Question 1

What does 2 Kings 15:35 mean?

Accepted Answer

2 Kings 15:35 explains that although the king made improvements to the temple by building the higher gate, he did not remove the high places where people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense. The verse shows that religious practices outside the central temple continued despite some positive actions by the king. This verse is part of a summary about King Jotham of Judah. The writer notes both what Jotham did well—such as enhancing the temple—and what he failed to do, specifically not stopping the people from worshipping at the high places. These high places were local worship sites, often associated with practices that the law of Moses discouraged.

Question 2

The Hebrew behind 2 Kings 15:35

Accepted Answer

"High places" (בָּמָה, bamah, H1116) refers to local worship sites, often on hills, where sacrifices and incense were offered. The continued use of these places shows incomplete religious reform. "Removed" (סוּר, sur, H5493) means to take away or get rid of. The verse points out that these sites were not eliminated, highlighting a key failure. "Built" (בָּנָה, banah, H1129) and "higher" (עֶלְיוֹן, elyon, H5945) together describe Jotham’s construction of an elevated or upper gate for the temple, suggesting an improvement or addition to the temple complex.

Question 3

Why 2 Kings 15:35 matters

Accepted Answer

The verse clarifies that even good kings like Jotham did not fully centralize worship in Jerusalem, which was a major concern for the writers of Kings. It shows the tension between outward religious improvements and deeper reforms that were left unfinished. This detail connects to a recurring theme in Kings: the struggle to remove local worship practices and focus worship solely at the temple, which was seen as the proper place to honor the LORD (יְהוָה, YHWH, H3068).

2 Kings 15:35 (KJV)