2 Kings 21:7
New International Version
He took the carved Asherah pole he had made and put it in the temple, of which the LORD had said to David and to his son Solomon, “In this temple and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my Name forever.

New Living Translation
Manasseh even made a carved image of Asherah and set it up in the Temple, the very place where the LORD had told David and his son Solomon: “My name will be honored forever in this Temple and in Jerusalem—the city I have chosen from among all the tribes of Israel.

English Standard Version
And the carved image of Asherah that he had made he set in the house of which the LORD said to David and to Solomon his son, “In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my name forever.

Berean Standard Bible
Manasseh even took the carved Asherah pole he had made and set it up in the temple, of which the LORD had said to David and his son Solomon, “In this temple and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will establish My Name forever.

King James Bible
And he set a graven image of the grove that he had made in the house, of which the LORD said to David, and to Solomon his son, In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all tribes of Israel, will I put my name for ever:

New King James Version
He even set a carved image of Asherah that he had made, in the house of which the LORD had said to David and to Solomon his son, “In this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put My name forever;

New American Standard Bible
Then he put the carved image of Asherah that he had made in the house of which the LORD had said to David and to his son Solomon, “In this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen from all the tribes of Israel, I will put My name forever.

NASB 1995
Then he set the carved image of Asherah that he had made, in the house of which the LORD said to David and to his son Solomon, “In this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen from all the tribes of Israel, I will put My name forever.

NASB 1977
Then he set the carved image of Asherah that he had made, in the house of which the LORD said to David and to his son Solomon, “In this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen from all the tribes of Israel, I will put My name forever.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then he put the graven image of Asherah, which he had made, in the house of which Yahweh had said to David and to Solomon his son, “In this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen from all the tribes of Israel, I will put My name forever.

Amplified Bible
He made a carved image of the [goddess] Asherah and set it up in the house (temple), of which the LORD said to David and to his son Solomon, “In this house and in Jerusalem [in the tribe of Judah], which I have chosen from all the tribes of Israel, I will put My Name forever.

Christian Standard Bible
Manasseh set up the carved image of Asherah, which he made, in the temple that the LORD had spoken about to David and his son Solomon: “I will establish my name forever in this temple and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Manasseh set up the carved image of Asherah, which he made, in the temple that the LORD had spoken about to David and his son Solomon, “I will establish My name forever in this temple and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel.

American Standard Version
And he set the graven image of Asherah, that he had made, in the house of which Jehovah said to David and to Solomon his son, In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, will I put my name for ever;

English Revised Version
And he set the graven image of Asherah, that he had made, in the house of which the LORD said to David and to Solomon his son, In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, will I put my name for ever:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Manasseh had an idol of Asherah made. Then he set it up in the temple, where the LORD had said to David and his son Solomon, "I have chosen this temple and Jerusalem from all the tribes of Israel. I will put my name here forever.

Good News Translation
He placed the symbol of the goddess Asherah in the Temple, the place about which the LORD had said to David and his son Solomon: "Here in Jerusalem, in this Temple, is the place that I have chosen out of all the territory of the twelve tribes of Israel as the place where I am to be worshiped.

International Standard Version
He also erected the carved image of Asherah that he had made inside the Temple about which the LORD had spoken to David and to his son Solomon, "I will put my Name forever in this Temple and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen from all of the tribes of Israel.

Majority Standard Bible
Manasseh even took the carved Asherah pole he had made and set it up in the temple, of which the LORD had said to David and his son Solomon, “In this temple and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will establish My Name forever.

NET Bible
He put an idol of Asherah he had made in the temple, about which the LORD had said to David and to his son Solomon, "This temple in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, will be my permanent home.

New Heart English Bible
He set the engraved image of Asherah, that he had made, in the house of which the LORD said to David and to Solomon his son, "In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, will I put my name forever;

Webster's Bible Translation
And he set a graven image of the grove that he had made in the house, of which the LORD said to David, and to Solomon his son, In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all tribes of Israel, will I put my name for ever:

World English Bible
He set the engraved image of Asherah that he had made in the house of which Yahweh said to David and to Solomon his son, “In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my name forever;
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And he sets the carved image of the Asherah that he made in the house of which YHWH said to David and to his son Solomon, “In this house, and in Jerusalem, that I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I put My Name for all time;

Young's Literal Translation
And he setteth the graven image of the shrine that he made in the house of which Jehovah said unto David and unto Solomon his son, 'In this house, and in Jerusalem, that I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I put My name -- to the age;

Smith's Literal Translation
And he will set up a carved thing of the image which he made in the house, of which Jehovah said to David and to Solomon his son, In this house and in Jerusalem which I chose from all the tribes of Israel, I will set my name forever:
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
He set also an idol of the grove, which he had made, in the temple of the Lord: concerning which the Lord said to David, and to Solomon his son: In this temple, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my name for ever.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Also, he set up an idol, of the sacred grove that he had made, in the temple of the Lord, about which the Lord said to David, and to his son Solomon: “In this temple, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will place my name forever.

