Howbeit the high places were not removed: the people sacrificed and burned incense still in the high places. He built the higher gate of the house of the LORD.
However, the high places were not torn down: the people still offered sacrifices and burned incense at these high places. He built the upper gate of the LORD's temple.
This verse shows that even though King Jotham did good things like building part of the temple, he failed to completely remove the places where people worshiped incorrectly.
📚 Historical Context
In the time of King Jotham of Judah, around the 8th century BC, the nation was divided between Israel and Judah, and idolatry remained a widespread issue despite reforms by previous kings. Jotham is described as doing what was right in God's eyes, but he neglected to remove the high places, which were unauthorized worship sites where people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense instead of solely using the Temple in Jerusalem. This reflects a common pattern in Judah's history where leaders showed partial faithfulness while allowing cultural practices to persist.
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