2 Kings 18 4

2 Kings 18:4 kjv

He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brazen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan.

2 Kings 18:4 nkjv

He removed the high places and broke the sacred pillars, cut down the wooden image and broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made; for until those days the children of Israel burned incense to it, and called it Nehushtan.

2 Kings 18:4 niv

He removed the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke into pieces the bronze snake Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been burning incense to it. (It was called Nehushtan.)

2 Kings 18:4 esv

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, for until those days the people of Israel had made offerings to it (it was called Nehushtan).

2 Kings 18:4 nlt

He removed the pagan shrines, smashed the sacred pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke up the bronze serpent that Moses had made, because the people of Israel had been offering sacrifices to it. The bronze serpent was called Nehushtan.

2 Kings 18 verses

2 Kings 18 4 Meaning

King Hezekiah undertook a comprehensive religious purification of Judah. He meticulously eradicated all elements of illicit worship: the pervasive high places, the standing pillars (sacred stones), the wooden Asherah poles, and notably, the bronze serpent that Moses had crafted, which had ironically become an object of idolatrous worship to which the Israelites burned incense. He derisively renamed the corrupted serpent "Nehushtan," stripping it of any perceived sacredness.

2 Kings 18 4 Context

2 Kings 18:4 describes a pivotal act of religious reform undertaken by King Hezekiah, who reigned over Judah from approximately 715 to 686 BC. The verse immediately follows the declaration that "He did what was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father David had done" (2 Kgs 18:3). This highlights Hezekiah as a truly righteous king, whose actions far exceeded previous monarchs who often failed to remove the "high places."

The historical and cultural context is one of persistent syncretism and outright pagan worship in Judah, deeply influenced by the surrounding Canaanite and Assyrian cultures. Despite commands against idolatry dating back to the Law of Moses, the high places (private altars on hills or mounds) and Asherah poles had become fixtures of Israelite religion, often used to worship foreign deities or a corrupted version of YHWH alongside other gods. The existence of the bronze serpent, an originally God-sanctioned object for healing (Num 21:8-9), as a cultic item to which people offered incense, illustrates the severe decay of authentic worship and the dangerous potential for even divine relics to be twisted into objects of idolatry over centuries. Hezekiah's actions are thus a direct, comprehensive polemic against all forms of idolatrous worship and a bold move to re-establish the exclusive worship of YHWH as commanded in the Torah.

