Bible Strands
2 Kings 23:15
He even pulled down the altar at Bethel, the high place set up by Jeroboam son of Nebat, who had caused Israel to sin. Then he burned the high place, ground it to powder, and burned the Asherah pole.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Josiah acts during his nationwide religious reform, immediately after desecrating hillside shrines and before burning human bones on the defiled altar.
The words — The Hebrew הַ/מִּזְבֵּ֜חַ (ha./miz.Be.ach) translates to "the altar," while הַ/בָּמָה֙ (ha./ba.Mah) means "the high place," identifying the specific cultic structures targeted for destruction.
The thread — The passage traces the shrine’s origin to Jeroboam’s establishment of northern worship sites (1 Kings 12:28), links the site to the sin that brought judgment on Israel (1 Kings 14:16), and follows Josiah’s pattern of removing Asherah objects (2 Kings 23:6) and covering shrines with bones (2 Kings 23:14).
Why it lands — The text records Josiah dismantling a politically established cult center and reducing it to unusable ash, requiring the reader to recognize the deliberate eradication of state-sanctioned idolatry.
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
Moreover the altar that was at Beth–el, and the high place which Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, had made, both that altar and the high place he brake down, and burned the high place, and stamped it small to powder, and burned the grove.
Cross-references
- 1 Kings 14:16 So He will give Israel over on account of the sins Jeroboam has committed and has caused Israel to commit.”
- 2 Kings 23:6 He brought the Asherah pole from the house of the LORD to the Kidron Valley outside Jerusalem, and there he burned it, ground it to powder, and threw its dust on the graves of the common people.
- 1 Kings 12:28 After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves and said to the people, “Going up to Jerusalem is too much for you. Here, O Israel, are your gods, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.”
- 1 Kings 15:30 because of the sins Jeroboam had committed and had caused Israel to commit, and because he had provoked the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger.
- 1 Kings 21:22 I will make your house like that of Jeroboam son of Nebat and like that of Baasha son of Ahijah, because you have provoked My anger and caused Israel to sin.’
- 2 Kings 10:31 Yet Jehu was not careful to follow the instruction of the LORD, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He did not turn away from the sins that Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit.