2 Chronicles 24:18

They abandoned the house of the LORD, the God of their fathers, and served the Asherah poles and idols. So wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this guilt of theirs.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The chronicler records the actions of the people of Judah and Jerusalem immediately after the death of the priest Jehoiada and King Joash's decision to heed the royal officials.

The words — וַ/יַּֽעַזְב֗וּ (va/i.ya.'az.Vu) means "and they abandoned," directly followed by וַ/יַּֽעַבְד֥וּ (va/i.ya.'av.Du) meaning "and they served," establishing a sequential covenant breach.

The thread — The text explicitly links this idolatry to wrath falling upon Judah and Jerusalem, a cause-and-effect pattern mirrored in the corporate consequences of Joshua 22:20 and the prophetic confrontations of 2 Chronicles 19:2.

Why it lands — The narrative states that abandoning the house of the Lord and serving Asherah poles and idols directly produces guilt and divine wrath, requiring readers to acknowledge that covenant loyalty demands deliberate, ongoing action rather than inherited tradition.

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

וַיַּֽעַזְב֗וּva/i.ya.'az.Vuand/ they abandoned אֶת־'et-<obj.>בֵּ֤יתbeit[the] house of יְהוָה֙Yah.wehYahweh אֱלֹהֵ֣י'e.lo.Hei[the] God of אֲבוֹתֵיהֶ֔ם'a.vo.tei./Hemancestors/ their וַיַּֽעַבְד֥וּva/i.ya.'av.Duand/ they served אֶת־'et-<obj.>הָאֲשֵׁרִ֖יםha./'a.she.Rimthe/ Asherah poles וְאֶת־ve./'Etand/ <obj.>הָֽעֲצַבִּ֑יםha./'a.tza.Bimthe/ idols וַֽיְהִי־va/y.hi-and/ it was קֶ֗צֶףKe.tzefwrath עַל־'al-towards יְהוּדָה֙ye.hu.DahJudah וִיר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔םvi./Ru.sha.Limand/ Jerusalem בְּאַשְׁמָתָ֖םbe./'ash.ma.Ta/min/ guilt/ their זֹֽאת׃Zotthis

King James Version

And they left the house of the Lord God of their fathers, and served groves and idols: and wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this their trespass.

Cross-references

Joshua 22:20 Was not Achan son of Zerah unfaithful regarding what was set apart for destruction, bringing wrath upon the whole congregation of Israel? Yet it was not only Achan who perished because of his sin!’”
2 Chronicles 19:2 Jehu son of Hanani the seer went out to confront him and said to King Jehoshaphat, “Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the LORD? Because of this, the wrath of the LORD is upon you.
2 Chronicles 24:4 Some time later, Joash set his heart on repairing the house of the LORD.
Ephesians 5:6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience.
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.
2 Chronicles 28:13 “You must not bring the captives here,” they said, “for you are proposing to bring guilt upon us from the LORD and to add to our sins and our guilt. For our guilt is great, and fierce anger is upon Israel.”
2 Chronicles 32:25 But because his heart was proud, Hezekiah did not repay the favor shown to him. Therefore wrath came upon him and upon Judah and Jerusalem.
Hosea 5:10 The princes of Judah are like those who move boundary stones; I will pour out My fury upon them like water.
Exodus 34:13 Rather, you must tear down their altars, smash their sacred stones, and chop down their Asherah poles.
Judges 5:8 When they chose new gods, then war came to their gates. Not a shield or spear was found among forty thousand in Israel.