But the high places were not removed: nevertheless Asa’s heart was perfect with the LORD all his days.
Parallel translations
- WEB But the high places were not taken away. Nevertheless the heart of Asa was perfect with Yahweh all his days.
- BSB The high places were not removed, but Asa’s heart was fully devoted to the LORD all his days.
- NKJV But the high places were not removed. Nevertheless Asa’s heart was loyal to the Lord all his days.
- NASB But the high places were not eliminated; nevertheless Asa’s heart was wholly devoted to the Lord all his days.
- NLT Although the pagan shrines were not removed, Asa’s heart remained completely faithful to the Lord throughout his life.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Although the high places remain, Asa's heart is wholly true to God all his days. His incomplete reform does not negate his genuine faithfulness.
Overview
The lingering high places show that even good kings left some reforms unfinished. Yet Scripture commends Asa's heart as perfect, that is, undivided toward the LORD. The verse teaches that true devotion is measured by the heart's loyalty, even when external reform remains imperfect.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- 1 Kgs 22:43And he walked in all the ways of Asa his father; he turned not aside from it, doing that which was right in the eyes of the LORD: nevertheless the high places were not taken away; for the people offered and burnt incense yet in the high places.
- 1 Kgs 15:3And he walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father.
- 1 Kgs 8:61Let your heart therefore be perfect with the LORD our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day.
- 2 Kgs 12:3But the high places were not taken away: the people still sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places.
- 2 Chr 14:5Also he took away out of all the cities of Judah the high places and the images: and the kingdom was quiet before him.
- 2 Chr 15:17–18But the high places were not taken away out of Israel: nevertheless the heart of Asa was perfect all his days.
- 2 Chr 14:3For he took away the altars of the strange gods, and the high places, and brake down the images, and cut down the groves:
- 2 Kgs 14:4Howbeit the high places were not taken away: as yet the people did sacrifice and burnt incense on the high places.
- 2 Kgs 15:4Save that the high places were not removed: the people sacrificed and burnt incense still on the high places.
- 1 Kgs 11:4For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.
- 2 Chr 25:2And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, but not with a perfect heart.
- 2 Chr 16:9For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.
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Christ at the center
Solomon's glory, wisdom, and temple where God's presence dwells are a shadow of the greater Son of David — 'one greater than Solomon is here' — and of the true Temple, Christ himself.
How 1 Kings 15:14 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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