2 Kings 23:8

2Ki 23:8 And he brought all the priests out of the cities of Judah, and defiled the high places where the priests had burned incense, from Geba to Beersheba, and brake down the high places of the gates that [were] in the entering in of the gate of Joshua the governor of the city, which [were] on a man’s left hand at the gate of the city.

Ver. 8. The high places of the gates.] Where, in imitation of the heathens, they had set their tutelar and guardian gods, and had their fans profana.

Of Joshua the governor of the city.] A great man, but none of the best. He had a good name; but Josiah might have said to him, as Alexander did to a soldier of his own name, but a coward, Either change thy name, or put on more courage; so, more piety.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2Ki 23:8. He brought all the priests — Belonging to the high places following, whether such as worshipped idols, or such as worshipped God in those forbidden places. Out of the cities of Judah — That they might not continue to corrupt the people. And defiled the high places — Casting dead carcasses there, and other such like unclean things, and thus making them receptacles of impurity, and burning dead men’s bones upon the altars that were there. From Geba — The northern border of the kingdom of Judah. To Beer-sheba — The southern border; that is, throughout the whole country. And brake down the high places of the gates — Dedicated to their tutelary gods, whom their idolatrous kings, after the manner of the heathen, owned for the protectors of their city and habitations. These places seem to have been erected at the gates, in order that all who entered or went out of the city might pay some kind of adoration to them. In the gate of Joshua, the governor of the city — This circumstance is mentioned to show Josiah’s great zeal and impartiality in rooting out all monuments of idolatry, without any respect unto those great persons who were concerned in them.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

23:8-9 The gate of Joshua is otherwise unknown; it might have been used by the city governor, a title known to refer to a city official in Samaria (1 Kgs 22:26; 2 Chr 18:25) and to Maaseiah in Jerusalem (2 Chr 34:8).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

he brought all the priests out of the cities of Judah, and defiled the high places, &c.--Many of the Levitical order, finding in the reigns of Manasseh and Amon the temple-worship abolished and the tithes and other offerings alienated, had been betrayed into the folly of officiating on high places, and presenting such sacrifices as were brought to them. These irregularities, even though the object of that worship was the true God, were prohibited in the law (Deu 12:11). Those who had been guilty of this sin, Josiah brought to Jerusalem. Regarding them as defiled, he debarred them from the service of the temple, but gave them an allowance out of the temple revenues, like the lame and disabled members of the priesthood (Lev 21:21-22).

from Geba to to Beer-sheba--the most northern and the most southern places in Judah--meaning all parts of the kingdom.

the high places . . . which were in the entering in of the gate of Joshua--The governor's house and gate were on the left of the city gate, and close by the entrance of that civic mansion house were public altars, dedicated, it might be, to the true God, but contrary to His own ordinance of worship (Isa 57:8).

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 8. The gate of Joshua] The place where he, as governor of the city, heard and decided causes. Near this we find there were public altars, where sometimes the true God, at other times false gods, were honoured.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(8) And he brought all the priests . . .—Josiah caused all the priests of the local sanctuaries of Jehovah to migrate to Jerusalem, and polluted the high places to which they had been attached, in order to get rid of the illegitimate worship once for all.

From Geba.—The present Jeba, near the ancient Ramah (1Ki_15:22).

To Beer-sheba.—Where was a specially frequented high place (Amo_5:5, Amo_8:14; and Note on 2Ch_34:6).

The high places of the gates.—Altars erected within the gates, that persons entering or leaving the city might make an offering to ensure success in their business.

That were in the entering in . . .—Thenius renders, (the high place) which was at the entry of the gate of Joshua the governor of the city, (as well as) that which was on the left in the city gate. But this assumption of two localities is very precarious. The Authorised Version appears to be correct (a similar repetition of the relative referring to the same antecedent occurs in 2Ki_23:13). Joshua is an unknown personage, and it is not clear whether “the gate of Joshua” was a gate of the city named after him, or the great gate of his residence; nor is it certain that “the gate of the city” was that now called the Jaffa Gate. It is possible that the governor’s residence lay near the principal gate of the city, on the left as one entered. Several “high places” stood in the open space in front of it, between it and the city gate. These would naturally be called “the high places of the gates.”

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

8. all the priests out of the cities of Judah] These were the priests who had betaken themselves to the various high places throughout the land, and conducted the worship there (2Ch_33:17). These services were offered ‘to the Lord their God only’. But such forbidden places Josiah destroyed and defiled their sites so that they should never be restored. The priests were brought to Jerusalem and were hereafter employed on lower duties as Levites.

from Geba to Beer-sheba] That is, throughout all Judah just as ‘from Dan to Beersheba’ is used (Jdg_20:1; 1Sa_3:20) for the whole land of Canaan. Geba was in the northern border of the tribe of Benjamin. It is probably the same as Gibeah which is spoken of in Jdg_20:31 : Beersheba was in the extreme south of Judah. We know from Amo_8:14 that a ‘manner’ (R.V. way) of idolatrous worship prevailed there.

the high places of the gates] The open spaces kept about the gates of Oriental cities afforded exactly the site which would be chosen for some shrine of the popular worship, especially when the kings, Manasseh and Amon, had given their strong support to idolatry. It would be thought to harmonize with the royal wishes if an altar were erected close to the place where the king’s public judgement-seat was wont to be.

in [R.V. at] the entering in, &c.] As the English of both A.V. and R.V. stands, ‘the gate of Joshua the governor of the city’ must be the same which is called in the next clause ‘the gate of the city’. In that case, as the text speaks of ‘high places’, we must understand that there was more than one ‘high place’ in the same neighbourhood. But as they are called ‘high places of the gates’ it has seemed necessary to some to render the words as if a conjunction were omitted, ‘The high places of the gates, that which was in the entering in of the gate of Joshua … and also that which was … at the gate of the city’. Thus the two localities would be different. As ‘the gate of Joshua’ is mentioned nowhere else, we cannot say where it was, or whether a gate so described could also be called ‘a gate of the city’. It seems more probable that it was some inner gate, near the governor’s official residence.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Nevertheless, the priests of the high places came not up to the altar of the Lord at Jerusalem,.... To sacrifice there, as the Targum; though they were removed from the high places, they were not admitted to officiate at the altar of the Lord, having offered in forbidden places:

but they did eat of the unleavened bread with their brethren; the priests that were pure, as the sons of Zadok; though they might not offer sacrifices, they were allowed to partake of the holy things with the priests, as the meat offerings made of flour unleavened, Lev 2:4 which are here meant, and put for all the rest on which the priests lived, see Eze 44:10.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Bersabee; to which the Israelites went in pilgrimages, Amos v. 5. This place was situated at the southern extremity of the dominions of Juda, as Gabaa was at the northern. The priests being unable to offer sacrifice in the temple, and desirous to gain a livelihood, had been so weak as to conform to the illegal practices of the country; though they seem to have intended to worship God, Deuteronomy xii. 11. --- Altars. These might also be consecrated to the true God, but they were forbidden. There were others, placed in similar situations, in honour of Trivia, or the moon, Isaias lvii. 8., and lxv. 11. (Calmet) --- City, to a person entering. (Chaldean) Josue was the chief lay-judge, or magistrate. (Menochius)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

All the priests, to wit, belonging to the high places there following, whether such as worshipped idols, or rather, such as worshipped God in those forbidden places, Deu 12:11, as may be gathered from the following verse.

Defiled the high places, by burning dead men’s bones upon them, as 2Ki 23:14,16,20, or by putting them to some other unclean or filthy use.

From Geba; the northern border of the kingdom of Judah; of which see Jos 18:24; 1Ki 15:22. To Beer-sheba, which was the southern border; see Gen 21:31; Jdg 20:1; i.e. from one end to the other.

The high places of the gates; which were erected by the gates of the city here mentioned, unto the honour of their tutelary gods, which after the manner of the heathen they owned for the protectors of their city and habitations.

In the entering in of the gate of Joshua the governor of the city: this circumstance is noted to show Josiah’s great zeal and impartiality, in rooting out all monuments of idolatry, without any respect unto those great persons who were concerned in them, or affected to them.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

8. Priests out of the cities of Judah — Levitical priests who had been turned aside to the service of the high places. Josiah ordered them to come to Jerusalem, but, as the next verse shows, they were not allowed to minister at the altar of the Lord.

Geba… Beer-sheba — The northern and southern limit of the territory occupied by Judah. Geba was situated about six miles northeast of Jerusalem, (see note on 1Sa_13:3,) and Beer-sheba fifty miles or more southwest.

High places of the gates — Those located near the gates of the city, either outside or within. The gate of Joshua and the gate of the city cannot now be determined. The latter, from its being called so indefinitely gate of the city, would seem to be the most common entrance; the former was probably so called because Joshua the governor had his residence near it.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And he brought all the priests out of the cities of Judah. Here the writer diverges from his proper subject the reforms in and near Jerusalem to speak of changes which were made in other parts of Judaea. The Levitical priests, who in various cities of Judah had conducted the worship at the high places, were summoned to Jerusalem by Josiah, and forced to remain there, that the unauthorized worship which they had conducted might be brought to an end. And defiled the high places where the priests had burned incense. Hezekiah had "removed the high places, and broken the images, and cut down the groves" throughout his dominions, (2Ki_18:4) but he had not in any way "defiled the high places;" and therefore no sooner did a king take a different view of his duties than the worship was at once restored, (2Ki_21:3) and flourished as before. Josiah conceived the idea that, if the high places were "defiled," it would be impossible to renew the worship at them. From Geba to Beersheba. Geba takes here the place of Bethel as the northern limit of Judah. It was situated at a very short distance from Bethel, and was made to supersede it on account of the idolatries by which Bethel had been disgraced. The exact site is probably the modern Jeba, on the southern edge of the Wady Suweinit. And brake down the high places of the gates. The high-place worship had, it would seem, invaded Jerusalem itself. In some of the gates of the city, which were "large open buildings for public meetings and intercourse" (Bahr), altars, or more elaborate places of worship, had been established, and an unauthorized ritual of the high-place type had been set up. That were rather, that which wasin the entering in of the gate of Joshua the governor of the city. This and the succeeding clauses are limitations of the general statement concerning the "high places of the gates," and indicate that two gates only had been polluted by high-place worship, viz. "the gate of Joshua," and the gale known kat ejxochn as "the city gate." Neither of these can be determinately fixed, since they are only mentioned in the present passage. Which were on a man"s left hand at the gate of the city; rather, and also that which was on the left-hand side in the gate of the city. (So Thenius, Keil, and Bahr.)

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Priests - Belonging to the high-places following, whether such as worshipped idols; or such as worshipped God in those forbidden places. Defiled - By burning dead mens bones upon them, or by putting them to some other unclean use. From Geba - The northern border of the kingdom of Judah. Beer-sheba - The southern border, from one end to the other. Gates - Which were erected by the gates of the city here mentioned, to the honour of their tutelary gods, whom after the manner of the heathen they owned for the protectors of their city and habitations. The governor - This circumstance is noted to shew Josiah's great zeal and impartiality, in rooting out all monuments of idolatry, without any respects unto those great persons who were concerned in them.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

Josiah brought ... and defiled ... He destroyed

Josiah would have commanded his workers to do these things. It is likely that Hilkiah and the priests who assisted him did these things. AT: "He commanded them to bring ... and to defile ... He had them destroy" (See: Metonymy)

Geba ... Beersheba

names of places (See: How to Translate Names)

Joshua (the city governor)

"the city ruler named Joshua" or "the city leader named Joshua." This is a different Joshua from the Joshua in the Old Testament Book of Joshua.

their brothers

Here "brothers" refers to their fellow priests who served at the temple.

translationWords

Josiah

priest

kingdom of Judah

defile

Beersheba

gate

servant

altar

unleavened bread

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.