12:9 Jehoiada the priest took a chest and drilled a hole in its lid. He placed it on the right side of the altar near the entrance of 5 the Lord’s temple. The priests who guarded the entrance would put into it all the silver brought to the Lord’s temple.
23:15 He also tore down the altar in Bethel 6 at the high place made by Jeroboam son of Nebat, who encouraged Israel to sin. 7 He burned all the combustible items at that high place and crushed them to dust; including the Asherah pole. 8
1 tn Or “tore down.”
2 tn Or “images.”
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.
4 tn Heb “the priest.” Jehoiada’s name is added for clarification.
5 tn Heb “on the right side of the altar as a man enters.”
6 map For location see Map4-G4; Map5-C1; Map6-E3; Map7-D1; Map8-G3.
7 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.
8 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.