Moreover the altar at Bethel: Moreover translates the common Hebrew conjunction plus an adverb that usually means “also” or “indeed.” This marks the transition from the description of the reform movement in Judah to the situation in the northern kingdom of Israel. As noted above in the introductory comments on this section, several versions have a new section heading at this point indicating that Josiah’s reform had spread to Israel. La Bible du Semeur provides a possible model for this transition by beginning this verse with the words “He did the same at Bethel….” Contemporary English Version also provides a useful model with “But Josiah was not finished yet. At Bethel he….”

In the Hebrew text the focus is clearly on the altar at Bethel. The Hebrew adverb that usually means “also” or “indeed” is repeated again before the words that altar, but this second occurrence is not translated in Revised Standard Version. Regarding Bethel, see the comments on verse 4.

The high place erected by Jeroboam: Some languages will avoid the passive construction here by saying “the high place that Jeroboam had built” or “… Jeroboam caused to build.” Regarding the construction of this high place, see 1 Kgs 12.25-33. Because Jeroboam did this, he eventually became the prime example of what a king ought not to do in Israel.

Good News Translation (similarly Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje) paraphrases this verse so that there is no separate mention of both the altar and the high place, but such a rendering is not recommended.

Who made Israel to sin: See the comments on 1 Kgs 14.16.

And he broke in pieces its stones: Its stones refers to the stones of the altar on the high place. Revised Standard Version follows here the Septuagint instead of the Masoretic Text, which reads “and he burned the high place.” It should be noted, however, that the Septuagint omits the words with the high place earlier in this verse. Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament recommends the reading in the Masoretic Text, but only gives this reading an evaluation of {C}, indicating considerable uncertainty. Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament considers the Septuagint translation to be a loose rendering of the Hebrew which cannot be used here to reconstruct an original Hebrew text. At the same time Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament acknowledges that the Masoretic Text itself may well not be the original text.

A number of modern versions follow the reading reflected in Revised Standard Version (Revised English Bible, Good News Translation, New American Bible, New Jerusalem Bible), assuming that a high place could not be burned. This incorrectly assumes that both the high place and the altar were made of stone. It seems likely, however, that the high place was made in part from wood (see the comments at 1 Kgs 3.2).

Modern versions following the text recommended by Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament are New Revised Standard Version, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, New International Version, and Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente. For the last half of the verse, compare also American Bible: “He burned the high place, making dust of it, and burned the pole of Asherah” (similarly Hobbs). Translators are encouraged to follow the Masoretic Text here.

Crushing them to dust translates the same Hebrew verb and noun combination that is rendered “beat it to dust” in verse 6 (see the comments there).

He burned the Asherah: See verse 6.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Kings, Volume 2. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .