2 Kings 23:15

_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._ Moreover the altar that was at Beth-el ... Not satisfied with the removal of every vestige of idolatry from his own dominions, this zealous iconoclast made a tour of inspection through the cities of Samaria and all the territory formerly occupied by the ten tribes, destroying the altars and temples of the high places, consigning the Asherim to the flames, putting to death [2 Kings 23:20, _ YIZBACH_ (H2076), he sacrificed; Septuagint, ethusiase (cf. 1 Kings 13:2)] the priests of the high

15-24 Josiah's zeal extended to the cities of Israel within his reach. He carefully preserved the sepulchre of that man of God, who came from Judah to foretell the throwing down of Jeroboam's altar. When they had cleared the country of the old leaven of idolatry, then they applied themselves to the keeping of the feast. There was not holden such a passover in any of the foregoing reigns. The revival of a long-neglected ordinance, filled them with holy joy; and God recompensed their zeal in destroying idolatry with uncommon tokens of his presence and favour. We have reason to think that during the remainder of Josiah's reign, religion flourished....

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

MOREOVER, THE ALTAR THAT WAS AT BETHEL, AND THE HIGH PLACE WHICH JEROBOAM THE SON OF NEBAT, WHO MADE ISRAEL TO SIN, HAD MADE. For the worship of the calf there: BOTH THAT ALTAR, AND THE HIGH PLACE, HE BRAKE DOWN; according to an ancient prophecy of the man of God, 1 Kings 13:3 and of Amos in later times, Amos 9:1 AND BURNT THE HIGH PLACE, AND STAMPED IT SMALL TO POWDER; that there might be no remains of it: AND BURNT THE GROVE; either the grove of trees on it, or the idol that was in it....

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

THE ALTAR. Compare 1 Kings 12:32; 1 Kings 12:33. MADE ISRAEL TO SIN. See note on 1 Kings 14:16....

HIGH PLACE— Houbigant thinks it may be collected from hence, that the high places were made of wood raised up in the manner of a theatre. See 2 Kings 23:13....

F. THE REFORMATION INTENSIFIED 23:4-23 The author deals with the reformation launched by Josiah geographically rather than chronologically. He discusses (1) the cleansing of the Temple (2 Kings 23:4-7); (2) the reforms in Jerusalem and Judah (2 Kings 23:8-14); (3) the reforms in the territory which had formerly belonged to the kingdom of Israel in the North (2 Kings 23:15-20); and (4) the great passover celebration in which Jews and Israelites jointly shared in Jerusalem (2 Kings 23:21-23). 1. _THE CLEANSING OF THE TEMPLE_ ...