2 Kings 23

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King Josiah, after the discovery of the Book of the Covenant, leads Judah in a national covenant renewal with the LORD. He then initiates a sweeping religious reformation, systematically purging idolatry, high places, and abominable practices throughout Judah and even into the former kingdom of Israel. This extensive purification culminates in an unprecedented Passover celebration. Despite Josiah's unparalleled devotion, the LORD's fierce wrath against Judah remains due to Manasseh's sins, and Josiah's reign ends tragically in battle, followed by the wicked reigns of his sons.

Josiah Renews the Covenant 1–3

And the king sent, and they gathered unto him all the elders of Judah and of Jerusalem.

And the king went up to the house of Jehovah, and all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with him, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the people, both small and great: and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant which was found in the house of Jehovah.

And the king stood by the pillar, and made a covenant before Jehovah, to walk after Jehovah, and to keep his commandments, and his testimonies, and his statutes, with all his heart, and all his soul, to confirm the words of this covenant that were written in this book: and all the people stood to the covenant.

Purge of Idolatry in Judah 4–14

And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, and the priests of the second order, and the keepers of the threshold, to bring forth out of the temple of Jehovah all the vessels that were made for Baal, and for the Asherah, and for all the host of heaven, and he burned them without Jerusalem in the fields of the Kidron, and carried the ashes of them unto Beth-el.

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.

And he brought out the Asherah from the house of Jehovah, without Jerusalem, unto the brook Kidron, and burned it at the brook Kidron, and beat it to dust, and cast the dust thereof upon the graves of the common people.

And he brake down the houses of the sodomites, that were in the house of Jehovah, where the women wove hangings for the Asherah.

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 he brake down the high places of the gates that were at the entrance of the gate of Joshua the governor of the city, which were on a man’s left hand at the gate of the city.

Nevertheless the priests of the high places came not up to the altar of Jehovah in Jerusalem, but they did eat unleavened bread among their brethren.

And he defiled Topheth, which is 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.

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.

And the altars that 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 Jehovah, did the king break down, and beat them down from thence, and cast the dust of them into the brook Kidron.

And the high places that were before Jerusalem, which were on the right hand of the mount of corruption, which Solomon the king of Israel had builded for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Sidonians, and for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, and for Milcom the abomination of the children of Ammon, did the king defile.

And he brake in pieces the pillars, and cut down the Asherim, and filled their places with the bones of men.

Destruction of High Places in Bethel and Samaria 15–20

Moreover the altar that was at Beth-el, and the high place which Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, had made, even that altar and the high place he brake down; and he burned the high place and beat it to dust, and burned the Asherah.

And as Josiah turned himself, he spied the sepulchres that were there in the mount; and he sent, and took the bones out of the sepulchres, and burned them upon the altar, and defiled it, according to the word of Jehovah which the man of God proclaimed, who proclaimed these things.

Then he said, What monument is that which I see? And the men of the city told him, It is the sepulchre of the man of God, who came from Judah, and proclaimed these things that thou hast done against the altar of Beth-el.

And he said, Let him be; let no man move his bones. So they let his bones alone, with the bones of the prophet that came out of Samaria.

And all the houses also of the high places that were in the cities of Samaria, which the kings of Israel had made to provoke Jehovah to anger, Josiah took away, and did to them according to all the acts that he had done in Beth-el.

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

The Great Passover and the Last Purge 21–24

And the king commanded all the people, saying, Keep the passover unto Jehovah your God, as it is written in this book of the covenant.

Surely there was not kept 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;

but in the eighteenth year of king Josiah was this passover kept to Jehovah in Jerusalem.

Moreover them that had familiar spirits, and the wizards, and the teraphim, and the idols, and all the abominations that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, did Josiah put away, that he might confirm the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of Jehovah.

Summary of Josiah’s Reign and God’s Wrath 25–28

And like unto him was there no king before him, that turned to Jehovah with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; neither after him arose there any like him.

Notwithstanding, Jehovah turned not from the fierceness of his great wrath, wherewith his anger was kindled against Judah, because of all the provocations wherewith Manasseh had provoked him.

And Jehovah said, I will remove Judah also out of my sight, as I have removed Israel, and I will cast off this city which I have chosen, even Jerusalem, and the house of which I said, My name shall be there.

Now the rest of the acts of Josiah, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

Josiah Is Killed at Megiddo 29–30

In his days Pharaoh-necoh king of Egypt went up against the king of Assyria to the river Euphrates: and king Josiah went against him; and Pharaoh-necoh slew him at Megiddo, when he had seen him.

And his servants carried him in a chariot dead from Megiddo, and brought him to Jerusalem, and buried him in his own sepulchre. And the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, and anointed him, and made him king in his father’s stead.

