2 Kings 23:14 kjv
And he brake in pieces the images, and cut down the groves, and filled their places with the bones of men.
2 Kings 23:14 nkjv
And he broke in pieces the sacred pillars and cut down the wooden images, and filled their places with the bones of men.
2 Kings 23:14 niv
Josiah smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles and covered the sites with human bones.
2 Kings 23:14 esv
And he broke in pieces the pillars and cut down the Asherim and filled their places with the bones of men.
2 Kings 23:14 nlt
He smashed the sacred pillars and cut down the Asherah poles. Then he desecrated these places by scattering human bones over them.
2 Kings 23 14 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Exod 34:13 | “But you shall break down their altars, and break in pieces their sacred pillars, and cut down their Asherim...” | Command to destroy pagan symbols |
| Deut 7:5 | “But thus you shall deal with them: you shall break down their altars, and smash their sacred pillars, and hew down their Asherim, and burn their graven images with fire.” | Divine command for religious purging |
| Deut 12:3 | “You shall tear down their altars and smash their sacred pillars and burn their Asherim with fire, and you shall cut down the graven images of their gods and demolish their names from that place.” | Repeated instruction for destruction |
| Num 33:52 | “then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all their figured stones, and destroy all their molded images and demolish all their high places...” | Pre-requisite for inhabiting the land |
| Judg 3:7 | “The sons of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and forgot the LORD their God and served the Baals and the Asherim.” | Context of Israel’s historical idolatry |
| 1 Kgs 15:13 | “He also removed Maacah his mother from being queen mother, because she had made an abominable image as an Asherah...” | Previous destruction of Asherah (Asa) |
| 1 Kgs 18:40 | “Then Elijah said to them, ‘Seize the prophets of Baal; do not let one of them escape.’” | Elijah's zeal against false prophets/worship |
| 2 Kgs 10:26-27 | “They brought out the sacred pillars of the house of Baal and burned them. They also broke down the sacred pillar of Baal and broke down the house of Baal...” | Jehu’s destruction of Baal worship |
| 2 Kgs 23:5 | “He did away with the idolatrous priests whom the kings of Judah had appointed to burn incense in the high places...” | Broader context of Josiah's reforms |
| 2 Kgs 23:20 | “And he slew all the priests of the high places who were there on the altars, and burned human bones on them...” | Josiah burning human bones on altars (similar act) |
| 2 Chron 14:3 | “for he removed the foreign altars and high places, and broke down the sacred pillars and cut down the Asherim.” | Asa's reforms (parallel actions) |
| 2 Chron 31:1 | “Now when all this was finished, all Israel who were present went out to the cities of Judah and broke in pieces the sacred pillars, cut down the Asherim, and pulled down the high places...” | Hezekiah’s reform, national participation |
| Isa 17:8 | “For he will not look to the altars, the work of his hands; nor will he look to that which his fingers have made, either the Asherim or the incense altars.” | Prophetic condemnation of idolatry |
| Jer 8:1-2 | “’At that time,’ declares the LORD, ‘they will bring out the bones of the kings of Judah... and expose them to the sun and to the moon and to all the host of heaven...” | Divine judgment involving desecration of bones |
| Ezek 6:4-6 | “So your altars will become desolate... and I will throw down your slain before your idols. I will scatter your bones around your altars...” | Prophecy of judgment, destruction, and bone scattering |
| Lev 11:44-45 | “For I am the LORD your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy...” | Foundation of Israelite holiness |
| Num 19:16 | “Whoever in the open field touches one who has been slain with a sword or who has died a natural death, or a human bone, or a grave, shall be unclean for seven days.” | Ritual impurity from touching bones |
| Deut 21:23 | “His body shall not remain overnight on the tree, but you shall surely bury him the same day, for he who is hanged is accursed of God, so that you do not defile your land...” | Emphasizes importance of proper burial/purity of land |
| Heb 12:14 | “Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord.” | NT emphasis on purity and sanctification |
| 2 Cor 6:16 | “Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God...” | Call for separation from idolatry in the NT church |
2 Kings 23 verses
2 Kings 23 14 Meaning
This verse describes Josiah’s aggressive and systematic destruction of the pagan places of worship established within Judah. Specifically, he shattered the sacred pillars (matzevot), which were symbols of pagan deities and rituals, and cut down the Asherim (wooden poles representing the goddess Asherah). To further and irrevocably desecrate these former idolatrous sites, he scattered human bones—which were considered ritually unclean under Mosaic Law—over the ground where these objects once stood, rendering the places permanently defiled and unfit for any future worship.
2 Kings 23 14 Context
This verse falls within the narrative of King Josiah’s extensive religious reforms, initiated after the discovery of the Book of the Law in the Temple (2 Kgs 22). Prior to Josiah, Judah had experienced widespread and entrenched idolatry under kings Manasseh and Amon. Josiah, driven by zeal for the covenant with Yahweh, began a thorough cleansing of the land from all forms of pagan worship, including cultic objects, high places, and altars. This particular verse describes actions taken within the heart of Judah, in Jerusalem and its surrounding areas, systematically reversing decades of apostasy and firmly re-establishing the exclusive worship of Yahweh as prescribed by the Law. His actions were a practical expression of covenant renewal and purification of the land from abominable practices.
2 Kings 23 14 Word analysis
- And he broke in pieces (וַיְשַׁבֵּר - va-yeshabbēr from שָׁבַר shavar): Signifies a violent, complete destruction, not merely dismantling. It highlights Josiah’s absolute commitment to eradicating idolatry, ensuring these items could not be reassembled or reused. This reflects the severity of the command in Exod 34:13.
- the sacred pillars (הַמַּצֵּבֹות - ha-maṣṣêḇôṯ): These were standing stones, originally sometimes commemorative, but frequently perverted to be objects of Canaanite or Baal worship (e.g., Deut 7:5). Their destruction symbolized the breaking of covenants with false gods and the physical nullification of pagan religious structures.
- and cut down (וַיִּכְרֹת - vayyikərot from כָּרַת karat): To cut off or cut down. This precise term is also used for 'making a covenant' (literally 'cutting a covenant'). Here, it emphasizes the decisive separation and eradication of pagan elements, analogous to breaking a treaty with these false gods.
- the Asherim (וְאֶת־הָאֲשֵׁרִים - wəʾeṯ hāʾăšêrîm): Cultic wooden poles or stylized trees representing Asherah, the Canaanite mother goddess and consort of Baal. They were integral to pagan fertility rites and were expressly forbidden (Deut 12:3). Their removal underscores the obliteration of symbols of polytheism and practices offensive to Yahweh.
- and filled their places with (וַיְמַלֵּא אֶת־מְקֹומָם - vayəmallēʾ ʾeṯ məqōwmām): Meaning to fill completely, or to take the place of. This isn't just about removing, but about deliberately occupying the space where pagan symbols once stood with something entirely new and offensive to those deities, ensuring future non-use.
- the bones of men (עַצְמוֹת אָדָם - ‘aṣmôṯ ʾāḏām): A critical act of desecration. According to Mosaic law (Num 19:16), touching a human corpse or bone rendered a person ritually unclean for seven days, disqualifying them from approaching God's holy presence or Temple. Scattering bones in places of worship was the ultimate act of defilement for these sites. This deliberate ritual impurity rendered the sites abhorrent and unusable for any pagan, cementing Josiah's purification. This mirrors prophetic pronouncements of judgment (Ezek 6:5).
2 Kings 23 14 Bonus section
The act of scattering bones from graves or burial places of the dead over former pagan altars (as seen more fully in 2 Kings 23:16) was not only an act of ritual defilement but also a prophetic fulfillment related to the altar at Bethel (1 Kgs 13:2). It also underscores the severity of God's judgment against idolatry, as these sites of sin were to become sources of maximum impurity. The choice of human bones over other forms of desecration (e.g., dung, ashes) highlighted a direct violation of one of the most fundamental purity laws, reinforcing the message that no unclean practice should be allowed to coexist with the worship of a holy God. This deep cleansing demonstrated Josiah’s unwavering commitment to restore covenant faithfulness.
2 Kings 23 14 Commentary
Josiah’s actions in 2 Kings 23:14 represent a radical and irreversible purification of Judah, reflecting profound zeal for the God of Israel. It was not enough to merely remove the objects of idolatry; they had to be utterly destroyed and the very ground where they stood defiled in such a way that no one, pagan or Israelite, would ever again consider using those sites for worship. By shattering sacred pillars and cutting down Asherim, he dismantled the physical infrastructure of pagan worship. The ingenious and stark addition of "filling their places with the bones of men" sealed the fate of these sites. This was a direct, polemical act, mocking the false gods and asserting Yahweh’s supreme authority. If touching a single bone caused impurity, then covering former sacred sites with many bones made them a profound source of uncleanness, a permanent blight in the eyes of any who adhered to purity laws or even superstitious fear. This ritual defilement ensures that those abominable sites are rendered unholy forever.