列王紀下 23:4-7 CUNPTS

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 2 Kings 23:4-24

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... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Kings 23:4

And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, and the priests of the second order ,.... Or the second course of the priests; the course of Jedaiah, 1 Chronicles 24:7 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 F18 Misn. Yoma,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Kings 23:5

And he put down the idolatrous priests ,.... The Cemarim, so called, because they wore black clothes, as Kimchi and others, whereas the priests of the Lord were clothed in white linen; see Gill on Zephaniah 1:4 . 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 ; for though those high places were destroyed by Hezekiah, they were rebuilt by Manasseh his son, and priests put in them to officiate... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Kings 23:6

And he brought out the grove from the house of the Lord ,.... Not a real grove of trees, but a carved one, as some think; or rather the image of the grove, 2 Kings 21:7 that is, the idol Ashtoreth, or Astarte, which was set up there; so Theodoret says; some interpreters call it Astoreth, the name of Venus, whom they call Astarte: this Josiah ordered to be brought without Jerusalem, unto the brook Kidron, and burnt it at the brook Kidron ; the black brook, where the filth of the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Kings 23:7

And he brake down the houses of the Sodomites that were by the house of the Lord ,.... Near the temple were apartments, in which men, the worshippers of idols, prostituted their bodies to each other; committing that unnatural sin with one another, which has its name from Sodom, and from which those are so called, and which sin they committed in honour of the idols they worshipped; to such vile affections were they, in a judicial manner, delivered up, because of their idolatry; see Romans... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 2 Kings 23:4

The priests of the second order - 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. But the words may refer to those of the second course or order established by David: though it does not appear that those orders were now in use, yet the distinction was continued even to the time of our Lord. We find the course of Abia, which was... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 2 Kings 23:5

The idolatrous priests - הכמרים hakkemarim . Who these were is not well known. The Chaldee, Syriac, and Arabic, call them the priests simply, which the kings of Judah had ordained. Probably they were an order made by the idolatrous kings of Judah, and called kemarim , from כמר camar , which signifies to be scorched, shriveled together, made dark, or black, because their business was constantly to attend sacrificial fires, and probably they were black garments; hence the Jews in... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 2 Kings 23:6

He brought out the grove - He brought out the idol Asherah. See at the end of 2 Kings 21:26 ; (note). Upon the graves of the children of the people - I believe this; means the burial-place of the common people. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 2 Kings 23:7

The houses of the sodomites - We have already often met with these קדשים kedeshim or consecrated persons. The word implies all kinds of prostitutes, as well as abusers of themselves with mankind. Wove hangings for the grove - For Asherah; curtains or tent coverings for the places where the rites of the impure goddess were performed. See at the end of 2 Kings 21:26 ; (note). read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

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

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 2 Kings 23:4-24

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Kings 23:4

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Kings 23:5

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Kings 23:6

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Kings 23:7

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 2 Kings 23:4

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 2 Kings 23:5

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 2 Kings 23:6

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 2 Kings 23:7

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Kings 23:1-14

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