The Meaning of 2 Chronicles 32:12 Explained

2 Chronicles 32:12

KJV: 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?

YLT: 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?

Darby: Has not the same Hezekiah removed his high places and his altars, and commanded Judah and Jerusalem saying, Ye shall worship before one altar, and burn incense upon it?

ASV: 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?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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? 

What does 2 Chronicles 32:12 Mean?

Study Notes

high places
.
Cf. Leviticus 26:30 ; Deuteronomy 12:11-14 . The use of commanding elevations for altars seems to have been immemorial and universal. In itself the practice was not evil; Genesis 12:7 ; Genesis 12:8 ; Genesis 22:2-4 ; Genesis 31:54 ; Judges 6:25 ; Judges 6:26 ; Judges 13:16-23 . After the establishment of Mount Moriah and the temple as the centre of divine worship; Deuteronomy 12:5 ; 2 Chronicles 7:12 the pentateuchal prohibition of the use of high places Deuteronomy 12:11-14 which had looked forward to the setting up of such a centre, came into effect, and high places became identified with idolatrous practices. The constant recurrence to the use of high places, even for Jehovistic worship (See Scofield " 1 Kings 15:14 ") and after the building of the temple, proves how deeply rooted the custom was.
See 2 Kings 18:4-22 ; 2 Kings 23:1-37 ; 2 Chronicles 33:3 ; 2 Chronicles 33:17 ; 2 Chronicles 33:19 Note below refers to "Groves." (See Scofield " Judges 3:7 ") .

Context Summary

2 Chronicles 32:1-15 - Prepared To Meet The Foe
We might have supposed that Hezekiah's faithfulness in cleansing the Temple and restoring the worship of Jehovah would have secured for him and his people complete immunity from invasion. Surely for such a loyal servant, God would graciously interpose and defend from Sennacherib's encampment on the sacred soil of the south country. We are taught the lesson that faith is not rewarded by the unbroken summer of prosperity, but tried, tested, and matured by the stormy blasts of attack and peril. The great Husbandman mined Hezekiah that he might bring forth more fruit.
These careful preparations made by the king and his people for cutting off the water-supply and equipping the soldiers and fortifications against attack, were perfectly consistent with a true faith. Hezekiah's ultimate confidence was not in these things, but in that Greater One who was undoubtedly with them, 2 Chronicles 32:7. There was considerable subtlety in Sennacherib's messages, but he did not understand how much that one altar meant, and how different Jehovah was from the idols of the nations, 2 Chronicles 32:12; 2 Chronicles 15:1-19. [source]

Chapter Summary: 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

What do the individual words in 2 Chronicles 32:12 mean?

Has not he Hezekiah taken away - His high places and His altars and commanded Judah and Jerusalem saying before altar one You shall worship and on it burn incense
הֲלֹא־ הוּא֙ יְחִזְקִיָּ֔הוּ הֵסִ֥יר אֶת־ בָּמֹתָ֖יו וְאֶת־ מִזְבְּחֹתָ֑יו וַיֹּ֨אמֶר לִֽיהוּדָ֤ה וְלִֽירוּשָׁלִַ֙ם֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר לִפְנֵ֨י מִזְבֵּ֧חַ אֶחָ֛ד תִּֽשְׁתַּחֲו֖וּ וְעָלָ֥יו תַּקְטִֽירוּ

הֲלֹא־  Has  not 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
יְחִזְקִיָּ֔הוּ  Hezekiah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: חִזְקִיָּה 
Sense: 2th king of Judah, son of Ahaz and Abijah; a good king in that he served Jehovah and did away with idolatrous practices.
הֵסִ֥יר  taken  away 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, 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.
בָּמֹתָ֖יו  His  high  places 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: בָּמָה  
Sense: high place, ridge, height, bamah (technical name for cultic platform).
מִזְבְּחֹתָ֑יו  His  altars 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: מִזְבֵּחַ  
Sense: altar.
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר  and  commanded 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
לִֽיהוּדָ֤ה  Judah 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהוּדָה  
Sense: the son of Jacob by Leah.
וְלִֽירוּשָׁלִַ֙ם֙  and  Jerusalem 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יְרוּשָׁלַםִ  
Sense: the chief city of Palestine and capital of the united kingdom and the nation of Judah after the split.
לֵאמֹ֔ר  saying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
לִפְנֵ֨י  before 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
מִזְבֵּ֧חַ  altar 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִזְבֵּחַ  
Sense: altar.
אֶחָ֛ד  one 
Parse: Number, masculine singular
Root: אֶחָד  
Sense: one (number).
תִּֽשְׁתַּחֲו֖וּ  You  shall  worship 
Parse: Verb, Hitpael, Imperfect, second person masculine plural
Root: שָׁחָה  
Sense: to bow down.
וְעָלָ֥יו  and  on  it 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
תַּקְטִֽירוּ  burn  incense 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, second person masculine plural
Root: מֻקְטָר 
Sense: .