EasyEnglish Bible 2018
2 Kings 23:11
11He removed the images of horses that the kings of Judah had put beside the entrance to the Lord's temple. He also burned the chariots that were there. The kings had put the horses and chariots there to give honour to the sun god. They were in the temple yard near the room of Nathan Melech, a palace officer.
2 Kings 23:11 in other versions
- King James Version (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.
- New International Version (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.
- English Standard Version (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.
- New King James Version (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.
Context of 2 Kings 23:11
9The priests who served at those altars did not have authority to serve at the altar in the Lord's temple in Jerusalem. But they could eat the same flat bread that the other priests ate. 10King Josiah destroyed the place called Topheth, which was in the Valley of Ben Hinnom. After that, nobody could burn his son or his daughter there in the fire as a sacrifice to Molech. He removed the images of horses that the kings of Judah had put beside the entrance to the Lord's temple. He also burned the chariots that were there. The kings had put the horses and chariots there to give honour to the sun god. They were in the temple yard near the room of Nathan Melech, a palace officer. 12King Josiah knocked down the altars that were on the roof of the palace. The kings of Judah had built the altars there, above the high room of King Ahaz. He also knocked down the altars that King Manasseh had built in the two yards of the Lord's temple. Josiah broke the altars into small pieces. He threw the bits into the Kidron Valley. 13King Josiah also destroyed the altars that were on the hills east of Jerusalem. Those altars were on the south side of Mount Trouble. King Solomon had built them to worship these false gods: Ashtoreth, a wicked female god that the people in Sidon worshipped. Chemosh, a wicked god that the people in Moab worshipped. Molech, the evil god that the people in Ammon worshipped.
Read all of 2 Kings 232 Kings 23:11 word by word
וַיַּשְׁבֵּ֣ת אֶת־הַסּוּסִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר נָתְנוּ֩ מַלְכֵ֨י יְהוּדָ֤ה לַשֶּׁ֙מֶשׁ֙ מִבֹּ֣א בֵית־יְהוָ֔ה אֶל־לִשְׁכַּת֙ נְתַן־מֶ֣לֶךְ הַסָּרִ֔יס אֲשֶׁ֖ר בַּפַּרְוָרִ֑ים וְאֶת־מַרְכְּב֥וֹת הַשֶּׁ֖מֶשׁ שָׂרַ֥ף בָּאֵֽשׁ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And he took awayשָׁבַתshâbath · to ceaseH7673
- the horsesסוּסsûs sûs · horseH5483
- that the kingsמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- of Judahיְהוּדָהyehûdâh · JudahH3063
- had givenנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
- to the sunשֶׁ֫מֶשׁshemesh · sunH8121
- at the entering inבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): towardsH935
- of the houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: templeH1004
- of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- by the chamberלִשְׁכָּהlishkâh · chamberH3957
- of Nathan–melechנְתַן־מֶ֫לֶךְnethan-melek · Nathan-melechH5419
- the chamberlainסָרִיסsârîys sâris · eunuchH5631
- in the suburbsפַּרְוָרparbâr parvâr · colonnadeH6503
- and burnedשָׂרַףώâraph · to burnH8313
- the chariotsמֶרְכָּבָהmerkâbâh · chariotH4818
- with fireאֵשׁ'êsh · fireH784
Cross-references for 2 Kings 23:11
- 2 Kings 23:5He removed the priests who served false gods. The kings of Judah had chosen those priests to make offerings at the altars on the hills. They were on the hills in Judah's cities and all around Jerusalem. These priests offered sacrifices to Baal, to the sun, to the moon and to all the stars in the sky.
- 2 Chronicles 14:5He removed the altars on the hills. He also removed the altars in all Judah's cities where people burned incense. There was peace in his kingdom while he ruled.
- 2 Chronicles 34:4He told his men to knock down the altars where people worshipped the idols of Baal. He broke into pieces the altars for incense that were near the other altars. He destroyed the Asherah poles, the idols and the images. He broke them all into very small pieces. He threw the bits over the graves of the people who had offered sacrifices to those false gods.
- Ezekiel 8:16Then the Lord took me to the inside yard of his temple. I could see about 25 men who were standing between the altar and the front of the temple. Their backs were turned towards the Lord's temple. Their faces looked towards the east. They were bending down low to worship the sun that was rising in the east!
Commentaries on 2 Kings 23:11
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 11The 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 2 Kings 2:11. Whether these were…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4-20Verses 4-20 A parenthesis giving the earlier reforms of Josiah. 2 Kings 23:4 The priests of the second order - This is a new expression; and probably refers to the ordinary priests, called here “priests of the second order,” in contrast with the high priest, whose dignity was reviving (2 Kings 12:2 note). The vessels - This would include the whole apparatus of worship, altars, images, dresses, utensils, etc., for Baal, etc. (2 Kings 21:3-5 notes). The…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 4-14Verses 4-14 What abundance of wickedness in Judah and Jerusalem! One would not have believed it possible, that in Judah, where God was known, in Israel, where his name was great, in Salem, in Zion, where his dwelling-place was, such abominations should be found. Josiah had reigned eighteen years, and had himself set the people a good example, and kept up religion according to the Divine law; yet, when he came to search for idolatry, the depth and extent…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 11In the ancient Near East, people often used the horse in ceremonies that honored the sun. The Assyrian sun-god Shamash and other gods were shown riding in horse-drawn chariots across the sky. Archaeological findings suggest that a solar cult (worship of the sun) existed in Israel as early as the 800s BC. This practice grew more popular during the reigns of Manasseh and Amon, when the royal court supported it (2 Kings 21:3–5, 21–22). King Josiah tried to…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1111. took away the horses that the kings of Judah had given to the sun--Among the people who anciently worshipped the sun, horses were usually dedicated to that divinity, from the supposed idea that the sun himself was drawn in a chariot by horses. 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…Read the comment
Topics related to 2 Kings 23:11
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 2 Kings 23
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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