2 Raja-raja 11:18

11:18 All the people of the land went and demolished ¹  the temple of Baal. They smashed its altars and idols ²  to bits. ³  They killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altar. Jehoiada the priest ⁴  then placed guards at the Lord’s temple.

2 Raja-raja 23:15

23:15 He also tore down the altar in Bethel ⁵  at the high place made by Jeroboam son of Nebat, who encouraged Israel to sin. ⁶  He burned all the combustible items at that high place and crushed them to dust; including the Asherah pole. ⁷ 

[11:18]  ¹ tn Or “tore down.”

[11:18]  ² tn Or “images.”

[11:18]  ³ tn The Hebrew construction translated “smashed…to bits” is emphatic. The adverbial infinitive absolute (הֵיטֵב [hetev], “well”) accompanying the Piel form of the verb שָׁבַר (shavar), “break,” suggests thorough demolition.

[11:18]  ⁴ tn Heb “the priest.” Jehoiada’s name is added for clarification.

[23:15]  ⁵ map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.

[23:15]  ⁶ tn Heb “And also the altar that is in Bethel, the high place that Jeroboam son of Nebat who encouraged Israel to sin, also that altar and the high place he tore down.” The more repetitive Hebrew text is emphatic.

[23:15]  ⁷ tn Heb “he burned the high place, crushing to dust, and he burned the Asherah pole.” High places per se are never referred to as being burned elsewhere. בָּמָה (bamah) here stands by metonymy for the combustible items located on the high place. See M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 289.