Howbeit the high places were not taken away; the people still sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places.

But yet he took not away the high places: for the people still sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places.

Only, the high places were not removed: the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.

only, the high places have not turned aside, still are the people sacrificing and making perfume in high places.

But the high places were not taken away; the people went on making offerings and burning them in the high places.

Howbeit the high places were not taken away; the people still sacrificed and offered in the high places.

Yet still he did not take away the high places. For the people were still immolating, and burning incense, in the high places.

The worship on the "high places" seems to have continued uninterruptedly to the time of Hezekiah, who abolished it 2-Kings 18:4. It was, however, again established by Manasseh, his son 2-Kings 21:3. The priests at this time cannot have regarded it as idolatrous, or Jehoiada would have put it during his regency.

The high places were not taken away - Without the total destruction of these there could be no radical reform. The toleration of any species of idolatry in the land, whatever else was done in behalf of true religion, left, and in effect fostered, a seed which springing up, regenerated in time the whole infernal system. Jehoiada did not use his influence as he might have done; for as he had the king's heart and hand with him, he might have done what he pleased.

But (b) the high places were not taken away: the people still sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places.
(b) So hard a thing it is for them, that are in authority, to be brought to the perfect obedience of God.

But the high places were not taken away,.... Used before the temple was built, or set up in Rehoboam's time, 1-Kings 14:23 contrary to the law of God, which required that sacrifices should only be offered in the place the Lord chose to dwell in, Deuteronomy 12:4 the people still sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places; as they had done in the times of Athaliah, and though the pure worship of God was restored at Jerusalem; and indeed this they did in all preceding reigns; nor was it in the power of the best of kings, at least they did not think it safe to attempt to remove them till Hezekiah's time; so fond were the people of them because of their antiquity and supposed sanctity, and for the sake of ease.

But the high places were not taken away--The popular fondness for the private and disorderly rites performed in the groves and recesses of hills was so inveterate that even the most powerful monarchs had been unable to accomplish their suppression; no wonder that in the early reign of a young king, and after the gross irregularities that had been allowed during the maladministration of Athaliah, the difficulty of putting an end to the superstitions associated with "the high places" was greatly increased.

(4). But the worship on the high places was not entirely suppressed, notwithstanding the fact that Jehoiada instructed him (on this standing formula see the Comm. on 1-Kings 15:14).

Burnt incense - To the true God.