Translations
F.O.G.MPrimary
F.O.G MessageHis heart soared in the ways of Yahweh, and he went even further — removing the high places and the Asherah poles from Judah.
F.O.GSecondary
The F.O.GHis heart was emboldened in the ways of YHWH, and he went further still — removing the high places and the Asherah poles from Yehudah.
KJV
King James VersionAnd his heart was lifted up in the ways of the LORD: moreover he took away the high places and groves out of Judah.
BSB
Berean Standard BibleAnd his heart took delight in the ways of the LORD; furthermore, he removed the high places and Asherah poles from Judah.
Footnotes
The Hebrew *vayigbah libbo* — literally "his heart was high" — cuts both ways in the Hebrew Bible. Elsewhere it signals dangerous pride (2 Chr. 26:16; 32:25). Here it is redeemed by its object: *bedarkei YHWH*, "in the ways of YHWH." When the heart rises in alignment with God, elevation becomes courage rather than arrogance. The *asherim* (Asherah poles) were wooden cult objects associated with the Canaanite mother-goddess, typically planted beside altars. Their removal — which Chronicles emphasises more than Kings — signals active covenantal fidelity, not merely passive avoidance of sin. FOG renders the phrase as "emboldened"; FOG Message chooses "soared" to capture the upward motion and its positive register.
