2 Kings 18:3-6

18:3 He did what the Lord approved, just as his ancestor David had done. ¹  18:4 He eliminated the high places, smashed the sacred pillars to bits, and cut down the Asherah pole. ²  He also demolished the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for up to that time ³  the Israelites had been offering incense to it; it was called Nehushtan. ⁴  18:5 He trusted in the Lord God of Israel; in this regard there was none like him among the kings of Judah either before or after. ⁵  18:6 He was loyal to ⁶  the Lord and did not abandon him. ⁷  He obeyed the commandments which the Lord had given to ⁸  Moses.

[18:3]  ¹ tn Heb “he did what was proper in the eyes of the Lord, according to all which David his father had done.”

[18:4]  ² tn The term is singular in the MT but plural in the LXX and other ancient versions. It is also possible to regard the singular as a collective singular, especially in the context of other plural items.

[18:4]  ³ tn Heb “until those days.”

[18:4]  ⁴ tn In Hebrew the name sounds like the phrase נְחַשׁ הַנְּחֹשֶׁת (nÿkhash hannÿkhoshet), “bronze serpent.”

[18:5]  ⁵ tn Heb “and after him there was none like him among all the kings of Judah, and those who were before him.”

[18:6]  ⁶ tn Heb “he hugged.”

[18:6]  ⁷ tn Heb “and did not turn aside from after him.”

[18:6]  ⁸ tn Heb “had commanded.”