{"id":10181,"date":"2022-09-24T03:25:53","date_gmt":"2022-09-24T08:25:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/exegetical-and-hermeneutical-commentary-of-2-kings-234\/"},"modified":"2022-09-24T03:25:53","modified_gmt":"2022-09-24T08:25:53","slug":"exegetical-and-hermeneutical-commentary-of-2-kings-234","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/exegetical-and-hermeneutical-commentary-of-2-kings-234\/","title":{"rendered":"Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Kings 23:4"},"content":{"rendered":"

And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, and the priests of the second order, and the keepers of the door, to bring forth out of the temple of the LORD all the vessels that were made for Baal, and for the grove, and for all the host of heaven: and he burned them without Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron, and carried the ashes of them unto Bethel. <\/i><\/b><\/h3>\n

4<\/strong>. priests of the second order<\/em> ] i.e. Those who were next in rank to the high priest (cf. Jer 52:24<\/span>).<\/p>\n

the keepers of the door<\/em> ] Who would be of the priests or Levites, and so could enter within the holy place.<\/p>\n

to bring forth all the vessels that were made for Baal<\/em> ] We see therefore that the Baal worship had been fully established within the holy place.<\/p>\n

and for the grove<\/em> ] the Asherah<\/strong>. See note on 1Ki 14:15<\/span>. The same change is also made in the 6th verse.<\/p>\n

in the fields of Kidron<\/em> ] These were where the valley of the Kidron growing wider offered space for such a burning. We can again see that the destruction was in agreement with the commands in Deu 7:25<\/span>; Deu 12:3<\/span>.<\/p>\n

and carried the ashes of them<\/em> unto Beth-el<\/em> ] That the refuse of all these objects of idolatry might be cast away in the place whence the first step was taken which had led to idolatry among the people of the Lord.<\/p>\n

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n

A parenthesis giving the earlier reforms of Josiah.<\/P>

2Ki 23:4<\/B><\/span><\/P>

The priests of the second order – <\/B>This is a new expression; and probably refers to the ordinary priests, called here priests of the second order, in contrast with the high priest, whose dignity was reviving (2Ki 12:2<\/span> note).<\/P>

The vessels – <\/B>This would include the whole apparatus of worship, altars, images, dresses, utensils, etc., for Baal, etc. (2Ki 21:3-5<\/span> notes).<\/P>

The ashes of the idolatrous objects burned in the first instance in the fields of Kidron (i. e., in the part of the valley which lies northeast of the city, a part much broader than that between the Temple Hill and the Mount of Olives) were actually taken to Bethel, as to an accursed place, and one just beyond the borders of Judah; while those of other objects burned afterward were not carried so far, the trouble being great and the need not absolute, but were thrown into the Kidron 2Ki 23:12<\/span>, when there happened to be water to carry them away, or scattered on graves which were already unclean 2Ki 23:6<\/span>. Compare 1Ki 15:13<\/span>.<\/P>

2Ki 23:5<\/B><\/span><\/P>

He put down … – <\/B>or, He caused to cease the idolatrous priests (margin); i. e., he stopped them. The word translated idolatrous priests (see the margin) is a rare one, occurring only here and in marginal references. Here and in Zephaniah it is contrasted with <\/span> kohen<\/I>, another class of high-place priests. The <\/span> kohen<\/I> were probably Levitical, the <\/span> kahem<\/I> non-Levitical priests of the highplaces. <\/span> kahem<\/I> appears to have been a foreign term, perhaps derived from the Syriac cumro, which means a priest of any kind.<\/P>

Whom the kings of Judah had ordained – <\/B>The consecration of non-Levitical priests by the kings of Judah (compare 1Ki 12:31<\/span>) had not been previously mentioned; but it is quite in accordance with the other proceedings of Manasseh and Amon.<\/P>

The planets – <\/B>See the marginal note, i. e., the signs of the Zodiac. Compare Job 38:32<\/span> margin. The word in the original probably means primarily houses or stations, which was the name applied by the Babylonians to their divisions of the Zodiac.<\/P>

2Ki 23:6<\/B><\/span><\/P>

The ashes, being polluted and polluting, were thrown upon graves, because there no one could come into contact with them, since graves were avoided as unclean places.<\/P>

2Ki 23:7<\/B><\/span><\/P>

By the house of the Lord – <\/B>This did not arise from intentional desecration, but from the fact that the practices in question were a part of the idolatrous ceremonial, being regarded as pleasing to the gods, and, indeed, as positive acts of worship (compare the marginal reference).<\/P>

The women were probably the priestesses attached to the worship of Astarte, which was intimately connected with that of the Asherah or grove. Among their occupations one was the weaving of coverings (literally houses margin) for the Asherah, which seem to have been of various colors (marginal reference).<\/P>

2Ki 23:8<\/B><\/span><\/P>

Josiah removed the Levitical priests, who had officiated at the various high-places, from the scenes of their idolatries, and brought them to Jerusalem, where their conduct might be watched.<\/P>

From Geba to Beer-sheba – <\/B>i. e., from the extreme north to the extreme south of the kingdom of Judah. On Geba see the marginal reference note. The high-place of Beer-sheba had obtained an evil celebrity Amo 5:5<\/span>; Amo 8:14<\/span>.<\/P>

The high places of the gates … – <\/B>Render, He brake down the high-places of the gates, both that which was at the entering in of the gate of Joshua, the governor of the city (1Ki 22:26<\/span> note), and also that which was on a mans left hand at the gate of the city. According to this, there were only two high-places of the gates (or idolatrous shrines erected in the city at gate-towers) at Jerusalem. The gate of Joshua is conjectured to have been a gate in the inner wall; and the gate of the city, the Valley-gate (modern Jaffa-gate).<\/P>

2Ki 23:9<\/B><\/span><\/P>

Nevertheless – <\/B>Connect this verse with the first clause of 2Ki 23:8<\/span>. The priests were treated as if they had been disqualified from serving at the altar by a bodily blemish Lev 21:21-23<\/span>. They were not secularised, but remained in the priestly order and received a maintenance from the ecclesiastical revenues. Contrast with this treatment Josiahs severity toward the priests of the high-places in Samaria, who were sacrificed upon their own altars 2Ki 23:20<\/span>. Probably the high-place worship in Judaea had continued in the main a worship of Yahweh with idolatrous rites, while in Samaria it had degenerated into an actual worship of other gods.<\/P>

2Ki 23:10<\/B><\/span><\/P>

The word Topheth, or Topher – variously derived from toph, a drum or tabour, because the cries of the sacrificed children were drowned by the noise of such instruments; or, from a root taph or toph, meaning to burn – was a spot in the valley of Hinnom (marginal reference note). The later Jewish kings, Manasseh and Amon (or, perhaps, Ahaz, 2Ch 28:3<\/span>), had given it over to the Moloch priests for their worship; and here, ever since, the Moloch service had maintained its ground and flourished (marginal references).<\/P>

2Ki 23:11<\/B><\/span><\/P>

The custom of dedicating a chariot and horses to the Sun is a Persian practice. There are no traces of it in Assyria; and it is extremely curious to find that it was known to the Jews as early as the reign of Manasseh. The idea of regarding the Sun as a charioteer who drove his horses daily across the sky, so familiar to the Greeks and Romans, may not improbably have been imported from Asia, and may have been at the root of the custom in question. The chariot, or chariots, of the Sun appear to have been used, chiefly if not solely, for sacred processions. They were white, and were drawn probably by white horses. The kings of Judah who gave them were Manasseh and Amon certainly; perhaps Ahaz; perhaps even earlier monarchs, as Joash and Amaziah.<\/P>

In the suburbs – <\/B>The expression used here <\/span> parbarym<\/I> is of unknown derivation and occurs nowhere else. A somewhat similar word occurs in 1Ch 26:18<\/span>, namely, <\/span> parbar<\/I>, which seems to have been a place just outside the western wall of the temple, and therefore a sort of purlieu or suburb. The <\/span> parbarym<\/I> of this passage may mean the same place or it may signify some other suburb of the temple.<\/P>

2Ki 23:12<\/B><\/span><\/P>

The upper chamber of Ahaz – <\/B>Conjectured to be a chamber erected on the flat roof of one of the gateways which led into the temple court. It was probably built in order that its roof might be used for the worship of the host of heaven, for which house-tops were considered especially appropriate (compare the marginal references).<\/P>

