The Meaning of 2 Chronicles 14:3 Explained

2 Chronicles 14:3

KJV: For he took away the altars of the strange gods, and the high places, and brake down the images, and cut down the groves:

YLT: and turneth aside the altars of the stranger, and the high places, and breaketh the standing-pillars, and cutteth down the shrines,

Darby: and he took away the altars of the strange gods and the high places, and broke the columns, and cut down the Asherahs;

ASV: for he took away the foreign altars, and the high places, and brake down the pillars, and hewed down the Asherim,

KJV Reverse Interlinear

For he took away  the altars  of the strange  [gods], and the high places,  and brake down  the images,  and cut down  the groves: 

What does 2 Chronicles 14:3 Mean?

Study Notes

places Cf. (See Scofield " 1 Kings 3:2 ") See Scofield " 1 Kings 15:14 ".
groves See Scofield " Judges 3:7 ".
grove
The groves (Heb. Asherim) so often mentioned in the OT were devoted to the worship of Ashtereth, the Babylonian goddess Ishtar, the Aphrodite of the Greeks, the Roman Venus. CF.
(See Scofield " Judges 2:13 ") .

Chapter Summary: 2 Chronicles 14

1  Asa following, destroys idolatry
6  having peace, he strengthens his kingdom with forts and armies
9  Calling of God, he overthrows Zerah, and spoils the Ethiopians

What do the individual words in 2 Chronicles 14:3 mean?

for he removed - the altars of the foreign [gods] and the high places and broke down the [sacred] pillars and cut down the wooden images
וַיָּ֛סַר אֶת־ מִזְבְּח֥וֹת הַנֵּכָ֖ר וְהַבָּמ֑וֹת וַיְשַׁבֵּר֙ הַמַּצֵּב֔וֹת וַיְגַדַּ֖ע הָאֲשֵׁרִֽים

וַיָּ֛סַר  for  he  removed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: סוּר 
Sense: to turn aside, depart.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
מִזְבְּח֥וֹת  the  altars 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: מִזְבֵּחַ  
Sense: altar.
הַנֵּכָ֖ר  of  the  foreign  [gods] 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: נֵכָר  
Sense: foreign, alien, foreignness, that which is foreign.
וְהַבָּמ֑וֹת  and  the  high  places 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, feminine plural
Root: בָּמָה  
Sense: high place, ridge, height, bamah (technical name for cultic platform).
וַיְשַׁבֵּר֙  and  broke  down 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁבוּר 
Sense: to break, break in pieces.
הַמַּצֵּב֔וֹת  the  [sacred]  pillars 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine plural
Root: מַצֵּבָה  
Sense: pillar, mastaba, stump.
וַיְגַדַּ֖ע  and  cut  down 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: גָּדַע  
Sense: to cut, hew, chop, cut down, hew down, hew off, cut off, cut in two, shave off.
הָאֲשֵׁרִֽים  the  wooden  images 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine plural
Root: אֲשֵׁרָה  
Sense: a Babylonian (Astarte)-Canaanite goddess (of fortune and happiness), the supposed consort of Baal, her images.