Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Kings 23:8
And he brought all the priests out of the cities of Judah, and defiled the high places where the priests had burned incense, from Geba to Beer-sheba, and broke down the high places of the gates that [were] in the entering in of the gate of Joshua the governor of the city, which [were] on a man’s left hand at the gate of the city.
8. all the priests out of the cities of Judah ] These were the priests who had betaken themselves to the various high places throughout the land, and conducted the worship there (2Ch 33:17). These services were offered ‘to the Lord their God only’. But such forbidden places Josiah destroyed and defiled their sites so that they should never be restored. The priests were brought to Jerusalem and were hereafter employed on lower duties as Levites.
from Geba to Beer-sheba ] That is, throughout all Judah just as ‘from Dan to Beersheba’ is used (Jdg 20:1; 1Sa 3:20) for the whole land of Canaan. Geba was in the northern border of the tribe of Benjamin. It is probably the same as Gibeah which is spoken of in Jdg 20:31: Beersheba was in the extreme south of Judah. We know from Amo 8:14 that a ‘manner’ (R.V. way) of idolatrous worship prevailed there.
the high places of the gates ] The open spaces kept about the gates of Oriental cities afforded exactly the site which would be chosen for some shrine of the popular worship, especially when the kings, Manasseh and Amon, had given their strong support to idolatry. It would be thought to harmonize with the royal wishes if an altar were erected close to the place where the king’s public judgement-seat was wont to be.
in [R.V. at ] the entering in, &c.] As the English of both A.V. and R.V. stands, ‘the gate of Joshua the governor of the city’ must be the same which is called in the next clause ‘the gate of the city’. In that case, as the text speaks of ‘high places’, we must understand that there was more than one ‘high place’ in the same neighbourhood. But as they are called ‘high places of the gates ’ it has seemed necessary to some to render the words as if a conjunction were omitted, ‘The high places of the gates, that which was in the entering in of the gate of Joshua and also that which was at the gate of the city’. Thus the two localities would be different. As ‘the gate of Joshua’ is mentioned nowhere else, we cannot say where it was, or whether a gate so described could also be called ‘a gate of the city’. It seems more probable that it was some inner gate, near the governor’s official residence.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 8. The gate of Joshua] The place where he, as governor of the city, heard and decided causes. Near this we find there were public altars, where sometimes the true God, at other times false gods, were honoured.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
All the priests, to wit, belonging to the high places there following, whether such as worshipped idols, or rather, such as worshipped God in those forbidden places, Deu 12:11, as may be gathered from the following verse.
Defiled the high places, by burning dead mens bones upon them, as 2Ki 23:14,16,20, or by putting them to some other unclean or filthy use.
From Geba; the northern border of the kingdom of Judah; of which see Jos 18:24; 1Ki 15:22. To Beer-sheba, which was the southern border; see Gen 21:31; Jdg 20:1; i.e. from one end to the other.
The high places of the gates; which were erected by the gates of the city here mentioned, unto the honour of their tutelary gods, which after the manner of the heathen they owned for the protectors of their city and habitations.
In the entering in of the gate of Joshua the governor of the city: this circumstance is noted to show Josiahs great zeal and impartiality, in rooting out all monuments of idolatry, without any respect unto those great persons who were concerned in them, or affected to them.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
8, 9. he brought all the priests outof the cities of Judah, and defiled the high places, c.Many ofthe Levitical order, finding in the reigns of Manasseh and Amon thetemple-worship abolished and the tithes and other offeringsalienated, had been betrayed into the folly of officiating on highplaces, and presenting such sacrifices as were brought to them. Theseirregularities, even though the object of that worship was the trueGod, were prohibited in the law (De12:11). Those who had been guilty of this sin, Josiah brought toJerusalem. Regarding them as defiled, he debarred them from theservice of the temple, but gave them an allowance out of the templerevenues, like the lame and disabled members of the priesthood(Lev 21:21 Lev 21:22).
from Geba to toBeer-shebathe most northern and the most southern places inJudahmeaning all parts of the kingdom.
