2 Kings 23:20
in 2 Kings 23On the altars he slaughtered all the priests of the high places, and he burned human bones on them. Then he returned to Jerusalem.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And he slew all the priests of the high places that were there, upon the altars, and burned men’s bones upon them; and he returned to Jerusalem.
KJV
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.
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This verse in 2 Kings 23
Commentary
7 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
in the cities of Samaria he removed
on 2 Kings 23:19-20
Josiah's reform crosses Judah's border. He slaughters "all the priests of the high places" on their own altars and burns "human bones on them". Israel had no king of its own by this time, and the northern campaign closes inside two verses: "Then he returned to Jerusalem".
This site's exposition
he slaughtered all the priests
The man of God had foretold at 1 Kings 13:2 that Josiah would sacrifice the priests of the high places on the altar at Bethel. Adam Clarke holds that as corrupters of the people their lives were forfeit under the law. Judah's own priests were spared.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
He slew them upon their own altars, the most acceptable sacrifice that ever had been offered upon them, a sacrifice to the justice of God. Those that were descendants from Aaron, and yet had burnt incense in the high places, but to the true God only, he forbade ever to approach the altar of the Lord; they had forfeited that honour (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
27 ) are an intimation of a punishment after death, reserved for those that live and die impenitent in that or any other sin; the burning of the bones, if that were all, is a small matter, but, if it signify the torment of the soul in a worse flame ( Luke xvi. 24 ), it is very dreadful.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-citation-number+unbalanced-parens
This was that good prophet who proclaimed these things against the altar of Bethel, and yet was himself slain by a lion for disobeying the word of the Lord; but to show that God's displeasure against him went no further than his death, but ended there, God so ordered it that when all the graves about his were disturbed his was safe (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
And he slew all the priests of the high places that were there,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Slew all the priests - The lives of these, as corrupters of the people, were forfeited to the law.
The words behind it
16 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַ֠יִּזְבַּח | vaiyizbach | and he slaughtered | H2076 → | 134 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| כֹּהֲנֵ֨י | kohanei | [the] priests of | H3548 → | 750 times |
| הַבָּמ֤וֹת | habamot | the high places | H1116 → | 102 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| שָׁם֙ | sham | [were] there | H8033 → | 834 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הַֽמִּזְבְּח֔וֹת | hamizbechot | the altars | H4196 → | 401 times |
| וַיִּשְׂרֹ֛ף | vaiyisrof | and he burned | H8313 → | 117 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| עַצְמ֥וֹת | atzmot | bones of | H6106 → | 126 times |
| אָדָ֖ם | ʾadam | humankind | H120 → | 551 times |
| עֲלֵיהֶ֑ם | ʾaleihem | on them | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| וַיָּ֖שָׁב | vaiyashov | and he returned | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם׃ | yerushalim | Jerusalem | H3389 → | 643 times |
וַ֠יִּזְבַּחand he slaughtered
vaiyizbachH2076 →134 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
כֹּהֲנֵ֨י[the] priests of
kohaneiH3548 →750 times
הַבָּמ֤וֹתthe high places
habamotH1116 →102 times
אֲשֶׁר־who
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
שָׁם֙[were] there
shamH8033 →834 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
הַֽמִּזְבְּח֔וֹתthe altars
hamizbechotH4196 →401 times
וַיִּשְׂרֹ֛ףand he burned
vaiyisrofH8313 →117 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
עַצְמ֥וֹתbones of
atzmotH6106 →126 times
אָדָ֖םhumankind
ʾadamH120 →551 times
עֲלֵיהֶ֑םon them
ʾaleihemH5921 →5755 times
וַיָּ֖שָׁבand he returned
vaiyashovH7725 →1056 times
יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם׃Jerusalem
yerushalimH3389 →643 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Exodus 22:20If anyone sacrifices to any god other than the LORD alone, he must be set apart for destruction.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 18:20
But if any prophet dares to speak a message in My name that I have not commanded him to speak, or to speak in the name of other gods, that prophet must be put…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Deuteronomy 17:2–5
If a man or woman among you in one of the towns that the LORD your God gives you is found doing evil in the sight of the LORD your God by transgressing His…
- Numbers 25:7–8
On seeing this, Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, got up from the assembly, took a spear in his hand,
- Deuteronomy 13:1–15
If a prophet or dreamer of dreams arises among you and proclaims a sign or wonder to you,
- Deuteronomy 18:20
Through
2 Kings 11:18So all the people of the land went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed the altars and idols to pieces, and they killed Mattan the priest of Baal in…
it leads to
- 1 Kings 18:40
Then Elijah ordered them, “Seize the prophets of Baal! Do not let a single one escape.” So they seized them, and Elijah brought them down to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered them there.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 1 Kings 18:40
Through
1 Kings 18:40Then Elijah ordered them, “Seize the prophets of Baal! Do not let a single one escape.” So they seized them, and Elijah brought them down to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered them there.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 13:5
Such a prophet or dreamer must be put to death, because he has advocated rebellion against the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Judges 4:7
And I will draw out Sisera the commander of Jabin’s army, his chariots, and his troops to the River Kishon, and I will deliver him into your hand.’”
- Deuteronomy 13:5
Through
2 Chronicles 34:5Then he burned the bones of the priests on their altars. So he cleansed Judah and Jerusalem.
it leads to
- 1 Kings 13:2
And 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…
- 1 Kings 13:2
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies14
About 2 Kings
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.