And also Maachah his mother, even her he removed from being queen, because she had made an idol in a grove; and Asa destroyed her idol, and burnt it by the brook Kidron.

1 KINGS 15:13KJV
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1 Kings 15:13 (KJV)

What does 1 Kings 15:13 mean?

1 Kings 15:13 describes how King Asa removed his mother, Maachah, from her position as queen because she had made an idol in a grove, and Asa destroyed and burned the idol by the brook Kidron. This verse shows Asa taking a strong stand against idol worship, even when it involved his own family.

In the historical setting, Asa was king of Judah, and Maachah was his mother, holding the influential role of queen mother. The verse highlights Asa’s commitment to religious reform by not allowing family ties to interfere with his efforts to remove idol worship from his kingdom. The destruction of the idol at the brook Kidron was a public act, emphasizing the seriousness of Asa’s reforms.

The Hebrew behind 1 Kings 15:13

  • מַעֲכָה (Maachah, transliteration: Maʿăkhah): This is the name of Asa’s mother, who held a significant position as queen mother, making her removal a notable and bold action.
  • גְּבִירָה (queen, transliteration: gᵉvîrāh): This word refers specifically to the queen mother, a powerful and respected role in the royal court. Removing Maachah from this position was a major statement of Asa’s priorities.
  • מִפְלֶצֶת (idol, transliteration: mip̄leṣet): This word is often understood as a particularly offensive or shameful idol, not just any image, which adds weight to Asa’s decision to destroy it.
  • אֲשֵׁרָה (grove, transliteration: ʾăshērāh): This term refers to a wooden object or pole associated with the worship of the Canaanite goddess Asherah, indicating the type of idol Maachah made.

Why 1 Kings 15:13 matters

  • 1 Kings 15:13 clarifies that Asa’s reforms were not just political gestures but involved real personal cost, even confronting his own mother’s actions.
  • The verse emphasizes the seriousness of idol worship in ancient Israel and how removing it was seen as essential for faithful leadership.
  • This action connects to the wider narrative of Asa’s reign, showing his commitment to distinguishing Judah’s worship practices from those of surrounding nations.

Where else these words appear

“idol” Hebrew H4656 · used in 2 verses

  • 2 Chronicles 15:16 And also concerning Maachah the mother of Asa the king, he removed her from being queen, because she had made an idol in a grove: and Asa cut down her idol, and stamped it, and burnt it at the brook Kidron.

“queen” Hebrew H1377 · used in 6 verses

  • 1 Kings 11:19 And Hadad found great favour in the sight of Pharaoh, so that he gave him to wife the sister of his own wife, the sister of Tahpenes the queen.
  • 2 Kings 10:13 Jehu met with the brethren of Ahaziah king of Judah, and said, Who are ye? And they answered, We are the brethren of Ahaziah; and we go down to salute the children of the king and the children of the queen.
  • Jeremiah 13:18 Say unto the king and to the queen, Humble yourselves, sit down: for your principalities shall come down, even the crown of your glory.

“Kidron” Hebrew H6939 · used in 10 verses

  • 2 Samuel 15:23 And all the country wept with a loud voice, and all the people passed over: the king also himself passed over the brook Kidron, and all the people passed over, toward the way of the wilderness.
  • 2 Kings 23:6 And he brought out the grove from the house of the LORD, without Jerusalem, unto the brook Kidron, and burned it at the brook Kidron, and stamped it small to powder, and cast the powder thereof upon the graves of the children of the people.
  • 2 Chronicles 29:16 And the priests went into the inner part of the house of the LORD, to cleanse it, and brought out all the uncleanness that they found in the temple of the LORD into the court of the house of the LORD. And the Levites took it, to carry it out abroad into the brook Kidron.

“Maachah” Hebrew H4601 · used in 23 verses

  • Genesis 22:24 And his concubine, whose name was Reumah, she bare also Tebah, and Gaham, and Thahash, and Maachah.
  • 1 Kings 15:10 And forty and one years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom.
  • 1 Chronicles 11:43 Hanan the son of Maachah, and Joshaphat the Mithnite,