2 Kings 23:6-16

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 ¹ground it to dust, and ²threw its dust on the graves of the common people.

7 He also broke down the houses of the ³male cult prostitutes which were in the house of the LORD, where * ⁴the 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 ⁵Geba 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 ⁶the 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 ⁷He also defiled Topheth, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, ⁸that no man might make his son or his daughter pass through the fire for ⁹Molech.

11 He did away with the horses which the kings of Judah had given to the ¹⁰sun, 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 ¹¹The altars which were on the roof, the upper chamber of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made, and ¹²the 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 ¹³threw their dust into the brook Kidron.

13 The high places which were before * Jerusalem, which were on the right of ¹⁴the mount of destruction which Solomon the king of Israel had built for ¹⁵Ashtoreth the abomination of the Sidonians, and for ¹⁶Chemosh the abomination of Moab, and for Milcom the abomination of the sons of Ammon, the king defiled.

14 ¹⁷He broke in pieces the sacred pillars and cut down the Asherim and ¹⁸filled their places with human bones

15 Furthermore, ¹⁹the altar that was at Bethel and the ²⁰high 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 ²¹demolished its stones, ground them to dust, and burned the Asherah.

16 Now when Josiah turned, he saw the graves that were there on the mountain, and he sent and took the bones from the graves and burned them on the altar and defiled it ²²according to the word of the LORD which the man of God proclaimed, who proclaimed these things.

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2 Kings 23:6-16 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

Cross References 22

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

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"

2 Kings 23:6-16

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2 Kings 23:6-16 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO 2 KINGS 23

Cross References 22

Footnotes 5