Original Word: מִפְלֶצֶת
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: miphletseth
Pronunciation: mif-let'-seth
Phonetic Spelling: (mif-leh'-tseth)
KJV: idol
NASB: horrid image
Word Origin: [from H6426 (פָּלַץ - tremble)]

1. a terror, i.e. an idol

idol

From palats; a terror, i.e. An idol -- idol.

see HEBREW palats

Word Origin
from palats
Definition
horrid thing
NASB Translation
horrid image (4).

מִפְלֶ֫צֶת noun feminine horrid thing (thing to shudder at); — לַאֲשֵׁרָה ׳עָֽשְׂתָה מ 1 Kings 15:13 (of some abominable object of idolatry, not precisely known), so suffix מִפְלַצְתָּהּ 1 Kings 15:13 2Chronicles 15:16 (twice in verse).

Overview

The Hebrew noun מִפְלֶצֶת describes an idolatrous object so detestable that the word itself conveys dread and revulsion. In the biblical narrative it is tied to Asherah worship within the royal household of Judah, and its removal becomes a watershed moment of covenant renewal under King Asa.

Occurrences in Scripture

1 Kings 15:13 and 2 Chronicles 15:16 give a double-record of the same reform. Each of the two verses contains the word twice, bringing the total to four occurrences:

• 1 Kings 15:13 – “He also removed Maacah his grandmother from being queen mother because she had made an Asherah pole; and Asa cut down the pole and burned it in the Kidron Valley.”
• 2 Chronicles 15:16 – “He also removed Maacah his grandmother from her position as queen mother because she had made an Asherah pole. Asa cut down the pole, smashed it, and burned it in the Kidron Valley.”

In both contexts מִפְלֶצֶת is rendered “Asherah pole,” yet the original term stresses its hideous, terrifying nature rather than its shape or materials.

Historical Setting: The Sin of Maacah and the Reform of Asa

Maacah, granddaughter of Absalom and mother (or grandmother) of Asa, wielded considerable influence in the royal court. Her idolatry was not a private indulgence but a public assertion of syncretism at the highest level of Judah’s government. By fashioning a מִפְלֶצֶת to Asherah she embraced the fertility cults common in the Canaanite milieu, blending them into the life of a nation called to exclusive allegiance to the LORD.

When Asa ascended the throne, he inherited a kingdom weakened by apostasy and foreign alliances. His decision to depose Maacah and destroy her abominable image marked a decisive break with the previous generation’s compromise. The act signaled that covenant fidelity outweighed even the honor owed to a queen mother. By relocating the destroyed fragments to the Kidron Valley, Asa associated the object with the city’s refuse and the memory of earlier purges (2 Kings 23:4–6), reinforcing its utter rejection.

Socioreligious Significance of Asherah Worship

Asherah worship appealed to Israel and Judah in times of agricultural uncertainty, promising fertility and protection. The rites typically involved carved or sculpted symbols—poles, pillars, or even living trees—erected on “high places.” Behind the veneer of prosperity lay moral corruption: ritual prostitution, divination, and child sacrifice often accompanied the cult. Scripture repeatedly names Asherah alongside Baal (Judges 3:7; 1 Kings 18:19), presenting a united front of idolatry that challenged covenant monotheism.

Within that framework מִפְלֶצֶת illustrates the ultimate fruit of syncretism: what begins as accommodation ends as something horrific. The prophet Isaiah later echoes the same moral revulsion toward idols—“They have chosen their own ways, and their souls delight in their abominations” (Isaiah 66:3).

Symbolism of “the Horrid Image”

1. Spiritual Terror: The root idea of fear or trembling warns that idols are not morally neutral. They elicit dread because they represent allegiance to spiritual powers opposed to God.
2. De-Creation: While the Creator formed humankind in His image, idolatry fashions gods in human imagination, reversing the created order and leading to moral chaos (Romans 1:22-25).
3. Public Contagion: Placed in the royal court, Maacah’s image threatened to normalize idolatry throughout the nation. Removing it protected corporate holiness.

Lessons on Spiritual Leadership

• Covenant priority over blood ties: Asa honored the fifth commandment yet recognized that loyalty to God takes precedence when family promotes sin (Deuteronomy 13:6-11; Matthew 10:37).
• Reform requires decisive action: Merely banning future idol manufacture would not suffice; the existing מִפְלֶצֶת had to be cut down, smashed, and burned. Genuine repentance includes dismantling structures that facilitate sin (2 Corinthians 10:4-5).
• Holiness and public office: Position and tradition cannot shield persistent rebellion. Even a queen mother stands accountable to God’s law.

Practical Application for Modern Ministry

1. Confront Cultural Idols: Every culture erects its own מִפְלֶצֶת—objects, ideologies, or habits that command ultimate loyalty. Identifying and removing them is vital for congregational health.
2. Guard Spiritual Influence: Like Maacah, individuals with charisma and heritage can steer communities toward compromise. Elders and pastors must exercise vigilance, balancing respect with obedience to Scripture.
3. Visible Acts of Repentance: Asa’s public demolition modeled repentance for the nation. Contemporary believers may need symbolic acts—discarding pornography, canceling unethical contracts, or restoring stolen goods—to testify to transformed allegiance.

Intertextual Connections

• Deuteronomy 7:5 commands Israel to “tear down their altars, smash their sacred stones, cut down their Asherah poles, and burn their idols with fire.” Asa’s actions closely follow this template, underscoring his intent to realign Judah with Mosaic law.
• 2 Kings 23 records Josiah’s later reformation, in which he “brought out the Asherah from the house of the LORD” (2 Kings 23:6). Josiah’s zeal echoes Asa’s earlier example, illustrating a recurring cycle of cleansing and relapse in Judah’s history.
• Revelation 2:20–23 addresses the church in Thyatira for tolerating “that woman Jezebel” who leads believers into immorality and idolatry. The New Testament thus continues to frame idolatry as a threat that can infiltrate leadership structures.

Summary

Strong’s Hebrew 4656 highlights idolatry at its most repulsive—a tangible affront to God installed at the heart of Judah’s monarchy. Its removal by Asa demonstrates courageous fidelity to the covenant, modeling the necessary steps of identification, confrontation, and eradication of sin. For today’s disciples, מִפְלֶצֶת stands as a sober reminder that any object or allegiance that supplants God must be torn down and burned in the valley, never merely moved to a quieter corner of life.

מִפְלֶ֖צֶת מִפְלַצְתָּ֔הּ מִפְלָ֑צֶת מפלצת מפלצתה mifLatzet miflatzTah mifLetzet mip̄·lā·ṣeṯ mip̄·laṣ·tāh mip̄·le·ṣeṯ mip̄lāṣeṯ mip̄laṣtāh mip̄leṣeṯInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts