II Chronicles 28:25 · Bible study
2 Chronicles 28:25 Commentary: Ahaz's Idolatry
Hebrew · 6 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why Ahaz built high places in every city of Judah, provoking Yahweh 'the God of his fathers.' Historical, theological analysis for study.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Ahaz's systematic building of high places in every city of Judah for other gods, provoking Yahweh, the God of his ancestors.
- Key words: 'high places' (bamot, H1116), cultic platforms; 'make smoke' (qatter, H6999), offering incense; 'provoked' (ka'as, H3707), Piel form meaning to cause anger.
- Main debate: The chronicler's rhetorical emphasis versus historical accuracy of the scope; the commentary data supports the rhetorical/interpretive reading.
- Theological theme: Covenant betrayal: knowing the God of the fathers yet rejecting Him for other gods.
- Best use: Examining personal and corporate idolatry; understanding the chronicler's lesson that apostasy invites judgment.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
In every city of Judah he built high places to offer incense to other gods, and so he provoked the LORD, the God of his fathers.
WEB World English Bible 2000
In every city of Judah he made high places to burn incense to other gods, and provoked Yahweh, the God of his fathers, to anger.
KJV King James Version 1769
And in every several city of Judah he made high places to burn incense unto other gods, and provoked to anger the Lord God of his fathers.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And in every city of Judah he made high places to burn incense unto other gods, and provoked to anger Jehovah, the God of his fathers.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And in every city and city of Judah he hath made high places to make perfume to other gods, and provoketh Jehovah, God of his fathers.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And in every several city of Judah he made high places to burn incense to othergods, and provoked to anger Jehovah the God of his fathers.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And in all the cities of Juda he built altars to burn frankincense, and he provoked the Lord the God of his fathers to wrath.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Hizo también altos en todas las ciudades de Judá, para quemar perfumes á los dioses ajenos, provocando así á ira á Jehová el Dios de sus padres.
Fez também altos em todas as cidades de Judá, para queimar incenso aos deuses alheios, provocando assim a ira ao SENHOR o Deus de seus pais.
et il établit des hauts lieux dans chacune des villes de Juda pour offrir des parfums à d’ autres dieux. Il irrita ainsi l’ Éternel, le Dieu de ses pères.
Und in den Städten Juda' s hin und her machte er Höhen, zu räuchern andern Göttern, und reizte den HERRN, seiner Väter Gott.
Ook maakte hij in elke stad van Juda hoogten, om anderen goden te roken; alzo verwekte hij den HEERE, zijner vaderen God, tot toorn.
e stabilì degli alti luoghi in ognuna delle città di Giuda per offrire dei profumi ad altri dèi. Così provocò ad ira l’Eterno, l’Iddio de’ suoi padri.
Także i w każdem mieście Judzkiem poczynił wyżyny, aby kadził bogom cudzym, i wzruszył ku gniewu Pana, Boga ojców swoich,
и по всем городам Иудиным устроил высоты для каждения богам иным, и раздражал Господа Бога отцов своих.
