2 Kings 23:19

19 Moreover, Josiah removed all the shrines on the high hills that the Israelite kings had constructed throughout the cities of Samaria. These had made the LORD angry. Josiah did to them just what he did at Bethel.

2 Kings 23:19 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 23:19

And all the houses also of the high places
The temples of the idols there, and the houses for the priests to dwell in:

that were in the cities of Samaria, which the kings of Israel had made
to provoke the Lord to anger, Josiah took away;
particularly in the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, unto Naphtali, ( 2 Chronicles 34:6 ) the Israelites that remained there acknowledging Josiah as their king; and perhaps, after the defeat of Sennacherib, many of the cities of Israel might put themselves under the protection of Hezekiah, and especially upon the destruction of the Assyrian empire; and Manasseh, with his liberty, might have his kingdom enlarged by the king of Babylon; and which being continued and increased in the times of Josiah, might be the reason of his opposing the king of Egypt in favour of the king of Babylon:

and did to them according to all the acts that he had done in Bethel;
defiled them, and broke down the altars in them.

2 Kings 23:19 In-Context

17 "What's this gravestone I see?" Josiah asked. The people of the city replied, "That tomb belongs to the man of God who came from Judah and announced what you would do to the altar of Bethel."

18 "Let it be," Josiah said. "No one should disturb his bones." So they left his bones untouched, along with the bones of the prophet who came from Samaria.

19 Moreover, Josiah removed all the shrines on the high hills that the Israelite kings had constructed throughout the cities of Samaria. These had made the LORD angry. Josiah did to them just what he did at Bethel.

20 He actually slaughtered on those altars all the priests of the shrines who were there, and he burned human bones on them. Then Josiah returned to Jerusalem.

21 The king commanded all the people, "Celebrate a Passover to the LORD your God following what is instructed in this scroll containing the covenant."