II Kings 23: A King's Zealous Reformation and Its Limits
And the king sent, and they gathered unto him all the elders of Judah and of Jerusalem.
And the king went up into the house of the Lord, 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 the Lord.
And the king stood by a pillar, and made a covenant before the Lord, to walk after the Lord, and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes with all their heart and all their soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people stood to the covenant.
And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, and the priests of the second order, and the keepers of the door, to bring forth out of the temple of the Lord all the vessels that were made for Baal, and for the grove, and for all the host of heaven: and he burned them without Jerusalem in the fields of 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 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 brake down the houses of the sodomites, that were by the house of the Lord, where the women wove hangings for the grove.
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 brake down the high places of the gates that were in the entering in 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 the Lord in Jerusalem, but they did eat of the 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 entering in of the house of the Lord, by the chamber of Nathan–melech the chamberlain, which was in the suburbs, and burned the chariots of the sun with fire.
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.
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 Zidonians, and for Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites, and for Milcom the abomination of the children of Ammon, did the king defile.
And he brake in pieces the images, and cut down the groves, and filled their places with the bones of men.
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, 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.
And as Josiah turned himself, he spied the sepulchres that were there in the mount, and sent, and took the bones out of the sepulchres, and burned them upon the altar, and polluted it, according to the word of the Lord which the man of God proclaimed, who proclaimed these words.
Then he said, What title is that that I see? And the men of the city told him, It is the sepulchre of the man of God, which came from Judah, and proclaimed these things that thou hast done against the altar of Beth–el.
And he said, Let him alone; 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 the Lord 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 returned to Jerusalem.
And the king commanded all the people, saying, Keep the passover unto the Lord your God, as it is written in the book of this covenant.
Surely there was not holden 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, wherein this passover was holden to the Lord in Jerusalem.
Moreover the workers with familiar spirits, and the wizards, and the images, and the idols, and all the abominations that were spied in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, did Josiah put away, that he might perform the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of the Lord.
And like unto him was there no king before him, that turned to the Lord 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 the Lord turned not from the fierceness of his great wrath, wherewith his anger was kindled against Judah, because of all the provocations that Manasseh had provoked him withal.
And the Lord said, I will remove Judah also out of my sight, as I have removed Israel, and will cast off this city Jerusalem which I have chosen, 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?
In his days Pharaoh–nechoh king of Egypt went up against the king of Assyria to the river Euphrates: and king Josiah went against him; and he 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.
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 the Lord, according to all that his fathers had done.
And Pharaoh–nechoh put him in bands at Riblah in the land of Hamath, that he might not reign in Jerusalem; and put the land to a tribute of an hundred talents of silver, and a talent of gold.
And Pharaoh–nechoh made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in the room of Josiah his father, and turned his name to Jehoiakim, and 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–nechoh.
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 Zebudah, the daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah.
And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his fathers had done.
II Kings 23 documents the sweeping religious reforms initiated by King Josiah. This chapter stands as a testament to the power of God's Word to ignite revival and the profound impact a righteous leader can have on a nation. However, it also underscores the deep-seated nature of sin and the inevitability of divine judgment, even in the face of sincere repentance.
Josiah's Covenant Renewal (23:1-3)
Upon discovering the Book of the Law, Josiah didn't simply breathe a sigh of relief that judgment wouldn't fall during his reign. Instead, he was driven by a genuine zeal to honor God. Recognizing that he was stewarding God's kingdom, not his own, Josiah seized the opportunity for reform. He gathered all the people of Judah in Jerusalem at the temple. There, in a powerful act of public reading, he shared the words of the Book of the Covenant with them (II Kings 23:2).
This act highlights a crucial principle: Revival always begins with the Word of God. Hearing the Law reignited a desire for obedience and a renewed understanding of God's standards. Josiah then led the people in a covenant renewal ceremony, committing themselves before God to keep the law they had just heard (II Kings 23:3). This collective commitment served as a source of strength and mutual accountability, fostering a sense of shared responsibility in upholding God's commands.
Purging Idolatry from the Land (23:4-20)
With the foundation of God's Word laid and a renewed commitment made, Josiah embarked on a comprehensive campaign to eradicate idolatry. He began within the temple itself, which had been defiled by Manasseh's idolatrous practices. Hilkiah, the high priest, along with other priests and temple workers, removed all the articles used in the worship of Baal, Asherah, and the celestial bodies. These items were then burned outside Jerusalem (II Kings 23:4). Josiah's actions remind us that dealing with temptation requires complete eradication, not mere concealment.
Josiah extended his reforms throughout the land, eliminating idolatrous priests and defiling high places from Geba in the north to Beersheba in the south (II Kings 23:5-9). He destroyed Topheth, a site infamous for child sacrifice to Molech, and removed objects used in the worship of the sun, moon, and stars (II Kings 23:10-11). His zeal even led him to destroy altars and high places built by King Solomon centuries earlier, after his heart had been led astray by foreign wives (II Kings 23:13; see I Kings 11:1-6). Josiah even ventured into the territory of the former northern kingdom of Israel, destroying the altar and high place that Jeroboam had built in Bethel (II Kings 23:15).
During his time in Bethel, Josiah encountered the tomb of the prophet who had foretold his actions centuries prior (II Kings 23:17; see I Kings 13:2-3). Respecting the prophet's legacy, he ordered that his bones, along with those of another prophet buried nearby, should not be disturbed (II Kings 23:18). This act demonstrates Josiah's reverence for God's messengers and his awareness of God's long-term plan. Josiah continued his purge of idolatry in the former northern kingdom (II Kings 23:19-20). The fact that Josiah could operate freely in this region suggests the weakened state of the Assyrian empire at this time.
The Passover Celebration (23:21-23)
Following the proclamation of God's Word, the covenant renewal, and the eradication of idolatry, Josiah led the people in celebrating the Passover in Jerusalem, in accordance with the Book of the Covenant (II Kings 23:21). The author notes that such a faithful observance of Passover had not been seen since the time of the judges (II Kings 23:22), highlighting the depth of spiritual decline that had occurred over the preceding centuries. Josiah's leadership in restoring this central act of worship was a testament to his commitment to God's Law and his desire to lead the people back to faithfulness.
Josiah's Righteousness and Judah's Impending Doom (23:24-27)
The author emphasizes Josiah's comprehensive reforms, noting that he eliminated occult practices and anything else abhorrent to the Lord, acting in accordance with God's Word (II Kings 23:24). He is lauded as a king unlike any before or after him (II Kings 23:25). However, despite Josiah's righteousness, God did not relent from his determination to remove Judah from his presence and allow the temple to be destroyed (II Kings 23:26-27). Judah's sin had persisted for too long, and a reckoning was inevitable. Josiah's reforms, while significant, could not undo the accumulated weight of generations of disobedience.
Josiah's Death and the Reign of Jehoahaz (23:28-35)
Josiah died in battle at the age of thirty-nine, attempting to prevent Pharaoh Neco of Egypt from joining forces with the Assyrian army (II Kings 23:29). While tragic, Josiah's death was also part of God's plan to execute judgment on Judah. God mercifully removed his faithful king from the scene before pouring out his wrath on his unfaithful people (see II Kings 22:19-20).
Josiah's son, Jehoahaz, succeeded him (II Kings 23:30), but his reign was short-lived and marked by a return to the evil practices of his predecessors (II Kings 23:32). He was quickly deposed by Pharaoh Neco, who placed Jehoahaz's older brother, Eliakim (renamed Jehoiakim), on the throne and imposed a heavy tribute on Judah (II Kings 23:33-34). The people suffered under the burden of taxation, and Jehoiakim continued to do evil in the Lord's sight for eleven years (II Kings 23:35-37).
This chapter serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of faithful leadership, the transformative power of God's Word, and the consequences of persistent sin. While Josiah's reforms were commendable, they ultimately could not avert the judgment that was destined to fall upon Judah.