Reign of Jehoahaz 31–35

Jehoahaz was twenty and three years old when he began to reign; and he reigned three months in Jerusalem: and his mother’s name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.

And he did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, according to all that his fathers had done.

And Pharaoh-necoh put him in bonds at Riblah in the land of Hamath, that he might not reign in Jerusalem; and put the land to a tribute of a hundred talents of silver, and a talent of gold.

And Pharaoh-necoh made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in the room of Josiah his father, and changed his name to Jehoiakim: but he took Jehoahaz away; and he came to Egypt, and died there.

And Jehoiakim gave the silver and the gold to Pharaoh; but he taxed the land to give the money according to the commandment of Pharaoh: he exacted the silver and the gold of the people of the land, of every one according to his taxation, to give it unto Pharaoh-necoh.

Reign of Jehoiakim 36–37

Jehoiakim was twenty and five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem: and his mother’s name was Zebidah the daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah.

And he did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, according to all that his fathers had done.

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for 2 Kings 23

Verse 2

the book of the covenant — The name is that of Ex 24:7, where Moses 'took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people'. Moses had also commanded that the law be read 'before all Israel in their hearing' (Deut 31:11). Here the king reads it to the men of Judah, the priests, the prophets and the people, 'both small and great'.

Verse 3

stood by a pillar — The king's place by the pillar is the one Joash took at his crowning (2 Kings 11:14). He covenants 'to walk after the LORD' (Deut 13:4) 'with all their heart and all their soul' (Deut 6:5). The people 'stood to the covenant', as Israel stood before the LORD to enter his covenant in Deut 29:10–12.

Verse 4

the priests of the second order — The second priest is named next after the chief priest (2 Kings 25:18). The vessels made for Baal, the grove and 'all the host of heaven' (2 Kings 21:3, 7) are burned outside the city in the fields of Kidron. The ashes are carried to Bethel, where Jeroboam's calf had stood (1 Kings 12:29).

Verse 5

the idolatrous priests — Kemarim occurs only three times, here, in Hos 10:5 and in Zeph 1:4, where the LORD says, 'I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, and the name of the Chemarims with the priests'. They burned incense in the high places 'to the sun, and to the moon, and to the planets, and to all the host of heaven'.

Verse 7

the houses of the sodomites — Qadesh comes from the root for 'holy' and names those set apart for idolatrous service. They were in the land in Rehoboam's reign (1 Kings 14:24), Asa took them away (1 Kings 15:12), and the law forbade them: 'nor a sodomite of the sons of Israel' (Deut 23:17). Here the houses stood beside the house of the LORD.

Verse 8

from Geba to Beersheba — Geba of Benjamin (1 Kings 15:22) lay at Judah's northern edge and Beersheba at the south, so the phrase covers the whole kingdom. The priests who had burned incense in the high places are brought in, and the places are 'defiled', made unfit for use. The high places of the gates were also broken down.

Verse 9

the priests of the high places — They did not serve at the altar in Jerusalem, but ate 'of the unleavened bread among their brethren', the priests' portion eaten unleavened in the holy place (Lev 6:16). Ezekiel treats Levites who went astray alike: they 'bear their iniquity' and keep the charge of the house, but do not 'come near… to do the office of a priest' (Ezek 44:10–13).

Verse 10

Topheth — The place in the valley of the son of Hinnom where the sons and daughters were burned (Jer 7:31). Josiah defiled it so that none might pass a child 'through the fire to Molech', the act forbidden in Lev 18:21. Jeremiah says the valley would be renamed 'The valley of slaughter' (Jer 19:6), and Isaiah speaks of Tophet prepared for the king (Isa 30:33).

Verse 11

the horses that the kings of Judah had given to the sun — Worship of the sun was forbidden with the rest of the host of heaven (Deut 4:19). The horses stood at the entrance of the house of the LORD, and the chariots were burned. Ezekiel saw men at the door of the temple who 'worshipped the sun toward the east' (Ezek 8:16).

Verse 13

Ashtoreth… Chemosh… Milcom — These are the three high places Solomon built for the gods of his wives: Ashtoreth of the Zidonians, Chemosh of Moab and Milcom of Ammon (1 Kings 11:5, 7). They stood on the hill 'before Jerusalem', and 'the mount of corruption' (mashchith, destruction) is the name the Hebrew gives it. Josiah defiled them.

Verse 15

stamped it small to powder — Josiah treats Jeroboam's altar as Moses treated the golden calf, which he 'burnt… in the fire, and ground… to powder' (Ex 32:20). The altar at Bethel is the one 'which Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, had made', as the verse itself says. Chronicles says the cleansing reached Manasseh, Ephraim, Simeon and Naphtali (2 Chr 34:6).

