They also built for themselves …: As noted in the previous verse, the pronoun they refers to the people of Judah at the time of Rehoboam.

Good News Translation does not translate the Hebrew word meaning also, and thereby loses the intended comparison here. The point is that the people in the kingdom of Judah built places of worship for idols, just as the people in the northern kingdom had done. The point of comparison, then, is with the people of the northern kingdom and not with “their fathers,” who are mentioned at the end of verse 22. Compare Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch: “Just like the people in the kingdom of Israel they erected….”

For themselves means they did for themselves what the northern tribes had done for themselves.

High places: See the comments on 1 Kgs 3.2.

Pillars translates a Hebrew noun that usually refers to an unhewn, uncut or natural stone that stood upright. Sometimes these stones were used for burial-marking (Gen 35.20) or for reminding people of some special event that happened at that location (Gen 35.14). In this context, however, the reference is to stones associated with the worship of Baal. Archaeologists have discovered numerous such stones in the ancient Near Eastern world of the Old Testament.

Asherim: See the comments on verse 15.

On every high hill and under every green tree: These kinds of places were commonly chosen for the religious rites of non-Israelites since they believed their gods were in these places (see Deut 12.2). So the people of Judah were imitating their heathen neighbors by setting up shrines in such places. The idea behind green tree is expressed in a variety of ways in modern English versions; for example, “spreading tree” (New International Version, Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible), “leafy tree” (Jewish Publication Version), and “shady trees” (Good News Translation).

A similar worship of false gods led to the fall of Samaria (2 Kgs 17.9-10).

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