SIL Translator’s Notes on 2 Kings 18:4

18:4a He removed the high places,

He removed the local/hilltop shrines,

-or-

He had the ⌊pagan⌋ places of worship destroyed

18:4b shattered the sacred pillars,

broke into pieces the sacred stones,

-or-

and ⌊their⌋ sacred pillars shattered/crumbled.

18:4c and cut down the Asherah poles.

and cut down the poles of/⌊honoring⌋ the Asherah ⌊goddess⌋ .

-or-

He had the wooden poles/pillars for ⌊worshiping⌋ the ⌊goddess⌋ Asherah cut down.

18:4d He also demolished the bronze snake called Nehushtan that Moses had made,

He crushed to pieces the bronze snake that Moses had made,

-or-

He had the bronze snake image smashed/destroyed. Moses had made this image ⌊long ago/before⌋ .

18:4e for up to that time the Israelites had burned incense to it.

because up to that time the people of Israel had been burning incense to it.

-or-

In Hezekiah’s time the people of Israel were still burning sweet-smelling spices to ⌊honor⌋ it.

18:4f

The Hebrew word Nehushtan means “bronze thing.”

It was named Nehushtan.

-or-

They called the bronze snake/image Nehushtan.

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