2 Chronicles 5:8

5:8 The cherubs’ wings extended over the place where the ark sat; the cherubs overshadowed the ark and its poles.

2 Chronicles 14:3

14:3 He removed the pagan altars and the high places, smashed the sacred pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles.

2 Chronicles 17:6

17:6 He was committed to following the Lord; he even removed the high places and Asherah poles from Judah.


sn These poles were used to carry the ark. The Levites were to carry it with the poles on their shoulders. See Exod 25:13-15; 1 Chr 15:15.

tn Heb “the altars of the foreigner.”

sn Asherah poles. A leading deity of the Canaanite pantheon was Asherah, wife/sister of El and goddess of fertility. She was commonly worshiped at shrines in or near groves of evergreen trees, or, failing that, at places marked by wooden poles (Hebrew אֲשֵׁרִים [’asherim], as here). They were to be burned or cut down (Deut 7:5; 12:3; 16:21; Judg 6:25, 28, 30; 2 Kgs 18:4).

tn Heb “and his heart was high in the ways of the Lord.” Perhaps גָּבַהּ (gavah, “be high”) here means “be cheerful” (HALOT 171 s.v.) or “be encouraged” (BDB 147 s.v. 3.a).