又在猶大 各 城 建立 邱壇，與別 神 燒香，惹動 耶和華─他列祖 神 的怒氣。
And in every town of Judah he made high places where perfumes were burned to other gods, awaking the wrath of the Lord, the God of his fathers.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · II Chronicles 28:25
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that verse 25 forms the climax of Ahaz's systematic rejection of Yahweh. Gill notes that Ahaz built high places 'in every city of Judah' deliberately, to prevent people from traveling to Jerusalem for worship, an effort to replace the temple cult entirely. Keil and Delitzsch describe these actions as a demonstration of hardening in idolatry, rooted in the king's refusal to repent even under judgment. Matthew Henry emphasizes the phrase 'God of his fathers,' seeing it as an indictment: Ahaz provoked the God of his covenant heritage. The consensus holds that the verse's repetition of 'every city' highlights the comprehensive nature of Ahaz's apostasy, and that the title 'God of his fathers' sharpens the betrayal, this was not ignorance but rebellion against known truth.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: The verse undeniably describes Ahaz's deliberate, extensive building of high places for other gods, and that this provoked Yahweh to anger.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Interpretation of 'every city' | All sources agree the phrase emphasizes the comprehensive, systematic nature of Ahaz's idolatry. | Some commentators (e.g., Gill) read it literally, Ahaz physically built high places in each city; the Cambridge Bible notes the phrase echoes Jeremiah 2:28 as an idiom for thoroughness. |
| Purpose of the high places | The high places were for burning incense to other gods, not Yahweh. | Gill suggests Ahaz did this to discourage pilgrimages to Jerusalem; Keil & Delitzsch emphasize the rhetorical portrayal of hardening. No major disagreement. |
| Historical accuracy vs. theological rhetoric | The chronicler uses this summary to illustrate Ahaz's complete apostasy. | Conservative readings treat it as straightforward history; some critical scholars see it as the chronicler's theological construct to explain Judah's downfall. The supplied excerpts lean toward a rhetorical reading (K&D: 'rhetorically emphasizing'). |
Historical & Cultural Context
The 'high places' (bamot, H1116) were cultic platforms used for sacrifice and incense, often associated with Canaanite religion. Throughout the monarchical period, Israel's prophets condemned them even when used for Yahweh worship, since God had chosen Jerusalem as the sole place for sacrifice (Deuteronomy 12). Ahaz's high places were explicitly 'to burn incense to other gods', the Syrian deities mentioned in verse 23. This followed a pattern: earlier he had shut the temple doors, cut up its vessels, and made altars on every street corner in Jerusalem (v.24).
The phrase 'in every city of Judah' mirrors the 'in every corner of Jerusalem' from verse 24. The chronicler is showing that Ahaz's idolatry left no space untouched. The Hebrew wording of the verse, 'in every city and city' (YLT: 'in every city and city of Judah'), underscores totality. This was not a few isolated shrines but a calculated system meant to erase the distinction between Judah and the surrounding nations.
Ahaz's reign came during the Syro-Ephraimite crisis. After being defeated by Syria and Israel, he appealed to Assyria for help (v.16, 20) and brought Damascus's religious practices back to Jerusalem. The prophet Isaiah had warned against such alliances (Isaiah 7:1-9), but Ahaz chose political expediency over faith. The high places in every city were the religious infrastructure of that choice, a nationwide attempt to secure divine favor through the gods of the nations that had conquered him. The result, the chronicler states plainly, was that these gods 'were the ruin of him and of all Israel' (v.23).
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for this verse. The Hebrew text is consistent across manuscripts, with only minor orthographic differences in the representation of the divine name (YHWH) and the plural 'gods' (Elohim). The Greek and Syriac versions offer no substantive alternative readings.
Reception History
This verse has been cited in Christian moral teaching as a caution against idolatry and the rejection of covenantal faith. Early church writers like John Chrysostom referenced Ahaz's hardening in sin to illustrate the danger of impenitence. The Reformers, notably Calvin, used the verse to argue that true worship must be limited to what God commands, a critique of the high places as 'will-worship.' In Jewish tradition, the chronicler's account of Ahaz is read as a warning during the period of the Second Temple about the consequences of abandoning Torah. Modern homiletics often draws the verse into sermons on repentance and the danger of syncretism.
Preaching This Verse
Three-Point Outline
- Systematic Idolatry: Ahaz built high places in every city, a deliberate, comprehensive replacement of the worship of Yahweh with the gods of Syria. He left no corner of Judah untouched.
- Rejection of Covenant Heritage: The verse identifies Yahweh as 'the God of his fathers.' Ahaz knew the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, yet he turned to foreign gods. This was not ignorance but betrayal of his family's faith.
