2 Kings 18:4

Contextual Overview

¹In the third year of Israel’s King Hoshea son of Elah, Hezekiah son of Ahaz became king of Judah. ¹ Now it happened in the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Yisra'el, that Hizkiyahu the son of Achaz king of Yehudah began to reign. ¹ Now it came to pass in the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, that Hezekiah the son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign. ¹ In the third year of Hoshea son of Elah, king of Israel, Hezekiah the son of Ahaz, king of Judah, began to reign. ¹ Hezekiah son of Ahaz king of Judah became king during the third year Hoshea son of Elah was king of Israel. ¹ In the third year of the reign of Israel's King Hoshea son of Elah, Ahaz's son Hezekiah became king over Judah. ¹Now it came about in the third year of Hoshea the son of Elah king of Israel, Hezekiah the son of Ahaz king of Judah became king. ¹ Now it came about in the third year of Hoshea, the son of Elah king of Israel, that Hezekiah the son of Ahaz king of Judah became king. ¹ Now it happened in the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, that Hezekiah the son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign. ¹ Now in the third yeere of Hoshea, sonne of Elah King of Israel, Hezekiah the sonne of Ahaz king of Iudah began to reigne.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

removed: 2 Kings 12:3, 2 Kings 14:4, 2 Kings 15:4, 2 Kings 15:35, Leviticus 26:30, 1 Kings 3:2, 1 Kings 3:3, 1 Kings 15:14, 1 Kings 22:43, Psalms 78:58, Ezekiel 20:28, Ezekiel 20:29

brake: 2 Kings 23:4, Deuteronomy 7:5, Deuteronomy 12:2, Deuteronomy 12:3, Judges 6:25, Judges 6:28, 1 Kings 15:12, 1 Kings 15:13, 2 Chronicles 19:3, 2 Chronicles 31:1, 2 Chronicles 33:3

images: Heb. statues

the brazen serpent: Numbers 21:8, Numbers 21:9, John 3:14, John 3:15

unto those days: 2 Kings 16:15

Nehushtan: That is, a piece of brass.

Reciprocal: Exodus 34:13 - ye shall Leviticus 14:45 - break down 2 Kings 10:27 - brake down the image 2 Kings 11:18 - went 2 Kings 13:6 - and there remained 2 Kings 18:22 - whose high places 2 Kings 21:3 - the high places 2 Chronicles 14:3 - cut down 2 Chronicles 23:17 - the house of Baal 2 Chronicles 32:12 - Hath not 2 Chronicles 34:3 - General Isaiah 36:7 - is it not Hosea 11:12 - Judah

Cross-References

Genesis 18:5
I will get a morsel of bread so you can refresh your heart. After that you may go your way, now that you have come to your servant." They said, "Very well, do as you have said."

Genesis 18:5
And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said.

Genesis 18:5
And let me bring a piece of bread, then refresh yourselves. Afterward you can pass on, once you have passed by with your servant." Then they said, "Do so as you have said."

Genesis 18:5
and I will get some bread for you so you can regain your strength. Then you may continue your journey." The three men said, "That is fine. Do as you said."

Genesis 18:5
And let me get a bit of food so that you may refresh yourselves since you have passed by your servant's home. After that you may be on your way." "All right," they replied, "you may do as you say."

Genesis 18:5
And I will bring a piece of bread to refresh and sustain you; after that you may go on, since you have come to your servant." And they replied, "Do as you have said."

Genesis 18:5
and I will bring a piece of bread, so that you may refresh yourselves; after that you may go on, since you have visited your servant." And they said, "So do as you have said."

Genesis 18:5
And I will bring a morsell of bread, that you may comfort your hearts, afterward ye shall go your wayes: for therefore are ye come to your seruant. And they said, Do euen as thou hast said.

Genesis 18:5
and let me bring a piece of bread, that you may refresh your hearts; after that you may pass on, since in such a manner you have passed by your servant." And they said, "So you shall do, as you have said."

Genesis 18:5
Let me get you some food to give you strength before you leave. I would be honored to serve you." "Thank you very much," they answered. "We accept your offer."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

