2 Kings 18:22

Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

But if you say to me, ‘We trust in the LORD our God,’ isn’t He the one whose high places and altars Hezekiah has removed, saying to Judah and Jerusalem, ‘You must worship before this altar in Jerusalem’?

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וְכִי־תֹאמְר֣וּן אֵלַ֔י אֶל־יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ בָּטָ֑חְנוּ הֲלוֹא־ה֗וּא אֲשֶׁ֨ר הֵסִ֤יר חִזְקִיָּ֙הוּ֙ אֶת־בָּמֹתָ֣יו וְאֶת־מִזְבְּחֹתָ֔יו וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לִֽיהוּדָה֙ וְלִיר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם לִפְנֵי֙ הַמִּזְבֵּ֣חַ הַזֶּ֔ה תִּֽשְׁתַּחֲו֖וּ בִּירוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃

Transliteration

And-if-tōʾmərûn to-me to-YHWH ʾĕlōhênû bāṭāḥnû is-not-he who hēsîr ḥizqîyāhû ʾet-bāmōtāyw and-ʾet-mizbəḥōtāyw wə-yōʾmer to-yəhûdāh and-to-yərûšālaim before the-mizbēaḥ the-zeh tištaḥăwû in-yərûšālāim.

Grammar Details

• *tōʾmərûn*: qal imperfect, 2nd masculine plural - you say
• *YHWH*: proper noun - LORD/Yahweh
• *ʾĕlōhênû*: noun, masculine plural + 1st common plural suffix - our God
• *bāṭāḥnû*: qal perfect, 1st common plural - we trusted
• *hēsîr*: hiphil perfect, 3rd masculine singular - he removed
• *ḥizqîyāhû*: proper noun, masculine singular - Hezekiah
• *bāmōtāyw*: noun, feminine plural + 3rd masculine singular suffix - his high places
• *mizbəḥōtāyw*: noun, masculine plural + 3rd masculine singular suffix - his altars
• *wə-yōʾmer*: waw consecutive + qal imperfect, 3rd masculine singular - and he said
• *yəhûdāh*: proper noun - Judah
• *yərûšālaim*: proper noun - Jerusalem
• *mizbēaḥ*: noun, masculine singular - altar
• *zeh*: demonstrative pronoun, masculine singular - this
• *tištaḥăwû*: hishtaphel imperfect, 2nd masculine plural - you shall worship

Word Meanings

• *ʾĕlōhênû*: our God/our deity
• *bāmōtāyw*: his high places/shrines/cult centers
• *mizbəḥōtāyw*: his altars/places of sacrifice
• *tištaḥăwû*: you shall worship/bow down/prostrate yourselves

Other Translations

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  But if ye say unto me, We trust in the LORD our God: is not that he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and hath said to Judah and Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem?

• KJV1611 – Modern English

  But if you say to me, We trust in the LORD our God, is it not he whose high places and altars Hezekiah has taken away, and has said to Judah and Jerusalem, You shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem?

• King James Version 1611 (Original)

  But if ye say unto me, We trust in the LORD our God: is not that he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and hath said to Judah and Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem?

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  But if ye say unto me, We trust in Jehovah our God; is not that he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and hath said to Judah and to Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem?

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  But if ye say unto me, We trust in the LORD our God: is not that he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and hath said to Judah and Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem?

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  But yf ye wolde saye vnto me: We put oure trust in ye LORDE oure God. Is not that he, whose hye places and altares Ezechias hath take downe, and sayde vnto Iuda and Ierusale: Before this altare which is at Ierusale, shal ye worshippe?

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  But if ye say vnto me, We trust in the Lord our God, is not that he whose hie places, and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and hath sayd to Iudah and Ierusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar in Ierusalem?

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  If ye say vnto me, we trust in the Lorde our God: Is not that he whose hygh places and whose aulters Hezekia hath put downe? and hath sayd to Iuda and Hierusalem, ye shall worship before this aulter here in Hierusalem.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  But if ye say unto me, We trust in the LORD our God: [is] not that he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and hath said to Judah and Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem?

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  But if you tell me, We trust in Yahweh our God; isn't that he whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah has taken away, and has said to Judah and to Jerusalem, You shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem?

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  `And when ye say unto me, Unto Jehovah our God we have trusted, is it not He whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath turned aside, and saith to Judah and to Jerusalem, Before this altar do ye bow yourselves in Jerusalem?

• American Standard Version (1901)

  But if ye say unto me, We trust in Jehovah our God; is not that he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and hath said to Judah and to Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem?

• American Standard Version (1901)

  But if ye say unto me, We trust in Jehovah our God; is not that he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and hath said to Judah and to Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem?

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  And if you say to me, Our hope is in the Lord our God: is it not he, whose high places and altars Hezekiah has taken away, saying to Judah and Jerusalem that worship may only be given before this altar in Jerusalem?

• World English Bible (2000)

  But if you tell me, 'We trust in Yahweh our God;' isn't that he whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah has taken away, and has said to Judah and to Jerusalem, 'You shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem?'

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  Perhaps you will tell me,‘We are trusting in the LORD our God.’ But Hezekiah is the one who eliminated his high places and altars and then told the people of Judah and Jerusalem,‘You must worship at this altar in Jerusalem.’

Referenced Verses

• 2 Chr 31:1 : 1 When all this had been completed, all the Israelites who were present went out to the towns of Judah and broke the sacred pillars, cut down the Asherah poles, and demolished the high places and the altars throughout Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh, until they had destroyed them completely. Then all the Israelites returned to their own cities, each to their own property.
• 2 Chr 32:12 : 12 Hasn't the same Hezekiah removed his high places and altars, saying to Judah and Jerusalem, 'You must worship before one altar and burn sacrifices on it'?
• Isa 36:7 : 7 But if you say to me, ‘We trust in the LORD our God,’ isn’t He the one whose high places and altars Hezekiah removed, saying to Judah and Jerusalem, 'You must worship at this altar’?
• Dan 3:15 : 15 Now, if you are ready, when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and all kinds of music, to fall down and worship the statue I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will immediately be thrown into the blazing fiery furnace. And who is the god who can rescue you from my hands?'
• Matt 27:43 : 43 'He trusts in God; let God deliver Him now, if He wants Him. For He said, "I am the Son of God."'
• 1 Cor 2:15 : 15 The spiritual person examines all things, but he himself is not subject to being examined by anyone.
• 2 Kgs 18:4-5 : 4 He removed the high places, broke the sacred pillars, cut down the Asherah poles, and smashed the bronze serpent that Moses had made, because the people of Israel had been burning incense to it, calling it Nehushtan. 5 He trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him.