New American Bible
The Asherah idol he had made, he placed in the LORD’s house, of which the LORD had said to David and to his son Solomon: In this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I shall set my name forever.

New Revised Standard Version
The carved image of Asherah that he had made he set in the house of which the LORD said to David and to his son Solomon, “In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my name forever;
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And he set up the image and the idol that he had made in the house of the LORD, in the house of which the LORD said to David and to Solomon his son, In this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, will I put my name for ever;

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And he placed the image of the dreaded thing that he had made in the house of LORD JEHOVAH, in the house of which LORD JEHOVAH had said to David and to Solomon his son: “In this his house and in Jerusalem which I have chosen from all the tribes of Israel, to put my name there for eternity.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And he set the graven image of Asherah, that he had made, in the house of which the LORD said to David and to Solomon his son: 'In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, will I put My name for ever;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And he set up the graven image of the grove in the house of which the Lord said to David, and to Solomon his son, In this house, and in Jerusalem which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, will I even place my name for ever.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Manasseh Reigns in Judah
6He sacrificed his own son in the fire, practiced sorcery and divination, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did great evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger. 7Manasseh even took the carved Asherah pole he had made and set it up in the temple, of which the LORD had said to David and his son Solomon, “In this temple and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will establish My Name forever. 8I will never again cause the feet of the Israelites to wander from the land that I gave to their fathers, if only they are careful to do all I have commanded them—the whole Law that My servant Moses commanded them.”…

Cross References
2 Chronicles 33:7
Manasseh even took the carved image he had made and set it up in the house of God, of which God had said to David and his son Solomon, “In this temple and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will establish My Name forever.

Exodus 20:4-5
You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in the heavens above, on the earth below, or in the waters beneath. / You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on their children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,

Deuteronomy 4:15-19
So since you saw no form of any kind on the day the LORD spoke to you out of the fire at Horeb, be careful / that you do not act corruptly and make an idol for yourselves of any form or shape, whether in the likeness of a male or female, / of any beast that is on the earth or bird that flies in the air, ...

Deuteronomy 12:5-7
Instead, you must seek the place the LORD your God will choose from among all your tribes to establish as a dwelling for His Name, and there you must go. / To that place you are to bring your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and heave offerings, your vow offerings and freewill offerings, as well as the firstborn of your herds and flocks. / There, in the presence of the LORD your God, you and your households shall eat and rejoice in all you do, because the LORD your God has blessed you.

Deuteronomy 12:11
then the LORD your God will choose a dwelling for His Name. And there you are to bring everything I command you: your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and special gifts, and all the choice offerings you vow to the LORD.

1 Kings 9:3
And the LORD said to him: “I have heard your prayer and petition before Me. I have consecrated this temple, which you have built, by putting My Name there forever; My eyes and My heart will be there for all time.

1 Kings 11:36
I will give one tribe to his son, so that My servant David will always have a lamp before Me in Jerusalem, the city where I chose to put My Name.

1 Kings 14:21
Meanwhile, Rehoboam son of Solomon reigned in Judah. He was forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city the LORD had chosen from all the tribes of Israel in which to put His Name. His mother’s name was Naamah the Ammonite.

1 Kings 14:23
They also built for themselves high places, sacred pillars, and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree.

2 Kings 23:4-7
Then the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, the priests second in rank, and the doorkeepers to remove from the temple of the LORD all the articles made for Baal, Asherah, and all the host of heaven. And he burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron and carried their ashes to Bethel. / Josiah also did away with the idolatrous priests ordained by the kings of Judah to burn incense on the high places of the cities of Judah and in the places all around Jerusalem—those who had burned incense to Baal, to the sun and moon, to the constellations, and to all the host of heaven. / He brought the Asherah pole from the house of the LORD to the Kidron Valley outside Jerusalem, and there he burned it, ground it to powder, and threw its dust on the graves of the common people. ...

Jeremiah 7:30
For the people of Judah have done evil in My sight, declares the LORD. They have set up their abominations in the house that bears My Name, and so have defiled it.

Jeremiah 32:34
They have placed their abominations in the house that bears My Name, and so have defiled it.

Ezekiel 8:5-6
“Son of man,” He said to me, “now lift up your eyes to the north.” So I lifted up my eyes to the north, and in the entrance north of the Altar Gate I saw this idol of jealousy. / “Son of man,” He said to me, “do you see what they are doing—the great abominations that the house of Israel is committing—to drive Me far from My sanctuary? Yet you will see even greater abominations.”

Ezekiel 8:10-11
So I went in and looked, and engraved all around the wall was every kind of crawling creature and detestable beast, along with all the idols of the house of Israel. / Before them stood seventy elders of the house of Israel, with Jaazaniah son of Shaphan standing among them. Each had a censer in his hand, and a fragrant cloud of incense was rising.

Matthew 24:15
So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by the prophet Daniel (let the reader understand),


Treasury of Scripture

And he set a graven image of the grove that he had made in the house, of which the LORD said to David, and to Solomon his son, In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all tribes of Israel, will I put my name for ever:

A.

2 Kings 23:6
And he brought out the grove from the house of the LORD, without Jerusalem, unto the brook Kidron, and burned it at the brook Kidron, and stamped it small to powder, and cast the powder thereof upon the graves of the children of the people.

2 Chronicles 33:7,15
And he set a carved image, the idol which he had made, in the house of God, of which God had said to David and to Solomon his son, In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen before all the tribes of Israel, will I put my name for ever: …

In this house.

2 Kings 21:4
And he built altars in the house of the LORD, of which the LORD said, In Jerusalem will I put my name.

2 Kings 23:27
And the LORD said, I will remove Judah also out of my sight, as I have removed Israel, and will cast off this city Jerusalem which I have chosen, and the house of which I said, My name shall be there.

2 Samuel 7:13
He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever.

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Asherah Ashe'rah Carved Chosen David Engraved Forever Graven Grove House Image Israel Jerusalem Pole Solomon Tribes
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Asherah Ashe'rah Carved Chosen David Engraved Forever Graven Grove House Image Israel Jerusalem Pole Solomon Tribes
2 Kings 21
1. Manasseh's reign.
3. His great idolatry.
10. His wickedness causes prophecies against Judah.
17. Amon succeeds him.
19. Amon's wicked reign.
23. He being slain by his servants, and those murderers slain by the people,
26. Josiah is made king.














Manasseh even set up
The name "Manasseh" in Hebrew means "causing to forget," which is tragically fitting for a king who led Judah into deep idolatry, causing them to forget the ways of the LORD. The phrase "set up" indicates a deliberate action, a conscious decision to place something in a position of prominence. This act of setting up an idol in the temple was a direct affront to God, showing a willful rebellion against the covenant established with Israel.

the carved image of Asherah
"Asherah" was a Canaanite goddess associated with fertility and was often represented by a wooden pole or carved image. The Hebrew word for "carved image" suggests an idol crafted with skill and intent, highlighting the seriousness of Manasseh's sin. This idol was not just any idol but one that symbolized the syncretism and moral decay that had infiltrated Judah, leading them away from the worship of Yahweh.

he had made
The phrase "he had made" underscores Manasseh's personal involvement in the creation of this idol. It was not merely inherited or found; it was crafted under his direction. This personal involvement signifies a deep-seated apostasy, as the king himself was actively participating in the creation and promotion of idolatry.

in the house
The "house" refers to the temple in Jerusalem, the sacred place where God's presence dwelt among His people. By placing an idol in the temple, Manasseh was defiling the very heart of Israel's worship. This act was not just a political or cultural statement but a spiritual abomination, directly challenging the holiness of God’s dwelling place.

of which the LORD had said
This phrase reminds us of the divine authority and the sacred promises associated with the temple. The LORD's words are eternal and unchanging, and His declarations about the temple were meant to establish it as a place of pure worship. Manasseh's actions were in direct violation of God's explicit commands, showing a blatant disregard for divine instruction.

to David and to his son Solomon
David and Solomon were chosen by God to lead Israel and to establish the temple as a central place of worship. The mention of these two kings serves as a reminder of the covenantal promises and the legacy of faithfulness that Manasseh was abandoning. It highlights the contrast between the godly leadership of David and Solomon and the apostasy of Manasseh.

In this house and in Jerusalem
The specificity of "this house" and "Jerusalem" emphasizes the unique role of the temple and the city as the spiritual center of Israel. Jerusalem was chosen by God as the place where His name would dwell, making Manasseh's idolatry even more egregious. It was a desecration of the chosen city and the sacred space meant for the worship of Yahweh alone.

which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel
God's choice of Jerusalem and the temple was an act of divine election, setting it apart from all other places. This choice was a sign of God's special relationship with Israel, a relationship that Manasseh was undermining through his idolatry. The phrase underscores the gravity of Manasseh's sin, as it was a rejection of God's sovereign choice and favor.

I will establish My Name forever
The promise to "establish My Name forever" speaks to the enduring nature of God's covenant with Israel. His name represents His presence, authority, and character. Manasseh's actions were a direct challenge to this promise, attempting to replace the eternal name of Yahweh with the transient and false gods of the nations. Yet, despite Manasseh's rebellion, God's promises remain steadfast, offering hope for redemption and restoration.

(7) A graven image of the grove.--The graven image of the Ash?rah (2Kings 21:3).

In the house of which the Lord said . . .--See 1Kings 8:16; 1Kings 9:3. It is meant that the Asherah was erected within the Temple itself, probably in the holy place--an act which was the climax of Manasseh's impiety. (Comp. 23:4; Ezekiel 43:7; Jeremiah 7:30 seq.) . . .

Verse 7. - And he set a graven image of the grove that he had made in the house. He introduced into the temple, and set up there for adoration, an elaborately wrought Asherah, or "sacred tree," probably copied from the elaborate sacred trees of the Assyrians ('Ancient Monarchies,' vol. 2. p. 236). These had, in the center, the essential stele, or pillar, ornamented with rams' horns, symbols of fecundity, and crowned with a representation of a palm tree, the whole being encircled by a framework of metal, twined about it, and throwing out from the circumference, at intervals, either palms or blossoms, or in some instances pomegranates or fir-cones. All the parts represented either animal or vegetable productiveness. Of which the Lord said to David, and to Solomon his son, In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, will I put my Name forever. It was the extremest aggravation of Manasseh's wickedness that he was not content to introduce his new religions into the land in other places, but brought them to God's special city which he had chosen, namely, Jerusalem, and there established them, not on the opposite hills, as Solomon had done (1 Kings 11:7), or in a rival temple within the walls, as had been done by Athaliah (2 Kings 11:18), but within God's holy temple itself. In each of the two courts he placed an idolatrous altar, whereon the people were invited to deposit their offerings; and probably in the temple building itself, perhaps in the very holy of holies, he placed that lust-exciting emblem of Astarte, which was the most horrible profanation of all true religion, turning the truth and grace of God into lasciviousness (Jude 1:4). What practical consequences followed on this profanation, we are not distinctly told; but we may readily surmise, especially in the light of 2 Kings 23:7.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Manasseh even took the carved
פֶּ֥סֶל (pe·sel)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 6459: An idol, image

Asherah pole
הָאֲשֵׁרָ֖ה (hā·’ă·šê·rāh)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 842: A Phoenician goddess, also an image of the same

he had made
עָשָׂ֑ה (‘ā·śāh)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6213: To do, make

and set it up
וַיָּ֕שֶׂם (way·yā·śem)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7760: Put -- to put, place, set

in the temple,
בַּבַּ֗יִת (bab·ba·yiṯ)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1004: A house

of which
אֲשֶׁ֨ר (’ă·šer)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

the LORD
יְהוָה֙ (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

had said
אָמַ֤ר (’ā·mar)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

to
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

David
דָּוִד֙ (dā·wiḏ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1732: David -- perhaps 'beloved one', a son of Jesse

and his son
בְנ֔וֹ (ḇə·nōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 1121: A son

Solomon,
שְׁלֹמֹ֣ה (šə·lō·mōh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 8010: Solomon -- David's son and successor to his throne

“In this
הַזֶּ֜ה (haz·zeh)
Article | Pronoun - masculine singular
Strong's 2088: This, that

temple
בַּבַּ֨יִת (bab·ba·yiṯ)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1004: A house

and in Jerusalem,
וּבִירוּשָׁלִַ֗ם (ū·ḇî·rū·šā·lim)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 3389: Jerusalem -- probably 'foundation of peace', capital city of all Israel

which
אֲשֶׁ֤ר (’ă·šer)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

I have chosen
בָּחַ֙רְתִּי֙ (bā·ḥar·tî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 977: To try, select

out of all
מִכֹּל֙ (mik·kōl)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

the tribes
שִׁבְטֵ֣י (šiḇ·ṭê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 7626: Rod, staff, club, scepter, tribe

of Israel,
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל (yiś·rā·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc

I will establish
אָשִׂ֥ים (’ā·śîm)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 7760: Put -- to put, place, set

My Name
שְׁמִ֖י (šə·mî)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 8034: A name

forever.
לְעוֹלָֽם׃ (lə·‘ō·w·lām)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5769: Concealed, eternity, frequentatively, always


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OT History: 2 Kings 21:7 He set the engraved image of Asherah (2Ki iiKi ii ki 2 kg 2kg)
2 Kings 21:6
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