He removed the high places,.... Which the best of the kings of Judah never attempted, and which is observed of them to their discredit:

and broke the images, and cut down the groves; the idols his father set up and served, 2 Kings 16:4, groves and idols in them, were early instances of idolatry; 2 Kings 16:4- :, and their use for temples are still continued, not only among some Indian nations l, but among some Christians in the northern parts of Europe m;

and brake in pieces the brazen serpent that Moses had made; which he made in the wilderness, and which was brought by the children of Israel with them into the land of Canaan, and was kept as a memorial of the miracle wrought by looking to it, being laid up in some proper place where it had been preserved to this day:

for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it not from the time it was brought into Canaan, nor even in later times, in the days of Asa and Jehoshaphat, who would never have suffered it; very probably this piece of idolatry began in the times of Ahaz, who encouraged everything of that kind: for this serpent they had a great veneration, being made by Moses, and a means in his time of healing the Israelites; and they imagined it might be of some service to them, in a way of mediation to God; and worthy of worship, having some degree of divinity, as Kimchi and Ben Gersom; but Laniado n excuses them from all show of idolatry, and supposes what they did was for the honour of God only; hence sprung the heresy of the Ophites, according to Theodoret:

and he called it Nehushtan; perceiving they were ensnared by it, and drawn into idolatry to it, by way of contempt he called it by this name, which signifies "brass"; suggesting that it was only a mere piece of brass, had no divinity in it, and could be of no service to them in divine things; and, that it might no longer be a snare to them, he broke it into pieces; and, as the Jews o say, ground it to powder, and scattered it to every wind, that there might be no remains of it.

l See Dampier's Voyage, vol. 1. p. 411. m Vid. Fabritii Bibliograph. Antiqu. c. 9. sect. 11. n Cli Yaker, fol. 538. 2. o T. Bab. Avodah Zarah, fol. 44. 1.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

He removed the high places - This religious reformation was effected in a violent and tumultuous manner (marginal reference). The “high places,” though forbidden in the Law (Deuteronomy 12:2-4, Deuteronomy 12:11-14; compare Leviticus 26:30), had practically received the sanction of Samuel 1Sa 7:10; 1 Samuel 9:12-14, David 2 Samuel 15:32, Solomon 1 Kings 3:4, and others, and had long been the favorite resorts of the mass of the people (see 1 Kings 3:2 note). They were the rural centers for the worship of Yahweh, standing in the place of the later synagogue;, and had hitherto been winked at, or rather regarded as legitimate, even by the best kings. Hezekiah’s desecration of these time-honored sanctuaries must have been a rude shock to the feelings of numbers; and indications of the popular discontent may be traced in the appeal of Rab-shakeh 2 Kings 18:22, and in the strength of the reaction under Manasseh 2 Kings 21:2-9; 2 Chronicles 33:3-17.

The brasen serpent - See the marginal reference. Its history from the time when it was set up to the date of Hezekiah’s reformation is a blank. The present passage favors the supposition that it had been brought by Solomon from Gibeon and placed in the temple, for it implies a long continued worship of the serpent by the Israelites generally, and not a mere recent worship of it by the Jews.

And he called it Nehushtan - Rather, “And it was called Nehushtan.” The people called it, not “the serpent” נחשׁ nāchâsh, but “the brass,” or “the brass thing” נחשׁתן n^echûshtān. Probably they did not like to call it “the serpent,” on account of the dark associations which were attached to that reptile (Genesis 3:1-15; Isaiah 27:1; Psalms 91:13; etc.).

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Kings 18:4. Brake in pieces the brazen serpent. — The history of this may be seen in Numbers 21:8; Numbers 21:9; see the notes there.

We find that this brazen serpent had become an object of idolatry, and no doubt was supposed to possess, as a telesm or amulet, extraordinary virtues, and that incense was burnt before it which should have been burnt before the true God.

And he called it Nehushtan. — נהשתן. Not one of the versions has attempted to translate this word. Jarchi says, "He called it Nechustan, through contempt, which is as much as to say, a brazen serpent." Some have supposed that the word is compounded of נחש nachash, to divine, and תן tan, a serpent, so it signifies the divining serpent; and the Targum states that it was the people, not Hezekiah, that gave it this name. נחש nachash signifies to view, eye attentively, observe, to search, inquire accurately, c. and hence is used to express divination, augury. As a noun it signifies brass or copper, filth, verdigris, and some sea animal, Amos 9:3; see also Job 26:13, and Isaiah 26:1. It is also frequently used for a serpent; and most probably for an animal of the genus Simia, in Genesis 3:1, where see the notes. This has been contested by some, ridiculed by a few, and believed by many. The objectors, because it signifies a serpent sometimes, suppose it must have the same signification always! And one to express his contempt and show his sense, has said, "Did Moses hang up an ape on a pole?" I answer, No, no more than he hanged up you, who ask the contemptible question. But this is of a piece with the conduct of the people of Milan, who show you to this day the brazen serpent which Moses hung up in the wilderness, and which Hezekiah broke in pieces two thousand five hundred years ago!

Of serpents there is a great variety. Allowing that נחש nachash signifies a serpent, I may ask in my turn, What kind of a serpent was it that tempted Eve? Of what species was that which Moses hung up on the pole, and which Hezekiah broke to pieces? Who of the wise men can answer these questions? Till this is done I assert, that the word, Genesis 3:1, c., does not signify a serpent of any kind and that with a creature of the genus Simia the whole account best agrees.