1 Kings 22:46 kjv
And the remnant of the sodomites, which remained in the days of his father Asa, he took out of the land.
1 Kings 22:46 nkjv
And the rest of the perverted persons, who remained in the days of his father Asa, he banished from the land.
1 Kings 22:46 niv
He rid the land of the rest of the male shrine prostitutes who remained there even after the reign of his father Asa.
1 Kings 22:46 esv
And from the land he exterminated the remnant of the male cult prostitutes who remained in the days of his father Asa.
1 Kings 22:46 nlt
He banished from the land the rest of the male and female shrine prostitutes, who still continued their practices from the days of his father, Asa.
1 Kings 22 46 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Deut 23:17-18 | "There shall be no cult prostitute (qādēsh) among the daughters of Israel, neither shall there be a cult prostitute (qādēsh) among the sons of Israel. You shall not bring the hire of a prostitute..." | God's law prohibiting cultic prostitution |
| 1 Kgs 15:12 | "He put away the cult prostitutes (qādēsh) out of the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made." | Asa's prior removal of cult prostitutes |
| 1 Kgs 15:14 | "But the high places were not removed. Nevertheless, Asa's heart was wholly true to the LORD all his days." | Asa's incomplete reforms (high places remained) |
| 2 Chr 14:2-5 | "Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God. He removed the foreign altars and the high places, and broke down the pillars..." | Parallel account of Asa's reforms |
| 2 Kgs 18:3-4 | "He [Hezekiah] did what was right in the eyes of the LORD...He removed the high places and broke the pillars and cut down the Asherah. And he broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made..." | Later king (Hezekiah) performing similar reforms |
| 2 Kgs 23:4-7 | "And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest...to bring out of the temple of the LORD all the vessels made for Baal...And he broke down the houses of the male cult prostitutes (qādēsh) who were in the house of the LORD..." | Josiah's radical cleansing of cultic prostitution |
| 1 Kgs 14:23-24 | "For they [Rehoboam's Judah] also built for themselves high places and pillars and Asherim...and there were also male cult prostitutes (qādēsh) in the land. They did according to all the abominations of the nations..." | Cult prostitutes present early in Judah's history |
| Lev 18:24-25 | "Do not make yourselves unclean by any of these things, for by all these the nations whom I am driving out before you have become unclean. And the land became unclean, so that I punished its iniquity, and the land vomited out its inhabitants." | The land is defiled by pagan practices |
| Lev 19:2 | "You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy." | Call to holiness and separation |
| Deut 7:2-5 | "You shall make no covenant with them...but you shall utterly destroy them and break their pillars and cut down their Asherim..." | Command to remove idolatry from the land |
| Josh 23:7-8 | "You shall not mix with these nations remaining among you or make mention of the names of their gods or swear by them..." | Warning against syncretism and pagan influence |
| Ps 101:3 | "I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless. I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me." | Personal commitment to remove evil from sight |
| Prov 22:3 | "The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it." | Wisdom to remove spiritual dangers |
| Isa 1:28 | "But rebels and sinners shall be broken together, and those who forsake the LORD shall perish." | Consequence of persistent unfaithfulness |
| Eze 36:25 | "I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you." | Divine cleansing and removal of idols |
| Zeph 1:4 | "I will stretch out my hand against Judah...and cut off from this place the remnant of Baal and the names of the idolatrous priests..." | Prophetic warning against lingering idolatry |
| Zech 13:2 | "And on that day, declares the LORD of hosts, I will cut off the names of the idols from the land, so that they shall be remembered no more. And also I will remove from the land the prophets and the spirit of uncleanness." | Future cleansing and removal of impurities |
| 1 Cor 6:9-10 | "Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters...nor men who practice homosexuality (malakoi nor arsenokoitai) will inherit..." | Broader condemnation of sexual immorality/idolatry (contextual care needed) |
| Eph 5:5 | "For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God." | Idolatry linked to impurity and exclusion |
| 1 Pet 1:15-16 | "but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, 'You shall be holy, for I am holy.'" | New Covenant call to holiness echoing Old Testament |
1 Kings 22 verses
1 Kings 22 46 Meaning
King Jehoshaphat undertook a significant religious reform by removing the remaining male cult prostitutes (referred to as "sodomites" or qādēsh) from the land of Judah. These individuals engaged in illicit sexual rituals associated with pagan idolatry, a practice forbidden by God's law. This action completed a purification effort that his father, King Asa, had begun but not fully accomplished, signifying Jehoshaphat's commitment to upholding the purity of Yahweh worship in the kingdom.
1 Kings 22 46 Context
1 Kings chapter 22 recounts a pivotal period in King Jehoshaphat's reign, particularly his ill-advised alliance with King Ahab of Israel for a military campaign against Ramoth-gilead. Despite this significant misjudgment, which led to Ahab's death and a near-disaster for Jehoshaphat, the preceding verses (22:41-43) portray Jehoshaphat as a generally righteous king who "walked in all the ways of Asa his father; he did not turn aside from them, doing what was right in the eyes of the LORD." Verse 46 provides specific evidence of this piety by detailing his continued religious reforms.
