Maachah his mother—he removed from being queen, because she had made an idol in a grove— The word which we render idol, is in the original מפלצת mepletzet, the signification of which has been doubted. The Vulgate, however, has in a great measure cleared the matter, by rendering the passage that this queen-mother was the high priestess in the sacrifices of Priapus; and when the LXX, according to the Vatican copy, informs us, that she held an assembly in this grove, and that her son Asa cut down all the close harbours or places of retreat; as the word Συνοδος which we render assembly, may have a more carnal meaning; and the other, καταδυους properly signifies hiding places, or places of retirement for wicked and obscene purposes; we may hence infer, that both the Latin and Greek translators took the idol of Maachah to be some lewd and lascivious deity, which loved to be worshipped in filthy and abominable actions; and that this could be no other than the Roman Priapus, whose worshippers were chiefly women, seems to be implied in the very etymology of the word, which properly signifies terriculamentum, or a device to frighten things away; for this was exactly the office of Priapus in all gardens. Such is the opinion of Mr. Jurieu, in his Hist. des Dogmes et Culte, part. 4: chap. 2 with whom Parkhurst in some measure agrees, though he differs in the derivation. See his Lexicon on פלצ, and Vossius de Orig. et Prog. Idol. lib. 2: cap. 14: and 74:
Related Commentaries of 1 Kings 15:13
1 Kings 15:13
13 And also Maachah his mother, even her he removed from being queen, because she had made an idol in a grove; and Asa destroyedd her idol, and burnt it by the brook Kidron.