2 Kings 23:4-24 NIV1984

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Kings 23:1-14

Josiah's great reformation. The narrative of Josiah's reforms contained in this chapter incorporates several particulars which, if the Book of Chronicles is to be regarded as giving the true chronology, belong to an earlier period. It is next to incredible that, after Jehovah's worship had been regularly established, such scandals as the prostitution alluded to in 2 Kings 23:7 , and the horses and chariots of the sun in 2 Kings 23:11 , should have Been allowed to continue. The narrative... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Kings 23:1-25

Good aims and bad methods. "And the king sent," etc. Did the world ever contain a people more morally corrupt than that of the Jews? When we mark them journeying in the wilderness forty years, a more murmuring, disorderly, rebellious set of men where else could we discover? When settled in Palestine, a "land flowing with milk and honey" we find them committing every crime of which humanity is capable—adulteries, suicides, murders, ruthless wars, gross idolatries, their priests impostors,... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Kings 23:1-37

JOSIAH 'S RENEWAL OF THE COVENANT . HIS REFORMS AND DEATH . REIGN OF JEHOAHAZ . ACCESSION OF JEHOIAKIM . read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Kings 23:4

And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, and the priests of the second order. Not the "deputy-high priests," of whom there seems to have been only one at this period of the history ( 2 Kings 25:18 ); nor the "heads of the courses," who were not recognized as a distinct class of priests till much later; but merely the common priests, as distinguished from the high priest. (So Keil, Bahr, and others.) And the keepers of the door ; literally, the keepers of the threshold ; i.e. ... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Kings 23:4-27

Josiah ' s reformation of religion . The reformation of religion by Josiah next engages the writer's attention, and is treated, not chronologically, but rather gee-graphically, under the three heads of The celebration of the Passover is then briefly noticed ( 2 Kings 23:21-25 ); and the section concludes with a eulogy of Josiah ( 2 Kings 23:24 , 2 Kings 23:25 ), who, however, it is noticed could not, with all his piety, obtain a revocation of the sentence passed on Judah in... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Kings 23:4-27

The inability of the best intentions and the strongest will to convert a nation that is corrupt to the core. Josiah's reformation was the most energetic and the most thorough-going that was ever carried out by any Jewish king. It far transcended, not only the efforts made by Jehoiada in the time of Joash ( 2 Kings 11:17-21 ; 2 Kings 12:1-16 ), and the feeble attempts of Manasseh on his return from Babylon ( 2 Chronicles 33:15-19 ), but even the earnest endeavors of Hezekiah at the... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Kings 23:5

And he put down the idolatrous priests ; literally, the chemarim . The same word is used of idolatrous priests in Hosea 10:5 and Zephaniah 1:4 . It is best connected with the Arabic root chamar , colere deum , and with the Syriac cumro , "priest" or "sacrificer." The Syrian priests were probably so called at the time, and the Hebrews took the word, and applied it to all false priests or idolatrous priests, reserving their own cohanim ( כֹּהֲנִים ) for true Jehovistic... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Kings 23:6

And he brought out the grove from the house of the Lord. The Asherah set up by Manasseh ( 2 Kings 21:3 and 2 Kings 21:7 ), and if removed ( 2 Chronicles 33:15 ), then replaced by Amon ( 2 Chronicles 33:22 ), is intended. (On its probable form, see the comment upon 2 Kings 21:7 .) Without Jerusalem, unto the brook Kidron (see the comment on verse 4), and burned it at the brook Kidron. After the example of Asa, who had treated in the same way the idol of the queen-mother Maachah ( ... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Kings 23:7

And he brake down the houses of the sodomites ; literally, of the consecrated ones. (See the comment on 1 Kings 14:24 ; and note that the male prostitutes, or Galli, who consecrated themselves to the Des Syra, formed an essential element in the Astarte-worship, and accompanied it wherever it was introduced.) Dollinger says of these wretched persons, "To the exciting din of drums, flutes, and inspired songs, the Galli cut themselves on the arms; and the effect of this act, and of the... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Kings 23:8

And he brought all the priests out of the cities of Judah. Here the writer diverges from his proper subject—the reforms in and near Jerusalem—to speak of changes which were made in other parts of Judaea. The Levitical priests, who in various cities of Judah had conducted the worship at the high places, were summoned to Jerusalem by Josiah, and forced to remain there, that the unauthorized worship which they had conducted might be brought to an end. And defiled the high places where the... read more

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Kings 23:1-14

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Kings 23:1-25

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Kings 23:1-37

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Kings 23:4

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Kings 23:4-27

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Kings 23:4-27

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Kings 23:5

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Kings 23:6

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Kings 23:7

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Kings 23:8

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