Limitless Word
He did what was evil in the Lord’s sight, just as his ancestors had done.
2 Kings 23:32 · New Living Translation
Parallel translations
  • WEB He did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, according to all that his fathers had done.
  • KJV And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his fathers had done.
  • BSB And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, just as his fathers had done.
  • NKJV And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his fathers had done.
  • NASB He did evil in the sight of the Lord, in accordance with all that his forefathers had done.

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

Jehoahaz does evil in the Lord's sight as his fathers had done. The brief reign immediately returns to ancestral sin.

Overview

Despite his father Josiah's exemplary faithfulness, Jehoahaz reverts to the idolatry of earlier kings. This shows that godly heritage does not guarantee godly children; each person must respond to God personally. The verse highlights the persistent human bent toward sin that only the gospel can finally cure.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 2

  • 2 Kgs 21:2–7He did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, after the abominations of the nations whom Yahweh cast out before the children of Israel.
  • 2 Kgs 21:21–22He walked in all the ways that his father walked in, and served the idols that his father served, and worshiped them;

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (3)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — 2 Kings videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on 2 Kings 23:32YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on 2 KingsMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Amid the long decline toward exile, the promise to David's house refuses to die; the flickering lamp kept burning anticipates the coming King who will not fail or be cut off.

How 2 Kings 23:32 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

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.