Bible Strands
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.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — King Josiah is executing a systematic purge of royal idolatry in Jerusalem, acting immediately after desecrating Topheth and before dismantling rooftop altars.
The words — The Hebrew verb וַיַּשְׁבֵּת (vayyashev) denotes a forceful removal or cessation, while נָתְנוּ (natenu) literally means "they had given" or "dedicated."
The thread — This removal of sun-cult objects echoes the prohibition in Deuteronomy 4:19 against bowing to the host of heaven and parallels Ezekiel 8:16’s vision of men worshipping the sun at the temple entrance.
Why it lands — The text records Josiah physically destroying royal sun-chariots and horses, establishing that state-sponsored idolatry requires tangible dismantling. Readers must confront the necessity of removing entrenched cultural and religious compromises from sacred spaces.
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 he took away the horses that the kings of Judah had given to the sun, at the entering in of the house of the Lord, by the chamber of Nathan–melech the chamberlain, which was in the suburbs, and burned the chariots of the sun with fire.
Cross-references
- Ezekiel 8:16 So He brought me to the inner court of the house of the LORD, and there at the entrance to the temple of the LORD, between the portico and the altar, were about twenty-five men with their backs to the temple of the LORD and their faces toward the east; and they were bowing to the east in worship of the sun.
- Deuteronomy 4:19 When you look to the heavens and see the sun and moon and stars—all the host of heaven—do not be enticed to bow down and worship what the LORD your God has apportioned to all the nations under heaven.
- 2 Kings 23:5 Josiah also did away with the idolatrous priests ordained by the kings of Judah to burn incense on the high places of the cities of Judah and in the places all around Jerusalem—those who had burned incense to Baal, to the sun and moon, to the constellations, and to all the host of heaven.
- 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.
- 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.