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He did what was right in the Lord’s sight, just as David his father had done. It was he who removed the high places, shattered the pillars, cut down the asherah,[a] and smashed the bronze serpent Moses had made, because up to that time the Israelites were burning incense to it. (It was called Nehushtan.)(A) He put his trust in the Lord, the God of Israel; and neither before nor after him was there anyone like him among all the kings of Judah.

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Footnotes

  1. 18:4 Asherah: see note on Ex 34:13. Nehushtan: the name nehushtan contains several wordplays in Hebrew. It recalls the word “serpent” (nahash), the word “bronze” (nehoshet), and the word “to read omens” (nihesh). The sentence is also unclear about who named the bronze serpent “Nehushtan”—whether Moses when he made it, or the people when they venerated it, or Hezekiah when he destroyed it.

He did what was right(A) in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father David(B) had done. He removed(C) the high places,(D) smashed the sacred stones(E) and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke into pieces the bronze snake(F) Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been burning incense to it. (It was called Nehushtan.[a])

Hezekiah trusted(G) in the Lord, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 18:4 Nehushtan sounds like the Hebrew for both bronze and snake.