Historically and culturally, the existence of qādēsh (cult prostitutes) in Judah points to the persistent problem of syncretism – the blending of Yahweh worship with pagan Canaanite fertility cults. These practices involved sacred prostitution as a means of seeking divine favor, often related to agricultural productivity. The Mosaic Law explicitly condemned such activities as abominable (Deut 23:17-18). King Asa had attempted to purge these elements (1 Kgs 15:12), but apparently, not all were eradicated. Jehoshaphat's action in 1 Kings 22:46 demonstrates his commitment to complete this purification, safeguarding the distinctive purity of Yahwistic worship in Judah and aligning his kingdom with God's covenant commands.
1 Kings 22 46 Word analysis
- And the remnant (שְׁאָר, sh'ār): Refers to "that which is left," "survivors," or "a small part." In this context, it signifies the persistent lingering presence of these cult prostitutes who were not completely removed by previous reforms.
- of the sodomites (הַקָּדֵשִׁים, haqqādēshîm): This is a crucial term. Derived from the Hebrew root q-d-š meaning "holy" or "set apart," but here specifically refers to "male cult prostitutes" or "sacred ones" who engaged in ritualistic sex within pagan religious rites. These were associated with idolatrous worship (e.g., Baal, Asherah) rather than broadly descriptive of sexual orientation. Their activities were strictly forbidden by the Law (Deut 23:17-18).
- which remained (הַנּוֹתָרִים, hannôtārîm): Echoes "remnant" and emphasizes the incomplete nature of the previous reforms. It points to a deep-seated spiritual problem that was difficult to fully purge.
- in the days of his father Asa: This phrase directly links Jehoshaphat's action to his father King Asa's reign (1 Kings 15). Asa had made efforts to remove the cult prostitutes, but clearly, not all of them were eradicated. This indicates that religious purity is often a continuous and generational struggle.
- he took out (בִּיְּעֵר, bîya'ēr): A strong Hebrew verb meaning "to clear away," "consume," "burn," or "utterly remove." It signifies a decisive and thorough action, not just a gentle dismissal. This verb implies a purging or eradication to cleanse the land.
- of the land: Refers specifically to the kingdom of Judah. This action aimed to purify the nation from foreign, abominable religious practices and restore faithfulness to the covenant with Yahweh.
- "the remnant of the sodomites, which remained": This phrase highlights the persistent nature of spiritual corruption. Even after attempts at reform, impurities can linger, requiring sustained vigilance and renewed action across generations.
- "in the days of his father Asa, he took out": This directly illustrates the generational aspect of reform. Jehoshaphat built upon, and completed, the unfinished work of his predecessor, showing both respect for his father's intentions and a deeper commitment to covenant fidelity. The strong verb "took out" emphasizes the finality of Jehoshaphat's purging action.
1 Kings 22 46 Bonus section
- This verse stands in stark contrast to the religious degeneracy of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, which not only tolerated but often promoted such abominations. While Judah had its struggles, there were recurrent periods of reform under kings like Asa, Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah, and Josiah, often seeking to remove the same type of cultic impurities, like the qādēsh, that continually threatened their fidelity to the Lord.
- The incomplete nature of Asa's reforms, where "the high places were not removed" (1 Kgs 15:14), serves as a cautionary tale. Even well-intentioned leaders can leave lingering spiritual strongholds, emphasizing that genuine purification requires thoroughness and persistent application of God's Word, which Jehoshaphat demonstrates by finishing his father's work regarding the cultic prostitutes.
- This action by Jehoshaphat anticipates and aligns with later, more comprehensive reforms, especially those of King Josiah in 2 Kings 23:7, where the eradication of cultic prostitution, among other abominations, is detailed more extensively. It shows a continuous pattern of godly kings seeking to purify the land and people according to God's commandments.
1 Kings 22 46 Commentary
1 Kings 22:46 presents a concise but potent testament to King Jehoshaphat's genuine piety and commitment to Yahweh, distinguishing him from many other kings, especially in the Northern Kingdom. Despite the chronicler's briefness on this point compared to Asa's reforms, this verse underscores that Jehoshaphat systematically completed the purification of Judah from the abhorrent cultic prostitution, an explicit violation of Mosaic Law. This act reflects a deeper commitment to the covenant with God and maintaining the unique, pure worship of Yahweh in Judah. It showcases Jehoshaphat's positive spiritual legacy, reinforcing his overall portrayal as a king who largely "did what was right in the eyes of the LORD" even amidst the complexities and moral compromises of his political reign, such as his alliance with Ahab earlier in the chapter. The persistence of "sodomites" from Asa's time highlights the challenge of rooting out deep-seated idolatrous practices and the need for continual, uncompromising faithfulness to God's standards.