Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Kings 23:16
And as Josiah turned himself, he spied the sepulchers that [were] there in the mount, and sent, and took the bones out of the sepulchers, and burned [them] upon the altar, and polluted it, according to the word of the LORD which the man of God proclaimed, who proclaimed these words.
16. Josiah turned himself ] i.e. To view the overthrow and to satisfy himself that all had been thoroughly destroyed. The king was zealous in the work, and personally superintended what he wished to have done.
he spied the sepulchres ] Not close by where the altar and the high place had stood, but on some other hill, which was visible from where the king was standing.
burnt them upon the altar, and polluted [R.V. defiled ] it ] The change is for consistency. We have the verb translated ‘defile’ in verses 8, 10 and 13.
according to the word of the Lord ] For the history here referred to see 1Ki 13:2.
these words ] R.V. things. This is the translation in the very next verse.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 16. And as Josiah turned himself] This verse is much more complete in the Septuagint, and in the Hexaplar Syriac version at Paris. I shall give the whole, making a distinction where, in those versions, any thing is added: “And as Josiah turned himself, he spied the sepulchres that were there in the mount, and sent and took the bones out of the sepulchres, and burnt them upon the altar, and polluted it: according to the word of the Lord which the man of God proclaimed [when Jeroboam stood by the altar at the feast. And turning about, he cast his eyes on the sepulchre of the man of God] who proclaimed these words.” See 1Kg 13:2, where these things were predicted, and see the notes there.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
As Josiah turned himself: Josiahs care and zeal was so great, that he would not trust his officers with these things, but would see them done with his own eyes. Which the man of God proclaimed three hundred years before it was done.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
16. according to the word of theLord which the man of God proclaimed, &c.In carrying onthese proceedings, Josiah was prompted by his own intense hatred ofidolatry. But it is remarkable that this act was predicted threehundred twenty-six years before his birth, and his name also wasexpressly mentioned, as well as the very place where it should bedone (1Ki 13:2). This is one ofthe most most remarkable prophecies in the Bible.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And as Josiah turned himself,…. From the high place, and the altar at Bethel; for he not only gave orders for the destroying of idolatrous places and idols, but he saw them executed himself:
he spied the sepulchres that were there in the mount; the graves of idolatrous priests and worshippers, who chose to be buried near those places of idolatry; nor was it unusual for persons to be buried on hills and mountains, see Jos 24:30 and this was a custom in other nations formerly t, particularly among the Indians u now, who in many things agree with the Jews:
and sent and took the bones out of the sepulchres, and burnt them upon the altar; where they had sacrificed to idols:
and polluted it; with their bones, which, according to the law, were defiling, and which was done in contempt of their idolatrous worship there:
according to the word of the Lord which the man of God proclaimed, who proclaimed these words; or things; foretold that such a king by name would arise, and burn men’s bones upon the altar, and which had been foretold more than three hundred and fifty years before this time.
t Vid. Servium in Virgil. Aeneid. 11. ver 849. “fuit ingens monte sub alto”. u Manasseh ben Israel Spes Israelis. sect 6. p. 29.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(16) Turned himself.So that he caught sight of the tombs on the hill-side oppositenot on the hill where the high place was.
The man of God proclaimed.Some words appear to have fallen out of the Hebrew text here, for the LXX. adds, when Jeroboam stood in the feast at the altar. And he returned and lifted up his eyes upon the grave of the man of God. (A transcribers eye wandered from one man of God to the other.) Josiah returned, when on the point of going away.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
(16-18) These verses are supposed by Sthelin to be a fictitious addition of the compilers. Thenius does not go so far as this, but assumes that the proper sequel of 1Ki. 13:1-32, has been transferred to this place. He argues that it must be an interpolation here, because (1) the moreover of 2Ki. 23:15 (wgam) corresponds to the and . . . also (wgam) of 2Ki. 23:19, which does not prove much; and because (2) Josiah could not pollute the altar (2Ki. 23:16) after he had already shattered it in pieces (2Ki. 23:15). This reasoning is not conclusive, because it is obvious that, as is so often the case, the writer has first told in brief what was done to the altar and high place at Bethel, and then related at length an interesting incident that occurred at the time. In short, the statement of 2Ki. 23:15 is anticipatory.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
16. The sepulchres in the mount Apparently in the same mount on which Beth-el was situated. During an evening which J.L. Porter spent at this place, he says, “I explored the rock sepulchres, too, which dot the sides of the mount, thinking that one or other of them might be that of the man of God from Judah, whose bones Josiah respected.”
Polluted it The burning of human bones on an altar was regarded as utterly defiling the sacred place, and rendering it unfit for holy uses.
