· Translation: KJV

2 Kings 15:35However the high places were not taken away: the people still sacrificed and burned incense in the high places. He built the upper gate of the house of Yahweh.

The setting

Jerusalem, ~740 BC. King Jotham builds temple gates while pagan shrines operate on hilltops throughout Judah. Modern-day Jerusalem, Israel.

The emotion here: frustrated disappointment at incomplete reformation

The original word

bāmôt (בָּמוֹת) — high places, elevated pagan worship sites that should have been destroyed

Why it matters

High places were Canaanite worship sites often built on hills with stone altars and wooden poles

Read with care

What most readers miss in 2 Kings 15:35

Jotham built God's house while allowing rival worship sites - classic partial obedience

Common misconceptionPeople think this shows Jotham was a failure, but he was actually one of Judah's better kings - it shows how deeply rooted spiritual compromise can be.

Bible Genome reading

2 Kings 15:35 — Bible Genome reading

SpeakerNarrator
EraDivided Kingdom
Primary emotionanxious
Literary typenarrative

Emotional genome

Comfort power20%
Quotability50%
Memorability50%
Crisis relevance50%
Standalone40%
Themes:incomplete obediencecompromise

In context

No verse stands alone.

Read the conversation around it.

Open 2 Kings 15

2 Kings 15:35 comes from the book of 2 Kings, written during the Divided Kingdom period. These words are attributed to Narrator. The dominant emotion in this verse is anxious, with a comfort power of 20% and a tone that is lamenting. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include incomplete obedience, compromise. Notable phrases: high places were not taken away.

Your reflection

What does 2 Kings 15:35 mean to you, today?

A short note. A question. A prayer. Saved privately to your Soul Garden, dated, and tied to this verse forever.

Speak your heart →

Get 3 verses for "anxious"

Delivered to your inbox right now. Free.