And in every several city of Judah he made high places to burn incense unto other gods, and provoked to anger the LORD God of his fathers.

2 CHRONICLES 28:25KJV
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2 Chronicles 28:25 (KJV)

What does 2 Chronicles 28:25 mean?

2 Chronicles 28:25 describes how King Ahaz of Judah set up altars and places of worship for other gods in every city of Judah, burning incense to these gods and making the LORD, the God of his ancestors, angry. The verse highlights the widespread nature of Ahaz’s idolatry and how it directly provoked God’s anger.

The setting is the reign of King Ahaz, who ruled Judah and is remembered for turning away from the worship of the LORD. The Chronicler is writing about Ahaz’s actions to show how far the king and the nation had strayed from their traditional faith. This verse points out that Ahaz’s idolatry was not limited to one place but spread throughout all the cities, making it a national problem.

The Hebrew behind 2 Chronicles 28:25

  • "places" (בָּמָה, bamah): This word refers to "high places," which were elevated sites often used for worship. In this context, it means unauthorized worship sites set up for other gods, not for the LORD.
  • "incense" (קָטַר, qatar): This verb means "to burn incense," a ritual act in ancient worship. Here, it shows that Ahaz was actively participating in religious practices meant for other gods.
  • "anger" (כָּעַס, ka'as): This word means "to provoke to anger." The verse uses it to stress that Ahaz’s actions were not just wrong but deeply offensive to the LORD.
  • "other" (אַחֵר, acher): This term means "other" or "different," making clear that the gods being worshiped were not the LORD, but foreign deities.

Why 2 Chronicles 28:25 matters

  • This verse clarifies that Ahaz’s idolatry was not a private or isolated act but a deliberate, widespread campaign that affected every city in Judah.
  • The verse emphasizes that the LORD’s anger was not random but a direct response to the betrayal of worshiping "other gods" instead of the God of their ancestors.
  • By connecting Ahaz’s actions to the anger of the LORD, the Chronicler sets up the explanation for the troubles that came upon Judah during and after Ahaz’s reign, showing the link between leadership, national faithfulness, and consequences.

Where else these words appear

“anger” Hebrew H3707 · used in 53 verses

  • Deuteronomy 4:25 When thou shalt beget children, and children's children, and ye shall have remained long in the land, and shall corrupt yourselves, and make a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, and shall do evil in the sight of the LORD thy God, to provoke him to anger:
  • 1 Kings 22:53 For he served Baal, and worshipped him, and provoked to anger the LORD God of Israel, according to all that his father had done.
  • Ecclesiastes 7:9 Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.

“places” Hebrew H1116 · used in 92 verses

  • Leviticus 26:30 And I will destroy your high places, and cut down your images, and cast your carcases upon the carcases of your idols, and my soul shall abhor you.
  • 2 Kings 15:35 Howbeit the high places were not removed: the people sacrificed and burned incense still in the high places. He built the higher gate of the house of the LORD.
  • 2 Chronicles 33:3 For he built again the high places which Hezekiah his father had broken down, and he reared up altars for Baalim, and made groves, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them.

“incense” Hebrew H6999 · used in 112 verses

  • Exodus 29:13 And thou shalt take all the fat that covereth the inwards, and the caul that is above the liver, and the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, and burn them upon the altar.
  • Leviticus 9:20 And they put the fat upon the breasts, and he burnt the fat upon the altar:
  • 2 Chronicles 28:3 Moreover he burnt incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burnt his children in the fire, after the abominations of the heathen whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel.