2 Kings 3:2

2 He did evil in the sight of the LORD, though not like his father and his mother; for ¹he put away the sacred pillar of Baal ²which his father had made.

2 Kings 3:2 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 3:2

And he wrought evil in the sight of the Lord
Was guilty of idolatry:

but not like his father, and like his mother;
his father Ahab, and his mother Jezebel:

for he put away the image of Baal that his father had made;
he did not destroy it, only removed it from the temple of Baal where it was set, that it might not be worshipped, at least publicly, see ( 1 Kings 16:31 1 Kings 16:32 ) this he did, either moved to it by his own conscience, observing the sudden deaths of his father and brother, which he might suppose was for their idolatry; or in order to obtain success in his war with Moab he was entering into; or being instigated by Jehoshaphat to do it, or otherwise he might refuse to join him.

2 Kings 3:2 In-Context

1 Now Jehoram the son of Ahab became king over Israel at Samaria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned twelve years.

2 He did evil in the sight of the LORD , though not like his father and his mother; for he put away the sacred pillar of Baal which his father had made.

3 Nevertheless, he clung to the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel sin; he did not depart from them.

4 Now Mesha king of Moab was a sheep breeder, and used to pay the king of Israel 100,000 lambs and the wool of 100,000 rams.

5 But when Ahab died, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel.

Cross References

• 1. Exodus 23:24; 2 Kin 10:18, 26-28
• 2. 1 Kings 16:31, 32