2 Chronicles 32:12
New International Version
Did not Hezekiah himself remove this god’s high places and altars, saying to Judah and Jerusalem, ‘You must worship before one altar and burn sacrifices on it’?

New Living Translation
Don’t you realize that Hezekiah is the very person who destroyed all the LORD’s shrines and altars? He commanded Judah and Jerusalem to worship only at the altar at the Temple and to offer sacrifices on it alone.

English Standard Version
Has not this same Hezekiah taken away his high places and his altars and commanded Judah and Jerusalem, “Before one altar you shall worship, and on it you shall burn your sacrifices”?

Berean Standard Bible
Did not Hezekiah himself remove His high places and His altars and say to Judah and Jerusalem, ‘You must worship before one altar, and on it you shall burn sacrifices’?

King James Bible
Hath not the same Hezekiah taken away his high places and his altars, and commanded Judah and Jerusalem, saying, Ye shall worship before one altar, and burn incense upon it?

New King James Version
Has not the same Hezekiah taken away His high places and His altars, and commanded Judah and Jerusalem, saying, “You shall worship before one altar and burn incense on it”?

New American Standard Bible
Is it not the same Hezekiah who removed His high places and His altars, and said to Judah and Jerusalem, “You shall worship before one altar, and on it you shall burn incense”?

NASB 1995
‘Has not the same Hezekiah taken away His high places and His altars, and said to Judah and Jerusalem, “You shall worship before one altar, and on it you shall burn incense “?

NASB 1977
‘Has not the same Hezekiah taken away His high places and His altars, and said to Judah and Jerusalem, “You shall worship before one altar, and on it you shall burn incense”?

Legacy Standard Bible
Has not the same Hezekiah taken away His high places and His altars, and said to Judah and Jerusalem, “You shall worship before one altar, and on it you shall offer offerings up in smoke”?

Amplified Bible
Has the same Hezekiah not taken away his [Baal’s] high places and his altars, and commanded Judah and Jerusalem, “You shall worship before [only] one altar and burn incense on it”?

Christian Standard Bible
Didn’t Hezekiah himself remove his high places and his altars and say to Judah and Jerusalem, “You must worship before one altar, and you must burn incense on it”?

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Didn’t Hezekiah himself remove His high places and His altars and say to Judah and Jerusalem, “You must worship before one altar, and you must burn incense on it"?

American Standard Version
Hath not the same Hezekiah taken away his high places and his altars, and commanded Judah and Jerusalem, saying, Ye shall worship before one altar, and upon it shall ye burn incense?

Contemporary English Version
Didn't Hezekiah tear down all except one of the LORD's altars and places of worship? And didn't he tell you people of Jerusalem and Judah to worship at that one place?

English Revised Version
Hath not the same Hezekiah taken away his high places and his altars, and commanded Judah and Jerusalem, saying, Ye shall worship before one altar, and upon it shall ye burn incense?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Isn't this the same Hezekiah who got rid of the LORD's places of worship and altars and told Judah and Jerusalem, 'Worship and sacrifice at one altar?'

Good News Translation
He is the one who destroyed the LORD's shrines and altars and then told the people of Judah and Jerusalem to worship and burn incense at one altar only.

International Standard Version
Isn't this the very same Hezekiah who removed this god's high places and altars? Isn't this the same Hezekiah who issued this order to Judah and Jerusalem: "You are to worship in front of only one altar and burn your sacrifices only on it."?

Majority Standard Bible
Did not Hezekiah himself remove His high places and His altars and say to Judah and Jerusalem, ?You must worship before one altar, and on it you shall burn sacrifices??

NET Bible
Hezekiah is the one who eliminated the LORD's high places and altars and then told Judah and Jerusalem, "At one altar you must worship and offer sacrifices."

New Heart English Bible
Hasn't the same Hezekiah taken away his high places and his altars, and commanded Judah and Jerusalem, saying, 'You shall worship before one altar, and on it you shall burn incense?'

Webster's Bible Translation
Hath not the same Hezekiah taken away his high places and his altars, and commanded Judah and Jerusalem, saying, Ye shall worship before one altar, and burn incense upon it?

World English Bible
Hasn’t the same Hezekiah taken away his high places and his altars, and commanded Judah and Jerusalem, saying, ‘You shall worship before one altar, and you shall burn incense on it?’
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Has Hezekiah himself not turned aside His high places and His altars, and speaks to Judah and to Jerusalem, saying, You bow yourselves before one altar and you make incense on it?

Young's Literal Translation
Hath not Hezekiah himself turned aside His high places, and His altars, and speaketh to Judah and to Jerusalem, saying, Before one altar ye bow yourselves, and on it ye make perfume?

Smith's Literal Translation
Did not this Hezekiah remove his heights, and his altars? and he will say to Judah and to Jerusalem, saying, Before one altar shall ye worship and upon it shall ye burn incense?
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Is it not this same Ezechias, that hath destroyed his high places, and his altars, and commanded Juda and Jerusalem, saying: You shall worship before one altar, and upon it you shall burn incense?

Catholic Public Domain Version
Is this not the same Hezekiah who destroyed his own high places and altars, and who instructed Judah and Jerusalem, saying: ‘You shall worship before one altar, and you shall burn incense upon it?’

New American Bible
Has not this same Hezekiah removed the Lord’s own high places and altars and commanded Judah and Jerusalem, ‘You shall bow down before one altar only, and on it alone you shall offer incense’?

New Revised Standard Version
Was it not this same Hezekiah who took away his high places and his altars and commanded Judah and Jerusalem, saying, ‘Before one altar you shall worship, and upon it you shall make your offerings’?
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Has not the same Hezekiah removed his high places and altars, and commanded Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, You shall worship before one altar and burn incense upon it?

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Where is Hezekiah who removed the high places and the altars and said to those of the house of Yehuda and to its inhabitants of Jerusalem: ‘Before one altar you shall worship and on it you shall offer up incense’?
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Hath not the same Hezekiah taken away His high places and His altars, and commanded Judah and Jerusalem, saying: Ye shall worship before one altar, and upon it shall ye offer?

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Is not this Ezekias who has taken down his altars and his high places and has spoken to Juda and the dwellers in Jerusalem, saying, Ye shall worship before this altar and burn incense upon it?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Sennacherib Boasts Against the LORD
11Is not Hezekiah misleading you to give you over to death by famine and thirst when he says, ‘The LORD our God will deliver us from the hand of the king of Assyria?’ 12Did not Hezekiah himself remove His high places and His altars and say to Judah and Jerusalem, ‘You must worship before one altar, and on it you shall burn sacrifices’? 13Do you not know what I and my fathers have done to all the peoples of the lands? Have the gods of these nations ever been able to deliver their land from my hand?…

Cross References
2 Kings 18:22
But if you say to me, ‘We trust in the LORD our God,’ is He not the One whose high places and altars Hezekiah has removed, saying to Judah and Jerusalem: ‘You must worship before this altar in Jerusalem’?

Isaiah 36:7
But if you say to me, ‘We trust in the LORD our God,’ is He not the One whose high places and altars Hezekiah has removed, saying to Judah and Jerusalem, ‘You must worship before this altar’?

2 Kings 18:4
He removed the high places, shattered the sacred pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles. He also demolished the bronze snake called Nehushtan that Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had burned incense to it.

2 Kings 19:10-13
“Give this message to Hezekiah king of Judah: ‘Do not let your God, in whom you trust, deceive you by saying that Jerusalem will not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria. / Surely you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the other countries, devoting them to destruction. Will you then be spared? / Did the gods of the nations destroyed by my fathers rescue those nations—the gods of Gozan, Haran, and Rezeph, and of the people of Eden in Telassar? ...

Isaiah 37:10-13
“Give this message to Hezekiah king of Judah: ‘Do not let your God, in whom you trust, deceive you by saying that Jerusalem will not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria. / Surely you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the other countries, devoting them to destruction. Will you then be spared? / Did the gods of the nations destroyed by my fathers rescue those nations—the gods of Gozan, Haran, and Rezeph, and of the people of Eden in Telassar? ...

2 Kings 19:6-7
who replied, “Tell your master that this is what the LORD says: ‘Do not be afraid of the words you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed Me. / Behold, I will put a spirit in him so that he will hear a rumor and return to his own land, where I will cause him to fall by the sword.’”

Isaiah 37:6-7
who replied, “Tell your master that this is what the LORD says: ‘Do not be afraid of the words you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed Me. / Behold, I will put a spirit in him so that he will hear a rumor and return to his own land, where I will cause him to fall by the sword.’”

