What was "sun worship" and why was it practiced in Judah?

Sun worship, or astral worship, was a common pagan practice in the ancient Near East, where the sun was revered as a powerful deity, often associated with life, fertility, and cosmic order. Deities like the Mesopotamian Shamash or the Egyptian Ra were prominent examples. In Judah, its practice, particularly by kings and within the Temple precincts, was a form of syncretism—the blending of Yahweh worship with foreign religious practices. This likely occurred due to political alliances with neighboring nations that worshipped such deities, cultural influence, or a desire to tap into perceived universal powers for national prosperity and stability, despite God's explicit commands against it in passages like Deuteronomy 4:19.

Who was Nathanmelech and why is his chamber mentioned?

Nathanmelech is identified as "the chamberlain" (Hebrew: sārîs), a term often referring to a eunuch who held a high administrative position in the royal court. Eunuchs were typically trusted officials, often in charge of royal finances, administration, or the king's personal household. His mention is significant because his chamber was located "at the entering in of the house of the LORD," indicating that sun worship was not merely a popular practice but had become officially sanctioned and deeply integrated into the royal and Temple administration. The presence of such a high-ranking official's quarters so close to the idolatrous objects and the sacred Temple entrance underscores the pervasive and institutionalized nature of the apostasy that Josiah was confronting.

Why were horses and chariots used for sun worship?

In ancient Near Eastern mythology and iconography, the sun deity was frequently depicted as traversing the sky in a chariot, often pulled by horses. This imagery symbolized the sun's daily journey across the heavens, its power, and its life-giving force. For instance, the Egyptian sun god Ra was often shown in a solar bark or chariot. Therefore, physical horses and chariots, or their representations, were used in cultic rituals to honor the sun god, perhaps in processions or as symbolic offerings. Their presence in Jerusalem reflected the adoption of these foreign religious practices, symbolizing the perceived power and movement of the sun god and representing a direct challenge to Yahweh's sole sovereignty over creation.

23:10 23:10

2 Kings 23:11

23:12 23:12

Bible Versions

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, by the chamber of Nathanmelech the chamberlain, which [was] in the suburbs, and burned the chariots of the sun with fire.

And he took away {H7673} the horses {H5483} that the kings {H4428} of Judah {H3063} had given {H5414} to the sun {H8121}, at the entering in {H935} of the house {H1004} of the LORD {H3068}, by the chamber {H3957} of Nathanmelech {H5419} the chamberlain {H5631}, which was in the suburbs {H6503}, and burned {H8313} the chariots {H4818} of the sun {H8121} with fire {H784}.

He confiscated the horses which the kings of Y'hudah had given to the sun, at the entrance to the house of ADONAI near the room of the officer N'tan-Melekh, in the side-courtyard; and he burned up the chariots of the sun.

And he removed from the entrance to the house of the LORD the horses that the kings of Judah had dedicated to the sun. They were in the court near the chamber of an official named Nathan-melech. And Josiah burned up the chariots of the sun.

And he took away the horses that the kings of Judah had given to the sun, at the entrance of the house of Jehovah, by the chamber of Nathan-melech the chamberlain, which was in the precincts; and he burned the chariots of the sun with fire.

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

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Cross-References

Ezekiel 8:16

And he brought me into the inner court of the LORD'S house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, [were] about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the LORD, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east.
2 Chronicles 14:5

Also he took away out of all the cities of Judah the high places and the images: and the kingdom was quiet before him.
2 Chronicles 34:4

And they brake down the altars of Baalim in his presence; and the images, that [were] on high above them, he cut down; and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images, he brake in pieces, and made dust [of them], and strowed [it] upon the graves of them that had sacrificed unto them.
2 Kings 23:5

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.
Deuteronomy 4:19

And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, [even] all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the LORD thy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven.

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