And the remnant of the sodomites, which remained in the days of his father Asa, he took out of the land.

1 KINGS 22:46KJV
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1 Kings 22:46 (KJV)

What does 1 Kings 22:46 mean?

1 Kings 22:46 states that King Jehoshaphat removed the remaining "sodomites"—a group associated with certain forbidden religious practices—from the land, continuing the reforms begun by his father, King Asa. This verse highlights Jehoshaphat's efforts to rid Judah of practices considered contrary to the worship of the God of Israel.

The verse is part of a summary of Jehoshaphat's reign, describing his commitment to religious reform. The "sodomites" mentioned here refers to a group involved in ritual acts tied to pagan worship, and their removal was seen as necessary for maintaining the religious purity of the nation. The passage connects Jehoshaphat's actions to those of his father Asa, showing a continued effort across generations to uphold certain religious standards.

The Hebrew behind 1 Kings 22:46

  • "sodomites" (קָדֵשׁ, qāḏēsh): This word refers to people associated with cultic prostitution, often linked to Canaanite religious practices. The term carries a sense of ritual impurity in the context of ancient Israel.
  • "remnant" (יֶתֶר, yether): This word means those who were left or remained after previous efforts. It emphasizes that Jehoshaphat was finishing a task his father Asa had started but not completed.
  • "took" (בָּעַר, ba‘ar): This verb means to remove or purge, often with a sense of burning or thoroughly clearing out. It suggests a decisive and complete action to eliminate the group from the land.

Why 1 Kings 22:46 matters

  • This verse clarifies that Jehoshaphat was not starting a new reform but completing one begun by his father, showing the persistence needed to bring about lasting change.
  • The mention of "sodomites" highlights the specific practices being targeted, which were tied to the broader struggle against idolatry and foreign religious influences in Israel and Judah.
  • By connecting Jehoshaphat's actions to Asa's, the verse places his reign in continuity with earlier reforms, helping readers see the ongoing effort to shape the nation's religious identity.

Where else these words appear

“sodomites” Hebrew H6945 · used in 6 verses

  • Deuteronomy 23:17 There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel, nor a sodomite of the sons of Israel.
  • 1 Kings 14:24 And there were also sodomites in the land: and they did according to all the abominations of the nations which the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.
  • 2 Kings 23:7 And he brake down the houses of the sodomites, that were by the house of the LORD, where the women wove hangings for the grove.

“Asa” Hebrew H609 · used in 52 verses

  • 1 Kings 15:8 And Abijam slept with his fathers; and they buried him in the city of David: and Asa his son reigned in his stead.
  • 1 Kings 16:10 And Zimri went in and smote him, and killed him, in the twenty and seventh year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned in his stead.
  • 2 Chronicles 15:10 So they gathered themselves together at Jerusalem in the third month, in the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa.

“took” Hebrew H1197 · used in 90 verses

  • Exodus 3:2 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.
  • 2 Samuel 22:9 There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.
  • Isaiah 30:33 For Tophet is ordained of old; yea, for the king it is prepared; he hath made it deep and large: the pile thereof is fire and much wood; the breath of the LORD, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it.

“remnant” Hebrew H3499 · used in 95 verses

  • Genesis 49:3 Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power:
  • 1 Kings 22:39 Now the rest of the acts of Ahab, and all that he did, and the ivory house which he made, and all the cities that he built, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
  • 2 Chronicles 28:26 Now the rest of his acts and of all his ways, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.