2 Kings 23:20 (KJV)

What does 2 Kings 23:20 mean?

2 Kings 23:20 describes how King Josiah killed all the priests who served at the pagan high places in Samaria, burning human bones on their altars before returning to Jerusalem. This act was part of Josiah’s campaign to remove idol worship and purify the land according to the laws of Israel’s God.

The verse takes place during King Josiah’s reforms, as he travels through the former northern kingdom of Israel, destroying sites and practices linked to foreign gods. Josiah himself is the main actor, and his actions are meant to show his commitment to eradicating idol worship completely, even in territories that had belonged to Israel’s rivals. The burning of bones on the altars was a way to defile them, making them unusable for future pagan rituals.

The Hebrew behind 2 Kings 23:20

• "slew" (זָבַח, zāvaḥ): This word often means "to slaughter" or "to sacrifice," and here it emphasizes the seriousness and finality of Josiah’s actions against the priests.
• "priests" (כֹּהֵן, kōhēn): This term refers specifically to religious officials, in this case, those serving at unauthorized or pagan worship sites.
• "places" (בָּמָה, bāmāh): This word means "high places," which were elevated sites used for worship, often associated with idolatry in the Old Testament.
• "altars" (מִזְבֵּחַ, mizbēaḥ): These are structures for making offerings; burning bones on them would desecrate them.
• "burned" (שָׂרַף, śāraph): This verb means "to burn" or "to consume by fire," and here it shows the thoroughness of Josiah’s purge.
• "bones" (עֶצֶם, ‘etsem): Refers to human bones, which were considered ritually unclean, so burning them on the altars made the sites unusable for future worship.

Why 2 Kings 23:20 matters

• The verse clarifies that Josiah’s reforms were not limited to Judah but extended into former Israelite territory, showing the depth of his commitment.
• The detail about burning bones on the altars highlights the deliberate effort to make these pagan sites permanently defiled, not just temporarily out of use.
• This verse connects to the larger narrative of Josiah’s reign, emphasizing his role as a reformer who tried to restore exclusive worship of Israel’s God according to the law found earlier in the chapter.