And the king sent, and they gathered unto him all the elders of Judah and of Jerusalem.
And the king went up into the house of the Lord, 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 the Lord.
And the king stood by a pillar, and made a covenant before the Lord, to walk after the Lord, and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes with all their heart and all their soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people stood to the covenant.
And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, and the priests of the second order, and the keepers of the door, to bring forth out of the temple of the Lord all the vessels that were made for Baal, and for the grove, and for all the host of heaven: and he burned them without Jerusalem in the fields of 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 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 brake down the houses of the sodomites, that were by the house of the Lord, where the women wove hangings for the grove.
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 brake down the high places of the gates that were in the entering in 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 the Lord in Jerusalem, but they did eat of the 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 entering in of the house of the Lord, by the chamber of Nathan–melech the chamberlain, which was in the suburbs, and burned the chariots of the sun with fire.
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.
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 Zidonians, and for Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites, and for Milcom the abomination of the children of Ammon, did the king defile.
And he brake in pieces the images, and cut down the groves, and filled their places with the bones of men.
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, 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.
And as Josiah turned himself, he spied the sepulchres that were there in the mount, and sent, and took the bones out of the sepulchres, and burned them upon the altar, and polluted it, according to the word of the Lord which the man of God proclaimed, who proclaimed these words.
Then he said, What title is that that I see? And the men of the city told him, It is the sepulchre of the man of God, which came from Judah, and proclaimed these things that thou hast done against the altar of Beth–el.
And he said, Let him alone; 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 the Lord 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 returned to Jerusalem.
And the king commanded all the people, saying, Keep the passover unto the Lord your God, as it is written in the book of this covenant.
Surely there was not holden 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, wherein this passover was holden to the Lord in Jerusalem.
Moreover the workers with familiar spirits, and the wizards, and the images, and the idols, and all the abominations that were spied in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, did Josiah put away, that he might perform the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of the Lord.
And like unto him was there no king before him, that turned to the Lord 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 the Lord turned not from the fierceness of his great wrath, wherewith his anger was kindled against Judah, because of all the provocations that Manasseh had provoked him withal.
And the Lord said, I will remove Judah also out of my sight, as I have removed Israel, and will cast off this city Jerusalem which I have chosen, 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?
In his days Pharaoh–nechoh king of Egypt went up against the king of Assyria to the river Euphrates: and king Josiah went against him; and he 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.
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 the Lord, according to all that his fathers had done.
And Pharaoh–nechoh put him in bands at Riblah in the land of Hamath, that he might not reign in Jerusalem; and put the land to a tribute of an hundred talents of silver, and a talent of gold.
And Pharaoh–nechoh made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in the room of Josiah his father, and turned his name to Jehoiakim, and 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–nechoh.
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 Zebudah, the daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah.
And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his fathers had done.
II Kings 23 documents the sweeping religious reforms initiated by King Josiah. This chapter stands as a testament to the power of God's Word to ignite revival and the profound impact a righteous leader can have on a nation. However, it also underscores the deep-seated nature of sin and the inevitability of divine judgment, even in the face of sincere repentance.
Josiah's Covenant Renewal (23:1-3)
Upon discovering the Book of the Law, Josiah didn't simply breathe a sigh of relief that judgment wouldn't fall during his reign. Instead, he was driven by a genuine zeal to honor God. Recognizing that he was stewarding God's kingdom, not his own, Josiah seized the opportunity for reform. He gathered all the people of Judah in Jerusalem at the temple. There, in a powerful act of public reading, he shared the words of the Book of the Covenant with them (II Kings 23:2).
This act highlights a crucial principle: Revival always begins with the Word of God. Hearing the Law reignited a desire for obedience and a renewed understanding of God's standards. Josiah then led the people in a covenant renewal ceremony, committing themselves before God to keep the law they had just heard (II Kings 23:3). This collective commitment served as a source of strength and mutual accountability, fostering a sense of shared responsibility in upholding God's commands.
