2 Kings 23:20

And he slew all the priests of the high places that [were] there upon the altars, and burned men's bones upon them, and returned to Jerusalem.

And he slew {H2076} all the priests {H3548} of the high places {H1116} that were there upon the altars {H4196}, and burned {H8313} men's {H120} bones {H6106} upon them, and returned {H7725} to Jerusalem {H3389}.

He put to death all the priests of those high places on the altars there, then burned human bones on them. Finally he returned to Yerushalayim.

On the altars he slaughtered all the priests of the high places, and he burned human bones on them. Then he returned to Jerusalem.

And he slew all the priests of the high places that were there, upon the altars, and burned menโ€™s bones upon them; and he returned to Jerusalem.

Commentary

2 Kings 23:20 describes a significant, decisive act of King Josiah's religious reforms, where he violently purged the land of idolatrous worship, fulfilling ancient prophecy.

Context

This verse is part of the extensive religious reforms initiated by King Josiah of Judah (reigned c. 640โ€“609 BC). Following the discovery of the Book of the Law in the Temple, Josiah was deeply convicted and committed to eradicating all forms of pagan worship that had permeated Judah, especially during the reigns of his grandfather Manasseh and father Amon. His reforms were thorough, extending beyond Jerusalem into the former territories of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, targeting the "high places" (bamot) which were centers of syncretistic or purely idolatrous worship. This particular act of slaying priests and desecrating altars underscores the severity of his commitment to restoring pure worship of the Lord.

Key Themes

  • Radical Purity and Eradication of Idolatry: Josiah's actions demonstrate an uncompromising zeal to cleanse the land of anything that defiled the worship of the one true God. The slaying of priests and burning of bones were not merely symbolic acts but violent, definitive measures to dismantle the infrastructure of paganism.
  • Fulfillment of Prophecy: A remarkable aspect of this verse is its direct fulfillment of a prophecy made over three centuries earlier. The burning of human bones on the altar at Bethel (implied here as part of the "high places") directly corresponds to the word spoken by a man of God against King Jeroboam's altar in 1 Kings 13:1-2.
  • Desecration and Irreversibility: Burning bones on the altars rendered them ritually unclean and unusable for any future worship, ensuring that these sites of false worship could not be revived. This act underscored the complete rejection of these practices.
  • Covenant Fidelity: Josiah's entire reform movement, including these harsh measures, was an earnest attempt to bring the nation of Judah back into faithful obedience to the covenant God had made with Israel, as outlined in the Book of the Law.

Linguistic Insights

The term "high places" (Hebrew: ื‘ึธึผืžื•ึนืช, bamot) refers to elevated shrines or altars, often associated with Canaanite fertility cults and later adopted by Israelites for worship, sometimes even of Yahweh in an unauthorized manner, but often for pagan deities like Baal and Asherah. The word "slew" (Hebrew: ื•ึทื™ึดึผื–ึฐื‘ึทึผื—, vayyizbach), while often meaning "to sacrifice," here implies a violent slaughter, consistent with the context of executing those who led the people astray in idolatry.

Practical Application

While we do not engage in physical violence against those who practice false worship today, King Josiah's fervent commitment to spiritual purity offers a profound lesson. This verse challenges believers to identify and radically remove "high places" in their own livesโ€”any attitudes, practices, or allegiances that compete with or defile their devotion to God. It emphasizes the importance of not conforming to the patterns of this world and diligently pursuing a life consistent with God's revealed truth, ensuring that Christ holds the supreme place in our hearts and actions, just as Josiah sought to restore the true worship of God in his kingdom.

Note: If the commentary doesnโ€™t appear instantly, please allow 2โ€“5 seconds for it to load. It is generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash using a prompt focused on Biblical fidelity over bias. While the insights have been consistently reliable, we encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit.

Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated โ€” the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • 2 Kings 11:18

    And all the people of the land went into the house of Baal, and brake it down; his altars and his images brake they in pieces thoroughly, and slew Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. And the priest appointed officers over the house of the LORD.

  • Exodus 22:20

    He that sacrificeth unto [any] god, save unto the LORD only, he shall be utterly destroyed.

  • 2 Chronicles 34:5

    And he burnt the bones of the priests upon their altars, and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem.

  • 2 Kings 10:25

    And it came to pass, as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, that Jehu said to the guard and to the captains, Go in, [and] slay them; let none come forth. And they smote them with the edge of the sword; and the guard and the captains cast [them] out, and went to the city of the house of Baal.

  • 1 Kings 13:2

    And he cried against the altar in the word of the LORD, and said, O altar, altar, thus saith the LORD; Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men's bones shall be burnt upon thee.

  • 1 Kings 18:40

    And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there.

  • Isaiah 34:6

    The sword of the LORD is filled with blood, it is made fat with fatness, [and] with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams: for the LORD hath a sacrifice in Bozrah, and a great slaughter in the land of Idumea.
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