2 Kings 23:24
in 2 Kings 23Furthermore, Josiah removed the mediums and spiritists, the household gods and idols, and all the abominations that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem. He did this to carry out the words of the law written in the book that Hilkiah the priest had found in the house of the LORD.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Moreover them that had familiar spirits, and the wizards, and the teraphim, and the idols, and all the abominations that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, did Josiah put away, that he might confirm the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of Jehovah.
KJV
Moreover the workers with familiar spirits, and the wizards, and the images, and the idols, and all the abominations that were spied in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, did Josiah put away, that he might perform the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of the Lord.
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This verse in 2 Kings 23
Commentary
7 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Perform - Rather, establish. Josiah saw that it was necessary, not only to put down open idolatry, but also to root out the secret practices of a similar character which were sometimes combined with the worship of Yahweh, notwithstanding that the Law forbade them (marginal references), and which probably formed, with many, practically almost the whole of their religion.
This site's exposition
workers with familiar spirits, and the wizards
Josiah clears out mediums, wizards, household idols, and every abomination still found in Judah and Jerusalem, the very practices Deut 18:10-11 named as detestable to the LORD. Barnes reads perform here as establish, the king rooting out private divination that had survived under cover of formal worship of the LORD himself, not only open idolatry. The purge is credited directly to the book Hilkiah found, the same book that opened the chapter.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
Moreover, the workers with familiar spirits, and the wizards,....
Those of them that were convicted of witchcraft, it is likely, he put to death, and so deterred others from those diabolical practices. In all this he had a sincere regard to the words of the law which were written in the book lately found,
When they worshipped the devil as their god no marvel that they consulted him as their oracle. What a full destruction good Josiah made of all those relics of idolatry. Such is his zeal for the Lord of hosts, and his holy indignation against all that is displeasing to him, that nothing shall stand before him.
He made that law his rule and kept that in his eye throughout this reformation. How his zeal extended itself to the cities of Israel that were within his reach. The ten tribes were carried captive and the Assyrian colonies did not fully people the country, so that, it is likely, many cities had put themselves under the protection of the kings of Judah, 2 Chron. xxx.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
The workers with familiar spirits - See on 2Ki 21:5 (note). And the images - The teraphim. See the note on Gen 31:19.
The words behind it
33 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְגַ֣ם | vegam | and also | H1571 → | 769 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הָאֹב֣וֹת | haovot | the necromancers | H178 → | |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַ֠יִּדְּעֹנִים | haiyideonim | the soothsayers | H3049 → | |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַתְּרָפִ֨ים | haterafim | the teraphim | H8655 → | |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַגִּלֻּלִ֜ים | hagilulim | the idols | H1544 → | 48 times |
| וְאֵ֣ת | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הַשִּׁקֻּצִ֗ים | hashikutzim | the detestable things | H8251 → | 28 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֤ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| נִרְאוּ֙ | niru | they were seen | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| בְּאֶ֤רֶץ | beeretz | in [the] land of | H776 → | 2504 times |
| יְהוּדָה֙ | yehudah | Judah | H3063 → | 819 times |
| וּבִיר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם | uvirushalim | and in Jerusalem | H3389 → | 643 times |
| בִּעֵ֖ר | bier | he removed | H1197 → | |
| יֹֽאשִׁיָּ֑הוּ | yoshiyahu | Josiah | H2977 → | 53 times |
| לְ֠מַעַן | lemaan | so as | H4616 → | 272 times |
| הָקִ֞ים | hakim | to carry out | H6965 → | 628 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| דִּבְרֵ֤י | divrei | [the] words of | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| הַתּוֹרָה֙ | hatorah | the law | H8451 → | 219 times |
| הַכְּתֻבִ֣ים | haketuvim | which were written | H3789 → | 224 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הַסֵּ֔פֶר | hasefer | the scroll | H5612 → | 186 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| מָצָ֛א | matza' | he had found | H4672 → | 455 times |