According to the word See 1Ki 13:2.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
There is somewhat particularly interesting in the history to which these verses refer, and I would beg the Reader to mark it with me. If he will turn to the thirteenth chapter of the first book of the kings, he will read the history of those events, which the Lord, by the prophet there spoken of, predicted that Josiah himself should fulfil. And although it was at a distance of no less than 350 years from the time of the prediction to the accomplishment, yet so exact, and so particular was the correspondence of one to the other, as if it had been recorded in one and the same day. Reader! doth it not warm your heart, the very thought of it? Oh! how delightful is this doctrine, considered as to the great object of all doctrine, the salvation by our Lord Jesus. He was set up from everlasting. And Paul tells us that the church also was chosen in him before the foundation of the world. See those precious scriptures to this effect: Pro 8:22-31 ; Mic 5:2 ; Eph 1:4 ; 2Ti 1:9 . In addition to the observations made in the Commentary, on this history of the prophet, 1Ki 13 , I would only here add, that though the Lord was pleased, by way of example to the church, to punish that prophet’s disobedience with temporary death; yet you observe here the Lord watched over his dust; and amidst the burning of the bones of others, his lay secure. It is a part of the covenant to inflict the rod, by way of chastisement, for sin, but the everlasting salvation of the Lord’s heritage is secured, from the Lord’s righteousness. Psa 89:30 . What the old lying prophet proposed to himself, in being laid in the same sepulchre, I know not, but like another lying prophet, he thought, perhaps, the very dust of God’s Israel a gracious preservative. Num 23:10 . Reader! think of this! And be assured no goldsmith ever prized the precious dust of the golden ore, equal to what Jesus doth the very ashes of his people. However, to your view, or my view, this may seem lost, and scattered, and mingled amidst the rubbish of the earth, or the bodies of the carnal, Jesus beholds every particle of his whole mystical body; and when he cometh to make up his jewels, will as easily gather them altogether, and reanimate, and cause them to rise up a glorified body, as he first called them out of the dust of the earth, when he breathed in their nostrils the breath of life. Sweet thought. Oh! my soul, cherish it. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. Psa 116:15 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
2Ki 23:16 And as Josiah turned himself, he spied the sepulchres that [were] there in the mount, and sent, and took the bones out of the sepulchres, and burned [them] upon the altar, and polluted it, according to the word of the LORD which the man of God proclaimed, who proclaimed these words.
Ver. 16. He sent and took the bones. ] That had been foreseen and foretold three hundred years at least before. 1Ki 13:2 Intervention ofttimes breaks no square in the divine decrees. Our blind eyes see nothing but that which toucheth their lids: the quick sight of God’s prescience sees that as present which is a world afar off.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
sepulchres. Hebrew, plural of keber. See note on 2Ki 21:26.
the word. See 1Ki 13:2.
the man of God. See note on Deu 33:1. App-49.
God. Hebrew. Elohim. App-4.
proclaimed. Supply Figure of speech Ellipsis thus: “proclaimed [when Jeroboam stood by the altar at the feast], who proclaimed these words” 369 years before. See 1Ki 13:1, 1Ki 13:2.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
burned: 1Ki 13:1, 1Ki 13:2, 1Ki 13:32, Mat 24:35, Joh 10:35
who proclaimed: The Septuagint and Hexaplar Syriac at Paris insert, “when Jeroboam stood by the altar at the feast. And turning about, he cast his eyes on the sepulchre of the man of God” –
Reciprocal: Lev 26:30 – I will destroy 2Ki 23:14 – the bones of men 2Ch 34:5 – he Jer 8:1 – General Jer 35:4 – a man Eze 6:4 – and I Amo 6:10 – that burneth
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
2Ki 23:16. As Josiah turned himself His care and zeal were so great that he would not trust his officers with these things, but would see them done with his own eyes. He spied the sepulchres that were in the mount It is not said whose sepulchres they were, but it is probable they were those of the idolatrous priests, (for, 2Ch 34:5, he is said to have burned their bones,) and of the false prophets and great men who had been instruments to promote Jeroboams idolatry, and who were so attached to their altar at Beth-el, that they were desirous to have their bones laid near it. And burned them, &c., according to the word which the man of God proclaimed Who foretold, three hundred and sixty-two years before, that these very things should be done by a king called Josiah, 1Ki 13:2. God always foresees, and has sometimes foretold as certain, that which yet to us seems most contingent. Of this we have here a remarkable instance. No word of God shall fall to the ground!
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
2Ki 23:16-20. The grave of the prophet. This is evidently an addition to the original story. The altar, which in 2Ki 23:15 had been destroyed, is supposed to be still standing. The man of God is, of course, the disobedient prophet of 1 Kings 13. Samaria (2Ki 23:18 f.) is evidently the province and not the city. Josiah is represented as purifying the whole district from the high-place worship. From Jer 41:9 we learn that even after the destruction of the Temple the ruins were visited by devout Israelites from that district.
Fuente: Peake’s Commentary on the Bible
23:16 And as Josiah turned himself, he spied the sepulchres that [were] there in the mount, and sent, and took the bones out of the sepulchres, and burned [them] upon the altar, and polluted it, according to the word of the LORD which the {o} man of God proclaimed, who proclaimed these words.
(o) According to the prophecy of Iddo, 1Ki 13:2.