2 Chronicles 15:16

(16) And also concerning Maachah.—2Ch_15:16-18 are a duplicate of 1Ki_15:13-15, with a few unimportant variations. See the commentary there.

The mother of Asa the king—i.e., his grandmother. (See 2Ch_13:2; and 1Ki_15:13). Others have supposed that Maachah the mother of Abijah, and Maachah the “mother” of Asa, were different persons, the former being the daughter of Absalom, the latter the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. There are really no grounds for this. Maachah, the mother of Abijah, enjoyed the rank of queen-mother not only during his short reign of three years, but also during that of her grandson Asa, until deposed by him on account of her idolatry.

Queen.—Gebîrah, lady, mistress; but always used of a queen. Compare the position of Athaliah (2Ch_22:2).

An idol.—Miphlètseth; a thing of fear; a horror; a term only found here and in 1Ki_15:13. (Not as Merx suggests, nor a phallus, as others think. Comp. the cognate words in Job_9:6; Job_21:6; Jer_49:16.)

In a grove.—Rather, for Ashçrah (2Ki_17:16).

Stamped it.—Crashed it. A detail added by the chronicler. So Moses treated the golden calf (Exo_32:20); and Josiah the high place at Bethel (2Ki_23:15).

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2Ch 15:16 And also [concerning] Maachah the mother of Asa the king, he removed her from [being] queen, because she had made an idol in a grove: and Asa cut down her idol, and stamped [it], and burnt [it] at the brook Kidron.

Ver. 16. And also concerning Maachah.] See on 1Ki 15:13.

He removed her from being queen.] Or, From being chief priest, in sacris meplezethi, to that abominable grove idol, which had its name from trembling or terrifying, or from the horrible villainies committed at those roguish rites of Priapus; not unlike those other of Anubis, where Decius Mundus abused that noble Roman matron Paulina, whom he could not bring to his lure by any money. {a}

{a} Joseph.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2Ch 15:16. And also concerning Maachah — Of this and the following verses, see on 1Ki 15:13-15.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

15:16 The queen mother was the first lady of the realm, usually holding the office as long as she lived. When she died, the title passed to the mother of the heir apparent. There is no indication that the queen mother held official duties, but she wielded considerable influence. • Asherah is well known from Canaanite literature as the wife of the god El and the mother of seventy children, including Baal. The image made of her quite possibly had prominent sexual characteristics, a common attribute of Canaanite images. • his grandmother: Literally his mother. The term “mother” can be used generically for any female ancestor. See 11:20, where Maacah is listed as the mother of Abijah (Asa’s father).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Or grandmother: and herein he showed that he lacked zeal, for she ought to have died both by the covenant, as verse 13, and by the Law of God: but he gave place to foolish pity and would also seem after a sort to satisfy the Law.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 16. Concerning Maachah] See the matter fully explained in Clarke's note on "1Ki 15:13".

The Jews imagine that Maachah repented, and her name became changed into Michaiah, daughter of Uriel of Gibeah; and that this was done that there might be no mention of her former name, lest it should be a reproach to her: but we have already seen another gloss on this name. See on 2Ch 11:20.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

16–19 (1Ki_15:13-15). Other Religious Measures of Asa

16. And also concerning Maachah] R.V. And also Maacah. “Maacah the daughter of Abishalom” is described as the mother of Abijam (Abijah) In 1Ki_15:2 and as the mother of Asa in 1Ki_15:10, although Asa is described as the son of Abijam (Abijah) in 1Ki_15:8. Most probably Maacah was the grandmother of Asa but retained her position as queen-mother during two reigns, i.e. until removed by Asa.

from being queen] R.V. mg., from being queen-mother.

an idol] R.V. an abominable image. On 1Ki_15:13 Robertson Smith (Religion of the Semites p. 188, note) suggests that the Asherah itself (cp. 2Ch_14:3 note) was partly carved into a kind of image, “a grisly object.” For the present passage see next note.

in a grove] R.V. mg. (rightly as representing the meaning of the Chronicler) for Asherah, Asherah being here and in a few other passages (1Ki_18:19; 2Ki_21:7; 2Ki_23:4; 2Ki_23:7) to be translated as the name of a goddess, about whom however next to nothing is known. According to some scholars the Chronicler was mistaken in imagining that “Ashçrâh” was anything more than a common noun denoting the wooden symbol of a goddess. We must of course translate according to the meaning of the Chronicler whether he has fallen into an error or not. Cp. note on 2Ch_14:3.

cut down her idol, and stamped it] R.V. cut down her image, and made dust of it.

