And also Maachah his mother, even her he removed from being queen, because she had made an idol in a grove; and Asa destroyed her idol, and burnt it by the brook Kidron. She had made an idol in a grove - The original word, מפלצת miphletseth, is variously understood. I shall give its different views in the versions: -
"Besides, he removed his mother Maacha from being chief in the sacred rites of Priapus, and in his grove which she had consecrated."
- Vulgate.
"And Ana, [other copies Maacha], he removed from being governess, because she had made an assembly in her grove."
- Septuagint.
"Moreover, he deprived Maacha, his mother, of her own magnificence, because she had celebrated a solemnity to her own worship."
- Syriac.
"And even Maacha, his mother, he removed from the kingdom, because she had made an idol in a grove."
- Chaldee.
"Besides, he removed Maacha, his mother, from her kingdom, because she had made a high tree into an idol."
- Arabic.
"Also he removed Maacha, his mother, from the kingdom, because she had made a horrible statue; and our rabbins say that it was called מפלצת miphletseth, because מפליא ליצנותא maphli leytsanutha, it produced wonderful ridicule; for she made it ad instar membri virilis, and she used it daily."
- Rabbi Solomon Jarchi.
From the whole, it is pretty evident that the image was a mere Priapus, or something of the same nature, and that Maachah had an assembly in the grove where this image was set up, and doubtless worshipped it with the most impure rites. What the Roman Priapus was I need not tell the learned reader; and as to the unlearned, it would not profit him to know. Maachah was most likely another Messalina; and Asa probably did for his mother what Claudius did for his wife.