2 Kings 18 4 Word analysis

• He: Refers to King Hezekiah, who ascended to the throne of Judah following his ungodly father, Ahaz (2 Kgs 18:1). His personal piety and commitment to the LORD (2 Kgs 18:3) underscore his unprecedented reform efforts.
• removed (Heb. סוּר, sûr): Implies a definitive and complete taking away or abolition. Hezekiah didn't just suppress but actively eradicated.
• the high places (Heb. בָּמוֹת, bāmôṯ): These were local shrines, often on elevated ground, used for religious ceremonies. While some may have initially been for YHWH, they often became centers for illicit syncretistic worship involving Canaanite deities and cultic practices. Their persistence throughout the reigns of previous kings (even some "good" ones) made their removal a hallmark of deep reform.
• and broke: (Heb. שָׁבַר, šābar): To shatter, tear down, destroy. A violent and thorough act of demolition.
• the pillars (Heb. מַצֵּבוֹת, maṣṣēbôt): Standing stone monuments or steles, distinct from altars. Often associated with Canaanite fertility cults, representing deities or marking sacred ground. Their destruction symbolized the eradication of pagan presence and practice.
• and cut down: (Heb. כָּרַת, kāraṯ): Specifically used for felling trees or wooden objects. This action indicates thorough destruction.
• the Asherah (Heb. אֲשֵׁרָה, ʾăšērâ): A wooden cultic pole or tree representing the Canaanite goddess Asherah, consort of Baal or El, revered in fertility cults. Its presence marked blatant syncretism.
• and broke in pieces: (Heb. כִּתַּת, kittaṯ): To pulverize, crush into small pieces, emphasizing utter demolition beyond repair or reassembly. This term often signifies total obliteration of a cultic object.
• the bronze serpent: (Heb. נְחַשׁ הַנְּחֹשֶׁת, nəḥaš han-nəḥōšeṯ): This refers to the unique object Moses made in the wilderness for the healing of the Israelites bitten by fiery serpents (Num 21:8-9). It was a God-ordained means of grace, a potent symbol of God's power and provision.
• that Moses had made: This detail highlights the ironic tragedy. An object divinely commanded and used for good by a great prophet had devolved into an idol. Its historical sacred origin made its destruction all the more significant and daring.
• for until those days the people of Israel had burned incense to it: This reveals the profound extent of the spiritual declension. An ancient, divinely purposed object had been revered for centuries beyond its original intent, receiving an act of worship (incense) due only to YHWH. The duration ("until those days") signifies deep-rooted corruption.
• it was called Nehushtan: (Heb. נְחֻשְׁתָּן, Nəḥuštān): Hezekiah gave it this name, a play on the Hebrew words for "bronze" (nəḥōšeṯ) and "serpent" (nāḥāš). The diminutive ending suggests contempt, reducing it from a sacred relic to a mere "piece of bronze" or "a brazen thing." This act of renaming strips the idol of its former religious power and underscores its worthlessness, transforming it into an object of derision rather than reverence.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• He removed the high places, and broke the pillars, and cut down the Asherah: These actions demonstrate Hezekiah's direct and thorough assault on the primary elements of Canaanite idolatry and syncretistic worship that had long plagued Judah. The use of specific verbs ("removed," "broke," "cut down") signifies varied means of destruction appropriate to the object type (sites, stones, wood), indicating comprehensive eradication.
• and broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made: This act stands out. Unlike the general pagan idols, the bronze serpent had legitimate Mosaic origins. Its destruction by Hezekiah represents a daring and unprecedented move to purify worship even from objects that had a holy history but had become corrupted into idolatry. It illustrates that even good things, when revered beyond their proper place, become obstacles to true worship.
• for until those days the people of Israel had burned incense to it; it was called Nehushtan: This phrase provides the justification for destroying the bronze serpent. It exposes the long-standing, widespread, and serious sin of worshiping a creature/object rather than the Creator. Renaming it "Nehushtan" was a powerful, symbolic act of demotion, signifying its stripped sacredness and rendering it a "mere bronze thing," teaching that devotion to a divine artifact is idolatry.

2 Kings 18 4 Bonus section

Hezekiah's thoroughness in this verse, particularly with the bronze serpent, sets a significant precedent against the veneration of relics within the community of faith. It shows that an object, however sacred its past or origin, can become a stumbling block and an idol if it receives undue honor or worship meant for God alone. This radical cleansing of Judah stands in stark contrast to the continuous backsliding and compromise seen in many other kings of both Judah and Israel, positioning Hezekiah as a truly exemplary reformer, foreshadowing the even more drastic measures by Josiah (2 Kgs 23).

2 Kings 18 4 Commentary

2 Kings 18:4 marks Hezekiah as an extraordinary king whose commitment to God surpassed many of his predecessors. While earlier kings like Asa and Jehoshaphat attempted reforms, they generally left the high places intact. Hezekiah's actions are far more comprehensive and zealous, going to the root of religious corruption.

The destruction of the high places, pillars, and Asherah poles demonstrates his unwavering dedication to the covenant. These were deeply ingrained elements of worship, often blended with YHWH worship, but inherently offensive due to their pagan associations and the implied lack of YHWH's exclusive claim. Their systematic destruction signifies a radical break with the prevailing syncretistic practices of Judah.

The demolition of the bronze serpent (Nehushtan) is particularly striking. Unlike the other objects that were pagan, this was originally commissioned by God through Moses for a specific divine purpose – healing. Yet, over centuries, the people had come to revere the object itself, burning incense to it, turning a blessed tool into a detestable idol. Hezekiah's courage in destroying it reveals a profound spiritual insight: no object, regardless of its origin or past sanctity, is beyond the judgment of God when it usurps His glory. His contemptuous renaming of it as "Nehushtan" served as a powerful declaration that God desires worship of Himself, not His works or symbols. This act prefigures the warning against idolatry not just of false gods, but also of venerating religious objects, institutions, or traditions in place of true faith in God Himself. It set a precedent for future purges and underscores the persistent human tendency to reduce the Divine to tangible, controllable forms, a tendency God consistently resists.