^18:4He eliminated the high places, smashed the sacred pillars to bits, and cut down the Asherah pole.⁵ He also demolished the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for up to that time⁶ the Israelites had been offering incense to it; it was called Nehushtan.⁷

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Footnotes

5 The term is singular in the but plural in the and other ancient versions. It is also possible to regard the singular as a collective singular, especially in the context of other plural items. Asherah was a leading deity of the Canaanite pantheon, wife/sister of El and goddess of fertility. She was commonly worshiped at shrines in or near groves of evergreen trees, or, failing that, at places marked by wooden poles. These were to be burned or cut down (Deut 12:3; 16:21; Judg 6:25, 28, 30; 2 Kgs 18:4).
6 Heb “until those days.”
7 In Hebrew the name sounds like the phrase נְחַשׁ הַנְּחֹשֶׁת (nékhash hannékhoshet), “bronze serpent.”

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

He removed the high places and broke the pillars and cut down the Asherah. And he broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the people of Israel had made offerings to it (it was called Nehushtan).

NIVNew International Version (2011)

He removed the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke into pieces the bronze snake Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been burning incense to it. (It was called Nehushtan.)

CSBChristian Standard Bible

He removed the high places, shattered the sacred pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke into pieces the bronze snake that Moses made, for until then the Israelites were burning incense to it. It was called Nehushtan.

NLTNew Living Translation

He removed the pagan shrines, smashed the sacred pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke up the bronze serpent that Moses had made, because the people of Israel had been offering sacrifices to it. The bronze serpent was called Nehushtan.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

He removed the high places, and he smashed the stone pillars; he cut down the poles of Asherah worship and demolished the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for up to those days the Israelites were offering incense to it and called it Nehushtan.

KJV 1900King James Version

He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan.

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