The Meaning of 1 Kings 15:12 Explained

1 Kings 15:12

KJV: And he took away the sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made.

YLT: and removeth the whoremongers out of the land, and turneth aside all the idols that his fathers made;

Darby: And he put away the sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols that his father had made.

ASV: And he put away the sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And he took away  the sodomites  out of the land,  and removed  all the idols  that his fathers  had made. 

What does 1 Kings 15:12 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Kings 15:1-15 - A Better Day Dawns
Again we meet with those references to David that we found in the previous chapter. See 1 Kings 15:3-5; 1 Kings 15:11. His name lingers as sweet fragrance in the air, or as the after-glow of sundown. But Abijam's mother was descended from Absalom, and it is hardly surprising that the unhappy ancestry conflicted with the other and holier influence. Though the lamp burned low, however, it was not entirely extinguished. What a pathetic touch that is in 1 Kings 15:5! One moment of passion may be a long regret to God and to the soul! Yet there is forgiveness with God, that He may be feared, Psalms 130:4.
For Asa's reign, we must turn to the book of Chronicles, where further evidence is given of his truly religious character-at least during the earlier portion of his rule. Even his grandmother was removed from her position. Compare 1 Kings 15:2; 1 Kings 10:1-29; the words father and mother are used loosely, as may be seen in 1 Kings 15:3. On the whole, Asa's policy was directed to the overthrow of the heathen worship, but he seems to have shrunk from a root-and-branch extermination of the evil, 1 Kings 15:14; and the result was personal deterioration and the springing up again of idolatry. Our Lord asks us never to compromise. The right hand that offends must be cut off. The brood of the viper must be stamped out to the last egg. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Kings 15

1  Abijam's wicked reign
7  Asa succeeds him
9  Asa's good reign
16  The war between Baasha and him causes him to make a league with Ben-Hadad
23  Jehoshaphat succeeds Asa
25  Nadab's wicked reign
27  Baasha conspiring against him, executes Ahijah's prophecy
31  Nadab's acts and death
33  Baasha's wicked reign

What do the individual words in 1 Kings 15:12 mean?

And he banished the perverted persons from the land and removed - all the idols that had made his fathers
וַיַּעֲבֵ֥ר הַקְּדֵשִׁ֖ים מִן־ הָאָ֑רֶץ וַיָּ֙סַר֙ אֶת־ כָּל־ הַגִּלֻּלִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשׂ֖וּ אֲבֹתָֽיו

וַיַּעֲבֵ֥ר  And  he  banished 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָבַר 
Sense: to pass over or by or through, alienate, bring, carry, do away, take, take away, transgress.
הַקְּדֵשִׁ֖ים  the  perverted  persons 
Parse: Article, Adjective, masculine plural
Root: קָדֵשׁ  
Sense: male temple prostitute.
הָאָ֑רֶץ  the  land 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
וַיָּ֙סַר֙  and  removed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: סוּר 
Sense: to turn aside, depart.
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.
הַגִּלֻּלִ֔ים  the  idols 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: גִּלּוּלִים  
Sense: idols.
אֲשֶׁ֥ר  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
עָשׂ֖וּ  had  made 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
אֲבֹתָֽיו  his  fathers 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.