Brake them down from thence – <\/B>Rather as in the margin, i. e., he hasted and cast the dust into Kidron.<\/P>

2Ki 23:13<\/B><\/span><\/P>

On the position of these high-places see 1Ki 11:7<\/span> note. As they were allowed to remain under such kings as Asa, Jehoshaphat, and Hezekiah, they were probably among the old high-places where Yahweh had been worshipped blamelessly, or at least without any consciousness of guilt (see 1Ki 3:2<\/span> note). Manasseh or Amon had however restored them to the condition which they had held in the reign of Solomon, and therefore Josiah would condemn them to a special defilement.<\/P>

The mount of corruption – <\/B>See the margin. It is suspected that the original name was Har ham-mishcah, mount of anointing, and that this was changed afterward, by way of contempt, into Har ham-mashchith, mount of corruption.<\/P>

2Ki 23:14<\/B><\/span><\/P>

The Law attached uncleanness to the bones of men, no less than to actual corpses Num 19:16<\/span>. We may gather from this and other passages 2Ki 23:20<\/span>; 1Ki 13:2<\/span>, that the Jews who rejected the Law were as firm believers in the defilement as those who adhered to the Law.<\/P>

2Ki 23:15<\/B><\/span><\/P>

And burned the high place – <\/B>This high place is to be distinguished from the altar and the grove (<\/span> ‘asherah<\/I>). It may have been a shrine or tabernacle, either standing by itself or else covering the grove (2Ki 23:7<\/span> note; 1Ki 14:23<\/span> note). As it was stamped small to powder, it must have been made either of metal or stone.<\/P>

2Ki 23:16<\/B><\/span><\/P>

To burn human bones was contrary to all the ordinary Jewish feelings with respect to the sanctity of the sepulchre, and had even been denounced as a sin of a heinous character when committed by a king of Moab Amo 2:1<\/span>. Joshua did it, because justified by the divine command (marginal reference).<\/P>

2Ki 23:17<\/B><\/span><\/P>

What title is that? – <\/B>Rather, What pillar is that? The word in the original indicates a short stone pillar, which was set up either as a way-mark Jer 31:21<\/span>, or as a sepulchral monument Gen 35:20<\/span>; Eze 39:15<\/span>.<\/P>

2Ki 23:19<\/B><\/span><\/P>

The cities of Samaria – <\/B>The reformation which Josiah effected in Samaria, is narrated in Chronicles. It implies sovereignty to the furthest northern limits of Galilee, and is explained by the general political history of the East during his reign. Between 632-626 B.C. the Scythians ravaged the more northern countries of Armenia, Media, and Cappadocia, and found their way across Mesopotamia to Syria, and thence, made an attempt to invade Egypt. As they were neither the fated enemy of Judah, nor had any hand in bringing that enemy into the country, no mention is made of them in the Historical Books of Scripture. It is only in the prophets that we catch glimpses of the fearful sufferings of the time Zep 2:4-6<\/span>; Jer 1:13-15<\/span>; Jer 6:2-5<\/span>; Ezek. 38<\/span>; 39<\/span>. The invasion had scarcely gone by, and matters settled into their former position, when the astounding intelligence must have reached Jerusalem that the Assyrian monarchy had fallen; that Nineveh was destroyed, and that her place was to be taken, so far as Syria and Palestine were concerned, by Babylon. This event is fixed about 625 B.C., which seems to be exactly the time during which Josiah was occupied in carrying out his reformation in Samaria. The confusion arising in these provinces from the Scythian invasion and the troubles in Assyria was taken advantage of by Josiah to enlarge his own sovereignty. There is every indication that Josiah did, in fact, unite under his rule all the old land of Israel except the trans-Jordanic region, and regarded himself as subject to Nabopolassar of Babylon.<\/P>

2Ki 23:20<\/B><\/span><\/P>

Here, as in 2Ki 23:16<\/span>, Josiah may have regarded himself as bound to act as he did (marginal reference b). Excepting on account of the prophecy, he would scarcely have slain the priests upon the altars.<\/P> <\/p>\n

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n

Verse 4<\/span>. The priests of the second order<\/B><\/I>] These were probably such as supplied the place of the high priest when he was prevented: from fulfilling the functions of his office. So the Chaldee understood the place – the sagan of the high priests<\/I>. But the words may refer to those of the second course<\/I> or order<\/I> established by David: though it does not appear that those orders<\/I> were now in use, yet the distinction<\/I> was continued even to the time of our Lord. We find the course of Abia<\/I>, which was the eighth<\/I>, mentioned Lu 1:5<\/span>; where see the note. See Clarke on Lu 1:5<\/span>.<\/P>

<\/P>

All the vessels<\/B><\/I>] These had<\/I> been used for idolatrous purposes; the king is now to destroy them; for although no longer used in this way, they might, if permitted to remain, be an incentive to idolatry at a future time.<\/P> <\/p>\n

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n

The priests of the second order; <\/B>either those two who were next in degree to the high priest, and in case of his sickness were to manage his work; of whom see 2Sa 8:17<\/span>; or the heads of the twentyfour courses which David had appointed, 1Ch 24<\/span>. <\/P>

The keepers of the door:<\/B> See Poole “2Ki 22:4<\/span>“. <\/P>

To bring forth, <\/B>i.e. to take care that they should be brought forth. <\/P>

For the grove, <\/B>i.e. the image of the grove; of which See Poole “2Ki 21:7<\/span>“; it being most frequent to call images by the names of the persons or things which they represent. <\/P>

In the fields of Kidron, <\/B>i.e. adjoining to the brook of Kidron. <\/P>

Carried the ashes of them unto Beth-el; <\/B>partly to show his abhorrency of them, and that he would not give the ashes of them a place in his kingdom; and partly to pollute and disgrace that place which had been the chief seat and throne of idolatry. <\/P> <\/p>\n

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n

4. the king commanded Hilkiah,<\/B>c.that is, the high priest and other priests, for there was not avariety of official gradations in the temple. <\/P>

all the vessels,<\/B> &c.thewhole apparatus of idol-worship. <\/P>

burned them withoutJerusalem<\/B>The law required them to be consigned to the flames(De 7:25<\/span>). <\/P>

in the fields of Kidron<\/B>mostprobably that part of the valley of Kidron, where lies Jerusalem andthe Mount of Olives. It is a level, spacious basin, abounding atpresent with plantations [ROBINSON].The brook winds along the east and south of the city, the channel ofwhich is throughout a large portion of the year almost or wholly dry,except after heavy rains, when it suddenly swells and overflows.There were emptied all the impurities of the temple (2Ch 29:15<\/span>2Ch 29:16<\/span>) and the city. Hisreforming predecessors had ordered the mutilated relics of idolatryto be thrown into that receptacle of filth (1Ki 15:13<\/span>;2Ch 15:16<\/span>; 2Ch 30:14<\/span>);but Josiah, while he imitated their piety, far outstripped them inzeal; for he caused the ashes of the burnt wood and the fragments ofthe broken metal to be collected and conveyed to Beth-el, in orderthenceforth to associate ideas of horror and aversion with thatplace, as odious for the worst pollutions.<\/P><\/p>\n

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible <\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n

And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, and the priests of the second order<\/strong>,…. Or the second course of the priests; the course of Jedaiah, 1Ch 24:7<\/span> as some think; or rather, the two chief priests next to the high priest, who were of the line both of Eleazar and Ithamar; though the Targum interprets it of the Sagan of the priests, a deputy of the high priest, such as in later times the high priest had always appointed for him on the day of atonement r:<\/p>\n

and the keepers of the door<\/strong>: the porters at the door and gates of the temple; or rather the treasurers, as the Targum; such as were appointed over the vessels of the sanctuary, as the Jewish writers generally interpret it, and which best agrees with what follows:<\/p>\n

to bring forth out of the temple of the Lord all the vessels that were made for Baal<\/strong>: used in burning incense, or offering sacrifices to him:<\/p>\n

and for the grove<\/strong>: the idol of the grove, or Asherah, that is, Ashtoreth, or Astarte, the same with Venus, or the moon, as Baal was the sun, the one the husband, and the other the wife, according to the Jews s:<\/p>\n

and for all the host of heaven<\/strong>: the stars:<\/p>\n

and he burnt them without Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron<\/strong>; or plain of Kidron, as the Targum; through which the brook Kidron ran:<\/p>\n

and carried the ashes of them unto Bethel<\/strong>; where one of Jeroboam’s calves was set, and was the source of idolatry; and this he did in contempt of that place; and, to show his detestation of the idolatry there, he made it a dunghill of ashes of things used in idolatrous service; this he could do, that place being in the hands of the kings of Judah from the times of Ahijah, 2Ch 13:19<\/span>.<\/p>\n

r Misn. Yoma, c. 1. sect. 1. s Zohar in Gen. fol. 34. 3.<\/p>\n

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n

Josiah Reforms Judah.<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/I><\/span><\/P> <\/TD>

B. C.<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN> 623.<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/P> <\/TD> <\/TR> <\/TABLE>

      4 And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, and the priests of the second order, and the keepers of the door, to bring forth out of the temple of the LORD<\/B> all the vessels that were made for Baal, and for the grove, and for all the host of heaven: and he burned them without Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron, and carried the ashes of them unto Beth-el.   5 And he put down the idolatrous priests, whom the kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense in the high places in the cities of Judah, and in the places round about Jerusalem; them also that burned incense unto Baal, to the sun, and to the moon, and to the planets, and to all the host of heaven.   6 And he brought out the grove from the house of the LORD<\/B>, without Jerusalem, unto the brook Kidron, and burned it at the brook Kidron, and stamped it<\/I> small to powder, and cast the powder thereof upon the graves of the children of the people.   7 And he brake down the houses of the sodomites, that were<\/I> by the house of the LORD<\/B>, where the women wove hangings for the grove.   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 brake down the high places of the gates that were<\/I> in the entering in of the gate of Joshua the governor of the city, which were<\/I> on a man’s left hand at the gate of the city.   9 Nevertheless the priests of the high places came not up to the altar of the LORD<\/B> in Jerusalem, but they did eat of the unleavened bread among their brethren.   10 And he defiled Topheth, which is<\/I> in the valley of the children of Hinnom, that no man might make his son or his daughter to pass through the fire to Molech.   11 And he took away the horses that the kings of Judah had given to the sun, at the entering in of the house of the LORD<\/B>, by the chamber of Nathan-melech the chamberlain, which was<\/I> in the suburbs, and burned the chariots of the sun with fire.   12 And the altars that were<\/I> on the top of the upper chamber of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made, and the altars which Manasseh had made in the two courts of the house of the LORD<\/B>, did the king beat down, and brake them<\/I> down from thence, and cast the dust of them into the brook Kidron.   13 And the high places that were<\/I> before Jerusalem, which were<\/I> on the right hand of the mount of corruption, which Solomon the king of Israel had builded for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Zidonians, and for Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites, and for Milcom the abomination of the children of Ammon, did the king defile.   14 And he brake in pieces the images, and cut down the groves, and filled their places with the bones of men.   15 Moreover the altar that was<\/I> at Beth-el, and<\/I> the high place which Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, had made, both that altar and the high place he brake down, and burned the high place, and<\/I> stamped it<\/I> small to powder, and burned the grove.   16 And as Josiah turned himself, he spied the sepulchres that were<\/I> there in the mount, and sent, and took the bones out of the sepulchres, and burned them<\/I> upon the altar, and polluted it, according to the word of the LORD<\/B> which the man of God proclaimed, who proclaimed these words.   17 Then he said, What title is<\/I> that that I see? And the men of the city told him, It is<\/I> the sepulchre of the man of God, which came from Judah, and proclaimed these things that thou hast done against the altar of Beth-el.   18 And he said, Let him alone; let no man move his bones. So they let his bones alone, with the bones of the prophet that came out of Samaria.   19 And all the houses also of the high places that were<\/I> in the cities of Samaria, which the kings of Israel had made to provoke the L<\/I>ORD<\/B><\/I> to anger, Josiah took away, and did to them according to all the acts that he had done in Beth-el.   20 And he slew all the priests of the high places that were<\/I> there upon the altars, and burned men’s bones upon them, and returned to Jerusalem.   21 And the king commanded all the people, saying, Keep the passover unto the LORD<\/B> your God, as it is<\/I> written in the book of this covenant.   22 Surely there was not holden such a passover from the days of the judges that judged Israel, nor in all the days of the kings of Israel, nor of the kings of Judah;   23 But in the eighteenth year of king Josiah, wherein<\/I> this passover was holden to the LORD<\/B> in Jerusalem.   24 Moreover the workers with<\/I> familiar spirits, and the wizards, and the images, and the idols, and all the abominations that were spied in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, did Josiah put away, that he might perform the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of the LORD<\/B>.<\/P>

      We have here an account of such a reformation as we have not met with in all the history of the kings of Judah, such thorough riddance made of all the abominable things and such foundations laid of a glorious good work; and here I cannot but wonder at two things:– 1. That so many wicked things should have got in, and kept standing so long, as we find here removed. 2. That notwithstanding the removal of these wicked things, and the hopeful prospects here given of a happy settlement, yet within a few years Jerusalem was utterly destroyed, and even this did not save it; for the generality of the people, after all, hated to be reformed. The founder melteth in vain,<\/I> and therefore reprobate silver shall men call them,<\/I>Jer 6:29<\/span>; Jer 6:30<\/span>. Let us here observe,<\/P>

      I. What abundance of wickedness there was, and had been, in Judah and Jerusalem. One would not have believed it possible that in Judah, where God was known–in Israel, where his name was great–in Salem, in Sion, where his dwelling place was, such abominations should be found as here we have an account of. Josiah had now reigned eighteen years, and had himself set the people a good example, and kept up religion according to law; and yet, when he came to make inquisition for idolatry, the depth and extent of the dunghill he had to carry away appeared almost incredible. 1. Even in the house of the Lord, that sacred temple which Solomon built, and dedicated to the honour and for the worship of the God of Israel, there were found vessels, all manner of utensils, for the worship of Baal, and of the grove<\/I> (or Ashtaroth<\/I>), and of all the host of heaven,<\/I> v.<\/span> 4<\/span><\/U><\/I><\/span>. Though Josiah had suppressed the worship of idols, yet the utensils made for that worship were all carefully preserved, even in the temple itself, to be used again whenever the present restraint should be taken off; nay, even the grove itself, the image of it, was yet standing in the temple (v.<\/I><\/span> 6<\/span>); some make it the image of Venus, the same with Ashtaroth. 2. Just at the entering in of the house of the Lord<\/I> was a stable for horses kept (would you think it?) for a religious use; they were holy horses, given to the sun<\/I> (v.<\/I><\/span> 11<\/span>), as if he needed them who rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race<\/I> (Ps. xix. 5<\/span>), or rather they would thus represent to themselves the swiftness of his motion, which they much admired, making their religion to conform to the poetical fictions of the chariot of the sun, the follies of which even a little philosophy, without any divinity, would have exposed and made them ashamed of. Some say that those horses were to be led forth in pomp every morning to meet the rising sun, others that the worshippers of the sun rode out upon them to adore the rising sun; it should seem that they drew the chariots of the sun, which the people worshipped. Strange that ever men who had the written word of God among them should be thus vain in their imaginations!<\/I> 3. Hard by the house of the Lord<\/I> there were houses of the Sodomites,<\/I> where all manner of lewdness and filthiness, even that which was most unnatural, was practised, and under pretence of religion too, in honour of their impure deities. Corporal and spiritual whoredom went together, and the vile affections to which the people were given up were the punishment of their vain imaginations. Those that dishonoured their God were justly left thus to dishonour themselves, Rom. i. 24<\/span>, c. There were women that wove hangings for the grove<\/I> (&lti>v.<\/span> 7<\/span><\/U><\/span>), tents which encompassed the image of Venus, where the worshippers committed all manner of lewdness, and this in the house of the Lord.<\/I> Those did ill that made our Father’s house a house of merchandise; those did worse that made it a den of thieves; but those did worst of all that made it (Horrendum dictu!<\/I>—Horrible to relate!<\/I>) a brothel, in an impudent defiance of the holiness of God and of his temple. Well might the apostle call them abominable idolatries.<\/I> 4. There were many idolatrous altars found (v.<\/I><\/span> 12<\/span>), some in the palace, on the top of the upper chamber of Ahaz.<\/I> The roofs of their houses being flat, they made them their high places, and set up altars upon them (Jer 19:13<\/span>; Zep 1:5<\/span>), domestic altars. The kings of Judah did so: and, though Josiah never used them, yet to this time they remained there. Manasseh had built altars for his idols in the house of the Lord. When he repented he removed them, and cast them out of the city<\/I> (2 Chron. xxxiii. 15<\/span>), but, not destroying them, his son Amon, it seems, had brought them again into the courts of the temple; there Josiah found them, and thence he broke them down,<\/I> v.<\/span> 12<\/span><\/U><\/I><\/span>. 5. There was Tophet, in the valley of the son of Hinnom,<\/I> very near Jerusalem, where the image of Moloch (that god of unnatural cruelty, as others were of unnatural uncleanness) was kept, to which some sacrificed their children, burning them in the fire, others dedicated them, making them to pass through the fire (v.<\/I><\/span> 10<\/span>), labouring in the very fire,<\/I> Hab. ii. 13<\/I><\/span>. It is supposed to have been called Tophet<\/I> from toph,<\/I> a drum, because they beat drums at the burning of the children, that their shrieks might not be heard. 6. There were high places before Jerusalem,<\/I> which Solomon had built,<\/I> v.<\/span> 13<\/span><\/U><\/I><\/span>. The altars and images on those high places, we may suppose, had been taken away by some of the preceding godly kings, or perhaps Solomon himself had removed them when he became a penitent; but the buildings, or some parts of them, remained, with other high places, till Josiah’s time. Those that introduce corruptions into religion know not how far they will reach nor how long they will last. Antiquity is no certain proof of verity. There were also high places all the kingdom over, from Geba to Beer-sheba<\/I> (v.<\/I><\/span> 8<\/span>), and high places of the gates, in the entering in of the gate of the governor.<\/I> In these high places (bishop Patrick thinks) they burnt incense to those tutelar gods to whom their idolatrous kings had committed the protection of their city; and probably the governor of the city had a private altar for his penates<\/I>—his household-gods.<\/I> 7. There were idolatrous priests, that officiated at all those idolatrous altars (v.<\/I><\/span> 5<\/span>), chemarim, black men, or that wore black. See Zeph. i. 4<\/span>. Those that sacrificed to Osiris, or that wept for Tammuz (Ezek. viii. 14<\/span>), or that worshipped the infernal deities, put on black garments as mourners. These idolatrous priests the kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense in the high places;<\/I> they were, it should seem, priests of the house of Aaron, who thus profaned their dignity, and there were others also who had no right at all to the priesthood, who burnt incense to Baal. 8. There were conjurers and wizards, and such as dealt with familiar spirits,<\/I> v.<\/span> 24<\/span><\/U><\/I><\/span>. When they worshipped the devil as their god no marvel that they consulted him as their oracle.<\/P>