- Provocation That Brings Judgment: To 'provoke Yahweh to anger' is a serious charge in Chronicles. It signals that God will not ignore such rebellion. The consequence appears in verse 27: Ahaz was denied burial in the tombs of the kings.
Five-Point Outline
- The Extent of the Sin: 'In every city of Judah', the idolatry was total.
- The Object of Worship: 'Other gods', specifically, the gods of Damascus (v.23) and probably Assyrian deities.
- The Means: High places, an illegal system of worship outside the temple.
- The Target: Yahweh, identified by covenant relationship ('God of his fathers').
- The Response: Divine anger, leading to Ahaz's shameful burial outside the royal tombs.
Illustration Hooks
- When a person in crisis rejects the help they know is trustworthy and instead tries every questionable solution, turning to counselors, self-help gurus, or even superstition, before finally admitting they need God. Ahaz did that on a national scale.
- A company that abandons the values it was founded on in order to chase profit. The infrastructure changes (new policies, new branding) mirror the high places in every city.
- An inheritance squandered: Ahaz inherited the throne of David and the promises to his fathers. He traded them for the gods of the nations who had just defeated him.
Questions Your Congregation Is Asking
- Why would someone who has seen God's faithfulness still turn to other gods in a crisis?
- What does it mean to provoke God to anger? Is that different from just making Him sad?
- Can we identify our own 'high places', things we turn to instead of the Lord?
Leading a Discussion
This verse is the bitter conclusion to the reign of Ahaz. By building high places in every city, he tried to replace the worship of the Lord with the gods of the nations. Yet the chronicler reminds us that Yahweh is 'the God of his fathers', the God of the covenant. Ahaz knew his heritage but rejected it. The questions below will help your group wrestle with what it means to stay faithful when it seems easier to blend in with the world.
Discussion Questions
- Read verses 22, 25 together. What pattern do you see in Ahaz's actions after he experiences distress?
- Why do you think the chronicler mentions that Ahaz provoked 'Yahweh, the God of his fathers'? Why not just 'Yahweh'?
- What might have motivated Ahaz to build high places in 'every city' rather than just a few?
- In what ways do people today try to secure help from 'other gods', things like money, success, or human approval, especially in times of crisis?
- How does the title 'God of his fathers' shape our understanding of covenant? Does the faith of our parents and grandparents matter for us?
- Verse 23 says the gods Ahaz sacrificed to 'were the ruin of him and of all Israel.' What warnings does that give us about the consequences of idolatry?
- Ahaz's reign ended with him buried in Jerusalem but not in the royal tombs (v.27). What does that dishonour tell us about the chronicler's view of his reign?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| II Chronicles 28:3 | Moreover he burned incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burned his children in the fire, according to the abominations of the nations whom Yahweh cast out before the children of Israel. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
5 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator notes a parallel between the phrase "in every several city" and Jeremiah 2:28, where Judah is rebuked for having as many gods as cities. This cross-reference highlights the widespread idolatry practiced in each town, showing it matched the pattern later condemned by the prophet.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note stresses that Ahaz deliberately set up idolatrous high places in every single city of Judah, not just a few. This thorough, nationwide rejection of the Lord—the God of his own fathers—was a direct provocation that brought divine anger.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill draws attention to Ahaz's strategic motive: he built idolatrous high places throughout Judah not merely to introduce false worship, but to prevent the people from traveling to Jerusalem to worship the Lord. This was a calculated move to centralize idolatry and disrupt the prescribed worship at the temple.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch defend the historical reliability of the account in Chronicles, arguing that Ahaz closing the temple doors did not contradict the continued worship at the altar mentioned in Kings. They explain that the doors were those of the porch, which suspended worship in the Holy Place but still allowed sacrifices at the bronze altar in the court.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry observes the tragic irony in Ahaz's reasoning: he thought Syria's gods had helped Syria, so he sacrificed to them expecting the same. Instead, those gods ruined him and all Israel. His distress only made him sin more, stripping the temple of its vessels and shutting its doors.