Hath not the same Hezekiah taken away his high places and his altars, and commanded Judah and Jerusalem, saying, Ye shall worship before one altar, and burn incense upon it?
Hasn't this same Hezekiah removed the worship sites and altars, and commanded the people of Judah and Jerusalem, saying, 'You must worship at only one altar and burn incense there'?
The writer is recording an accusation that King Hezekiah had centralized worship by removing local worship sites and requiring people to worship only at the temple in Jerusalem.
📚 Historical Context
In the 8th century BC, King Hezekiah of Judah implemented religious reforms to remove idols and pagan worship sites, focusing worship solely on the God of Israel as outlined in the Scriptures. This included destroying high places and altars dedicated to false gods, which centralized devotion in Jerusalem's temple. The verse appears in a taunt from Assyrian envoys during their invasion, as they tried to undermine Hezekiah's leadership and sow doubt among the people of Judah.
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