the brook Kidron] On the east of Jerusalem, an unclean place; cp. 2Ki_23:4, “in the fields of Kidron.” Bädeker, p. 96.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And also concerning Maachah the mother of Asa the king,.... Or rather his grandmother, Kg1 15:10,

he removed her from being queen; the Septuagint version is, "that she should not minister to Astarte"; which was the goddess of the Zidonians; of this and the two next verses; see Gill on Kg1 15:13, Kg1 15:14, Kg1 15:15.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Mother, or grandmother. (Calmet) --- There were perhaps two of the name, and Abia had married one as well as Roboam. (Menochius) --- Deposed, &c. Hebrew, "from being queen." Septuagint, "he removed Maacha,...that she should not minister to Astarte; and he cut the idol in pieces, and burnt it," &c. (Haydock) --- Syriac, "because she had celebrated a feast to idols." But it seems she had set up a stone, which Asa burnt. See 3 Kings xv. 13. (Calmet) --- Priapus is added by the Vulgate to explain [the] Hebrew, "the idol of, or in the grove," (Haydock) Asera or Astarte. (Calmet)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Of this and the following verses, See Poole "1Ki 15:2", See Poole "1Ki 15:10", See Poole "1Ki 15:14", See Poole "1Ki 15:15".

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

16-18. These verses are identical with 1Ki_15:13-15, where see notes.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Maachah the mother of Asa; i.e. the grandmother (2Ch_11:20-22 2Ch_13:2; 1Ki_15:2, 1Ki_15:10, 1Ki_15:13) of Asa; and the statement amounts to this, that Asa removed her from the dignity she had enjoyed, with all its influences of "queen-mother." An idol in a grove. This, probably, literally translated, says, a hideous fright for, i.e. in place of Asherah, i.e. Ashtoreth, or Astarte; but some translate to Asherah. The word we translate "a hideous fright" (txlpmi) occurs only here and in the parallel, (1Ki_15:13) and its derivation root guides to this rendering; but some give it the idea of an object of reverent fear among idols. Asa cut down. So it was enjoined. (Exo_34:13-15) And stamped it; Hebrew, Qd,y; w; hiph. of qqd; ; the meaning being "stamped it" in the dust, from its upright position, finally burning it. The word is used in 2Ch_34:4, 2Ch_34:7; 2Ki_23:6, 2Ki_23:15; Exo_30:36; Mic_4:13. The word used in the parallel is "cut off;" or "cut down; of course also preparatory to burning. At the brook Kidron. The Kidron was a torrent rather than a brook. It flowed between Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives, and finally emptied itself into the Dead Sea. The references to Kidron in the Old Testament are interesting, hut all reinvested with heightened interest from those in the New Testament. (Joh_18:1, compared with what the parallels infer; Mar_14:26; Luk_22:39) The first two references in the Old Testament are 2Sa_15:23; 1Ki_2:37. Passing these, the present place, with its parallel, brings the Kidren valley next under notice as, the place of destruction for Maachah"s obscene phallic abomination, and then (2Ki_11:16) as the place where Athalish was destroyed. Its associations are similar when spoken of in 2Ki_13:4, 2Ki_13:6, 2Ki_13:12; 2Ch_29:16 2Ch_30:14, becoming the "regular receptacle for the impurities and abominations of the idol-worship, when removed from the temple and destroyed by the adherents of Jehovah." In the time of Josiah, this valley was the common burying-place of the city (2Ki_23:6; Jer_26:23 Jer_31:40) (For Robinson"s description of the modern state of the Kidron valley, see Dr. Smith"s Bible Dictionary," 2:14-16).

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

mother i.e. grandmother. 1Ki 15:13,

grove

(See Scofield "Deu 16:21"). See Scofield "Jdg 3:7".

The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

a disgusting figure

This phrase refers to an idol.

Asa cut down the disgusting figure, ground it ... and burned it

Since Asa was king, he may have told his officials to cut down the figure. AT: "Asa made his workers cut down the disgusting figure, grind it ... and burn it" (See: Metonymy)

But the high places were not taken out of Israel

This can be stated in active form. AT: "But Asa did not command the people to take the high places out of Israel" (See: Active or Passive)

Asa's heart was completely devoted

The heart represents the person. AT: "Asa was completely devoted" (See: Synecdoche)

all his days

This refers to the whole period of time that Asa lived. AT: "the whole time that he lived" or "throughout his whole life" (See: Idiom)

translationWords

queen

Asherah

high place

Israel

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

And also Maacah, King Asa’s mother he deposed from [being] the queen because she had made a frightful image for an asherah to gratify her lust. [מִפְלֶצֶת means] מַפְלֵא לֵצוּתָא. It carried lasciviousness to an extreme. She made herself a phallus for the image, and would copulate with it.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.