New International VersionJosiah smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles and covered the sites with human bones.
New Living TranslationHe smashed the sacred pillars and cut down the Asherah poles. Then he desecrated these places by scattering human bones over them.
English Standard VersionAnd he broke in pieces the pillars and cut down the Asherim and filled their places with the bones of men.
Berean Standard BibleHe smashed the sacred pillars to pieces, cut down the Asherah poles, and covered the sites with human bones.
King James BibleAnd he brake in pieces the images, and cut down the groves, and filled their places with the bones of men.
New King James VersionAnd he broke in pieces the sacred pillars and cut down the wooden images, and filled their places with the bones of men.
New American Standard BibleHe also smashed to pieces the memorial stones and cut down the Asherim, and filled their places with human bones.
NASB 1995He broke in pieces the sacred pillars and cut down the Asherim and filled their places with human bones.
NASB 1977And he broke in pieces the sacred pillars and cut down the Asherim and filled their places with human bones.
Legacy Standard BibleAnd he broke in pieces the sacred pillars and cut down the Asherim and filled their places with human bones.
Amplified BibleHe broke in pieces the sacred pillars (cultic memorial stones, images) and cut down the Asherim and replaced them with human bones [to desecrate the places forever].
Christian Standard BibleHe broke the sacred pillars into pieces, cut down the Asherah poles, then filled their places with human bones.
Holman Christian Standard BibleHe broke the sacred pillars into pieces, cut down the Asherah poles, then filled their places with human bones.
American Standard VersionAnd he brake in pieces the pillars, and cut down the Asherim, and filled their places with the bones of men.
Contemporary English VersionHe tore down the stone images of foreign gods and cut down the sacred pole used in the worship of Asherah. Then he had the whole area covered with human bones.
English Revised VersionAnd he brake in pieces the pillars, and cut down the Asherim, and filled their places with the bones of men.
GOD'S WORD® TranslationJosiah crushed the sacred stones, cut down the poles dedicated to Asherah, and filled their places with human bones.
Good News TranslationKing Josiah broke the stone pillars to pieces, cut down the symbols of the goddess Asherah, and the ground where they had stood he covered with human bones.
International Standard VersionHe broke the pillars to pieces, cut down the Asherim, and filled their locations with human bones.
NET BibleHe smashed the sacred pillars to bits, cut down the Asherah pole, and filled those shrines with human bones.
New Heart English BibleHe broke in pieces the pillars, and cut down the Asherim, and filled their places with the bones of men.
Webster's Bible TranslationAnd he broke in pieces the images, and cut down the groves, and filled their places with the bones of men. Majority Text Translations Majority Standard BibleHe smashed the sacred pillars to pieces, cut down the Asherah poles, and covered the sites with human bones.
World English BibleHe broke in pieces the pillars, cut down the Asherah poles, and filled their places with men’s bones. Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionAnd he has broken the standing-pillars in pieces, and cuts down the Asherim, and fills their place with bones of men;
Young's Literal Translation And he hath broken in pieces the standing-pillars, and cutteth down the shrines, and filleth their place with bones of men;
Smith's Literal TranslationHe brake in pieces the statues and he will cut off the images, and fill their places with bones of man. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleAnd he broke in pieces the statues, and cut down the groves: and he filled their places with the bones of dead men.
Catholic Public Domain VersionAnd he crushed the statues, and he cut down the sacred groves. And he filled their places with the bones of the dead.
New American BibleHe broke to pieces the pillars, cut down the asherahs, and filled the places where they had been with human bones.
New Revised Standard VersionHe broke the pillars in pieces, cut down the sacred poles, and covered the sites with human bones. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleAnd he broke in pieces the images and cut down the idols and filled their places with the bones of men.
Peshitta Holy Bible TranslatedAnd he shattered the monuments and cut off the idols and filled their place with the bones of the sons of men. OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917And he broke in pieces the pillars, and cut down the Asherim, and filled their places with the bones of men.
Brenton Septuagint TranslationAnd he broke in pieces the pillars, and utterly destroyed the groves, and filled their places with the bones of men.
Additional Translations ... Audio Bible
Context Josiah Destroys Idolatry… 13The king also desecrated the high places east of Jerusalem, to the south of the Mount of Corruption, which King Solomon of Israel had built for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Sidonians, for Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites, and for Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. 14He smashed the sacred pillarsto pieces,cut downthe Asherah poles,and coveredthe siteswith humanbones.15He even pulled down the altar at Bethel, the high place set up by Jeroboam son of Nebat, who had caused Israel to sin. Then he burned the high place, ground it to powder, and burned the Asherah pole.…
Cross References Deuteronomy 12:3Tear down their altars, smash their sacred pillars, burn up their Asherah poles, cut down the idols of their gods, and wipe out their names from every place.
