The Meaning of 2 Chronicles 31:1 Explained

2 Chronicles 31:1

KJV: 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.

YLT: And at the completion of all this, gone out have all Israel who are found present to the cities of Judah, and break the standing-pillars, and cut down the shrines, and break down the high places and the altars, out of all Judah and Benjamin, and in Ephraim and Manasseh, even to completion, and all the sons of Israel turn back, each to his Possession, to their cities.

Darby: And when all this was finished, all Israel that were present went out to the cities of Judah, and broke the columns, and hewed down the Asherahs, and demolished the high places and the altars in all Judah and Benjamin, in Ephraim also and Manasseh, until they had destroyed them all. And all the children of Israel returned every man to his possession, into their cities.

ASV: Now when all this was finished, all Israel that were present went out to the cities of Judah, and brake in pieces the pillars, and hewed down the Asherim, and brake down the high places and the altars out of all Judah and Benjamin, in Ephraim also and Manasseh, until they had destroyed them all. Then all the children of Israel returned, every man to his possession, into their own cities.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does 2 Chronicles 31:1 Mean?

Study Notes

groves
.
Groves
Groves, like high places, have been associated with idolatrous worship from time immemorial. The Heb. asherah, trans. grove means also the idol enshrined there. Deuteronomy 16:21 . This idol seems often to have been a sacred tree, the figure of which is constantly found on Assyrian monuments. In apostate Israel, however, such groves were associated with every form of idolatry, e.g. 2 Kings 17:16 ; 2 Kings 17:17 .
(See Scofield " 1 Kings 3:2 ") and Ashtaroth See Scofield " Judges 2:13 ".

Context Summary

2 Chronicles 31:1-10 - Abundant Giving To God
This Passover left a permanent impression on the nation, and led to the complete overthrow of idolatry. The pure worship of God was now established throughout the land, and the people returned to their homes, in confident expectation that a long period of national prosperity was now in store. Hezekiah therefore turned his attention to provide for the maintenance of the Temple worship and the proper provision of revenues for the priests and Levites. As an example to his people, the king followed in the steps of David and Solomon, providing out of his own purse for the expenses of the altar.
Following on this good example, a proclamation was made to the nation, with the result that contributions of first-fruits and tithes poured in with great liberality from the children of Israel, as well as Judah. There had been an abundant harvest, as the great heaps testified. It is not often that ministers of religion are in the same happy condition as Azariah was, but they are partly to blame for not instructing their people to give systematically. Everyone should set apart a stated portion of his income for God. [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Chronicles 31

1  The people go forward in destroying idolatry
2  Hezekiah orders the courses of the priests and Levites,
4  and provides for their work and maintenance
5  The people's forwardness in offerings and tithes
11  Hezekiah appoints officers to dispose of the tithes
20  The sincerity of Hezekiah

What do the individual words in 2 Chronicles 31:1 mean?

And when was finished all this went out Israel who were present to the cities of Judah and broke in pieces the sacred pillars and cut down the wooden images and threw down - the high places and the altars from all Judah and Benjamin and Ephraim and Manasseh until that they had utterly destroyed them all and returned the sons of Israel every man to his possession to their own cities -
וּכְכַלּ֣וֹת כָּל־ זֹ֗את יָצְא֨וּ יִשְׂרָאֵ֥ל הַֽנִּמְצְאִים֮ לְעָרֵ֣י יְהוּדָה֒ וַיְשַׁבְּר֣וּ הַמַּצֵּב֣וֹת וַיְגַדְּע֣וּ הָאֲשֵׁרִ֡ים וַיְנַתְּצ֣וּ אֶת־ הַ֠בָּמוֹת וְאֶת־ הַֽמִּזְבְּחֹ֞ת מִכָּל־ יְהוּדָ֧ה וּבִנְיָמִ֛ן וּבְאֶפְרַ֥יִם וּמְנַשֶּׁ֖ה עַד־ לְכַלֵּ֑ה וַיָּשׁ֜וּבוּ בְּנֵ֧י יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל אִ֥ישׁ לַאֲחֻזָּת֖וֹ לְעָרֵיהֶֽם ס

וּכְכַלּ֣וֹת  And  when  was  finished 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-k, Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct
Root: כָּלָה  
Sense: to accomplish, cease, consume, determine, end, fail, finish, be complete, be accomplished, be ended, be at an end, be finished, be spent.
זֹ֗את  this 
Parse: Pronoun, feminine singular
Root: זׄאת  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, such.
יָצְא֨וּ  went  out 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֥ל  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
הַֽנִּמְצְאִים֮  who  were  present 
Parse: Article, Verb, Nifal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: מָצָא  
Sense: to find, attain to.
לְעָרֵ֣י  to  the  cities 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
יְהוּדָה֒  of  Judah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהוּדָה  
Sense: the son of Jacob by Leah.
וַיְשַׁבְּר֣וּ  and  broke  in  pieces 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: שָׁבוּר 
Sense: to break, break in pieces.
הַמַּצֵּב֣וֹת  the  sacred  pillars 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine plural
Root: מַצֵּבָה  
Sense: pillar, mastaba, stump.
וַיְגַדְּע֣וּ  and  cut  down 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: גָּדַע  
Sense: to cut, hew, chop, cut down, hew down, hew off, cut off, cut in two, shave off.
הָאֲשֵׁרִ֡ים  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.
וַיְנַתְּצ֣וּ  and  threw  down 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: נָתַץ  
Sense: to pull down, break down, cast down, throw down, beat down, destroy, overthrow, break out (teeth).
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.
הַ֠בָּמוֹת  the  high  places 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine plural
Root: בָּמָה  
Sense: high place, ridge, height, bamah (technical name for cultic platform).
הַֽמִּזְבְּחֹ֞ת  the  altars 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: מִזְבֵּחַ  
Sense: altar.
מִכָּל־  from  all 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
יְהוּדָ֧ה  Judah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהוּדָה  
Sense: the son of Jacob by Leah.
וּבִנְיָמִ֛ן  and  Benjamin 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: בִּנְיָמִין 
Sense: Jacob’s and Rachel’s youngest son, Joseph’s full brother.
וּבְאֶפְרַ֥יִם  and  Ephraim 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֶפְרַיִם  
Sense: second son of Joseph, blessed by him and given preference over first son, Manasseh.
וּמְנַשֶּׁ֖ה  and  Manasseh 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מְנַשֶּׁה  
Sense: the eldest son of Joseph and progenitor of the tribe of Manasseh.
עַד־  until 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
לְכַלֵּ֑ה  that  they  had  utterly  destroyed  them  all 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct
Root: כָּלָה  
Sense: to accomplish, cease, consume, determine, end, fail, finish, be complete, be accomplished, be ended, be at an end, be finished, be spent.
וַיָּשׁ֜וּבוּ  and  returned 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
בְּנֵ֧י  the  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
אִ֥ישׁ  every  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
לַאֲחֻזָּת֖וֹ  to  his  possession 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אֲחֻזָּה  
Sense: possession, property.
לְעָרֵיהֶֽם  to  their  own  cities 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation