And they arose and took away the altars that were in Jerusalem, and all the altars for incense took they away, and cast them into the brook Kidron.

2 CHRONICLES 30:14KJV
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2 Chronicles 30:14 (KJV)

What does 2 Chronicles 30:14 mean?

2 Chronicles 30:14 describes people removing worship sites from Jerusalem before celebrating Passover, a feast remembering Israel’s departure from Egypt. Their actions were part of preparing the city for that gathering under King Hezekiah.

The people “arose” after the large crowd had assembled in verse 13. They carried the altars out to the Kidron, a valley east of Jerusalem, and threw them there. The account presents their removal as a shared action by the gathered people.

The Hebrew behind 2 Chronicles 30:14

  • “altars” — מִזְבֵּחַ (mizbeaḥ): An altar is a raised place used for offerings. The word helps identify the objects as places connected with worship, rather than ordinary tables or buildings.
  • “brook” — נַחַל (naḥal): This word can mean a stream or the valley through which a stream runs. “Brook Kidron” therefore points to the Kidron valley and its watercourse.

Why 2 Chronicles 30:14 matters

  • The gathering involved more than coming to the feast. Verse 14 places the removal of the altars before the Passover animals were killed in verse 15.
  • The verse distinguishes two kinds of objects: “altars” and “altars for incense.” Incense is material burned to produce a fragrance, so both kinds of worship sites were removed.
  • The Kidron was a known place for disposing of such objects. Earlier, Hezekiah had the uncleanness removed from the house of the Lord carried there (2 Chronicles 29:16).

Where else these words appear

“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 23:4 And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, and the priests of the second order, and the keepers of the door, to bring forth out of the temple of the LORD all the vessels that were made for Baal, and for the grove, and for all the host of heaven: and he burned them without Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron, and carried the ashes of them unto Bethel.
  • 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.

“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.

“cast” Hebrew H7993 · used in 121 verses

  • Genesis 21:15 And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs.
  • 2 Kings 2:16 And they said unto him, Behold now, there be with thy servants fifty strong men; let them go, we pray thee, and seek thy master: lest peradventure the Spirit of the LORD hath taken him up, and cast him upon some mountain, or into some valley. And he said, Ye shall not send.
  • Isaiah 19:8 The fishers also shall mourn, and all they that cast angle into the brooks shall lament, and they that spread nets upon the waters shall languish.

“brook” Hebrew H5158 · used in 123 verses

  • Genesis 26:17 And Isaac departed thence, and pitched his tent in the valley of Gerar, and dwelt there.
  • Judges 4:13 And Sisera gathered together all his chariots, even nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the people that were with him, from Harosheth of the Gentiles unto the river of Kishon.
  • Job 28:4 The flood breaketh out from the inhabitant; even the waters forgotten of the foot: they are dried up, they are gone away from men.