Exodus 23:24You must not bow down to their gods or serve them or follow their practices. Instead, you are to demolish them and smash their sacred stones to pieces.
2 Chronicles 31:1When all this had ended, the Israelites in attendance went out to the cities of Judah and broke up the sacred pillars, chopped down the Asherah poles, and tore down the high places and altars throughout Judah and Benjamin, as well as in Ephraim and Manasseh, until they had utterly destroyed them all. Then all the Israelites returned to their cities, each to his own property.
2 Chronicles 34:4-7Then in his presence the altars of the Baals were torn down, and he cut to pieces the incense altars that were above them. He shattered the Asherah poles, the carved idols, and the cast images, crushed them to dust, and scattered them over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. / Then he burned the bones of the priests on their altars. So he cleansed Judah and Jerusalem. / Josiah did the same in the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, as far as Naphtali, and in the ruins around them. ...
Leviticus 26:1“You must not make idols for yourselves or set up a carved image or sacred pillar; you must not place a sculpted stone in your land to bow down to it. For I am the LORD your God.
Isaiah 27:9Therefore Jacob’s guilt will be atoned for, and the full fruit of the removal of his sin will be this: When he makes all the altar stones like crushed bits of chalk, no Asherah poles or incense altars will remain standing.
Micah 1:7All her carved images will be smashed to pieces; all her wages will be burned in the fire, and I will destroy all her idols. Since she collected the wages of a prostitute, they will be used again on a prostitute.
Jeremiah 8:1-2“At that time,” declares the LORD, “the bones of the kings of Judah, the bones of the officials, the bones of the priests, the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the people of Jerusalem will be removed from their graves. / They will be exposed to the sun and moon, and to all the host of heaven which they have loved, served, followed, consulted, and worshiped. Their bones will not be gathered up or buried, but will become like dung lying on the ground.
Hosea 10:2Their hearts are devious; now they must bear their guilt. The LORD will break down their altars and demolish their sacred pillars.
Ezekiel 6:3-6You are to say: ‘O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord GOD! This is what the Lord GOD says to the mountains and hills, to the ravines and valleys: I am about to bring a sword against you, and I will destroy your high places. / Your altars will be demolished and your incense altars will be smashed; and I will cast down your slain before your idols. / I will lay the corpses of the Israelites before their idols and scatter your bones around your altars. ...
1 Kings 13:2And he cried out against the altar by the word of the LORD, “O altar, O altar, this is what the LORD says: ‘A son named Josiah will be born to the house of David, and upon you he will sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense upon you, and human bones will be burned upon you.’”
1 Kings 14:23They also built for themselves high places, sacred pillars, and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree.
1 Kings 15:13He also removed his grandmother Maacah from her position as queen mother because she had made a detestable Asherah pole. Asa chopped down the pole and burned it in the Kidron Valley.
1 Kings 16:32-33First, Ahab set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal that he had built in Samaria. / Then he set up an Asherah pole. Thus Ahab did more to provoke the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel before him.
1 Kings 21:26He committed the most detestable acts by going after idols, just like the Amorites whom the LORD had driven out before the Israelites.)
