2 Kings 23:20

20 He slaughtered on the altars all the priests of the high places who were there, and he burned human bones on the altars.^[a] Then he returned to Jerusalem.

2 Kings 23:20 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 23:20

And he slew all the priests of the high places that were
there
The idolatrous priests who sacrificed to Baal, and other Heathen deities; for as for others that burnt incense in high places, yet to the true God, those he spared, though they were not suffered to officiate at the altar of God: the others he slew

upon the altars;
where they sacrificed:

and burnt men's bones upon them:
the bones of the priests, and worshippers of idols, as he had done at Bethel:

and returned to Jerusalem;
after he had gone through the land, both of Judah and Israel, and abolished idolatrous worship everywhere.

2 Kings 23:20 In-Context

18 So he said, "Let him rest. Don't let anyone disturb his bones." So they left his bones undisturbed with the bones of the prophet who came from Samaria.

19 Josiah also removed all the shrines of the high places that were in the cities of Samaria, which the kings of Israel had made to provoke [the Lord]. Josiah did the same things to them that he had done at Bethel

20 He slaughtered on the altars all the priests of the high places who were there, and he burned human bones on the altars. Then he returned to Jerusalem.

21 The king commanded all the people, "Keep the Passover of the Lord your God as written in the book of the covenant."

22 No such Passover had ever been kept from the time of the judges who judged Israel through the entire time of the kings of Israel and Judah.

Footnotes

• [a]. 1 Kg 13:2