2 Kings 23:11 kjv
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 Nathanmelech the chamberlain, which was in the suburbs, and burned the chariots of the sun with fire.
2 Kings 23:11 nkjv
Then he removed the horses that the kings of Judah had dedicated to the sun, at the entrance to the house of the LORD, by the chamber of Nathan-Melech, the officer who was in the court; and he burned the chariots of the sun with fire.
2 Kings 23:11 niv
He removed from the entrance to the temple of the LORD the horses that the kings of Judah had dedicated to the sun. They were in the court near the room of an official named Nathan-Melek. Josiah then burned the chariots dedicated to the sun.
2 Kings 23:11 esv
And he removed the horses that the kings of Judah had dedicated to the sun, at the entrance to the house of the LORD, by the chamber of Nathan-melech the chamberlain, which was in the precincts. And he burned the chariots of the sun with fire.
2 Kings 23:11 nlt
He removed from the entrance of the LORD's Temple the horse statues that the former kings of Judah had dedicated to the sun. They were near the quarters of Nathan-melech the eunuch, an officer of the court. The king also burned the chariots dedicated to the sun.
2 Kings 23 11 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Ki 21:3 | He rebuilt the high places...and worshipped all the host of heaven. | Manasseh's idolatry, includes astral worship. |
| 2 Ki 21:5 | He built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD. | Manasseh defiled the Temple with astral cult. |
| Eze 8:16 | ...and behold, at the entrance of the temple of the LORD...twenty-five men with their backs toward the temple of the LORD and their faces toward the east; and they were worshiping the sun toward the east. | Priestly sun worship in the Temple. |
| Deut 4:19 | ...you may not lift up your eyes to heaven and see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven...and worship them... | Prohibition of astral worship. |
| Deut 17:3 | ...and has gone and served other gods and worshiped them, or the sun or the moon or any of the host of heaven... | Strong prohibition against sun worship. |
| Ex 20:3 | You shall have no other gods before me. | First Commandment, foundational for worship. |
| Lev 26:30 | And I will destroy your high places and cut down your incense altars and cast your dead bodies upon the dead bodies of your idols. | God promises to destroy idolatry. |
| 2 Chr 34:3-4 | For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was still a youth, he began to seek the God of David his father; and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the Asherim, and the carved images and the molten images. They broke down the altars of the Baals... | Josiah's reform initiated at an early age. |
| 2 Ki 23:4 | And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest and the priests of the second order and the keepers of the threshold to bring out of the temple of the LORD all the vessels made for Baal, for Asherah, and for all the host of heaven. | Josiah's order for cleansing the Temple. |
| 2 Ki 23:6 | And he brought out the Asherah from the house of the LORD, outside Jerusalem...and burned it. | Further specific act of temple cleansing. |
| 2 Ki 23:12 | And the altars that were on the roof...the king broke down...and made haste to throw the dust into the brook Kidron. | Josiah destroys altars for astral worship. |
| 2 Chr 34:7 | And he broke down the altars...and he ground them to powder...and cut down all the Asherim throughout all the land of Israel and returned to Jerusalem. | Thoroughness of Josiah's destructive actions. |
| 2 Chr 34:33 | And Josiah removed all the abominations from all the lands...and made all who were in Israel serve, even to serve the LORD their God. | Josiah enforces exclusive worship. |
| Isa 42:8 | I am the LORD; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols. | God's claim to exclusive worship. |
| Ps 115:4-8 | Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands...those who make them become like them; so do all who trust in them. | Description of powerless idols and their impact. |
| Jer 8:2 | ...whom they have loved and served, whose track they have followed, whom they have sought, and whom they have worshiped; they shall not be gathered or buried... | Idolatry to astral bodies. |
| Jer 19:13 | ...for all the houses in Jerusalem and the houses of the kings of Judah will be defiled like the place of Topheth—all the houses on whose roofs they offered to all the host of heaven... | Idolatry involving astral bodies on rooftops. |
| Rom 1:21-23 | ...exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. | NT perspective on exchanging God for creation. |
| 1 Cor 8:4-6 | ...an idol has no real existence...there is no God but one...yet for us there is but one God, the Father... | Contrast with pagan deities. |
| Matt 21:12-13 | And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple...He said to them, "It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer,' but you make it a 'den of robbers.'" | Cleansing of Temple echoes need for purity. |
2 Kings 23 verses
2 Kings 23 11 Meaning
This verse describes a specific act of King Josiah's widespread reform, where he purged the temple precincts of items used in sun worship. He removed the horses that former kings of Judah had dedicated to the sun god, located near the temple's entrance and a chamber of a royal official named Nathan-Melech. These horses, along with "chariots of the sun," were subsequently destroyed by fire, demonstrating Josiah's unwavering commitment to eradicating idolatry from Judah and restoring pure worship of Yahweh.
2 Kings 23 11 Context
2 Kings 23:11 is embedded within King Josiah's sweeping religious reforms (2 Kings 23:4-20). Following the discovery of the Book of the Law (likely Deuteronomy) in the Temple during repairs (2 Kings 22), Josiah, deeply moved by its commandments and warnings, initiated a radical cleansing of all idolatrous practices in Judah. This particular verse highlights the removal and destruction of cultic objects associated with sun worship. The kings preceding Josiah, particularly Manasseh (2 Kings 21:3-5), had deeply entrenched idolatry within the Temple itself, including astral worship which revered celestial bodies. Josiah's actions were a direct repudiation of these long-standing, officially sanctioned abominations, aiming to restore covenant faithfulness to Yahweh as the sole God.
