And all the houses also of the high places that were in the cities of Samaria, which the kings of Israel had made to provoke the LORD to anger, Josiah took away, and did to them according to all the acts that he had done in Bethel.
2 KINGS 23:19KJVWhat does 2 Kings 23:19 mean?
2 Kings 23:19 describes how King Josiah removed all the places of idol worship (“high places”) in the cities of Samaria, just as he had done in Bethel. These sites had been set up by earlier kings of Israel and had angered the LORD, but Josiah destroyed them as part of his religious reforms.
This verse is part of a larger story where Josiah, king of Judah, is working to purify worship in the land by getting rid of practices and places that led people away from worshiping the LORD alone. The verse points out that Josiah’s reforms were not limited to his own territory but extended into Samaria, which had once been the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel. Josiah’s actions followed the same pattern as what he had already done in Bethel, showing his determination to remove idol worship wherever it was found.
The Hebrew behind 2 Kings 23:19
- “houses” (בַּיִת, bayit, H1004): This word often means “house” or “building,” but here it refers to the physical structures used for idol worship at the high places. The verse emphasizes that Josiah did not just stop the practices but also destroyed the actual buildings.
- “places” (בָּמָה, bamah, H1116): This word means “high place,” a common term in the Old Testament for sites of worship, often on hills, where people offered sacrifices to gods other than the LORD. The verse underscores that these were widespread and officially established by previous kings.
- “Samaria” (שֹׁמְרוֹן, Shomron, H8111): Naming Samaria highlights that Josiah’s reforms reached into territory that had belonged to the northern kingdom, showing the thoroughness and boldness of his actions.
Why 2 Kings 23:19 matters
- The verse shows that Josiah’s reforms were not just local or symbolic; he took concrete action even in former enemy territory, demonstrating the seriousness of his commitment to exclusive worship of the LORD.
- By mentioning the “acts that he had done in Bethel,” the verse connects Josiah’s actions to earlier events, helping readers see the pattern and scope of his reforms.
- The verse clarifies that the high places were not just tolerated by the people but had been officially established by the kings of Israel, making Josiah’s removal of them a direct reversal of royal policy.