2 Chronicles 20:33

 2 Chronicles 20:33

Howbeit the high places were not taken away: for as yet the people had not prepared their hearts unto the God of their fathers.

a. NLT: During his reign, however, he failed to remove all the pagan shrines, and the people never fully committed themselves to follow the God of their ancestors. [Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.]

b. ASV: Howbeit the high places were not taken away; neither as yet had the people set their hearts unto the God of their fathers. [Thomas Nelson & Sons first published the American Standard Version in 1901. This translation of the Bible is in the public domain.]

c. YLT: Only, the high places have not turned aside, and still the people have not prepared their heart for the God of their fathers. [The Young's Literal Translation was translated by Robert Young, who believed in a strictly literal translation of God's word. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.]

d. Classic Amplified: But the high places [of idolatry] were not taken away, for the people had not yet set their hearts on their fathers’ God. [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

e. Stone Edition Torah/Prophets/ Writings: However, the high places did not cease; the people still did not dedicated their hearts to the God of their forefathers. [The Artscroll Series/Stone Edition, THE TANACH--STUDENT SIZE EDITION Copyright 1996, 1998 by Mesorah Publications, Ldt.]

1. “Howbeit the high places were not taken away…”

a. Howbeit [Strong: 389 'ak ak akin to 403; a particle of affirmation, surely; hence (by limitation) only:--also, in any wise, at least, but, certainly, even, howbeit, nevertheless, notwithstanding, only, save, surely, of a surety, truly, verily, + wherefore, yet (but).]

b. high places [Strong: 1116 bamah bam-maw' from an unused root (meaning to be high); an elevation:--height, high place, wave.]

1). High Places: Unger’s Bible Dictionary: From Canaanite bama plural bamot, “ridge”: Hebrew “elevation of land”). Localities chosen as places of worship of God or idols. The high places were features of Canaanite religion, and the conquring israelites were commanded to destroy them when they entered Canaan (Numbers 33:52; Deuteronomy 33:29). Israel came in contact wit the high places of the Moabites before they entered the land (Numbers 21:28; Numbers 22:41). Being defiled by Canaanite fertility cults and other paganistic pollutions, the high places were often connected with licentiousness (Hosea 4:11-14) and immorality (Jeremiah 3:2). One of the best known high places is the “Conwas High Place” at Petra (See W.F.Albright, The Archaeology of Palestine, pp161-165.) The Ugartic tablets of the late fifteenth century B.C. from Ras Shamra show that animals were sacrificed in the high places of Baal in North Syria. Always contagious to the rock altar was a sacred pillar, masseba, a sacred pole having phallic associations capped with a symbol of the ‘ashera, evidently denoting female fertility. Male prostitutes, qedeshim, and sacred courtesans, qedeshot (1 Kings 14:23, 24; 2 Kings 23:7), amintained chambers for cultic prostitution in honor of the heathen diety. At Gezer firstborn babies were salin and their bodies placed in jars near the high place (Isaiah 57:5). Early shrines indicate that the elevation was tended to display impressiveness...The worship of Jehovah, contrary to the law of Moses, which specified one altar for all Israel, was often conducted on high places. The Mosaic prescription was a safeguard to protect the people from idolatrous associations and corruption. The worship of the God of Israel at other altars was allowable only in times of great strigency, as after the fall of Shiloh, when the Temple had not yet been erected (1 Kings 3:2-4; 2 Chronicles 1:3). High places were legitimate also in the Northern Kingdom, when access to the jerusalem Temple was no longer possible. After Solomon, who grievously sinned in erecting high places for his heathen wives (1 Kings 11:1-8). This heathenistic institution prevailed among many kings of the Davidic line. Jehoram, Jehoshaphat’s son made high places in the mountains of Judah (2 Chronicles 21:11), as id Ahaz. Hezekiah broke them down (2 Kings 18:4, 22); Manasseh, in his idolatrous orgy, re-erected them (2 Kings 21:3). They were again destroyed by Josiah (2 Kings 23:5, 8, 13). The prophets denounced the high places (Ezekiel 6:3). Emphasis was lace on the fact that Zion was the place to worship (Isaiah 2:2-3; 8:18; Joel 2:1; 3:17; Amos 1:2; Micah 4:1, 2).

2). Possible link to New Testament Christianity is found in 2 Corinthians.

a). 2 Corinthians 10:3-6  For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:

10:4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

10:6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

c. [were] not [Strong: 3808 lo' lo or lowi {lo}; or loh (Deut. 3:11) {lo}; a primitive particle; not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles (as follows):--X before, + or else, ere, + except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), (X as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, + surely, + as truly as, + of a truth, + verily, for want, + whether, without.]

d. taken away [Strong: 5493 cuwr soor or suwr (Hosea 9:12) {soor}; a primitive root; to turn off (literal or figurative):--be(-head), bring, call back, decline, depart, eschew, get (you), go (aside), X grievous, lay away (by), leave undone, be past, pluck away, put (away, down), rebel, remove (to and fro), revolt, X be sour, take (away, off), turn (aside, away, in), withdraw, be without.]

2. “...for as yet the people had not prepared their hearts unto the God of their fathers.”

a. [for] as yet [Strong: 5750 `owd ode or rod {ode}; from 5749; properly, iteration or continuance; used only adverbially (with or without preposition), again, repeatedly, still, more:--again, X all life long, at all, besides, but, else, further(-more), henceforth, (any) longer, (any) more(-over), X once, since, (be) still, when, (good, the) while (having being), (as, because, whether, while) yet (within).]

b. [the] people [Strong: 5971 `am am from 6004; a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flock:--folk, men, nation, people.]

c. [and] not [Strong: 3808 lo' lo or lowi {lo}; or loh (Deut. 3:11) {lo}; a primitive particle; not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles (as follows):--X before, + or else, ere, + except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), (X as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, + surely, + as truly as, + of a truth, + verily, for want, + whether, without.]

d. prepared [Strong: 3559 kuwn koon a primitive root; properly, to be erect (i.e. stand perpendicular); hence (causatively) to set up, in a great variety of applications, whether literal (establish, fix, prepare, apply), or figurative (appoint, render sure, proper or prosperous):--certain(-ty), confirm, direct, faithfulness, fashion, fasten, firm, be fitted, be fixed, frame, be meet, ordain, order, perfect, (make) preparation, prepare (self), provide, make provision, (be, make) ready, right, set (aright, fast, forth), be stable, (e-)stablish, stand, tarry, X very deed.]

e. [their] hearts [Strong: 3824 lebab lay-bawb' from 3823; the heart (as the most interior organ); used also like 3820:--+ bethink themselves, breast, comfortably, courage, ((faint), (tender-)heart((-ed)), midst, mind, X unawares, understanding.]

f. [unto the] God [Strong: 430 'elohiym el-o-heem' plural of 433; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative:--angels, X exceeding, God (gods)(-dess, -ly), X (very) great, judges, X mighty.]

g. [of their] forefathers [Strong: 1 'ab awb a primitive word; father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote application):--chief, (fore-)father(-less), X patrimony, principal.]