New English Translation
2 Kings 23:8
8He brought all the priests from the cities of Judah and ruined the high places where the priests had offered sacrifices, from Geba to Beer Sheba. He tore down the high place of the goat idols situated at the entrance of the gate of Joshua, the city official, on the left side of the city gate.
2 Kings 23:8 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And he brought all the priests out of the cities of Judah, and defiled the high places where the priests had burned incense, from Geba to Beer–sheba, and brake down the high places of the gates that were in the entering in of the gate of Joshua the governor of the city, which were on a man’s left hand at the gate of the city.
- New International Version (NIV)Josiah brought all the priests from the towns of Judah and desecrated the high places, from Geba to Beersheba, where the priests had burned incense. He broke down the gateway at the entrance of the Gate of Joshua, the city governor, which was on the left of the city gate.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And he brought all the priests out of the cities of Judah, and defiled the high places where the priests had made offerings, from Geba to Beersheba. And he broke down the high places of the gates that were at the entrance of the gate of Joshua the governor of the city, which were on one's left at the gate of the city.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And he brought all the priests from the cities of Judah, and defiled the high places where the priests had burned incense, from Geba to Beersheba; also he broke down the high places at the gates which were at the entrance of the Gate of Joshua the governor of the city, which were to the left of the city gate.
Context of 2 Kings 23:8
6He removed the Asherah pole from the Lord’s temple and took it outside Jerusalem to the Kidron Valley, where he burned it. He smashed it to dust and then threw the dust in the public graveyard. 7He tore down the quarters of the male cultic prostitutes in the Lord’s temple, where women were weaving shrines for Asherah. He brought all the priests from the cities of Judah and ruined the high places where the priests had offered sacrifices, from Geba to Beer Sheba. He tore down the high place of the goat idols situated at the entrance of the gate of Joshua, the city official, on the left side of the city gate. 9(Now the priests of the high places did not go up to the altar of the Lord in Jerusalem, but they did eat unleavened cakes among their fellow priests.) 10The king ruined Topheth in the Valley of Ben Hinnom so that no one could pass his son or his daughter through the fire to Molech.
Read all of 2 Kings 232 Kings 23:8 word by word
וַיָּבֵ֤א אֶת־כָּל־הַכֹּֽהֲנִים֙ מֵעָרֵ֣י יְהוּדָ֔ה וַיְטַמֵּ֣א אֶת־הַבָּמ֗וֹת אֲשֶׁ֤ר קִטְּרוּ־שָׁ֙מָּה֙ הַכֹּ֣הֲנִ֔ים מִגֶּ֖בַע עַד־בְּאֵ֣ר שָׁ֑בַע וְנָתַ֞ץ אֶת־בָּמ֣וֹת הַשְּׁעָרִ֗ים אֲשֶׁר־פֶּ֜תַח שַׁ֤עַר יְהוֹשֻׁ֙עַ֙ שַׂר־הָעִ֔יר אֲשֶֽׁר־עַל־שְׂמֹ֥אול אִ֖ישׁ בְּשַׁ֥עַר הָעִֽיר׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And he broughtבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): bringH935
- all the priestsכֹּהֵןkôhên · priestH3548
- out of the citiesעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
- of Judahיְהוּדָהyehûdâh · JudahH3063
- and defiledטָמֵאţâmê' · to defileH2930
- the high placesבָּמָהbâmâh · high placeH1116
- had burned incenseקָטַרqâţar · to offer: offerH6999
- from Gebaגֶּ֫בַעgeba‛ · GebaH1387
- to Beer–shebaבְּאֵר שֶׁ֫בַעbe'êr sheba‛ · BeershebaH884
- and brake downנָתַץnâthats · to tearH5422
- of the gatesשַׁ֫עַרsha‛ar · gateH8179
- in the entering inפֶּ֫תַחpethach · entranceH6607
- of Joshuaיְהוֹשׁוּעַyehôshûa‛ yehôshûa‛ · JoshuaH3091
- the governorשַׂרώar · rulerH8269
- on a man’sאִישׁ'îysh · man: anyoneH376
- left handשְׂמֹאלώemô'l ώem'ôl · leftH8040
Cross-references for 2 Kings 23:8
- Joshua 21:17From the tribe of Benjamin they assigned Gibeon, Geba,
- 1 Kings 15:22King Asa ordered all the men of Judah (no exemptions were granted) to carry away the stones and wood that Baasha had used to build Ramah. King Asa used the materials to build up Geba (in Benjamin) and Mizpah.
- 1 Chronicles 6:60Within the territory of the tribe of Benjamin they were allotted Geba and its pasturelands, Alemeth and its pasturelands, and Anathoth and its pasturelands. Their clans were allotted thirteen cities in all.
- Isaiah 10:29They went through the pass, spent the night at Geba. Ramah trembled, Gibeah of Saul ran away.
- Zechariah 14:10All the land will change and become like the Arabah from Geba to Rimmon, south of Jerusalem; and Jerusalem will be raised up and will stay in its own place from the Benjamin Gate to the site of the First Gate and on to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the royal winepresses.
- Genesis 21:31That is why he named that place Beer Sheba, because the two of them swore an oath there.
- Genesis 26:23From there Isaac went up to Beer Sheba.
- Judges 20:1All the Israelites from Dan to Beer Sheba and from the land of Gilead left their homes and assembled together before the Lord at Mizpah.
- 1 Kings 19:3Elijah was afraid, so he got up and fled for his life to Beer Sheba in Judah. He left his servant there,
Commentaries on 2 Kings 23:8
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8The gate of Joshua - The place where he, as governor of the city, heard and decided causes. Near this we find there were public altars, where sometimes the true God, at other times false gods, were honored.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. 8-9The gate of Joshua is not mentioned elsewhere. It might have been used by the city governor. This title refers to a city official in Samaria (1 Kings 22:26; 2 Chronicles 18:25) and to Maaseiah in Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 34:8).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 8-98-9. he brought all the priests out of the cities of Judah, and defiled the high places, &c.--Many of the Levitical order, finding in the reigns of Manasseh and Amon the temple-worship abolished and the tithes and other offerings alienated, had been betrayed into the folly of officiating on high places, and presenting such sacrifices as were brought to them. These irregularities, even though the object of that worship was the true God, were prohibited in…Read the comment
Topics related to 2 Kings 23:8
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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