Bible Strands
2 Chronicles 34:4
Then in his presence the altars of the Baals were torn down, and he cut to pieces the incense altars that were above them. He shattered the Asherah poles, the carved idols, and the cast images, crushed them to dust, and scattered them over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — King Josiah initiates a systematic religious reform during his twelfth regnal year. His administrative officials execute the physical destruction of idolatrous worship structures throughout Judah and Jerusalem.
The words — מִזְבְּח֣וֹת (mizbechot) denotes the stone platforms used for pagan sacrifice, while חַמָּנִ֛ים (chammanim) refers specifically to the tall incense altars or pillars positioned above them.
The thread — The pattern of grinding idols to dust and scattering the remains appears in Exodus 32:20 during the golden calf incident. The command to cut down incense altars and destroy high places recurs in Leviticus 26:30 as a covenant curse. Josiah’s structural dismantling parallels the temple reforms recorded in 2 Kings 23:4.
Why it lands — The text records a physical eradication of syncretistic worship sites before describing the burning of the priests who served them. It demands recognition that covenant fidelity requires the complete removal of competing religious structures, not merely their nominal abandonment.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And they brake down the altars of Baalim in his presence; and the images, that were on high above them, he cut down; and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images, he brake in pieces, and made dust of them, and strowed it upon the graves of them that had sacrificed unto them.
Cross-references
- Exodus 32:20 Then he took the calf they had made, burned it in the fire, ground it to powder, and scattered the powder over the face of the water. Then he forced the Israelites to drink it.
- Leviticus 26:30 I will destroy your high places, cut down your incense altars, and heap your lifeless bodies on the lifeless remains of your idols; and My soul will despise you.
- 2 Kings 23:4 Then the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, the priests second in rank, and the doorkeepers to remove from the temple of the LORD all the articles made for Baal, Asherah, and all the host of heaven. And he burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron and carried their ashes to Bethel.
- Exodus 23:24 You must not bow down to their gods or serve them or follow their practices. Instead, you are to demolish them and smash their sacred stones to pieces.
- Deuteronomy 7:5 Instead, this is what you are to do to them: tear down their altars, smash their sacred pillars, cut down their Asherah poles, and burn their idols in the fire.
- Deuteronomy 7:25 You must burn up the images of their gods; do not covet the silver and gold that is on them or take it for yourselves, or you will be ensnared by it; for it is detestable to the LORD your God.
- Deuteronomy 9:21 And I took that sinful thing, the calf you had made, and burned it in the fire. Then I crushed it and ground it to powder as fine as dust, and I cast it into the stream that came down from the mountain.
- 2 Kings 10:26 They brought out the sacred pillar of the temple of Baal and burned it.
- 2 Kings 23:11 And he removed from the entrance to the house of the LORD the horses that the kings of Judah had dedicated to the sun. They were in the court near the chamber of an official named Nathan-melech. And Josiah burned up the chariots of the sun.
- 2 Chronicles 14:5 He also removed the high places and incense altars from all the cities of Judah, and under him the kingdom was at peace.