2 Chronicles 15:16 (DBY)

Passage

And also Maachah, the mother of Asa the king, he removed from being queen, because she had made an idol for the Asherah; and Asa cut down her idol, and stamped it, and burned it in the valley Kidron.

Nearby Context

2 Chronicles 15:14 And they swore to 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 took the oath 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 Maachah, the mother of Asa the king, he removed from being queen, because she had made an idol for the Asherah; and Asa cut down her idol, and stamped it, and burned it in the valley Kidron.

2 Chronicles 15:17 But the high places were not removed from Israel; only, Asa's heart was perfect all his days.

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

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "maachah", "mother", "king", "removed", "queen", "idol", "asherah", and "down". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "maachah" 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 removed...", so "maachah" 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 "maachah" and "mother" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.