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2 Kings 23:6

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And he brought out the grove from the house of the LORD, without Jerusalem, unto the brook Kidron, and burned it at the brook Kidron, and stamped [it] small to powder, and cast the powder thereof upon the graves of the children of the people.

And he brought out {H3318} the grove {H842} from the house {H1004} of the LORD {H3068}, without {H2351} Jerusalem {H3389}, unto the brook {H5158} Kidron {H6939}, and burned {H8313} it at the brook {H5158} Kidron {H6939}, and stamped it small {H1854} to powder {H6083}, and cast {H7993} the powder {H6083} thereof upon the graves {H6913} of the children {H1121} of the people {H5971}.

He took the asherah from the house of ADONAI to Vadi Kidron outside Yerushalayim and burned it in Vadi Kidron, stamped the ashes to powder and threw the powder onto the burial-ground for the common people.

He brought the Asherah pole from the house of the LORD to the Kidron Valley outside Jerusalem, and there he burned it, ground it to powder, and threw its dust on the graves of the common people.

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.

Commentary

Context of 2 Kings 23:6

This verse is part of the extensive religious reforms carried out by King Josiah of Judah (reigned 640-609 BC). Following the discovery of the Book of the Law in the Temple, Josiah was deeply convicted by the nation's departure from God's covenant. His reign marked a significant attempt to purge Judah of rampant idolatry and restore true worship of the LORD. Verses leading up to 2 Kings 23:6 detail Josiah's systematic destruction of pagan altars, images, and cultic objects that had even infiltrated the sacred precincts of the Temple in Jerusalem, a testament to the deep spiritual corruption that had taken root during previous reigns, particularly under Manasseh (2 Kings 21:7).

Key Themes and Messages

  • Radical Reformation: Josiah's actions demonstrate a thorough and uncompromising commitment to spiritual cleansing, leaving no trace of idolatry. This was not a superficial cleanup but a deep-seated purge.
  • Rejection of Idolatry: The verse vividly illustrates the complete repudiation of false gods and their symbols. The "grove" represents the Asherah pole, a prominent symbol of Canaanite fertility worship, which was anathema to the worship of Yahweh.
  • Symbolic Desecration: The process of burning, grinding to powder, and scattering the remnants on graves was a powerful act of humiliation and defilement, rendering the idol utterly powerless and unclean.

Linguistic Insights and Significance of Destruction

The term "grove" (Hebrew: asherah) refers not to a natural stand of trees, but specifically to a cultic pole or image dedicated to Asherah, a prominent Canaanite goddess. These poles were often made of wood and were central to pagan worship practices, frequently erected alongside altars to Baal.

Josiah's method of destruction in 2 Kings 23:6 holds profound symbolic weight:

  • Removal from the Temple: Bringing the Asherah out "from the house of the LORD" emphasized the defilement it caused within God's sanctuary.
  • The Brook Kidron: This valley, east of Jerusalem, served as a common dumping ground for refuse and was associated with impurity. Disposing of the idol here further marked it as detestable.
  • Burning and Grinding: This thorough destruction, reducing the idol to "small to powder," mirrored Moses' destruction of the golden calf (Exodus 32:20). It ensured that nothing recognizable remained, preventing any future veneration or even memory of its form.
  • Casting on Graves: Scattering the powder "upon the graves of the children of the people" was the ultimate act of desecration. Graves were considered ritually unclean in Israelite law, and associating the idol's remnants with death and impurity underscored its spiritual deadness and utter worthlessness. This act also symbolically defiled the memory of those who had engaged in such idolatry, demonstrating the complete triumph of the LORD over these false gods.

Practical Application

2 Kings 23:6 offers powerful lessons for believers today:

  • Thorough Spiritual Cleansing: Just as Josiah meticulously removed pagan symbols, we are called to identify and eliminate all forms of idolatry from our lives—anything that competes with God for our ultimate allegiance, whether it be wealth, power, pleasure, or self. This requires a radical, uncompromising commitment.
  • No Room for Syncretism: God demands exclusive worship. This verse teaches that there can be no blending of true worship with false practices or beliefs.
  • The Power of Radical Obedience: Josiah's actions were a direct response to God's law. Our own spiritual health and the purity of our worship depend on our willingness to obey God's commands fully and without reservation.
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Cross-References

  • 2 Chronicles 34:4 (4 votes)

    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 23:15 (4 votes)

    Moreover the altar that [was] at Bethel, [and] the high place which Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, had made, both that altar and the high place he brake down, and burned the high place, [and] stamped [it] small to powder, and burned the grove.

  • 2 Kings 10:27 (2 votes)

    And they brake down the image of Baal, and brake down the house of Baal, and made it a draught house unto this day.

  • 2 Kings 21:7 (2 votes)

    And he set a graven image of the grove that he had made in the house, of which the LORD said to David, and to Solomon his son, In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all tribes of Israel, will I put my name for ever:

  • 1 Kings 16:33 (2 votes)

    And Ahab made a grove; and Ahab did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him.

  • Deuteronomy 9:21 (2 votes)

    And I took your sin, the calf which ye had made, and burnt it with fire, and stamped it, [and] ground [it] very small, [even] until it was as small as dust: and I cast the dust thereof into the brook that descended out of the mount.

  • Exodus 32:20 (2 votes)

    And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt [it] in the fire, and ground [it] to powder, and strawed [it] upon the water, and made the children of Israel drink [of it].