2 Kings 18:2-4
The Message
Hezekiah of Judah
18 1-4 In the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, Hezekiah son of Ahaz began his rule over Judah. He was twenty-five years old when he became king and he ruled for twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Abijah daughter of Zechariah. In God’s opinion he was a good king; he kept to the standards of his ancestor David. He got rid of the local fertility shrines, smashed the phallic stone monuments, and cut down the sex-and-religion Asherah groves. As a final stroke he pulverized the ancient bronze serpent that Moses had made; at that time the Israelites had taken up the practice of sacrificing to it—they had even dignified it with a name, Nehushtan (The Old Serpent).
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2 Kings 18:2-4
New International Version
2 He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years.(A) His mother’s name was Abijah[a] daughter of Zechariah. 3 He did what was right(B) in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father David(C) had done. 4 He removed(D) the high places,(E) smashed the sacred stones(F) and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke into pieces the bronze snake(G) Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been burning incense to it. (It was called Nehushtan.[b])
Footnotes
- 2 Kings 18:2 Hebrew Abi, a variant of Abijah
- 2 Kings 18:4 Nehushtan sounds like the Hebrew for both bronze and snake.
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