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2 Kings 23:11

in 2 Kings 23

And he removed from the entrance to the house of the LORD the horses that the kings of Judah had dedicated to the sun. They were in the court near the chamber of an official named Nathan-melech. And Josiah burned up the chariots of the sun.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

And he took away the horses that the kings of Judah had given to the sun, at the entrance of the house of Jehovah, by the chamber of Nathan-melech the chamberlain, which was in the precincts; and he burned the chariots of the sun with fire.

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 Nathan–melech the chamberlain, which was in the suburbs, and burned the chariots of the sun with fire.

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This verse in 2 Kings 23

Commentary

6 notes on this verse
And he took away the horses that the kings of Judah had given to the sun,.... Consecrated to it; these were not images of horses, as some have thought, but real living ones; and the kings that gave them for the service of the sun, and for sacrifice to it, very probably were Manasseh and Amon: that horses were sacred to the sun with many Heathen nations, as the Massagetae, a people in Scythia, and the Persians, and Babylonians, and Ethiopians, is affirmed by various writers (c): and from them the Jews received this notion.

This site's exposition

took away the horses that the kings

The horses given to the sun stood at the temple's own entrance, consecrated for a morning rite of riding out or processing to greet the sunrise, and Josiah burns the chariots of the sun with them. Gill traces the practice to Manasseh and Amon and to wider sun worship among Israel's neighbors; Clarke and Henry weigh whether the horses were living animals or carved images and settle on nothing more than the text allows. Either way the sun cult had reached the very gate of the house built for the LORD's name.

The record, by era

The Medieval Church1 voice

A commentator

Bede

Questions on the Book of Kings #28 · Written before 735.

proposed

"He also removed the horses that the kings of Judah had given, etc." [2 Kings 23:11] What follows about the same king Josiah, he also removed the horses which the kings of Judah had given to the sun at the entrance of the temple of …

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

Some say that those horses were to be led forth in pomp every morning to meet the rising sun, others that the worshippers of the sun rode out upon them to adore the rising sun; it should seem that they drew the chariots of the sun, which the people worshipped.

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

The horses that the kings of Judah had given to the sun - Jarchi says that those who adored the sun had horses which they mounted every morning to go out to meet the sun at his rising. Throughout the East the horse, because of his swiftness and utility, was dedicated to the sun; and the Greeks and Romans feigned that the chariot of the sun was drawn by four horses - Pyroeis, Eous, Aethon, and Phlegon. See the note on 2Ki 2:11. Whether these were living or sculptured horses, we cannot tell; the latter is the more reasonable supposition.

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

proposed

In some cases these horses were sacrificed; but more commonly they were employed either in the sacred processions to carry the images of the sun, or for the worshippers to ride in every morning to welcome his rise.

How the passage was read

What the Jewish commentators add

The horses. Those [people] who prostrated themselves to the sun, had horses ready in the morning to go out toward the sun.
Rashi: France, 1040–1105 · Rashi on II Kings 23:11:1, via Sefaria, The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J

This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.

Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 6 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.

The words behind it

23 Hebrew words

Every 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.

  • וַיַּשְׁבֵּ֣תand he removed

    vaiyashbetH7673 →

  • אֶת־<obj.>

    ʾet-H853 →10935 times

  • הַסּוּסִ֗יםthe horses

    hasusimH5483 →140 times

  • אֲשֶׁ֣רwhich

    ʾasherH834 →5497 times

  • נָתְנוּ֩they had dedicated

    natenuH5414 →2011 times

  • מַלְכֵ֨י[the] kings of

    malkheiH4428 →2525 times

  • יְהוּדָ֤הJudah

    yehudahH3063 →819 times

  • לַשֶּׁ֙מֶשׁ֙to the sun

    lashemeshH8121 →134 times

  • מִבֹּ֣אfrom [the] going of

    mibo'H935 →2568 times

  • בֵית־[the] house of

    veit-H1004 →2046 times

  • יְהוָ֔הYahweh

    yahwehH3068 →6520 times

  • אֶל־to

    ʾel-H413 →5510 times

  • לִשְׁכַּת֙[the] room of

    lishkatH3957 →

  • נְתַן־Nathan

    netan-H5419 →

  • מֶ֣לֶךְMelech

    melekhH5419 →

  • הַסָּרִ֔יסthe court-official

    hasarisH5631 →42 times

  • אֲשֶׁ֖רwhich

    ʾasherH834 →5497 times

  • בַּפַּרְוָרִ֑ים[was] in the Parbar

    baparvarimH6503 →

  • וְאֶת־and <obj.>

    veetH853 →10935 times

  • מַרְכְּב֥וֹת[the] chariots of

    markevotH4818 →44 times

  • הַשֶּׁ֖מֶשׁthe sun

    hashemeshH8121 →134 times

  • שָׂרַ֥ףhe burned

    sarafH8313 →117 times

  • בָּאֵֽשׁ׃with <the> fire

    baeshH784 →378 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

9 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

1 Chronicles 26:18As for the court on the west, there were four at the highway and two at the court.4 worksEzekiel 8:16So He brought me to the inner court of the house of the LORD, and there at the entrance to the temple of the LORD, between the portico and the altar, were about twenty-five men with their backs to the temple of the LORD and their faces toward the east; and they were bowing to the east in worship of the sun.3 worksDeuteronomy 4:19When you look to the heavens and see the sun and moon and stars—all the host of heaven—do not be enticed to bow down and worship what the LORD your God has apportioned to all the nations under heaven.3 worksJob 31:26if I have beheld the sun in its radiance or the moon moving in splendor,3 works2 Kings 23:5Josiah also did away with the idolatrous priests ordained by the kings of Judah to burn incense on the high places of the cities of Judah and in the places all around Jerusalem—those who had burned incense to Baal, to the sun and moon, to the constellations, and to all the host of heaven.2 works2 Chronicles 14:5He also removed the high places and incense altars from all the cities of Judah, and under him the kingdom was at peace.2 works
The other 3 cross-references, with their words ▾
2 Chronicles 34:4Then 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.2 works2 Chronicles 33:3For he rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had torn down, and he raised up altars for the Baals and made Asherah poles. And he worshiped and served all the host of heaven.2 worksEzekiel 40:17Then he brought me into the outer court, and there were chambers and a pavement laid out all around the court. Thirty chambers faced the pavement,2 works

The walk

8 stops

Each 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

    Deuteronomy 4:19

    When you look to the heavens and see the sun and moon and stars—all the host of heaven—do not be enticed to bow down and worship what the LORD your God has apportioned to…

    it leads to

    • Deuteronomy 17:3

      and going to worship other gods, bowing down to them or to the sun or moon or any of the host of heaven—which I have forbidden—

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

    • Romans 1:25

      They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is forever worthy of praise! Amen.

    • 2 Kings 21:3

      For he rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had destroyed, and he raised up altars for Baal. He made an Asherah pole, as King Ahab of Israel had done, and he worshiped…

    • 2 Kings 17:16

      They abandoned all the commandments of the LORD their God and made for themselves two cast idols of calves and an Asherah pole. They bowed down to all the host of heaven and served…

    • Genesis 1:16–18

      God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night. And He made the stars as well.

  • Through

    Ezekiel 8:16

    So He brought me to the inner court of the house of the LORD, and there at the entrance to the temple of the LORD, between the portico and the altar, were about twenty-five…

    it leads to

    • Deuteronomy 4:19

      When you look to the heavens and see the sun and moon and stars—all the host of heaven—do not be enticed to bow down and worship what the LORD your God has apportioned to…

    • Jeremiah 32:33

      They have turned their backs to Me and not their faces. Though I taught them again and again, they would not listen or respond to discipline.

    • Ezekiel 11:1

      Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the gate of the house of the LORD that faces east. And there at the entrance of the gate were twenty-five men. Among them…

Where this verse is studied

About 2 Kings

Elijah Ascends to Heaven in a Chariot of Fire, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
Elijah Ascends to Heaven in a Chariot of Fire, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
2 Kings: the study guide →Read 2 Kings 23 →

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Bede, Questions on the Book of Kings #28; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.

Read on in 2 Kings 23 →