2 Kings 23:5-15

Listen to 2 Kings 23:5-15

5 He did away with the idolatrous priests whom the kings of Judah had appointed to burn incense in the high places in the cities of Judah and in the surrounding area of Jerusalem, also those who burned incense to Baal, to the sun and to the moon and to the constellations and to all the ¹host of heaven.

6 He brought out the Asherah from the house of the LORD outside * Jerusalem to the brook Kidron, and burned it at the brook Kidron, and ²ground it to dust, and ³threw its dust on the graves of the common people.

7 He also broke down the houses of the ⁴male cult prostitutes which were in the house of the LORD, where * ⁵the women were weaving hangings for the Asherah.

8 Then he brought all the priests from the cities of Judah, and defiled the high places where * the priests had burned incense, from ⁶Geba to Beersheba; and he broke down the high places of the gates which were at the entrance of the gate of Joshua the governor of the city, which were on one's left at the city gate.

9 Nevertheless ⁷the priests of the high places did not go up to the altar of the LORD in Jerusalem, but they ate unleavened bread among their brothers.

10 ⁸He also defiled Topheth, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, ⁹that no man might make his son or his daughter pass through the fire for ¹⁰Molech.

11 He did away with the horses which the kings of Judah had given to the ¹¹sun, at the entrance of the house of the LORD, by the chamber of Nathan-melech the official, which was in the precincts; and he burned the chariots of the sun with fire.

12 ¹²The altars which were on the roof, the upper chamber of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made, and ¹³the altars which Manasseh had made in the two courts of the house of the LORD, the king broke down; and he smashed them there and ¹⁴threw their dust into the brook Kidron.

13 The high places which were before * Jerusalem, which were on the right of ¹⁵the mount of destruction which Solomon the king of Israel had built for ¹⁶Ashtoreth the abomination of the Sidonians, and for ¹⁷Chemosh the abomination of Moab, and for Milcom the abomination of the sons of Ammon, the king defiled.

14 ¹⁸He broke in pieces the sacred pillars and cut down the Asherim and ¹⁹filled their places with human bones

15 Furthermore, ²⁰the altar that was at Bethel and the ²¹high place which Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel sin, had made, even that altar and the high place he broke down. Then he ²²demolished its stones, ground them to dust, and burned the Asherah.

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2 Kings 23:5-15 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO 2 KINGS 23

This chapter treats of Josiah's reading the book of the law, and of him and the people renewing the covenant with God, 2Ki 23:1-3, and of his removing idols and idolatry in every shape, and witchcraft, out of the land, which he did in the sincerity of his heart, 2Ki 23:4-25, yet the wrath of God was still determined upon the land, 2Ki 23:26-28 and Josiah was taken away by an untimely death, 2Ki 23:29,30 and was succeeded by two sons of his, one after another, whose reigns were wicked, 2Ki 23:31-37.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

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Cross References 22

1. 2 Kings 21:3
2. 2 Kings 23:15
3. 2 Chronicles 34:4
4. 1 Kings 14:24; 1 Kings 15:12
5. Exodus 35:25, 26; Ezekiel 16:16
6. Joshua 21:17; 1 Kings 15:22
7. Ezekiel 44:10-14
8. Isaiah 30:33; Jeremiah 7:31, 32; Jeremiah 19:4-6
9. Leviticus 18:21
10. 1 Kings 11:7
11. Deuteronomy 4:19; Job 31:26; Ezekiel 8:16
12. Jeremiah 19:13; Zephaniah 1:5
13. 2 Kings 21:5; 2 Chronicles 33:5
14. 2 Kings 23:4, 6
15. 1 Kings 11:7
16. 1 Kings 11:5
17. Numbers 21:29
18. Deuteronomy 7:5, 25
19. 2 Kings 23:16
20. 1 Kings 13:1
21. 1 Kings 12:28-33
22. 2 Kings 23:6

Footnotes 5

[a] Lit "sons of the people"
[b] Or "tents;" lit "houses"
[c] I.e. place of burning
[d] Or "ran from there"
[e] So the Gr; Heb "burned the high place"

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2 Kings 23:5-15

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2 Kings 23:5-15 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO 2 KINGS 23

Cross References 22

Footnotes 5

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