      II. What a full destruction good Josiah made of all those relics of idolatry. Such is his zeal for the Lord of hosts, and his holy indignation against all that is displeasing to him, that nothing shall stand before him. The law was that the monuments of the Canaanites’ idolatry must be all destroyed (Deut. vii. 5<\/span>), much more those of the idolatry of the Israelites, in whom it was much more impious, profane, and perfidious. 1. He ordered Hilkiah, and the other priests, to clear the temple. This was their province, v.<\/I><\/span> 4<\/span>. Away with all the vessels that were made for Baal. They must never be employed in the service of God, no, nor reserved for any common use; they must all be burnt, and the ashes of them carried to Bethel. That place had been the common source of idolatry, for there was set up one of the calves, and, that lying next to Judah, the infection had thence spread into that kingdom, and therefore Josiah made it the lay-stall of idolatry, the dunghill to which he carried the filth and offscouring of all things, that, if possible, it might be made loathsome to those that had been fond of it. 2. The idolatrous priests were all put down. Those of them that were not of the house of Aaron, or had sacrificed to Baal or other false gods, he put to death, according to the law, v.<\/I><\/span> 20<\/span>. He slew them upon their own altars,<\/I> the most acceptable sacrifice that ever had been offered upon them, a sacrifice to the justice of God. Those that were descendants from Aaron, and yet had burnt incense in the high places, but to the true God only, he forbade ever to approach the altar of the Lord; they had forfeited that honour (v.<\/I><\/span> 9<\/span>): He brought them out of the cities of Judah<\/I> (v.<\/I><\/span> 8<\/span>), that they might not do mischief in the country by secretly keeping up their old idolatrous usages; but he allowed them to eat of the unleavened bread<\/I> (the bread of the meat-offering, Lev 2:4<\/span>; Lev 2:5<\/span>) among their brethren,<\/I> with whom they were to reside, that being under their eye they might be kept from doing hurt and taught to do well; that bread, that unleavened bread (heavy and unpleasant as it was), was better than they deserved, and that would serve to keep them alive. But whether they were permitted to eat of all the sacrifices, as blemished priests were (Lev. xxi. 22<\/span>), which is called, in general, the bread of their God,<\/I> may be justly questioned. 3. All the images were broken to pieces and burnt. The image of the grove (v.<\/I><\/span> 6<\/span>), some goddess or other, was reduced to ashes, and the ashes cast upon the graves of the common people<\/I> (v.<\/I><\/span> 6<\/span>), the common burying-place of the city. By the law a ceremonial uncleanness was contracted by the touch of a grave, so that in casting them here he declared them most impure, and none could touch them without thereby making themselves unclean. He cast it into the graves<\/I> (so the Chaldee), intimating that he would have all idolatry buried out of his sight, as a loathsome thing, and forgotten, as dead men are out of mind, v.<\/I><\/span> 14<\/span>. He filled the places of the groves with the bones of men;<\/I> as he carried the ashes of the images to the graves, to mingle them with dead men’s bones, so he carried dead men’s bones to the places where the images had been, and put them in the room of them, that, both ways, idolatry might be rendered loathsome, and the people kept both from the dust of the images and from the ruins of the places where they had been worshipped. Dead men and dead gods were much alike and fittest to go together. 4. All the wicked houses were suppressed, those nests of impiety that harboured idolaters, the houses of the Sodomites, v.<\/I><\/span> 7<\/span>. “Down with them, down with them, rase them to the foundations.” The high places were in like manner broken down and levelled with the ground (v.<\/I><\/span> 8<\/span>), even that which belonged to the governor of the city; for no man’s greatness or power may protect him in idolatry or profaneness. Let governors be obliged, in the first place, to reform, and then the governed will be the sooner influenced. He defiled the high places (v.<\/I><\/span> 8<\/span> and again v.<\/I><\/span> 13<\/span>), did all he could to render them abominable, and put the people out of conceit with them, as Jehu did when he made the house of Baal a draught-house, 2 Kings x. 27<\/span>. Tophet, which, contrary to other places of idolatry, was in a valley, whereas they were on hills or high places, was likewise defiled (v.<\/I><\/span> 10<\/span>), was made the burying-place of the city. Concerning this we have a whole sermon, Jer. xix. 1, 2<\/span>, c., where it is said, They shall bury in Tophet,<\/I> and the whole city is threatened to be made like Tophet. 5. The horses that had been given to the sun were taken away and put to common use, and so were delivered from the vanity to which they were made subject and the chariots of the sun (what a pity was it that those horses and chariots should be kept as the chariots and horsemen of Israel!) he burnt with fire; and, if the sun be a flame, they never resembled him so much as they did when they were chariots of fire. 6. The workers with familiar spirits and the wizards were put away, v.<\/I><\/span> 24<\/span>. Those of them that were convicted of witchcraft, it is likely, he put to death, and so deterred others from those diabolical practices. In all this he had a sincere regard to the words of the law which were written in the book<\/I> lately found, v.<\/I><\/span> 24<\/span>. He made that law his rule and kept that in his eye throughout this reformation.<\/P>

      III. How his zeal extended itself to the cities of Israel that were within his reach. The ten tribes were carried captive and the Assyrian colonies did not fully people the country, so that, it is likely, many cities had put themselves under the protection of the kings of Judah, 2Ch 30:1<\/span>; 2Ch 34:6<\/span>. These he here visits, to carry on his reformation. As far as our influence goes our endeavours should go to do good and bring the wickedness of the wicked to an end.<\/P>

      1. He defiled and demolished Jeroboam’s altar at Bethel, with the high place and the grove that belonged to it, 2Ki 23:15<\/span>; 2Ki 23:16<\/span>. The golden calf, it should seem, was gone (thy calf, O Samaria! has cast thee off<\/I>), but the altar was there, which those that were wedded to their old idolatries made use of still. This was, (1.) Defiled, v.<\/I><\/span> 16<\/span>. Josiah, in his pious zeal, was ransacking the old seats of idolatry, and spied the sepulchres in the mount, in which probably the idolatrous priests were buried, not far from the altar at which they had officiated, and which they were so fond of that they were desirous to lay their bones by it; these he opened, took out the bones, and burnt them upon the altar,<\/I> to show that thus he would have done by the priests themselves if they had been alive, as he did by those whom he found alive, v.<\/I><\/span> 20<\/span>. Thus he polluted the altar, desecrated it, and made it odious. It is threatened against idolaters (Jer 8:1<\/span>; Jer 8:2<\/span>) that their bones shall be spread before the sun;<\/I> that which is there threatened and this which is here executed (bespeaking their iniquity to be upon their bones,<\/I> Ezek. xxxii. 27<\/I><\/span>) are an intimation of a punishment after death, reserved for those that live and die impenitent in that or any other sin; the burning of the bones, if that were all, is a small matter, but, if it signify the torment of the soul in a worse flame (Luke xvi. 24<\/span>), it is very dreadful. This, as it was Josiah’s act, seems to have been the result of a very sudden resolve; he would not have done it but that he happened to turn himself, and spy the sepulchres; and yet it was foretold above 350 years before, when this altar was first built by Jeroboam, 1 Kings xiii. 2<\/span>. God always foresees, and has sometimes foretold as certain, that which yet to us seems most contingent. The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord;<\/I> king Josiah’s was so, and he turned it (or ever he himself was aware, Cant. vi. 12<\/span>) to do this. No work of God shall fall to the ground. (2.) It was demolished. He broke down the altar and all its appurtenances (v.<\/I><\/span> 15<\/span>), burnt what was combustible, and, since an idol is nothing in the world, he went as far towards the annihilating of it as he could; for he stamped it small to powder<\/I> and made it as dust before the wind.<\/I><\/P>

      2. He destroyed all the houses of the high places, all those synagogues of Satan that were in the cities of Samaria,<\/I> v.<\/span> 19<\/span><\/U><\/I><\/span>. These the kings of Israel built, and God raised up this king of Judah to pull them down, for the honour of the ancient house of David, from which the ten tribes had revolted; the priests he justly made sacrifices upon their own altars,<\/I> v.<\/span> 20<\/span><\/U><\/I><\/span>.<\/P>

      3. He carefully preserved the sepulchre of that man of God who came from Judah to foretel this, which now a king who came from Judah executed. This was that good prophet who proclaimed these things against the altar of Bethel,<\/I> and yet was himself slain by a lion for disobeying the word of the Lord; but to show that God’s displeasure against him went no further than his death, but ended there, God so ordered it that when all the graves about his were disturbed his was safe (2Ki 23:17<\/span>; 2Ki 23:18<\/span>) and no man moved his bones. He had entered into peace, and therefore should rest in his bed, Isa. lvii. 2<\/span>. The old lying prophet, who desired to be buried as near him as might be, it should seem, knew what he did; for his dust also, being mingled with that of the good prophet, was preserved for his sake; see Num. xxiii. 10<\/span>.<\/P>

      IV. We are here told what a solemn passover Josiah and his people kept after all this. When they had cleared the country of the old leaven they then applied themselves to the keeping of the feast. When Jehu had destroyed the worship of Baal, yet he took no heed to walk in the commandments and ordinances of God; but Josiah considered that we must learn to do well, and no only<\/I> cease to do evil, and that the way to keep out all abominable customs is to keep up all instituted ordinances (see Lev. xviii. 30<\/span>), and therefore he commanded all the people to keep the passover, which was not only a memorial of their deliverance out of Egypt, but a token of their dedication to him that brought them out and their communion with him. This he found written in the book of the law,<\/I> here called the book of the covenant;<\/I> for, though the divine authority may deal with us in a way of absolute command, divine grace condescends to federal transactions, and therefore he observed it. We have not such a particular account of this passover as of that in Hezekiah’s time, 2 Chron. xxx.<\/span> But, in general, we are told that there was not holden such a passover<\/I> in any of the foregoing reigns, no, not from the days of the judges<\/I> (v.<\/I><\/span> 22<\/span>), which, by the way, intimates that, though the account which the book of Judges gives of the state of Israel under that dynasty looks but melancholy, yet there were then some golden days. This passover, it seems, was extraordinary for the number and devotion of the communicants, their sacrifices and offerings, and their exact observance of the laws of the feast; and it was not now as in Hezekiah’s passover, when many communicated that were not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary, and the Levites were permitted to do the priests’ work. We have reason to think that during all the remainder of Josiah’s reign religion flourished and the feasts of the Lord were very carefully observed; but in this passover the satisfaction they took in the covenant lately renewed, the reformation in pursuance of it, and the revival of an ordinance of which they had lately found the divine original in the book of the law, and which had long been neglected or carelessly kept, put them into great transports of holy joy; and God was pleased to recompense their zeal in destroying idolatry with uncommon tokens of his presence and favour. All this concurred to make it a distinguished passover.<\/P> <\/p>\n

Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n

<\/strong><\/p>\n

Reformation Continued – 23:4-14<\/p>\n

The chronology of the present passage in relation to that previously studied at 2Ch 34:1-7<\/span> is not clear. Verse 3 of the Chronicles passage states that Josiah began in his twelfth year to purge Judah and Jerusalem of their idolatry. The passage proceeds to relate many of the things found in the present passage from Kings. It is probable that the Chronicles account is a summary of the things undertaken of that nature in all of Josiah’s reign. If not so, then the early purging of the king was far from completed. For in this passage it is seen that the king launched a campaign of complete removal of pagan corruption after the renewal of the covenant in which much corrupt practice was ended.<\/p>\n

The cleansing began with the house of the Lord, the command going to Hilkiah the high priest and the common priests to bring out all that remained of paganistic import from the temple precincts. This included things which had been left there from the time of Ahaz and Manasseh. They included vessels dedicated to Baal, the grove, the host of heaven. They were carried out of the city to the fields in the Kidron valley and burned to ashes. The ashes were carried to the pagan calf shrine in Bethel and dumped there. The priests of all these pagan groups were “put down,” the manner not being told. The grove of prostitution which was in the temple was brought out, burned, and the ashes strewed on the graves of its victims. A house of sodomy, which had been erected alongside the temple, was destroyed and the women employed there in weaving hangings to hide the lewd performances in the grove were removed.<\/p>\n

Josiah collected all the pagan priests out of the cities, defiled their high places from Geba in the north to Beer-sheba in the south. A notable site of idolatry stood by the gate of Joshua the governor of the city, where it seems that official was worshipping. However the priests of the high places never came to the temple and its altar, though they professed to be serving the Lord. Piously they partook of the unleavened bread just as the shewbread of the temple.<\/p>\n

The king defiled the valley of Topheth where the children had been sacrificed to the heathen god Molech in direct disobedience to the Lords explicit command (Lev 18:21<\/span>; Lev 20:2<\/span>). The horses which were used in the worship of the sun, and their chariots, were destroyed. The altars Ahaz had erected atop the chambers and those of Manasseh in the court were beaten down, their dust dumped in the Kidron. Some high places, such as the mount of corruption, in the hills surrounding Jerusalem, had been there since they were erected by Solomon. Here were shrines to the Zidonian Ashtoreth, the Moabite Chemosh, and the Ammonite Milcom. Everywhere Josiah found any vestige of idolatry he sought to purge it.<\/p>\n

Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n

F. THE REFORMATION INTENSIFIED 23:423<\/p>\n

The author deals with the reformation launched by Josiah geographically rather than chronologically. He discusses (1) the cleansing of the Temple (2Ki. 23:4-7<\/span>); (2) the reforms in Jerusalem and Judah (2Ki. 23:8-14<\/span>); (3) the reforms in the territory which had formerly belonged to the kingdom of Israel in the North (2Ki. 23:15-20<\/span>); and (4) the great passover celebration in which Jews and Israelites jointly shared in Jerusalem (2Ki. 23:21-23<\/span>).<\/p>\n

1. THE CLEANSING OF THE TEMPLE (2Ki. 23:4-7<\/span>)<\/p>\n

TRANSLATION<\/strong><\/p>\n

(4) And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest and the priests of the second order and those who kept the door to bring out from the Temple of the LORD all the vessels which had been made for Baal and for Asherah and for all the host of heaven; and he burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron and carried their ashes to Bethel. (5) And he made to cease the pagan priests whom the kings of Judah had appointed that they might offer incense in the high places of the cities of Judah and the environs of Jerusalem; and them who offered incense to Baal, to the sun and to the moon and to the planets and to all the host of heaven. (6) And he brought out the Asherah from the house of the LORD <\/strong>outside Jerusalem unto the brook Kidron, and he burned it in the fields of Kidron, crushed it to dust, and cast its dust on the graves of the children of the people. (7) And he tore down the houses of the male Temple prostitutes who were in the house of the LORD where women would weave hangings for Asherah.<\/p>\n

COMMENTS<\/strong><\/p>\n

The reformation began with the cleansing of the Temple. The high priest, the common priests and the Levites who kept watch at the other Temple gates were commissioned to remove from the house of God all vessels that had been made for and dedicated to Baal, Asherah and the host of heaven. The Hebrew term translated vessels is broad enough to include the entire paraphernalia of pagan worship including the two altars which had been set up in the inner and outer courts (cf. 2Ki. 21:5<\/span>). The worship of Baal and Asherah was closely related from the earliest times in Canaan; the host of heaven cult may have been imported from Assyria.<\/p>\n

In compliance with the law of Deu. 7:25<\/span>; Deu. 12:3<\/span>, Josiah burned this pagan paraphernalia. The burning took place in the fields of Kidron, i.e., in the upper part of the Kidron valley, to the northeast of Jerusalem, in order that not even the smoke should pollute the town. He then carried the ashes of this material to Bethel so as to remove them completely from the vicinity of the Holy City. The idolatrous impurities which had penetrated both kingdoms had to large measure originated in Bethel. Josiah reasoned that that which had proceeded from Bethel might well be returned to that spot (2Ki. 23:4<\/span>).<\/p>\n

Josiah also put down the pagan prieststhe kemarimwho had been imported during the reigns of Manasseh and Amon to burn incense throughout the land. From the very early times in Judah the people had illegally burned incense in high places; but here for the first time the author mentions the official sanction of and organization of this illicit worship. These priests must have been imported by Manasseh when he re-established the high places of Baal which his father Hezekiah had destroyed (cf. 2Ki. 21:3<\/span>; 2Ki. 21:21<\/span>). The kemarim offered incense to Baal, the sun, the moon and the planets and other heavenly bodies (2Ki. 23:5<\/span>).<\/p>\n

The wooden symbol of the goddess which had been erected in the Temple of the Lord was brought out and burned. Manasseh had originally set up this idol (2Ki. 21:3<\/span>; 2Ki. 21:7<\/span>) and then, after his repentance, removed it (2Ch. 33:15<\/span>). It had subsequently been replaced by his son Amon (2Ch. 33:22<\/span>). Following the earlier example of Asa, Josiah took this abominable image to the brook Kidron where he burned the wooden parts to ashes and crushed the metal parts to a fine powder. This powder was then sprinkled on the graves of the common people who were buried in graves similar to those used today. Burial places were regarded as unclean and were thus fit receptacles for any kind of impurity (2Ki. 23:6<\/span>).<\/p>\n

Josiah tore down the houses of the male Temple prostitutes (lit., consecrated ones). Male prostitutes were an essential element in the worship of Astarte and accompanied that worship wherever it was introduced. The houses of these prostitutes were in close proximity to the house of the Lord, suggesting that the Temple was profaned by the foul lust of these consecrated ones. The women who wove hangings for Asherah are doubtless the priestesses of Asherah, themselves prostitutes. These curtains which were used in the shrines where the impure fertility rites were performed were of dainty fabrics of many colors (cf. Eze. 16:16<\/span>).<\/p>\n

2. THE REFORMS IN JUDAH AND JERUSALEM (2Ki. 23:8-14<\/span>)<\/p>\n

TRANSLATION<\/strong><\/p>\n

(8) And he brought all the priests from the cities of Judah, and defiled the high places where the priests had burned incense, from Geba to Beersheba; and he broke down the high places of the gates which were in the entrance of the gate of Joshua the governor of the city, and also that which was on the left-hand side of the gate of the city. (9) The priests of the high places did not go up unto the altar of the LORD in Jerusalem, but they ate bread in the midst of their brethren. (10) And he defiled Topheth which was in the valley of the son of Hinnom that no man might make his son or his daughter to pass through the fire to Moloch. (11) And he removed from the entrance of the house of the LORD (beside the chamber of Nathan-melech the officer, in the outskirts), the horses which the kings of Judah had given to the sun, and burned the chariots of the sun with fire. (12) And the altars which were on the roof of the upper chamber of Ahaz which the kings of Judah had made and the altars which Manasseh had made in the two courts of the house of the LORD, the king tore down, and beat them down from there, and cast their dust into the brook Kidron. (13) And the king defiled the high places that were before Jerusalem which were on the right of the mount of corruption which Solomon king of Israel had built for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Sidonians, for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, and for Milcom the abomination of the children of Ammon. (14) He broke in pieces the pillars, and cut down the Asherim, and filled their places with the bones of men.<\/strong><\/p>\n

COMMENTS<\/strong><\/p>\n

In order to prevent further illicit worship at the outlying high places, Josiah summoned to Jerusalem the Levitical priests who had served at these shrines and forced them to remain there. Throughout Judah, from Geba a village near Bethel, to Beersheba in the south, Josiah defiled or desecrated the high places.[647] where these Levites had served. This action he hoped would render these shrines permanently unsuitable for religious services. The high-place type worship had even in vaded, so it seems, the city of Jerusalem. Altars and other religious paraphernalia had been set up in the large open buildings which were part of the gates of the city. Two city gates where this type of unauthorized ritual was performed are named: the gate of Joshua the governor and the gate known simply as the city gate (2Ki. 23:8<\/span>).<\/p>\n

[647] Hezekiah had removed the high places throughout his domain (2Ki. 18:4<\/span>), but under his son Manasseh the worship at these high places arose anew.<\/p>\n

Josiah did not permit the apostate Levitical priests who had been summoned to Jerusalem to approach the altar of the Lord or to have any part in the Temple ritual. Nevertheless, they were permitted to partake of the priestly revenues. They were allowed to eat of the unleavened bread which only the priest could touch, and probably the portions of the sacrificial animals which were designated for the priests[648] (2Ki. 23:9<\/span>).<\/p>\n

[648] See Lev. 6:9-10<\/span>; Lev. 6:22<\/span>.<\/p>\n

Tophet was the name given to the place in the valley of Hinnom where sacrifices were offered to Moloch. The exact meaning of the word is unknown. The valley of Hinnom is that depression which sweeps around the more western of the two hills whereon Jerusalem was built. The sons of Hinnom are thought to have been Canaanites who occupied this valley in the days of Joshua. This spot, sacred to Moloch, was defiled by Josiah so that the abominations practiced there would forever have to cease (2Ki. 23:10<\/span>).<\/p>\n

One of the idolatries introduced during the Manasseh-Amon era was the worship of the sun. Sacred chariots and horses were stationed near one of the entrances of the Temple to be ready for use in pagan processions. The particular entrance of the Temple is more precisely identified as being the one by the chamber of Nathan-melech the officer (lit., eunuch). Various chambers surrounded the Temple area some of which were used for storage, and some for residences. In Josiahs day, an important royal officer named Nathan-melech occupied one of these chambers. The sacred horses were removed, i.e., deprived of their functions; the wooden chariots were burned (2Ki. 23:11<\/span>).<\/p>\n

The location of the upper chambers of Ahaz is not certain, but most scholars think that they were within or in close proximity to the Temple.[649] Manasseh and Amon apparently had erected altars upon the roof of this structure. Roof-top altars seem to have been a new innovation particularly connected with the worship of the host of heaven. The altars which Manasseh had made and placed in the courts of the house of God were probably also connected with astral worship. These altars had been removed by Manasseh when he repented toward the end of his life, but they apparently had been replaced during the short reign of Amon. All of these astral altars Josiah completely destroyed, crushing them to dust and casting that dust into the brook Kidron (2Ki. 23:12<\/span>).<\/p>\n

[649] Owing to the fact that the pollutions mentioned immediately before and immediately after 2Ki. 23:12<\/span> are pollutions belonging to the Temple.<\/p>\n

Josiah also destroyed the high places which Solomon had established in the vicinity of Jerusalem for the benefit of his pagan wives. The entire ridge of hills on the east of the city of Jerusalem came to be known as the mount of corruption because of the evil rites which Solomon had permitted to be practiced there. On the right hand, i.e., southern part of that hill, Solomon had erected shrines for three pagan deities: Ashtoreth, Chemosh and Milcom. The worship of Ashtoreth was prevalent throughout Phoenicia, but she was particularly venerated at Sidon, the seat of her worship. Chemosh is mentioned on the famous Moabite Stone as being the chief deity of Moab.[650] Milcom is one of the Israelite spellings for the name of the god Moloch. He seems to have been the only god revered by the Ammonites.[651] These ancient shrines Josiah defiled (2Ki. 23:13<\/span>) by breaking the sacred pillars there in pieces, cutting down the Asherimthe wooden symbols of the goddess Asherah which were associated with Canaanite shrinesand by filling these areas with human bones. From the earliest times bones were considered unclean. These symbols of death would be a special defilement to shrines where the gods worshiped were deities of productivity and generation (2Ki. 23:14<\/span>).<\/p>\n

[650] The Moabite Stone is dedicated to Chemosh, and the inhabitants of Moab are referred to as the people of Chemosh.<\/p>\n

[651] See 1Ki. 11:5<\/span>; Jer. 49:3<\/span> compared with Jer. 48:7<\/span>; Amo. 1:15<\/span>; and Zep. 1:5<\/span>.<\/p>\n

2. THE REFORMS IN THE NORTH (2Ki. 23:15-20<\/span>)<\/p>\n

TRANSLATION<\/strong><\/p>\n

(15) Moreover the altar which was in Bethel, the high place which Jeroboam the son of Nebat who made Israel to sin had made, even that altar and the high place he tore down, and he burned the high place; he crushed to powder and burned the Asherah. (16) And Josiah turned and saw the graves which were there in the mount; and he sent and took the bones from the graves, and burned them upon the altar, and defiled it according to the word of the LORD which the man of God had proclaimed who had proclaimed these things. (17) And he said, What marker is that which I see? And the men of the city said unto him, The grave of the man of God who came from Judah and proclaimed these things which you have done against the altar at Bethel. (18) And he said, Let him alone; let no man move his bones. So they left his bones with the bones of the prophet who came from Samaria. (19) And also all the houses of the high places, which were in the cities of Samaria which the kings of Israel had made to provoke the LORD, Josiah removed, and did to them according to all the deeds which he had done in Bethel. (20) And he slew all the priests of the high places which were there upon the altars, and he burned human bones upon them, and returned to Jerusalem.<\/strong><\/p>\n

COMMENTS<\/strong><\/p>\n

When Jeroboam set up his altar at Bethel, he in effect made that city a high place. The buildings connected with this high place were torn down by Josiah. It is not certain whether the Bethel temple was still being used in the days of Josiah or whether it had been abandoned. It is likely, however, that the mixed race which had been imported by the Assyrians to the former territory of Israel continued to worship at the spot. The pagan Asherah which was there Josiah crushed to powder and burned (2Ki. 23:15<\/span>). From Israelite sepulchers excavated in the rocky sides of near-by hills, Josiah ordered human bones to be brought out and burned on the Bethel altar. By this action Josiah was unconsciously fulfilling the prophecy made by the unnamed man of God some three hundred years before (2Ki. 23:16<\/span>; cf. 1Ki. 13:2<\/span>).<\/p>\n

The king then spotted a pillar or obelisk in the area of the tombs and inquired of the local inhabitants about the significance of this marker. He was told that this pillar marked the sepulcher of the man of God from Judah who had predicted the very things which Josiah had done to the altar (2Ki. 23:17<\/span>). Upon being reminded of the message of that prophet, Josiah gave orders to leave that particular sepulcher and the bones of the two prophets buried therein undisturbed (2Ki. 23:18<\/span>).<\/p>\n

Josiah and his men roamed at will throughout the former territory of the Northern Kingdom[652] destroying and defiling the high places (2Ki. 23:19<\/span>). This was the period of Assyrian decline, and the kings in Nineveh were no longer able to defend their outlying provinces. Taking advantage of this weakness, Josiah seems to have established his hegemony over the Assyrian provinces to the north of Judah. He seems to have been able to reunite under his own headship all the scattered portions of the old Israelite kingdom, except, perhaps, the Transjordan area. He levied taxes in Samaria as freely as in Judah (2Ch. 33:9<\/span>). Throughout these territories Josiah slew the pagan priests of the high places and defiled the altars at these heathen shrines by burning human bones upon them just as he had done at Bethel (2Ki. 23:20<\/span>).<\/p>\n

[652] The Chronicler gives more details. Josiah carried out his destruction of the high places, the Asherah and the images in the cities of Manasseh, and Ephraim, and Simeon, even unto Naphtali (2Ch. 34:6<\/span>).<\/p>\n

3. THE GREAT PASSOVER CELEBRATION (2Ki. 23:21-23<\/span>)<\/p>\n

TRANSLATION<\/strong><\/p>\n

(21) And the king commanded all the people, saying, Prepare the Passover to the LORD your God as it is written in the book of this covenant. (22) Surely we have not done according to this book from the days of the Judges who judged Israel nor in all the days of the kings of Israel and the kings of Judah. (23) But in the eighteenth year of King Josiah, this Passover was conducted to the LORD in Jerusalem.<\/strong><\/p>\n

COMMENTS<\/strong><\/p>\n

The account of Josiahs Passover celebration is given in much more detail in the Book of Chronicles. The king ordered that all the regulations contained in the newly discovered book of the covenant should be observed (2Ki. 23:21<\/span>). Since the ordinances for the observation of Passover are contained chiefly in Exodus (2Ki. 12:3-20<\/span>; 2Ki. 13:5-10<\/span>), it is reasonable to assume that the book of the covenant contained the book presently called Exodus.[653] Not since the days of the Judges had a pass-over been so numerously attended[654] and so meticulously observed (2Ki. 23:22<\/span>; cf. 2Ch. 35:6<\/span>).[655] This great observance occurred in the eighteenth year of Josiah, 621 B.C.the same year in which the lost law book was discovered in the Temple (2Ki. 23:23<\/span>).<\/p>\n

[653] Passover regulations are repeated but with much less fullness in Deu. 16:1-8<\/span>.<\/p>\n

[654] The festival was attended not only by the Judaeans, but by many Israelites from among the ten tribes who still remained intermixed with the Assyrian colonists in the area of Samaria (2Ch. 35:17-18<\/span>)<\/p>\n

[655] Two other great passover observances are recorded since Israel left Sinai. See Jos. 5:10-11<\/span> and 2Ch. 30:13-26<\/span>.<\/p>\n

Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n

(4) The priests of the second order.<\/strong>Thenius is probably right in reading the singular, the priest of the second rank, i.e.<\/em>, the high priests deputy, after the Targum, unless the heads of the twenty-four classes be intended (the chief priests of the New Testament). (See also 2Ki. 25:18<\/span>.)<\/p>\n

The keepers of the door<\/strong> (threshold).The three chief warders (2Ki. 25:18<\/span>.)<\/p>\n

Out of the temple<\/strong>i.e.<\/em>, out of the principal chamber or holy place.<\/p>\n

For Baal . . . grove.<\/strong>For the Baal . . .<\/strong> Ashrah (so in 2Ki. 23:6-7<\/span>; 2Ki. 23:15<\/span> also).<\/p>\n

Burned them.<\/strong>According to the law of Deu. 7:25<\/span>; Deu. 12:3<\/span>. (Comp. 1Ch. 14:12<\/span>.)<\/p>\n

Without Jerusalem.<\/strong>As unclean.<\/p>\n

In the fields of Kidron.<\/strong>North-east of the city, where the ravine expands considerably. (Comp. Jer. 31:40<\/span>; also 1Ki. 15:13<\/span>.)<\/p>\n

Carried the ashes of them unto Beth-el.<\/strong>This is undoubtedly strange, and Chronicles says nothing about it. If the ashes of the vessels were sent to Beth-el, why not also those of the idols themselves, and the fragments of the altars (2Ki. 23:6-12<\/span>)? The text appears to be corrupt.<\/p>\n

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n

4<\/strong>. <\/strong> Priests of the second order <\/strong> Those who ranked next in order to the high priest. The great body of the priesthood were of this order, but some among them were more distinguished than others. Compare 2Ki 25:18<\/span>. <\/p>\n

Keepers of the door <\/strong> Levites who guarded the entrance to the temple, called porters <\/em> in 1Ch 23:5<\/span>. <\/p>\n

All the vessels <\/strong> Such as altars, images, and symbols, that had been used in the false worship. <\/p>\n

Baal grove host of heaven <\/strong> See at 2Ki 23:3-7<\/span>. <\/p>\n

Burned <\/strong> them <\/strong> As the law commanded. Deu 7:5<\/span>; Deu 7:25<\/span>; Deu 12:3<\/span>. <\/p>\n

Fields of Kidron <\/strong> Probably at the upper part of the Kidron valley, and a little northeast of Jerusalem, where, according to Robinson, “the valley spreads out into a basin of some breadth, which is tilled, and contains plantations of olive and other fruit trees.” It was probably in the same spot that Asa burned the Asherah idol of his mother. 1Ki 15:13<\/span>. <\/p>\n

Carried the <\/strong> ashes of them unto Beth-el <\/strong> To signify that all this idolatry originated, not at Jerusalem, <\/em> but at Beth-el, <\/em> where Jeroboam’s false worship had been inaugurated, (1Ki 12:29<\/span>,) and thence spread and opened the way for all manner of idolatrous practices.<\/p>\n

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n

When the king had finished reading the words of God’s holy law, he proceeded with an holy zeal to bear testimony to God’s truth, in the destruction of all that God’s holy law had forbidden. And what a blessed work was here wrought. Reader! are you not astonished to behold, and read the account! How was it possible for the great enemy of souls to have kept up his cursed empire in the heart, and even in the midst of God’s own people, from generation to generation, in this manner! Reader! do you wonder at it? Look within! See what a body of sin and death, even in the midst of grace, (if in mercy the Lord the Spirit hath regenerated you) you carry about with you! if we recollect, moreover, that Josiah had sat upon the throne, at the time that this great work was done, about eighteen years ; during which time he had set his people a good example, it is not a little wonderful that, under the blessings of such a reign, idolatry should have held out to such an extent. Reader! what will example do? nay, what will even reading the sacred word of God do, unless that reading of God’s own word be accompanied with his own power? It is hardly possible to read this account of what Josiah destroyed, but with fear and trembling. There were vessels of Baal even in the temple of the Lord: there were idolatrous priests who, at the command of the former kings, had dared to burn incense in the high places: there were even houses for the transaction of such abominable filthiness and unnatural uncleanness, as are not to be once named among us, as becometh saints. And all these not merely in the suburbs of Judea; not near the cloisters of God’s church; but in the very church itself. There were horses given to the sun, that were, as it should seem, kept for the worshipping of the sun by them. Perhaps, as some have thought, at sun-rising the idolaters went forth on them, to make exercises in honor of this creature of God, the sun. And strange to think, the stables of these beasts were in the very temple itself. And the image of Moloch, in the valley of Tophet, was among the horrible services of the people, where they committed these unnatural and unfeeling crimes, to make their own children, in honor of this dunghill-god, pass through fire. Reader! pause as you read, and let our souls he humbled to the dust in the view of such a state of degradation to which, by sin, the human mind is capable of being brought. Let us never lose sight of one unquestionable truth, as we read the awful account, namely, that by the fall of man, all men are by nature the same. What one man, or one nation is capable of doing, all are equally prone to. It is grace, free, sovereign, distinguishing grace which maketh all the difference. And therefore think, Reader, (and oh! my soul, do thou never, never for a moment lose sight of it) what unspeakable, what endless mercies do we owe to Jesus, who, in the fulness of grace and truth, came to repair the desolations of many generations, and to raise up the ruins of David which were fallen down. Oh! thou precious, blessed, adorable Redeemer! Hail! thou glorious, gracious Benefactor of mankind! Amo 9:11<\/span> .<\/p>\n

Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n

2Ki 23:4 And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, and the priests of the second order, and the keepers of the door, to bring forth out of the temple of the LORD all the vessels that were made for Baal, and for the grove, and for all the host of heaven: and he burned them without Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron, and carried the ashes of them unto Bethel.<\/p>\n

Ver. 4. And the priests of the second order.<\/strong> ] Ithamar’s race. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

And carried the ashes of them unto Bethel.<\/strong> ] Called also Bethaven, because there had stood one of Jeroboam’s golden calves: hither therefore this good king sent the ashes of those burnt idols and their trinkets to disgrace it, and that such wicked dust might not remain in Judah, that holy land, saith Cajetan.<\/p>\n

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n

priests of the second order (or degree), i.e. ordinary priests. <\/p>\n

the grove = the ‘Asherah. See App-42. <\/p>\n

host of heaven. Compare 2Ki 21:3. <\/p>\n

burned them. As prescribed in Deu 7:25. <\/p>\n

unto Beth-el. To defile the altar there, according to the prophecy in 1Ki 13:2. <\/p>\n

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n

priestss of the second order: These were either such as occasionally supplied the high priests’s office, or those of the second course or order established by David. See the references. 1Ch 24:4-19, Mat 26:3, Mat 27:1 <\/p>\n

the keepers: 2Ki 22:4, 1Ch 26:1-19 <\/p>\n

to bring: 2Ki 21:3, 2Ki 21:7, 2Ch 33:3, 2Ch 33:7, 2Ch 34:3, 2Ch 34:4 <\/p>\n

Baal: 2Ki 17:16, Jdg 2:13, 1Ki 16:31, 1Ki 18:19, 1Ki 18:26, 1Ki 18:40, 1Ki 19:18, Isa 27:9, Jer 7:9 <\/p>\n

Kidron: 2Sa 15:23, Joh 18:1, Cedron <\/p>\n

Bethel: 1Ki 12:29, Hos 4:15, Amo 4:4 <\/p>\n

Reciprocal: Deu 4:19 – when thou 2Ki 11:18 – went 2Ki 12:9 – the priests 2Ki 13:6 – and there remained 2Ki 18:4 – brake 2Ki 21:5 – in the two courts 1Ch 9:11 – the ruler 2Ch 29:16 – Kidron 2Ch 34:9 – Hilkiah 2Ch 34:33 – took away Neh 13:22 – I commanded Isa 30:22 – defile Jer 7:30 – they Jer 11:13 – For according Eze 8:6 – even Zep 1:4 – the remnant<\/p>\n

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n

2Ki 23:4. The king commanded Hilkiah and the priests of the second order Either those two who were next in degree to the high-priest, and in case of sickness were to manage his work; or the heads of the twenty-four courses which David had appointed. To bring forth out of the temple Or to take care they should be brought forth. All the vessels made for Baal So that, even in the house of the Lord, the sacred temple built by Solomon, and dedicated to the honour and worship of the God of Israel, were found vessels, and all manner of utensils, for the worship of Baal, for the grove, and all the host of heaven It appears, therefore, that although Josiah had suppressed the worship of idols, yet the provisions made for that worship were carefully preserved by some persons in power, even in the temple itself, to be used again whenever the present restraint should be taken off: nay, even the image of the grove, probably Ashtaroth or Venus, was yet kept standing in the temple. How Josiah could suffer all this, till the eighteenth year of his reign, is difficult to say; perhaps it was done without his knowledge. He now, however, gives orders that all these instruments of idolatry should be burned, in the fields adjoining to the brook Kidron; and that the ashes of them should be carried out of his kingdom to Beth-el: in token of his abhorrence of every species of idolatry, and to pollute and disgrace that place which had been the chief seat and throne of it.<\/p>\n

Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n

23:4 And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, and the {d} priests of the second order, and the keepers of the door, to bring forth out of the temple of the LORD all the vessels that were made for Baal, and for the grove, and for all the host of heaven: and he burned them without Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron, and carried {e} the ashes of them unto Bethel.<\/p>\n

(d) Meaning, they who were next in dignity to the high priest.<\/p>\n

(e) In contempt of the altar Jeroboam had built there to sacrifice to his calves.<\/p>\n

Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, and the priests of the second order, and the keepers of the door, to bring forth out of the temple of the LORD all the vessels that were made for Baal, and for the grove, and for all the host of heaven: and he burned them without … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Kings 23:4”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10181","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-commentary"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10181","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10181"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10181\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10181"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10181"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10181"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}