“And 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.”
My Notes
What Does 1 Kings 22:43 Mean?
"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." Jehoshaphat receives a mostly positive evaluation: he followed his father Asa's righteous path. He didn't deviate. He did right in God's eyes. But the 'nevertheless' introduces the qualification that prevents the evaluation from being perfect: the high places remained.
The high places (bamot) were unauthorized worship sites — hilltop altars where sacrifice occurred outside the centralized worship system. Some were dedicated to the LORD (not pagan gods). But their existence outside Jerusalem's Temple violated the principle of centralized worship. The reform that should have removed them didn't.
The 'nevertheless' that follows the positive evaluation is the pattern for most of Judah's good kings: righteous but incomplete. Faithful but with a qualification. The high places become the perpetual asterisk on otherwise good reigns. Almost every positive evaluation in Kings includes this caveat.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What 'high place' — area of incomplete reform — persists in your otherwise faithful life?
- 2.Why does the same qualification appear for almost every good king?
- 3.What does the 'nevertheless' after a positive evaluation teach about God's standards?
- 4.What small, persistent area of disobedience are you leaving unaddressed?
Devotional
He did right. He walked faithfully. He didn't deviate. Nevertheless: the high places. The one word that turns a perfect evaluation into a qualified one. The asterisk on an otherwise excellent reign.
Jehoshaphat's evaluation is the evaluation most of us would receive: generally faithful. Mostly obedient. Walking in the right direction. But with a 'nevertheless' — an area of incomplete reform that qualifies the overall assessment. The high places stayed. The unauthorized worship sites continued. The reform that should have been complete was partial.
The high places are the Bible's most persistent reform failure: almost every good king of Judah receives this same notation. Asa: good king, high places remained. Jehoshaphat: good king, high places remained. Joash: good king, high places remained. The failure is generational and systemic. Each good king reforms most things but leaves this one area untouched.
The 'nevertheless' is the word that prevents any good king from receiving a perfect score: you can do almost everything right and still have one area of incomplete obedience that qualifies the whole evaluation. The high places are small — hilltop altars, not dramatic idolatry. But their persistence matters to God. The small area of incomplete reform is the area God keeps noting.
What's your 'nevertheless'? What high place persists in your otherwise faithful life — the one area of incomplete reform that qualifies your overall evaluation?
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
On the general piety of Asa, see above, 1Ki 15:11-15 and references. Jehoshaphat seems to have been a still better king,…
The high places were not taken away - In Ch2 17:6, it is expressly said, that he did take away the high places. Allowing…
Here is, I. A short account of the reign of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, of which we shall have a much fuller narrative in…
nevertheless[R.V. howbeit] the high places were not taken away for [om. forR.V.] the people offered[R.V. still…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture