1 Kings 16:33
31 And as if it were not enough for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, he even married Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and he then proceeded to serve and worship Baal.
32 First, Ahab set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal that he had built in Samaria.
Then he set up an Asherah pole. Thus Ahab did more to provoke the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel before him.
34 In Ahab’s days, Hiel the Bethelite rebuilt Jericho. At the cost of Abiram his firstborn he laid its foundation, and at the cost of Segub his youngest he set up its gates, according to the word that the LORD had spoken through Joshua son of Nun.
Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- Then he set up an Asherah pole. Thus Ahab did more to provoke the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel before him.
- KJV
- And Ahab made a grove; and Ahab did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him.
- WEB
- Ahab made the Asherah; and Ahab did more yet to provoke the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him.
- ASV
- And Ahab made the Asherah; and Ahab did yet more to provoke Jehovah, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him.
- DARBY
- And Ahab made the Asherah; and Ahab did more to provoke Jehovah the God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him.
- BLB
- And Ahab made an Asherah pole, and Ahab added to act to provoke to anger YHWH, God of Israel, more than all the kings of Israel who were before him.
- ÅB
- Akab gjorde også et Astartebilde, og han gjorde enda mere til å vekke Herrens, Israels Guds harme; han bar seg verre at enn noen av de konger i Israel som hadde vært før ham.
- OTB
- Akab laget også Asjeraen. Slik gjorde Akab mer for å vekke Herrens, Israels Guds, vrede enn alle Israels konger som var før ham.
- B1930
- Akab gjorde også et Astarte-billede, og han gjorde ennu mere til å vekke Herrens, Israels Guds harme; han bar sig verre at enn nogen av de konger i Israel som hadde vært før ham.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
2 Kings 13:6
Nevertheless, they did not turn away from the sins that the house of Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit, but they continued to walk in them. The Asherah pole even remained standing in Samaria.
Read in context1 Kings 21:25
(Surely there was never one like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the sight of the LORD, incited by his wife Jezebel.
Read in context2 Kings 21:3
For he rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had destroyed, and he raised up altars for Baal. He made an Asherah pole, as King Ahab of Israel had done, and he worshiped and served all the host of heaven.
Read in contextExodus 34:13
Rather, you must tear down their altars, smash their sacred stones, and chop down their Asherah poles.
Read in context2 Kings 17:16
They abandoned all the commandments of the LORD their God and made for themselves two cast idols of calves and an Asherah pole. They bowed down to all the host of heaven and served Baal.
Read in context1 Kings 21:19
Tell him that this is what the LORD says: ‘Have you not murdered a man and seized his land?’ Then tell him that this is also what the LORD says: ‘In the place where the dogs licked up the blood of Naboth, there also the dogs will lick up your blood—yes, yours!’”
Read in contextJeremiah 17:1–2
“The sin of Judah is written with an iron stylus, engraved with a diamond point on the tablets of their hearts and on the horns of their altars.
Read in context1 Kings 22:6
So the king of Israel assembled the prophets, about four hundred men, and asked them, “Should I go to war against Ramoth-gilead, or should I refrain?” “Go up,” they replied, “and the Lord will deliver it into the hand of the king.”
Read in context