| חִלְקִיָּ֥הוּ | chilkiyahu | Hilkiah | H2518 → | 34 times |
| הַכֹּהֵ֖ן | hakohen | the priest | H3548 → | 750 times |
| בֵּ֥ית | beit | [the] house of | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| יְהוָֽה׃ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
וְגַ֣םand also
vegamH1571 →769 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הָאֹב֣וֹתthe necromancers
haovotH178 →
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
הַ֠יִּדְּעֹנִיםthe soothsayers
haiyideonimH3049 →
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
הַתְּרָפִ֨יםthe teraphim
haterafimH8655 →
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
הַגִּלֻּלִ֜יםthe idols
hagilulimH1544 →48 times
וְאֵ֣תand <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
הַשִּׁקֻּצִ֗יםthe detestable things
hashikutzimH8251 →28 times
אֲשֶׁ֤רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
נִרְאוּ֙they were seen
niruH7200 →1300 times
בְּאֶ֤רֶץin [the] land of
beeretzH776 →2504 times
יְהוּדָה֙Judah
yehudahH3063 →819 times
וּבִיר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔םand in Jerusalem
uvirushalimH3389 →643 times
בִּעֵ֖רhe removed
bierH1197 →
יֹֽאשִׁיָּ֑הוּJosiah
yoshiyahuH2977 →53 times
לְ֠מַעַןso as
lemaanH4616 →272 times
הָקִ֞יםto carry out
hakimH6965 →628 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
דִּבְרֵ֤י[the] words of
divreiH1697 →1440 times
הַתּוֹרָה֙the law
hatorahH8451 →219 times
הַכְּתֻבִ֣יםwhich were written
haketuvimH3789 →224 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
הַסֵּ֔פֶרthe scroll
haseferH5612 →186 times
אֲשֶׁ֥רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
מָצָ֛אhe had found
matza'H4672 →455 times
חִלְקִיָּ֥הוּHilkiah
chilkiyahuH2518 →34 times
הַכֹּהֵ֖ןthe priest
hakohenH3548 →750 times
בֵּ֥ית[the] house of
beitH1004 →2046 times
יְהוָֽה׃Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 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
Leviticus 20:27A man or a woman who is a medium or spiritist must surely be put to death. They shall be stoned; their blood is upon them.’”
it leads to
- Leviticus 19:31
You must not turn to mediums or spiritists; do not seek them out, or you will be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Leviticus 19:31
Through
Leviticus 19:31You must not turn to mediums or spiritists; do not seek them out, or you will be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God.
it leads to
- Isaiah 8:19
When men tell you to consult the spirits of the dead and the spiritists who whisper and mutter, shouldn’t a people consult their God instead? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living?
- Leviticus 20:27
A man or a woman who is a medium or spiritist must surely be put to death. They shall be stoned; their blood is upon them.’”
- 2 Chronicles 33:6
He sacrificed his sons in the fire in the Valley of Hinnom. He practiced sorcery, divination, and witchcraft, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did great evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking…
- Leviticus 20:6–7
Whoever turns to mediums or spiritists to prostitute himself with them, I will also set My face against that person and cut him off from his people.
- Deuteronomy 18:10–14
Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, practices divination or conjury, interprets omens, practices sorcery,
- Isaiah 8:19
Through
Genesis 31:19Now while Laban was out shearing his sheep, Rachel stole her father’s household idols.
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 19:13
Then Michal took a household idol and laid it in the bed, placed some goat hair on its head, and covered it with a garment.
- 1 Samuel 19:13
Through
2 Kings 21:6He sacrificed his own son in the fire, practiced sorcery and divination, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did great evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger.
it leads to
- 2 Kings 17:17
They sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire and practiced divination and soothsaying. They devoted themselves to doing evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger.
- 2 Kings 17:17
Where this verse is studied
About 2 Kings
Who and where
3 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonPatriarchsJudahJacob's fourth son who pledges himself for Benjamin; the tribe that carries the scepter to Shiloh (49:10) and the line to Christ (…
- PersonLate monarchyJosiahThe boy-king who found the book of the law in the temple, tore his clothes, and led Judah's last great reformation and Passover be…
- PlaceJerusalemJerusalemThe city David took from the Jebusites and made his capital, where Solomon built the temple, where Christ was crucified and rose,…
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.