the high places . . . whichwere in the entering in of the gate of JoshuaThe governor’shouse and gate were on the left of the city gate, and close by theentrance of that civic mansion house were public altars, dedicated,it might be, to the true God, but contrary to His own ordinance ofworship (Isa 57:8).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And he brought all the priests out of the cities of Judah,…. Who were of the sons of Aaron, and had served in the high places there:
and defiled the high places where the priests had burnt incense; by casting dead carcasses, or the bones of dead men, or dung, or anything that was unclean, into them, by way of contempt:
from Geba to Beersheba; which were the northern and southern boundaries of the land of Judah:
and brake down the high places of the gates: of the cities where some think tutelar gods were placed to be worshipped by persons as they went in or out of them: and particularly that
which were in the entering in of the gate of Joshua the governor of the city, which were on a man’s left hand at the gate of the city; of the city of Jerusalem, where this Joshua was chief magistrate under the king; at whose door stood an high place, which, Kimchi thinks, might he greater than the rest, and therefore mentioned alone, yet was not spared on account of its greatness, or of the person to whom it belonged.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(8) And he brought all the priests . . .Josiah caused all the priests of the local sanctuaries of Jehovah to migrate to Jerusalem, and polluted the high places to which they had been attached, in order to get rid of the illegitimate worship once for all.
From Geba.The present Jeba, near the ancient Ramah (1Ki. 15:22).
To Beer-sheba.Where was a specially frequented high place (Amo. 5:5, Amo. 8:14; and Note on 2Ch. 34:6).
The high places of the gates.Altars erected within the gates, that persons entering or leaving the city might make an offering to ensure success in their business.
That were in the entering in . . .Thenius renders, (the high place) which was at the entry of the gate of Joshua the governor of the city, (as well as) that which was on the left in the city gate. But this assumption of two localities is very precarious. The Authorised Version appears to be correct (a similar repetition of the relative referring to the same antecedent occurs in 2Ki. 23:13). Joshua is an unknown personage, and it is not clear whether the gate of Joshua was a gate of the city named after him, or the great gate of his residence; nor is it certain that the gate of the city was that now called the Jaffa Gate. It is possible that the governors residence lay near the principal gate of the city, on the left as one entered. Several high places stood in the open space in front of it, between it and the city gate. These would naturally be called the high places of the gates.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
8. Priests out of the cities of Judah Levitical priests who had been turned aside to the service of the high places. Josiah ordered them to come to Jerusalem, but, as the next verse shows, they were not allowed to minister at the altar of the Lord.
Geba Beer-sheba The northern and southern limit of the territory occupied by Judah. Geba was situated about six miles northeast of Jerusalem, (see note on 1Sa 13:3,) and Beer-sheba fifty miles or more southwest.
High places of the gates Those located near the gates of the city, either outside or within. The gate of Joshua and the gate of the city cannot now be determined. The latter, from its being called so indefinitely gate of the city, would seem to be the most common entrance; the former was probably so called because Joshua the governor had his residence near it.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
2Ki 23:8 And he brought all the priests out of the cities of Judah, and defiled the high places where the priests had burned incense, from Geba to Beersheba, and brake down the high places of the gates that [were] in the entering in of the gate of Joshua the governor of the city, which [were] on a man’s left hand at the gate of the city.
Ver. 8. The high places of the gates. ] Where, in imitation of the heathens, they had set their tutelar and guardian gods, and had their fans profana.
Of Joshua the governor of the city.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
the high places. Seemingly (from 2Ki 23:9) some were used for the worship of Jehovah. See notes on 2Ki 18:20; 2Ki 19:10, 2Ki 19:14.
Geba. NOW Jeba (Jos 18:24).
Beer-sheba. Southern boundary (Gen 21:31. Jdg 20:1). Compare Amo 5:5; Amo 8:14.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
from: etc. The northern and southern borders of Judah.
Geba: Jos 21:17, 1Ki 15:22, 1Ch 6:60, Isa 10:29, Zec 14:10
Beersheba: Gen 21:31, Gen 26:23, Jdg 20:1, 1Ki 19:3
Reciprocal: Lev 26:30 – I will destroy Eze 44:10 – the Levites
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
2Ki 23:8. He brought all the priests Belonging to the high places following, whether such as worshipped idols, or such as worshipped God in those forbidden places. Out of the cities of Judah That they might not continue to corrupt the people. And defiled the high places Casting dead carcasses there, and other such like unclean things, and thus making them receptacles of impurity, and burning dead mens bones upon the altars that were there. From Geba The northern border of the kingdom of Judah. To Beer-sheba The southern border; that is, throughout the whole country. And brake down the high places of the gates Dedicated to their tutelary gods, whom their idolatrous kings, after the manner of the heathen, owned for the protectors of their city and habitations. These places seem to have been erected at the gates, in order that all who entered or went out of the city might pay some kind of adoration to them. In the gate of Joshua, the governor of the city This circumstance is mentioned to show Josiahs great zeal and impartiality in rooting out all monuments of idolatry, without any respect unto those great persons who were concerned in them.