2 Kings 19:15-19
And Hezekiah prayed before the LORD: “O LORD, God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, You alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You made the heavens and the earth. / Incline Your ear, O LORD, and hear; open Your eyes, O LORD, and see. Listen to the words that Sennacherib has sent to defy the living God. / Truly, O LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste these nations and their lands. ...

Isaiah 37:15-20
And Hezekiah prayed to the LORD: / “O LORD of Hosts, God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, You alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You made the heavens and the earth. / Incline Your ear, O LORD, and hear; open Your eyes, O LORD, and see. Listen to all the words that Sennacherib has sent to defy the living God. ...

2 Kings 19:32-34
So this is what the LORD says about the king of Assyria: ‘He will not enter this city or shoot an arrow into it. He will not come before it with a shield or build up a siege ramp against it. / He will go back the way he came, and he will not enter this city, declares the LORD. / I will defend this city and save it for My own sake and for the sake of My servant David.’”

Isaiah 37:33-35
So this is what the LORD says about the king of Assyria: ‘He will not enter this city or shoot an arrow into it. He will not come before it with a shield or build up a siege ramp against it. / He will go back the way he came, and he will not enter this city,’ declares the LORD. / ‘I will defend this city and save it for My own sake and for the sake of My servant David.’”

2 Kings 20:1-11
In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz came to him and said, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Put your house in order, for you are about to die; you will not recover.’” / Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, saying, / “Please, O LORD, remember how I have walked before You faithfully and with wholehearted devotion; I have done what is good in Your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly. ...

Isaiah 38:1-8
In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz came to him and said, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Put your house in order, for you are about to die; you will not recover.’” / Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, / saying, “Please, O LORD, remember how I have walked before You faithfully and with wholehearted devotion; I have done what is good in Your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly. ...

Matthew 4:10
“Away from Me, Satan!” Jesus told him. “For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.’”

John 4:21-24
“Believe Me, woman,” Jesus replied, “a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. / You worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. / But a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father is seeking such as these to worship Him. ...


Treasury of Scripture

Has not the same Hezekiah taken away his high places and his altars, and commanded Judah and Jerusalem, saying, You shall worship before one altar, and burn incense on it?

Hath not

2 Chronicles 31:1
Now when all this was finished, all Israel that were present went out to the cities of Judah, and brake the images in pieces, and cut down the groves, and threw down the high places and the altars out of all Judah and Benjamin, in Ephraim also and Manasseh, until they had utterly destroyed them all. Then all the children of Israel returned, every man to his possession, into their own cities.

2 Kings 18:4,22
He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan…

Isaiah 36:7
But if thou say to me, We trust in the LORD our God: is it not he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and said to Judah and to Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar?

2 Chronicles 31:1
Now when all this was finished, all Israel that were present went out to the cities of Judah, and brake the images in pieces, and cut down the groves, and threw down the high places and the altars out of all Judah and Benjamin, in Ephraim also and Manasseh, until they had utterly destroyed them all. Then all the children of Israel returned, every man to his possession, into their own cities.

Ye shall worship.

Deuteronomy 12:13,14,26,27
Take heed to thyself that thou offer not thy burnt offerings in every place that thou seest: …

one altar

2 Chronicles 4:1
Moreover he made an altar of brass, twenty cubits the length thereof, and twenty cubits the breadth thereof, and ten cubits the height thereof.

Exodus 27:1-8
And thou shalt make an altar of shittim wood, five cubits long, and five cubits broad; the altar shall be foursquare: and the height thereof shall be three cubits…

Exodus 30:1-6
And thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon: of shittim wood shalt thou make it…

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2 Chronicles 32
1. Sennacherib invading Judah, Hezekiah fortifies himself, and encourages his people
9. Hezekiah and Isaiah pray against the blasphemies of Sennarchib
21. An angel destroys the host of the Assyrians
24. Hezekiah praying in his sickness, God gives him a sign of recovery
25. His proud heart is humbled by God
27. His wealth and works
31. His error in the ambassage of Babylon
32. He dying, Manasseh succeeds him














Did not Hezekiah himself
This phrase introduces the central figure, Hezekiah, the king of Judah, known for his religious reforms. The Hebrew root for "Hezekiah" is חִזְקִיָּהוּ (Chizqiyahu), meaning "Yahweh strengthens." Hezekiah's reign is marked by a return to the worship of Yahweh, emphasizing his personal commitment to spiritual renewal. Historically, Hezekiah is recognized for his efforts to centralize worship in Jerusalem, aligning with the Deuteronomic reform ideals.

