Then he said, What title is that that I see? And the men of the city told him, It is the sepulchre of the man of God, which came from Judah, and proclaimed these things that thou hast done against the altar of Bethel.

2 KINGS 23:17KJV
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2 Kings 23:17 (KJV)

What does 2 Kings 23:17 mean?

2 Kings 23:17 describes how, during King Josiah’s reforms, he noticed a grave and asked about it. The local people explained that it was the tomb of the “man of God” from Judah who had earlier prophesied against the altar at Bethel, predicting the very events Josiah was now carrying out.

Josiah is traveling through Bethel, destroying places of idol worship as part of his efforts to restore true worship in Judah. When he sees a marked grave (“title”), he asks the townspeople about it. They identify it as the burial place of a prophet who had long ago warned about the judgment Josiah is now enacting. This moment connects Josiah’s actions with the fulfillment of an old prophecy, showing the continuity between God’s earlier warnings and Josiah’s reforms.

The Hebrew behind 2 Kings 23:17

  • “title” (מַצֵּבָה, matzevah): This word means a monument or marker, often a stone set up to mark a grave or significant spot. Here, it emphasizes that Josiah noticed a physical marker that set this grave apart, prompting his question.
  • “sepulchre” (קֶבֶר, qeber): This is the standard Hebrew word for a tomb or grave. The verse highlights the respect given to this particular burial site, distinguishing it from others Josiah might have seen.
  • “man of God” (אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים, ish ha’elohim): This phrase refers to a recognized prophet or messenger of God, underlining the authority and significance of the person buried there.

Why 2 Kings 23:17 matters

  • 2 Kings 23:17 shows that Josiah’s reforms were not random but were a direct fulfillment of earlier prophecy, linking his actions to God’s long-standing plans.
  • The verse highlights the respect given to true prophets, even during a time of widespread destruction of other graves and altars, showing a distinction between false worship and genuine messengers of God.
  • This moment connects the story back to 1 Kings 13, helping readers see how different parts of the Bible fit together and how God’s warnings and promises come to pass over generations.

Where else these words appear

“title” Hebrew H6725 · used in 3 verses

  • Jeremiah 31:21 Set thee up waymarks, make thee high heaps: set thine heart toward the highway, even the way which thou wentest: turn again, O virgin of Israel, turn again to these thy cities.
  • Ezekiel 39:15 And the passengers that pass through the land, when any seeth a man's bone, then shall he set up a sign by it, till the buriers have buried it in the valley of Hamongog.

“that” Hebrew H1975 · used in 7 verses

  • Judges 6:20 And the angel of God said unto him, Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes, and lay them upon this rock, and pour out the broth. And he did so.
  • 1 Samuel 17:26 And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?
  • Daniel 8:16 And I heard a man's voice between the banks of Ulai, which called, and said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision.

“sepulchre” Hebrew H6913 · used in 62 verses

  • Genesis 23:4 I am a stranger and a sojourner with you: give me a possession of a buryingplace with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.
  • 1 Kings 13:31 And it came to pass, after he had buried him, that he spake to his sons, saying, When I am dead, then bury me in the sepulchre wherein the man of God is buried; lay my bones beside his bones:
  • Job 17:1 My breath is corrupt, my days are extinct, the graves are ready for me.

“Bethel” Hebrew H1008 · used in 63 verses

  • Genesis 12:8 And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the LORD, and called upon the name of the LORD.
  • Judges 1:22 And the house of Joseph, they also went up against Bethel: and the LORD was with them.
  • 2 Kings 2:3 And the sons of the prophets that were at Bethel came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he said, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.