2 Kings 21:7He set the engraved image of Asherah, that he had made, in the house of which Yahweh said to David and to Solomon his son, "In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, will I put my name forever;
The setting
Inside Solomon's Temple, Jerusalem, ~650 BC. King Manasseh carries a carved wooden pole representing the fertility goddess Asherah into the Holy Place itself - the same room where God's presence once dwelt...
The emotion here: heartbroken historian recording the ultimate betrayal
The original word
pesel (פֶּסֶל) — carved image, specifically an idol hewn from wood or stone for worship
Why it matters
This Asherah pole was placed in the temple for 55 years until King Josiah destroyed it
Read with care
What most readers miss in 2 Kings 21:7
God reminds Manasseh of His promise to David and Solomon at the exact moment Manasseh is breaking it - highlighting the devastating irony
Common misconceptionPeople think this was just adding another god to the mix, but placing Asherah in the temple was like putting a pornographic statue on a church altar - it was deliberate desecration.
The thread continues
Verses that echo 2 Kings 21:7
Bible Genome reading
2 Kings 21:7 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
2 Kings 21:7 comes from the book of 2 Kings, written during the Divided Kingdom period. The setting is the Temple. These words are attributed to Narrator. The dominant emotion in this verse is angry, with a comfort power of 10% and a tone that is lamenting. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include idol placement, covenant breaking. Notable phrases: engraved image of Asherah; in this house; David and Solomon.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same angry
“Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weak say, 'I am strong.'”
— Joel 3:10
“You blind guides, who strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel!”
— Matthew 23:24
“Listen to this word, you cows of Bashan, who are on the mountain of Samaria, who oppress the poor, who crush the needy, who tell their husba…”
— Amos 4:1
“I hate, I despise your feasts, and I can't stand your solemn assemblies.”
— Amos 5:21
“Your eyes shall not pity; life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.”
— Deuteronomy 19:21
Your reflection
What does 2 Kings 21:7 mean to you, today?
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