The Meaning of 2 Chronicles 11:15 Explained

2 Chronicles 11:15

KJV: And he ordained him priests for the high places, and for the devils, and for the calves which he had made.

YLT: and he establisheth to him priests for high places, and for goats, and for calves, that he made --

Darby: and he ordained for himself priests for the high places, and for the he-goats and for the calves that he had made.

ASV: and he appointed him priests for the high places, and for the he-goats, and for the calves which he had made.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And he ordained  him priests  for the high places,  and for the devils,  and for the calves  which he had made. 

What does 2 Chronicles 11:15 Mean?

Study Notes

devils
Lit. "hairy ones," i.e. satyrs, Isaiah 13:21 .

Chapter Summary: 2 Chronicles 11

1  Rehoboam raising an army to subdue Israel, is forbidden by Shemaiah
5  He strengthens his kingdom with forts and provisions
13  The priests and Levites, and such as feared God, forsaken by Jeroboam,
17  strengthen the kingdom of Judah
18  The wives and children of Rehoboam

What do the individual words in 2 Chronicles 11:15 mean?

And he appointed for himself priests for the high places for the demons and the calf idols which he had made
וַיַּֽעֲמֶד־ לוֹ֙ כֹּֽהֲנִ֔ים לַבָּמ֖וֹת וְלַשְּׂעִירִ֑ים וְלָעֲגָלִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשָֽׂה

וַיַּֽעֲמֶד־  And  he  appointed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָמַד  
Sense: to stand, remain, endure, take one’s stand.
לוֹ֙  for  himself 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
כֹּֽהֲנִ֔ים  priests 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: כֹּהֵן  
Sense: priest, principal officer or chief ruler.
לַבָּמ֖וֹת  for  the  high  places 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, feminine plural
Root: בָּמָה  
Sense: high place, ridge, height, bamah (technical name for cultic platform).
וְלַשְּׂעִירִ֑ים  for  the  demons 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: שָׂעִיר 
Sense: hairy.
וְלָעֲגָלִ֖ים  and  the  calf  idols 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: עֵגֶל  
Sense: calf, bull-calf.
עָשָֽׂה  he  had  made 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.