2 Chronicles 15:16 (ASV)

Passage

And also Maacah, the mother of Asa the king, he removed from being queen, because she had made an abominable image for an Asherah; and Asa cut down her image, and made dust of it, and burnt it at the brook Kidron.

Nearby Context

2 Chronicles 15:14 And they sware unto Jehovah with a loud voice, and with shouting, and with trumpets, and with cornets.

2 Chronicles 15:15 And all Judah rejoiced at the oath; for they had sworn with all their heart, and sought him with their whole desire; and he was found of them: and Jehovah gave them rest round about.

2 Chronicles 15:16 And also Maacah, the mother of Asa the king, he removed from being queen, because she had made an abominable image for an Asherah; and Asa cut down her image, and made dust of it, and burnt it at the brook Kidron.

2 Chronicles 15:17 But the high places were not taken away out of Israel: nevertheless the heart of Asa was perfect all his days.

2 Chronicles 15:18 And he brought into the house of God the things that his father had dedicated, and that he himself had dedicated, silver, and gold, and vessels.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "maacah", "mother", "king", "removed", "queen", "abominable", "image", and "asherah". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "maacah" and "mother", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 15's "And all Judah rejoiced at the oath..." into verse 17's "But the high places were not taken...", so "maacah" and "mother" belong inside that flow. In 2 Chronicles context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "maacah" and "mother" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.