2 Kings 23 11 Word analysis
- And he removed: (וַיַּשְׁבֵּת - vayyashbēt) This strong Hebrew verb implies putting an end to something, causing cessation or stopping it. It signifies Josiah's decisive, authoritative action in bringing to an abrupt halt a practice that had been ongoing.
- the horses: (sûsîm - סוּסִים) Horses in the ancient Near East were highly valued animals, often associated with strength, prestige, and warfare. In various pagan cults, they were dedicated to deities and sometimes believed to pull celestial chariots. Their presence signifies a deliberate, organized form of worship, not a minor or incidental act of idolatry. Their prominent placement indicated widespread syncretism.
- that the kings of Judah had dedicated: This points to royal sponsorship and historical precedent for this specific idolatrous practice. "Kings" (plural) indicates it was not an isolated event but a continuous defilement by previous monarchs, specifically referencing the reigns of Manasseh and Amon. It underscores the deep institutionalization of sun worship.
- to the sun: (laššemeš - לַשֶּׁמֶשׁ) A clear identification of the deity being worshipped. Sun worship was prevalent in surrounding cultures like Egypt (Ra), Mesopotamia (Shamash), and Canaanite practices. It involved recognizing the sun as a divine being providing light and life, in direct violation of the Lord's commands (Deut 4:19; 17:3) against worshipping created things.
- from the entrance of the house of the Lord: This indicates the idolatry occurred directly at the threshold of Yahweh's sacred dwelling, making it an especially audacious and offensive act of desecration. It suggests the horses might have been involved in processions or placed there prominently for rituals as people entered the Temple.
- by the chamber of Nathan-Melech: (biškat Nātān Melaḵ - בְּלִשְׁכַּת נָתָן מֶלֶךְ) "Chamber" (`liškhah`) refers to a specific room or cell, often within or adjoining the Temple precincts, used for temple personnel or specific functions. Nathan-Melech (meaning "Nathan of the king" or "the king has given") identifies a specific, high-ranking individual whose quarters were directly adjacent to this idolatrous site, suggesting direct involvement or knowledge of the royal court with these practices.
- the official: (hassārîs - הַסָּרִיס) While `sāris` can mean "eunuch," it often more broadly signifies a high-ranking court official or minister, regardless of literal castration, in the context of the king's administration. This highlights the institutional, top-down nature of the idolatry.
- which was in the precincts: (’ăšer bapwarim - אֲשֶׁר בַּפַּרְוָרִים) `Parwārîm` usually refers to outer courts, colonnades, or side chambers of a building. It places the specific location within the broader Temple complex but emphasizes a more secluded or specialized area, yet still fundamentally within the holy space of Yahweh's house.
- and he burned the chariots of the sun with fire: (merkĕvôṯ haššemeš - מֶרְכְּבוֹת הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ) This act demonstrates absolute destruction and purification. The "chariots of the sun" were likely cultic models or possibly actual chariots used in ceremonial processions honoring the sun deity. Fire served as the prescribed means for destroying idolatrous objects (Deut 7:5, 2 Kings 23:6), ensuring their total eradication and inability to be used again.
2 Kings 23 11 Bonus section
- The practice of dedicating horses and chariots to the sun reflects similar cultic activities found in Egyptian and Mesopotamian religions, illustrating the syncretistic tendencies that permeated Judahite religious life. The Egyptian sun god Ra was often depicted as driving a sun barge or chariot across the sky.
- The mention of `Nathan-Melech the official` is significant. He might have been responsible for the horses or the area, making him directly complicit or at least a witness to the profound corruption within the Temple administration. His continued presence suggests that not all corrupt officials were removed or that Josiah leveraged his authority through existing structures to dismantle the cult.
- The very close proximity "at the entrance of the house of the Lord" underlines the extreme boldness and insolence of the idol worshipers, effectively setting up rivals to Yahweh right where His worship was supposed to occur.
- Burning by fire was a standard and powerful method for ritual purification and complete destruction of abominable idols and objects, rendering them useless and signaling a final end to their influence. This aligns with broader biblical injunctions to utterly destroy pagan religious artifacts.
2 Kings 23 11 Commentary
2 Kings 23:11 vividly portrays the depth of idolatry Judah had fallen into, extending even to the immediate vicinity of Yahweh's holy Temple, sanctioned and perpetrated by past kings. Josiah's reform was not superficial; he systematically targeted key sites and implements of pagan worship. The dedication of horses and chariots to the sun god—a prominent astral deity in the ancient Near East—signified a grave departure from exclusive devotion to Yahweh. By removing and burning these objects, Josiah performed a decisive act of purification, restoring the sanctity of the Temple and signaling the supremacy of the Lord over all other perceived deities. This demonstrates the fierce intolerance of God for any worship of creation instead of the Creator. It teaches the principle of completely removing anything that rivals God's glory or desecrates His holy name, demanding a singular, pure devotion.