remove His high places and His altars
The "high places" (בָּמוֹת, bamot) were local worship sites often associated with idolatry. Hezekiah's removal of these sites signifies a purging of syncretistic practices that had infiltrated Judah. The "altars" (מִזְבְּחוֹת, mizbechot) refer to unauthorized places of sacrifice. Archaeological evidence from this period shows a concerted effort to centralize worship in Jerusalem, reflecting Hezekiah's commitment to exclusive Yahwistic worship.

saying to Judah and Jerusalem
This phrase underscores the authoritative proclamation made by Hezekiah to the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. It highlights the king's role as a spiritual leader, guiding the nation back to covenantal faithfulness. The mention of both "Judah" and "Jerusalem" emphasizes the comprehensive nature of the reform, affecting both the broader region and the capital city.

You must worship before one altar
The "one altar" refers to the altar in the Temple of Jerusalem, the designated place for sacrifices according to the Mosaic Law. This centralization of worship is rooted in Deuteronomy 12, where God commands Israel to seek the place He chooses for His name to dwell. Hezekiah's insistence on worship at "one altar" reflects a return to covenantal obedience and a rejection of idolatrous practices.

and on it you shall burn sacrifices
The act of burning sacrifices (קָטַר, qatar) is a key element of Old Testament worship, symbolizing atonement and devotion to God. By directing sacrifices to the Temple altar, Hezekiah reinforces the importance of proper worship and the need for atonement through prescribed means. This phrase highlights the theological significance of sacrifice as a means of maintaining a right relationship with God.

(12) The same Hezekiah.--Hezekiah himself.

Ye shall worship . . . upon it.--Literally, before one altar shall ye worship, and thereon shall ye burn incense. Comp. 2Kings 18:22 : "Is it not He whose high places and altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and commanded Judah and Jerusalem, Before this altar shall ye worship in Jerusalem?" The chronicler is even more emphatic than Kings in asserting the sole validity of the Brazen Altar in the Temple Court.

Verse 12. - This misrepresenting of Hezekiah's pious actions is thought by some to have been innocent ignorance on the part of Sennacherib. Yet it is scarcely credible.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Did not
הֲלֹא־ (hă·lō-)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

Hezekiah
יְחִזְקִיָּ֔הוּ (yə·ḥiz·qî·yā·hū)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 2396: Hezekiah -- 'Yah has strengthened', a king of Judah, also several other Israelites

himself
הוּא֙ (hū)
Pronoun - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are

remove
הֵסִ֥יר (hê·sîr)
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5493: To turn aside

His high places
בָּמֹתָ֖יו (bā·mō·ṯāw)
Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 1116: An elevation

and His altars
מִזְבְּחֹתָ֑יו (miz·bə·ḥō·ṯāw)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 4196: An altar

and say
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

to Judah
לִֽיהוּדָ֤ה (lî·hū·ḏāh)
Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3063: Judah -- 'praised', a son of Jacob, also the southern kingdom, also four Israelites

and Jerusalem,
וְלִֽירוּשָׁלִַ֙ם֙ (wə·lî·rū·šā·lim)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 3389: Jerusalem -- probably 'foundation of peace', capital city of all Israel

‘You must worship
תִּֽשְׁתַּחֲו֖וּ (tiš·ta·ḥă·wū)
Verb - Hitpael - Imperfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 7812: To depress, prostrate

before
לִפְנֵ֨י (lip̄·nê)
Preposition-l | Noun - common plural construct
Strong's 6440: The face

one
אֶחָ֛ד (’e·ḥāḏ)
Number - masculine singular
Strong's 259: United, one, first

altar,
מִזְבֵּ֧חַ (miz·bê·aḥ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4196: An altar

and on it
וְעָלָ֥יו (wə·‘ā·lāw)
Conjunctive waw | Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

you shall burn sacrifices’?
תַּקְטִֽירוּ׃ (taq·ṭî·rū)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 6999: To smoke, turn into fragrance by fire


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OT History: 2 Chronicles 32:12 Has not the same Hezekiah taken away (2 Chron. 2Ch iiCh ii ch 2 chr 2chr)
2 Chronicles 32:11
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