Treasury of Scripture And he broke in pieces the images, and cut down the groves, and filled their places with the bones of men. he brake. Exodus 23:24 Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their works: but thou shalt utterly overthrow them, and quite break down their images. Numbers 33:52 Then ye shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all their pictures, and destroy all their molten images, and quite pluck down all their high places: Deuteronomy 7:5,25,26 But thus shall ye deal with them; ye shall destroy their altars, and break down their images, and cut down their groves, and burn their graven images with fire… images. 2 Kings 23:16 And as Josiah turned himself, he spied the sepulchres thatwere there in the mount, and sent, and took the bones out of the sepulchres, and burnedthem upon the altar, and polluted it, according to the word of the LORD which the man of God proclaimed, who proclaimed these words. Numbers 19:16,18 And whosoever toucheth one that is slain with a sword in the open fields, or a dead body, or a bone of a man, or a grave, shall be unclean seven days… Jeremiah 8:1,2 At that time, saith the LORD, they shall bring out the bones of the kings of Judah, and the bones of his princes, and the bones of the priests, and the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, out of their graves: … Jump to Previous AsherahAsherahsAsherimAshe'rimBitsBonesBrakeBrokeBrokenColumnsCoveredCutCuttethFilledFillethGrovesHumanImagesJosiahPiecesPillarsPlacesPolesrsSacredShrinesSmashedStanding-PillarsStoneStonesWoodJump to Next AsherahAsherahsAsherimAshe'rimBitsBonesBrakeBrokeBrokenColumnsCoveredCutCuttethFilledFillethGrovesHumanImagesJosiahPiecesPillarsPlacesPolesrsSacredShrinesSmashedStanding-PillarsStoneStonesWood2 Kings 23 1.Josiah causes the book to be read in a solemn assembly.3.He renews the covenant of the Lord.4.He destroys idolatry.15.He burns dead men's bones upon the altar of Bethel, as was prophesied.21.He keeps a most solemn Passover.24.He puts away witches and all abomination.26.God's final wrath against Judah.29.Josiah, provoking Pharaoh Neco, is slain at Megiddo.31.Jehoahaz, succeeding him,33.is imprisoned by Pharaoh Neco, who makes Jehoiakim king.36.Jehoiakim's wicked reign.He smashed the sacred pillars to piecesThis phrase refers to King Josiah's reform efforts to eradicate idolatry from Judah. Sacred pillars, or "standing stones," were often associated with pagan worship practices, particularly those of the Canaanites. These pillars were erected as symbols of deities and were considered abominations in the eyes of the Lord ( Deuteronomy 16:22). Josiah's actions fulfilled the commands given in Exodus 23:24 and Deuteronomy 12:3, which instructed the Israelites to destroy such objects of idolatry. His zeal for purifying worship in Judah is reminiscent of the actions of earlier reformers like Hezekiah ( 2 Kings 18:4). cut down the Asherah poles
Asherah poles were wooden symbols representing the goddess Asherah, a consort of Baal in Canaanite religion. These poles were often placed near altars and were integral to the fertility rites associated with Asherah worship. The cutting down of these poles was a direct attack on the syncretism that had infiltrated Israelite worship. This act aligns with the command inDeuteronomy 7:5 to break down altars and cut down Asherah poles. Josiah's reforms were a return to the covenantal faithfulness demanded by God, emphasizing exclusive worship of Yahweh. and covered the sites with human bones
Defiling a site with human bones was a way to desecrate it, making it ritually unclean and unsuitable for worship (Numbers 19:16). This act was a symbolic gesture to ensure that these sites could never again be used for idolatrous practices. The use of human bones, possibly from the graves of idolatrous priests or common burial sites, was a fulfillment of prophecy, as seen in1 Kings 13:2, where a man of God prophesied that Josiah would defile the altar at Bethel with human bones. This act also prefigures the ultimate desecration of sin and death that Jesus Christ would conquer through His resurrection, bringing life and purity to those who believe. Persons / Places / Events 1. JosiahThe king of Judah who initiated religious reforms to restore the worship of Yahweh and eliminate idolatry from the land. 2. Sacred PillarsThese were stone structures associated with pagan worship, often dedicated to false gods. 3. Asherah PolesWooden symbols representing the goddess Asherah, commonly used in Canaanite religious practices. 4. Sites Covered with Human BonesThis act was a form of desecration, rendering the sites ritually unclean and unsuitable for future worship. Teaching Points Zeal for PurityJosiah's actions demonstrate a commitment to purifying worship and removing idolatry. Believers today are called to examine their lives for anything that detracts from pure worship of God. Obedience to God's CommandsJosiah's reforms were in direct obedience to God's commands in the Law. Christians are encouraged to live in obedience to God's Word, even when it requires difficult changes. The Consequences of IdolatryThe desecration of the sites with human bones serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of idolatry. Believers should be vigilant against modern forms of idolatry that can creep into their lives. Leadership and InfluenceJosiah's leadership had a profound impact on the nation. This highlights the importance of godly leadership and the influence it can have on others. The Importance of RepentanceJosiah's actions were part of a broader movement of repentance and returning to God. Christians are called to regularly repent and turn back to God in areas where they have strayed. Bible Study Questions and Answers 1.What is the meaning of 2 Kings 23:14?
2.How does 2 Kings 23:14 demonstrate the importance of removing idolatry from life?
3.What actions did Josiah take to ensure Israel's return to true worship?
4.How can we identify and eliminate modern-day idols in our own lives?
5.How does 2 Kings 23:14 connect with the First Commandment in Exodus 20:3?
6.What practical steps can we take to uphold God's commands in our community?
7.Why did Josiah destroy the sacred pillars and Asherah poles in 2 Kings 23:14?
8.What do the sacred pillars and Asherah poles represent in 2 Kings 23:14?
9.How does 2 Kings 23:14 reflect on idolatry in ancient Israel?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from 2 Kings 23?
11.What are the Sacred Pillars?
