And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, and the priests of the second order, and the keepers of the door, to bring forth out of the temple of the LORD all the vessels that were made for Baal, and for the grove, and for all the host of heaven: and he burned them without Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron, and carried the ashes of them unto Bethel.

2 KINGS 23:4KJV
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2 Kings 23:4 (KJV)

What does 2 Kings 23:4 mean?

2 Kings 23:4 describes how King Josiah ordered the removal of all objects used for worshipping Baal, the Asherah (a wooden symbol often called "the grove"), and the stars ("all the host of heaven") from the temple of the LORD. Josiah had these items burned outside Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron, and their ashes were taken to Bethel.

King Josiah is speaking as the ruler of Judah, commanding the high priest Hilkiah, other priests, and temple gatekeepers to cleanse the temple. This verse shows a concrete step Josiah took to get rid of idol worship in Judah, as part of a larger religious reform. The setting is the temple in Jerusalem, and the action is both practical and symbolic—removing and destroying items linked to foreign gods to restore proper worship of the LORD.

The Hebrew behind 2 Kings 23:4

  • בַּעַל (baʿal): This word refers to Baal, a major Canaanite deity. The verse highlights that even objects dedicated to Baal had found their way into the temple, showing the depth of idol worship Josiah was confronting.
  • אֲשֵׁרָה (asherah): Often translated "grove," this refers to a wooden idol or pole representing the goddess Asherah. The presence of an Asherah in the temple underscores how far the people had strayed from exclusive worship of the LORD.
  • צָבָא (tsavaʾ): Translated "host," this word means "army" or "multitude" and here refers to the "host of heaven," meaning the sun, moon, and stars worshipped as gods. Josiah's reforms targeted all forms of idolatry, not just the most obvious ones.
  • כֵּלִי (keli): This word means "vessels" or "objects." The verse is specific that not just altars or statues, but even the utensils used in idol worship, were removed and destroyed, showing the thoroughness of the reform.

Why 2 Kings 23:4 matters

  • This verse clears up any idea that idol worship was only a minor problem; it shows that foreign gods were being worshipped right inside the temple itself.
  • The verse emphasizes Josiah's determination to purify worship by not only removing but also destroying and disposing of every trace of idolatry, making his reform both visible and irreversible.
  • It connects to the wider story of Josiah's reign, showing how his actions fulfilled earlier warnings from prophets and set an example of returning to exclusive worship of the LORD.

Where else these words appear

“fields” Hebrew H7709 · used in 6 verses

  • Deuteronomy 32:32 For their vine is of the vine of Sodom, and of the fields of Gomorrah: their grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters are bitter:
  • Isaiah 16:8 For the fields of Heshbon languish, and the vine of Sibmah: the lords of the heathen have broken down the principal plants thereof, they are come even unto Jazer, they wandered through the wilderness: her branches are stretched out, they are gone over the sea.
  • Jeremiah 31:40 And the whole valley of the dead bodies, and of the ashes, and all the fields unto the brook of Kidron, unto the corner of the horse gate toward the east, shall be holy unto the LORD; it shall not be plucked up, nor thrown down any more for ever.

“Kidron” Hebrew H6939 · used in 10 verses

  • 2 Samuel 15:23 And all the country wept with a loud voice, and all the people passed over: the king also himself passed over the brook Kidron, and all the people passed over, toward the way of the wilderness.
  • 2 Kings 23:6 And he brought out the grove from the house of the LORD, without Jerusalem, unto the brook Kidron, and burned it at the brook Kidron, and stamped it small to powder, and cast the powder thereof upon the graves of the children of the people.
  • 2 Chronicles 29:16 And the priests went into the inner part of the house of the LORD, to cleanse it, and brought out all the uncleanness that they found in the temple of the LORD into the court of the house of the LORD. And the Levites took it, to carry it out abroad into the brook Kidron.

“door” Hebrew H5592 · used in 28 verses

  • Exodus 12:22 And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the bason, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the bason; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning.
  • 1 Chronicles 9:19 And Shallum the son of Kore, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, and his brethren, of the house of his father, the Korahites, were over the work of the service, keepers of the gates of the tabernacle: and their fathers, being over the host of the LORD, were keepers of the entry.
  • Jeremiah 52:19 And the basons, and the firepans, and the bowls, and the caldrons, and the candlesticks, and the spoons, and the cups; that which was of gold in gold, and that which was of silver in silver, took the captain of the guard away.

“Hilkiah” Hebrew H2518 · used in 31 verses

  • 2 Kings 18:18 And when they had called to the king, there came out to them Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, which was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder.
  • 1 Chronicles 6:45 The son of Hashabiah, the son of Amaziah, the son of Hilkiah,
  • Ezra 7:1 Now after these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra the son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah,