim), "the incense altars." These terms designate localized, unauthorized worship sites that Asa systematically dismantled throughout Judah.

The thread — The same reform pattern appears in 2 Chronicles 34:4 and 34:7 during Josiah’s reign, where altars to Baal and Asherah are similarly torn down. Both passages record the physical destruction of high places and incense altars to purge the land of syncretistic worship.

Why it lands — The text records the physical removal of unauthorized worship sites and the resulting political stability under Asa. It requires a reader to acknowledge that centralized obedience to the law directly preceded the kingdom's peace.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וַיָּ֙סַר֙va/i.Ya.sarand/ he removed מִכָּל־mi./kolfrom/ all עָרֵ֣י'a.Rei[the] cities of יְהוּדָ֔הye.hu.DahJudah אֶת־'et-<obj.>הַבָּמ֖וֹתha./ba.Motthe/ high places וְאֶת־ve./'Etand/ <obj.>הַֽחַמָּנִ֑יםha./cha.ma.Nimthe/ incense altars וַתִּשְׁקֹ֥טva./tish.Kotand/ it was at peace הַמַּמְלָכָ֖הha./mam.la.Khahthe/ kingdom לְפָנָֽיו׃le./fa.Na/v<to>/ before/ him

King James Version

Also he took away out of all the cities of Judah the high places and the images: and the kingdom was quiet before him.

Cross-references

2 Chronicles 34:4 Then in his presence the altars of the Baals were torn down, and he cut to pieces the incense altars that were above them. He shattered the Asherah poles, the carved idols, and the cast images, crushed them to dust, and scattered them over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them.
2 Chronicles 34:7 He tore down the altars and Asherah poles, crushed the idols to powder, and cut to pieces all the incense altars throughout the land of Israel. Then he returned to Jerusalem.