Purging Idolatry from the Land (23:4-20)
With the foundation of God's Word laid and a renewed commitment made, Josiah embarked on a comprehensive campaign to eradicate idolatry. He began within the temple itself, which had been defiled by Manasseh's idolatrous practices. Hilkiah, the high priest, along with other priests and temple workers, removed all the articles used in the worship of Baal, Asherah, and the celestial bodies. These items were then burned outside Jerusalem (II Kings 23:4). Josiah's actions remind us that dealing with temptation requires complete eradication, not mere concealment.
Josiah extended his reforms throughout the land, eliminating idolatrous priests and defiling high places from Geba in the north to Beersheba in the south (II Kings 23:5-9). He destroyed Topheth, a site infamous for child sacrifice to Molech, and removed objects used in the worship of the sun, moon, and stars (II Kings 23:10-11). His zeal even led him to destroy altars and high places built by King Solomon centuries earlier, after his heart had been led astray by foreign wives (II Kings 23:13; see I Kings 11:1-6). Josiah even ventured into the territory of the former northern kingdom of Israel, destroying the altar and high place that Jeroboam had built in Bethel (II Kings 23:15).
During his time in Bethel, Josiah encountered the tomb of the prophet who had foretold his actions centuries prior (II Kings 23:17; see I Kings 13:2-3). Respecting the prophet's legacy, he ordered that his bones, along with those of another prophet buried nearby, should not be disturbed (II Kings 23:18). This act demonstrates Josiah's reverence for God's messengers and his awareness of God's long-term plan. Josiah continued his purge of idolatry in the former northern kingdom (II Kings 23:19-20). The fact that Josiah could operate freely in this region suggests the weakened state of the Assyrian empire at this time.
The Passover Celebration (23:21-23)
Following the proclamation of God's Word, the covenant renewal, and the eradication of idolatry, Josiah led the people in celebrating the Passover in Jerusalem, in accordance with the Book of the Covenant (II Kings 23:21). The author notes that such a faithful observance of Passover had not been seen since the time of the judges (II Kings 23:22), highlighting the depth of spiritual decline that had occurred over the preceding centuries. Josiah's leadership in restoring this central act of worship was a testament to his commitment to God's Law and his desire to lead the people back to faithfulness.
Josiah's Righteousness and Judah's Impending Doom (23:24-27)
The author emphasizes Josiah's comprehensive reforms, noting that he eliminated occult practices and anything else abhorrent to the Lord, acting in accordance with God's Word (II Kings 23:24). He is lauded as a king unlike any before or after him (II Kings 23:25). However, despite Josiah's righteousness, God did not relent from his determination to remove Judah from his presence and allow the temple to be destroyed (II Kings 23:26-27). Judah's sin had persisted for too long, and a reckoning was inevitable. Josiah's reforms, while significant, could not undo the accumulated weight of generations of disobedience.
Josiah's Death and the Reign of Jehoahaz (23:28-35)
Josiah died in battle at the age of thirty-nine, attempting to prevent Pharaoh Neco of Egypt from joining forces with the Assyrian army (II Kings 23:29). While tragic, Josiah's death was also part of God's plan to execute judgment on Judah. God mercifully removed his faithful king from the scene before pouring out his wrath on his unfaithful people (see II Kings 22:19-20).
Josiah's son, Jehoahaz, succeeded him (II Kings 23:30), but his reign was short-lived and marked by a return to the evil practices of his predecessors (II Kings 23:32). He was quickly deposed by Pharaoh Neco, who placed Jehoahaz's older brother, Eliakim (renamed Jehoiakim), on the throne and imposed a heavy tribute on Judah (II Kings 23:33-34). The people suffered under the burden of taxation, and Jehoiakim continued to do evil in the Lord's sight for eleven years (II Kings 23:35-37).
This chapter serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of faithful leadership, the transformative power of God's Word, and the consequences of persistent sin. While Josiah's reforms were commendable, they ultimately could not avert the judgment that was destined to fall upon Judah.