2 Kings 3:2

2 And he wrought evil in the sight of Jehovah, but not like his father, and like his mother; and he took away the column of Baal that 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 And Jehoram the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah; and he reigned twelve years.

2 And he wrought evil in the sight of Jehovah, but not like his father, and like his mother; and he took away the column of Baal that his father had made.

3 Only, he clave to the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat who made Israel to sin: he did not depart therefrom.

4 And Mesha king of Moab was a sheepmaster, and rendered to the king of Israel a hundred thousand lambs and a hundred thousand rams, with the wool.

5 And it came to pass when Ahab was dead, that the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel.

Footnotes

• [a]. Or perhaps 'image,' or 'statue' see 1Kings 14.23.