The Meaning of 1 Kings 15:13 Explained

1 Kings 15:13

KJV: And also Maachah his mother, even her he removed from being queen, because she had made an idol in a grove; and Asa destroyed her idol, and burnt it by the brook Kidron.

YLT: and also Maachah his mother -- he turneth her aside from being mistress, in that she made a horrible thing for a shrine, and Asa cutteth down her horrible thing, and burneth it by the brook Kidron;

Darby: And also Maachah his mother he removed from being queen, because she had made an idol for the Asherah; and Asa cut down her idol, and burned it in the valley of Kidron.

ASV: And also Maacah his mother he removed from being queen, because she had made an abominable image for an Asherah; and Asa cut down her image, and burnt it at the brook Kidron.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And also Maachah  his mother,  even her he removed  from [being] queen,  because she had made  an idol  in a grove;  and Asa  destroyed  her idol,  and burnt  [it] by the brook  Kidron. 

What does 1 Kings 15:13 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 15:13 mean?

And - Maacah his grandmother and he removed from [being] queen mother because she had made an repulsive image of Asherah and cut down Asa the repulsive image and burned [it] by the Brook Kidron
וְגַ֣ם ׀ אֶת־ מַעֲכָ֣ה אִמּ֗וֹ וַיְסִרֶ֙הָ֙ מִגְּבִירָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־ עָשְׂתָ֥ה מִפְלֶ֖צֶת לָאֲשֵׁרָ֑ה וַיִּכְרֹ֤ת אָסָא֙ מִפְלַצְתָּ֔הּ וַיִּשְׂרֹ֖ף בְּנַ֥חַל קִדְרֽוֹן

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.
מַעֲכָ֣ה  Maacah 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מַעֲכָה 
Sense: father of Achish, king of Gath at the beginning of Solomon’s reign.
אִמּ֗וֹ  his  grandmother 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אֵם  
Sense: mother.
וַיְסִרֶ֙הָ֙  and  he  removed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: סוּר 
Sense: to turn aside, depart.
מִגְּבִירָ֔ה  from  [being]  queen  mother 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine singular
Root: גְּבִירָה  
Sense: queen, lady.
אֲשֶׁר־  because 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
עָשְׂתָ֥ה  she  had  made 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
מִפְלֶ֖צֶת  an  repulsive  image 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִפְלֶצֶת  
Sense: horrid thing, horrible thing.
לָאֲשֵׁרָ֑ה  of  Asherah 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֲשֵׁרָה  
Sense: a Babylonian (Astarte)-Canaanite goddess (of fortune and happiness), the supposed consort of Baal, her images.
וַיִּכְרֹ֤ת  and  cut  down 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: כָּרַת  
Sense: to cut, cut off, cut down, cut off a body part, cut out, eliminate, kill, cut a covenant.
אָסָא֙  Asa 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָסָא  
Sense: king of Judah, son of Abijam, father of Jehoshaphat.
מִפְלַצְתָּ֔הּ  the  repulsive  image 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: מִפְלֶצֶת  
Sense: horrid thing, horrible thing.
וַיִּשְׂרֹ֖ף  and  burned  [it] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׂרַף  
Sense: to burn.
בְּנַ֥חַל  by  the  Brook 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: נַחַל 
Sense: torrent, valley, wadi, torrent-valley.
קִדְרֽוֹן  Kidron 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: קִדְרֹון  
Sense: a stream east of Jerusalem.