2 Kings 18:4
He removed the high places and broke the pillars and cut down the Asherah. And he broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the people of Israel had made offerings to it (it was called Nehushtan).
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
Hezekiah didn't just tear down pagan idols; he shattered the bronze serpent, a relic from Moses himself, because it had become an object of worship. This highlights how easily even sacred reminders can be perverted into something that distracts from God, turning a symbol of past deliverance into an idol for the present.
King Hezekiah is beginning his reign, and he's taking bold action to reform Israel's worship. He's dismantling all the idolatrous shrines and objects that had become mixed in with God's people's practices, even a bronze snake from the time of Moses. His goal is to bring worship back to the one true God, centered in Jerusalem.
Ever feel like there's 'stuff' getting between you and God? King Hezekiah faced a similar problem, but he didn't just remove it – he annihilated it.
The Problem: Pervasive Idolatry
King Hezekiah inherited a kingdom deeply entangled with idolatry. The 'high places' were literally elevated spots used for worship, often of Canaanite deities. The 'pillars' likely referred to sacred stone pillars associated with fertility gods, and the 'Asherah' was a prominent goddess, often represented by carved images or sacred trees. These weren't just forgotten relics; they were actively used.
Hezekiah's Solution: Radical Removal
Hezekiah's response was immediate and decisive. He didn't just 'clean house' a little; he removed, broke, and cut down these objects. This wasn't a gentle suggestion; it was a forceful dismantling of the infrastructure of false worship. His goal was to purify Israel's worship, directing it solely back to the Lord.
What happens when a reminder of God's past mercy becomes an object of worship itself? The story of the bronze serpent is a stark warning.
A Miracle Reimagined
In the wilderness (Numbers 21), God instructed Moses to make a bronze serpent and lift it up on a pole. Anyone bitten by a venomous snake who looked at it would live. It was a symbol of God's miraculous deliverance.
From Symbol to Idol
Centuries later, the people of Israel had turned this divinely appointed symbol into an idol. They were offering sacrifices and prayers to the serpent itself, forgetting its original purpose and the God it represented. It had become 'Nehushtan' – a mere thing, a metal object, disconnected from its divine origin.
Hezekiah's Correction: The Danger of Misplaced Focus
Understand the original words
bamah · Hebrew Noun
A place of worship, often situated on hills or raised platforms, frequently associated with idolatry or syncretistic worship. While sometimes used for Yahweh worship, they were strictly forbidden by Mosaic law, which centralized worship at the chosen site of the Tabernacle/Temple.
matstsebah · Hebrew Noun
Large upright stones or monuments used in ancient Near Eastern religions, often as objects of cultic veneration or markers in pagan sanctuaries, frequently associated with Baal worship.
Asherah · Hebrew Noun
Refers either to the Canaanite goddess of fertility or the wooden cultic object symbolizing her. Its presence in Israel represented a direct violation of the commandment against idolatry and the worship of other gods.
Hezekiah's radical act of destroying the bronze serpent, an object of veneration for centuries, highlights the intense spiritual battle against ingrained idolatry and syncretism that plagued Israel, even stemming from supposedly sacred relics.
c. 970-931 BC
Solomon's Idolatry
King Solomon, despite his wisdom, built high places for foreign gods for his many foreign wives. This set a precedent for syncretism and idolatry in Israel.
c. 931-722 BC
Divided Kingdom and Widespread Idolatry
After Solomon, the kingdom split. Both Israel (North) and Judah (South) saw kings who promoted or tolerated idolatrous worship, often blending it with Yahweh worship.
c. 870 BC
Ahab and Jezebel Promote Baal Worship
King Ahab and his Phoenician wife Jezebel aggressively promoted the worship of Baal, leading to intense spiritual conflict and persecution of prophets.
c. 740 BC
Assyrian Expansion and Influence
The Neo-Assyrian Empire began its major expansion, exerting pressure and influence over the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, often demanding tribute and loyalty.
This passage lays out the Ten Commandments, specifically prohibiting idolatry and the worship of any other gods or created things, directly contrasting with the Israelites' sin of worshipping the bronze serpent.
Deuteronomy 7:25-26Here, Moses commands Israel to destroy all idolatrous objects and not be enticed by them, mirroring Hezekiah's decisive action against the Nehushtan.
John 3:14-15Jesus references the bronze serpent lifted up by Moses, connecting it to His own crucifixion and the salvation offered to those who believe in Him, highlighting the original miraculous purpose of the serpent.
1 Corinthians 10:11-13Paul warns the Corinthian church about the dangers of falling into sin and idolatry, using past Israelite disobedience as a cautionary tale, which resonates with Hezekiah's need to purify Israel from such practices.
Hezekiah didn't just tear down pagan idols; he shattered the bronze serpent, a relic from Moses himself, because it had become an object of worship. This highlights how easily even sacred reminders can be perverted into something that distracts from God, turning a symbol of past deliverance into an idol for the present.
King Hezekiah is beginning his reign, and he's taking bold action to reform Israel's worship. He's dismantling all the idolatrous shrines and objects that had become mixed in with God's people's practices, even a bronze snake from the time of Moses. His goal is to bring worship back to the one true God, centered in Jerusalem.
King Hezekiah is beginning his reign, and he's taking bold action to reform Israel's worship. He's dismantling all the idolatrous shrines and objects that had become mixed in with God's people's practices, even a bronze snake from the time of Moses. His goal is to bring worship back to the one true God, centered in Jerusalem.
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Ask a follow-up
Ask Sola things like:
Live chat about 2 Kings 18:4 is available in the Sola app.
Hezekiah recognized this perversion. By breaking the bronze serpent, he was not destroying a holy relic, but correcting a dangerous spiritual error. He was teaching that God alone is to be worshipped, and His signs are to be understood in relation to Him, not as objects of devotion themselves.
nechash hannechosheth · Hebrew Noun
A snake-like figure fashioned by Moses in the wilderness for the healing of the Israelites. It became an object of historical significance but was later misused as an object of idolatrous worship, necessitating its destruction to maintain the purity of Yahweh-worship.
qatar · Hebrew Verb
A term for religious sacrifices or incense offered to a deity. In this context, it highlights the improper transfer of religious devotion and ritual act toward an object rather than the Creator.
739-738 BC
Tiglath-Pileser III's Campaigns
Assyrian king Tiglath-Pileser III campaigned in the region, leading to the first major deportation of Israelites from the northern kingdom and further subjugating the region.
722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Fall of Israel
The capital of the northern kingdom, Samaria, fell to the Assyrians under Shalmaneser V and Sargon II. The northern kingdom ceased to exist, and its people were exiled.
c. 715-686 BC— this verse
Hezekiah's Reign and Reforms
Hezekiah became king of Judah and initiated sweeping religious reforms, aiming to centralize worship in Jerusalem and eradicate idolatry, including the dismantling of the bronze serpent.
"He removed the high places and broke the pillars and cut down the Asherah. And he broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the people of Israel had made offerings to it (it was called Nehushtan)." — Hezekiah didn't just tear down pagan idols; he shattered the bronze serpent, a relic from Moses himself, because it had become an object of worship. This highlights how easily even sacred reminders…
