Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Chronicles 34:4
And they broke down the altars of Baalim in his presence; and the images, that [were] on high above them, he cut down; and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images, he broke in pieces, and made dust [of them], and strewed [it] upon the graves of them that had sacrificed unto them.
4. Baalim ] R.V. the Baalim; cp. 2Ch 33:3 (note).
the images ] R.V. the sun-images (so 2Ch 34:7 for “the idols”). See 2Ki 23:11.
he cut down; and the groves, and the carved images ] R.V. he hewed down; and the Asherim, and the graven images.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The images – Margin, sun-images. See Lev 26:30 note.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 4. The altars of Baalim] How often have these been broken down, and how soon set up again! We see that the religion of a land is as the religion of its king. If the king were idolatrous, up went the altars, on them were placed the statues, and the smoke of incense ascended in ceaseless clouds to the honour of that which is vanity, and nothing to the world; on the other hand, when the king was truly religious, down went the idolatrous altars, broken in pieces were the images, and the sacrificial smoke ascended only to the true God: in all these cases the people were as one man with the king.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
4. the graves of them that hadsacrificed unto themHe treated the graves themselves as guiltyof the crimes of those who were lying in them [BERTHEAU].
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And they broke down the altars of Baalim in his presence,…. He not only ordered them to be broke down, but he went in person, and saw it done; these were the altars Manasseh had reared up to the idols; and though upon his humiliation he cast them out, they were rebuilt by Amon his son, see 2Ch 33:3,
and the images that were above them he cut down; sun images, as the word signifies; these Chamanim might be representatives of Cham or Ham, the son of Noah, the same with Jupiter Ammon; and there was another Heathen deity, Amanus, Strabo w speaks of, supposed to be the sun,
[See comments on Le 26:30], these, as Jarchi says, were in the form of the sun, and were set above the altars, over against the sun, to whom worship was paid; though some think this respects not place, but time, and that these were images in times past; in the preceding age, as the Tigurine version:
and the groves, and the carved images and the molten images, he brake in pieces; ordered them to be broken; the groves were statues, or images in groves, and thereby distinguished from those made of wood, and were carved, and from those that were of molten metal, and were placed elsewhere:
and made dust of them, and strewed it upon the graves of them that had sacrificed unto them, see 2Ki 23:6.
w Geograph l. 11. p. 352.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(4) Of Baalim.Of the Baals. 2Ki. 23:4-5, the Baal.
In his presence.Comp. 2Ki. 23:16, from which it appears that Josiah personally superintended the work of demolition.
The images.Sun statues (2Ch. 14:4).
That were on high above them, he cut down.Or, that were above, from off them he hewed.
The molten images.Rather, the maebuth, or sacred pillars. (See 2Ki. 23:14.)
Made dust of them.2Ki. 23:6 (of an Asherah).
And showed . . . unto them.Literally, and sprinkled upon the face of the graves that used to sacrifice unto them, as if the graves were guilty. 2Ki. 23:6 relates this of the temple Asherah only.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
2Ch 34:4. Images that were on high Or, solar statues. Or, temples dedicated to the fire.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
2Ch 34:4 And they brake down the altars of Baalim in his presence; and the images, that [were] on high above them, he cut down; and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images, he brake in pieces, and made dust [of them], and strowed [it] upon the graves of them that had sacrificed unto them.
Ver. 4. In his presence. ] He would see it done; that so it might be thoroughly done.
He cut down he brake in pieces, &c.] Notanda est congeries verborum, saith Lavater. Five or six several words are here used, to show how he mauled them, and made mortar of them, as we say; such was his holy indignation, zeal, and revenge.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
brake down. Note the Figure of speech Synonymia (App-6), by which the words are heaped together to impress us with the thoroughness of the work: e.g. “brake down”, “cut down”, “brake in pieces”, “made dust of them”, “strowed it”, and “burnt”.
graves. Hebrew. keber = a burial place, from kabar, to bury (Gen 23:4, Gen 23:20, &c). Primary idea is heaping up a tumulus. Keber = a grave; Sheol = the grave. See App-35.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
brake down: 2Ch 33:3, Exo 23:24, Lev 26:30, Deu 7:5, Deu 7:25
images: or, sun images, 2Ch 14:5, 2Ki 23:4, 2Ki 23:5, 2Ki 23:11
made dust: 2Ch 34:7, Exo 32:20, Deu 9:21, 2Ki 23:12, Psa 18:42, Isa 27:9
graves: Heb. face of the graves, 2Ki 10:26, 2Ki 10:27, 2Ki 23:4, 2Ki 23:6
Reciprocal: Exo 34:13 – ye shall 1Ki 13:2 – Josiah by name 1Ki 15:13 – destroyed 2Ki 11:18 – went 2Ki 23:14 – he brake 2Ch 14:3 – brake 2Ch 23:17 – the house of Baal 2Ch 30:14 – altars 2Ch 33:4 – he built Isa 17:8 – images Jer 8:1 – General Eze 6:4 – images Zep 1:4 – the remnant
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
34:4 And they brake down {c} the altars of Baalim in his presence; and the images, that [were] on high above them, he cut down; and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images, he brake in pieces, and made dust [of them], and strowed [it] upon the graves of them that had sacrificed unto them.
(c) Which shows that he would see the reformation with his own eyes.