2 Kings 23:12

_AND THE ALTARS THAT WERE ON THE TOP 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 THE LORD, DID THE KING BEAT DOWN, AND BRAKE THEM DOWN FROM THENCE, AND CAST THE DUST OF THEM INTO THE BROOK KIDRON._ The altars that were on the top of the upper chamber of Ahaz. Altars were reared on the flat roofs of house, where the worshippers of "the host of heaven" burnt incense (Zephaniah 1:5; Jeremiah 19:13). Ahaz had reared altars for this purpose on the oleah or upper chamber of his palace, and Manasseh on some portion of the roof of the temple. Josiah demolished both of these structures....

4-14 What abundance of wickedness in Judah and Jerusalem! One would not have believed it possible, that in Judah, where God was known, in Israel, where his name was great, in Salem, in Zion, where his dwelling-place was, such abominations should be found. Josiah had reigned eighteen years, and had himself set the people a good example, and kept up religion according to the Divine law; yet, when he came to search for idolatry, the depth and extent were very great. Both common history, and the records of God's word, teach, that all the real godliness or goodness ever found on earth, is derived from the new-creating Spirit of Jesus Christ....

Verse 2 Kings 23:12. _ON THE TOP OF THE UPPER CHAMBER_] Altars built on the _flat roof_ of the house. Such altars were erected to the _sun,_ _moon, stars_, c....

A parenthesis giving the earlier reforms of Josiah. 2 Kings 23:4 THE PRIESTS OF THE SECOND ORDER - This is a new expression; and probably refers to the ordinary priests, called here “priests of the second order,” in contrast with the high priest, whose dignity was reviving (2 Kings 12:2 note). THE VESSELS - This would include the whole apparatus of worship, altars, images, dresses, utensils, etc., for Baal, etc. (2 Kings 21:3 notes). The ashes of the idolatrous objects burned in the first instance in the “fields of Kidron” (i. e., in the part of the valley which lies nort

EXPOSITION 2 KINGS 23:1 JOSIAH'S RENEWAL OF THE COVENANT. HIS REFORMS AND DEATH. REIGN OF JEHOAHAZ. ACCESSION OF JEHOIAKIM. 2 KINGS 23:1 _Josiah_'_s renewal of the covenant_._ _The first care of Josiah, on receiving Huldah's message, which stamped the book found as the true "book of the covenant," was to call together a great assembly of the nation, which should be sufficiently representative of it, and renew the covenant between God and his people made originally a

AND THE ALTARS THAT WERE ON THE TOP OF THE UPPER CHAMBER OF AHAZ, WHICH THE KINGS OF JUDAH HAD MADE,.... Which were on the roof of the royal palace; the roofs of houses in Judah being flat, Deuteronomy 21:8 altars might be built upon them; so, in Arabia, altars were built on the tops of houses to offer incense thereon daily to the sun p; as here by Manasseh and Amon very probably, which might be chosen because nearer the heavens; for which reason the Heathens made use of high places to worship in, see Jeremiah 19:13 AND THE ALTARS WHICH MANASSEH HAD MADE IN THE TWO COURTS OF THE HOUSE OF THE LORD; 2 Kings 21:5 DID THE KING BEAT DOWN; ordered to be demolished:...

2. THE RESULTS OF THE REVIVAL AND THE DEATH OF JOSIAH CHAPTER 23:1-30 _ 1. The People hear the law (2 Kings 23:1; 2 Chronicles 34)_ 2. Josiah makes a covenant (2 Kings 23:3) 3. The great reformations (2 Kings 23:4) 4. The Passover celebrated (2 Kings 23:21; 2 Chronicles 35) 5. Further statements concerning Josiah (2 Kings 23:24

2 KINGS 23:3. BY THE PILLAR. COVENANT: for the word pillar see 2 Kings 11:14 and 1 Kings 7:21. In the latter passage it is used for the two great brazen pillars set up by Solomon before the porch of the Temple. In making the covenant the king takes the lead. The ceremony was accompanied by a sacrifice; hence the phrase in Heb. is to _cut_ a covenant (Genesis 15:17 *, Jeremiah 34:18) or divide the victims. The newly discovered volume is called (2 Kings 23:2) the

TOP. roof, "[the roof] of", &c. brake them down. The margin of Authorized Version seems preferable here: "hurried away [with them] from thence"....

THE ALTARS THAT WERE ON THE TOP OF THE UPPER CHAMBER— Or, _The altars on the house-top._ The ancient idolaters and the magi were wont to sacrifice not only upon high places and mountains, but also upon the housetops. See Jeremiah 32:29....