Verse 16

burned them upon the altar, and polluted it — The man of God from Judah had said at this altar, 'men's bones shall be burnt upon thee' (1 Kings 13:2). Josiah 'turned himself' and saw the sepulchres, and the verse names the cause: 'according to the word of the LORD which the man of God proclaimed'. 1 Kings 13:32 had said it would 'surely come to pass'.

Verse 17

What title is that that I see? — Tsiyyun is a marker set up over a grave, rendered 'sign' in Ezek 39:15 and 'waymarks' in Jer 31:21. The men of the city name it as the sepulchre of the man of God from Judah. The old prophet of Bethel had asked to be buried beside him (1 Kings 13:31), and this is why the bones are spared in the next verse.

Verse 20

slew all the priests of the high places — The man of God had said of the altar, '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 13:2). His word reached 'the cities of Samaria' (1 Kings 13:32), and v.19 shows Josiah entering them. Chronicles: he burnt the bones of the priests on their altars (2 Chr 34:5).

Verse 22

not holden such a passover — Chronicles gives the date and the comparison: 'In the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah was this passover kept' (2 Chr 35:19), and none 'like to that kept in Israel from the days of Samuel the prophet' (2 Chr 35:18). The eighteenth year is the year the book was found (2 Kings 22:3).

Verse 24

the workers with familiar spirits, and the wizards — The very practices of Manasseh (2 Kings 21:6) and those the law condemned, 'that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death' (Lev 20:27). The 'images' are teraphim, as in Rachel's theft of her father's 'images' (Gen 31:19). The stated purpose is 'that he might perform the words of the law'.

Verse 25

with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might — The three terms are those of Deut 6:5. 'Turned' is shub, the verb of the prophets' call to 'Turn ye from your evil ways' (2 Kings 17:13). A similar verdict is passed on Hezekiah, 'after him was none like him' (2 Kings 18:5), which there concerns his trust in the LORD.

Verse 26

the LORD turned not from the fierceness of his great wrath — The cause is named: 'all the provocations that Manasseh had provoked him withal'. The same verdict is in 2 Kings 24:3–4, 'for the sins of Manasseh… and also for the innocent blood that he shed', and in Jeremiah: 'I will cause them to be removed into all kingdoms of the earth, because of Manasseh' (Jer 15:4).

Verse 27

I will remove Judah also out of my sight — The verb sur is the one of 2 Kings 17:18 and the comparison is explicit: 'as I have removed Israel'. 'Cast off' is ma'as, the verb of Israel 'rejected' his statutes (2 Kings 17:15) and of the LORD 'rejected' the seed of Israel (2 Kings 17:20). The house 'of which I said, My name shall be there' echoes 1 Kings 8:29.

Verse 29

Pharaohnechoh king of Egypt went up — Chronicles gives the exchange: Necho sent word, 'forbear thee from meddling with God, who is with me', and Josiah 'hearkened not unto the words of Necho from the mouth of God, and came to fight in the valley of Megiddo' (2 Chr 35:21–22). Jeremiah lamented for Josiah (2 Chr 35:25).

Verse 30

the people of the land took Jehoahaz — Jehoahaz was twenty-three (v.31) and his brother Jehoiakim twenty-five (v.36), so the people chose the younger. Josiah was buried 'in his own sepulchre', and as with Ahaziah (2 Kings 9:28) his servants carried him in a chariot. The 'people of the land' act here as at 2 Kings 21:24.

Verse 31

Jehoahaz — The name Jeremiah gives him is Shallum: 'Shallum the son of Josiah… which went forth out of this place' (Jer 22:11). His mother Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah, was also the mother of Zedekiah (2 Kings 24:18). He reigned three months.

Verse 33

Riblah in the land of Hamath — The place where Pharaohnechoh bound Jehoahaz is where Nebuchadnezzar later gave judgment on Zedekiah (2 Kings 25:6). The tribute laid on the land was 'an hundred talents of silver, and a talent of gold'. Chronicles says Necho 'condemned the land' in that sum (2 Chr 36:3).

Verse 34

turned his name to Jehoiakim — Eliakim, 'God will raise', becomes Jehoiakim, 'the LORD will raise', a change of name that marks who set him on the throne. Babylon would do the same with Mattaniah (2 Kings 24:17). Jehoahaz died in Egypt, as Jeremiah said: 'he shall die in the place whither they have led him captive, and shall see this land no more' (Jer 22:12).

Verse 36

Jehoiakim — Jeremiah's word came 'in the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim' (Jer 26:1). He is the king who built 'his house by unrighteousness' (Jer 22:13) and who burned Jeremiah's roll leaf by leaf in the fire (Jer 36:23). His mother was Zebudah, the daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah.