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 Nathanmelech the chamberlain, which was in the suburbs, and burned the chariots of the sun with fire.
2 KINGS 23:11KJVWhat does 2 Kings 23:11 mean?
2 Kings 23:11 describes how King Josiah removed horses and burned chariots that earlier kings of Judah had dedicated to the sun, which were kept near the temple of the LORD. This action was part of Josiah’s effort to get rid of practices connected to worshipping the sun, which were considered idolatrous.
In this verse, the writer is describing Josiah’s reforms as king, specifically targeting objects and practices linked to foreign or non-Israelite worship. The horses and chariots had been set up “at the entering in of the house of the LORD,” showing how deeply these practices had crept into the life of Judah, even near the temple. The mention of Nathanmelech, a royal official, and the location in the “suburbs” gives a concrete setting for where these objects were found and destroyed.
The Hebrew behind 2 Kings 23:11
- “horses” (סוּסִים, susim): This word refers to actual horses, which in this context had been given to the sun, likely as part of sun-worship rituals. The use of real animals for religious purposes shows how physical and visible these practices were.
- “sun” (שֶׁמֶשׁ, shemesh): The sun here is not just a celestial body but an object of worship. The verse highlights that the kings of Judah had adopted worship practices from surrounding cultures, dedicating animals and chariots to the sun.
- “chariots” (מֶרְכָּבוֹת, merkavot): These were not just vehicles but had a ceremonial or symbolic role in the worship of the sun. Burning them shows a complete rejection of these practices.
- “burned” (שָׂרַף, saraf): This word means to burn or destroy by fire, emphasizing that Josiah did not just remove these objects but made sure they could not be used again.
Why 2 Kings 23:11 matters
- This verse shows how far idolatrous practices had entered into Judah’s religious life, even being placed near the temple itself.
- The specific mention of horses and chariots dedicated to the sun reveals the influence of neighboring nations’ religious customs on Judah.
- Josiah’s actions in this verse are part of a larger reform movement, showing his determination to restore worship of the LORD (יְהוָה, YHWH) alone and remove all traces of other religious practices.