12.What are the Sacred Pillars?
13.2 Samuel 14:2-3: Does Joab's use of a disguised woman to deceive David suggest a narrative hole, since such a ruse seems unlikely to fool a king?
14.How do we reconcile the timeline of Amaziah's reign in 2 Kings 14:2-3 with conflicting data in other historical sources?What Does 2 Kings 23:14 Mean He smashed the sacred pillars to pieces• “Sacred pillars” were stone monuments set up for pagan worship, often linked to Baal (1 Kings 14:23). By literally shattering them—just asExodus 23:24 andDeuteronomy 12:3 command—Josiah shows uncompromising obedience to God’s Word. • Every blow against those pillars is a public statement: the LORD alone is God, and idolatry must be destroyed, not merely tucked away. This fulfills the earlier reform ideal seen in2 Chronicles 14:3 and prepares hearts to seek the Lord exclusively.
Cut down the Asherah poles• Asherah poles symbolized devotion to the Canaanite fertility goddess (Judges 3:7;2 Kings 21:7). God had already ordered, “Tear down their altars, smash their sacred stones, and cut down their Asherah poles” (Exodus 34:13). • Josiah’s literal cutting down severs any temptation to mix Canaanite practice with the worship of Yahweh. His actions echo Gideon’s inJudges 6:25–27, illustrating that true reform always removes the root, not just the fruit, of sin.
Covered the sites with human bones•Numbers 19:16 teaches that contact with bones brings ceremonial uncleanness. By scattering bones on these former worship sites, Josiah renders them permanently defiled, making future pagan ceremonies unthinkable. • This fulfills the centuries-old prophecy of1 Kings 13:2, where “a man of God” foretold that “human bones will be burned on you.” The bones act as God’s seal, saying, “These places are finished.” • Verses immediately following (2 Kings 23:16–18) show Josiah even opening graves of idol priests to complete the defilement—total, irreversible judgment on idolatry.
summary2 Kings 23:14 records three decisive acts: smashing pillars, cutting down Asherah poles, and covering sites with bones. Each step takes God’s earlier commands at face value and puts them into action, making idolatry impossible to revive. Josiah’s thoroughness illustrates that genuine renewal refuses half-measures; it breaks, removes, and defiles anything that competes with wholehearted devotion to the LORD. (14) The images . . . the groves.-- The pillars . . . the ash? rahs. These pillars and sacred trees may have been set up at the high places mentioned in the last verse; but the Hebrew construction does not prove this, for comp. 2Kings 23:10. The reference is probably general. Their places.--Their place or station; a technical term for the position of an idol (the Heb.m?qom, equivalent to Sabaeanmaqamum. and Arabicmuqam, which is still the common designation of holy sites in Palestine. Verse 14. - And he brake in pieces the images - or, pillars (see the comment on 1 Kings 14:23) - and out down the groves - i.e. the asherirn, or "sacred trees" - and filled their places with the bones of men. Whatever spoke of death and dissolution was a special defilement to shrines where the gods worshipped were deities of productivity and generation. Bones of men had also the actual taint of corruption about them. The "uncleanness" of dead bodies arose first out of man's natural shrinking from death, and was then further confirmed by the horrors accompanying decay. The notion was probably coeval with death itself. It received a sanction from the Law, which made it a legal defilement to touch a corpse ( Numbers 19:11, 16), and placed under a sentence of uncleanness all that was in the tent where a man died ( Numbers 19:14, 15).
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew He smashed the sacred pillarsהַמַּצֵּב֔וֹת(ham·maṣ·ṣê·ḇō·wṯ)Article | Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 4676:Something stationed, a column, an idolto pieces,וְשִׁבַּר֙(wə·šib·bar)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7665:To break, break in piecescut downוַיִּכְרֹ֖ת(way·yiḵ·rōṯ)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3772:To cut, to destroy, consume, to covenantthe Asherah poles,הָאֲשֵׁרִ֑ים(hā·’ă·šê·rîm)Article | Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 842:A Phoenician goddess, also an image of the sameand coveredוַיְמַלֵּ֥א(way·mal·lê)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 4390:To fill, be full ofthe sitesמְקוֹמָ֖ם(mə·qō·w·mām)Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 4725:A standing, a spot, a conditionwith humanאָדָֽם׃(’ā·ḏām)Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 120:Ruddy, a human beingbones.עַצְמ֥וֹת(‘aṣ·mō·wṯ)Noun - feminine plural construct
Strong's 6106:A bone, the body, the substance, selfsame
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OT History: 2 Kings 23:14 He broke in pieces the pillars (2Ki iiKi ii ki 2 kg 2kg) |
