2 Kings

2 Kings 23:4–6

4Then 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.

5Josiah 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.

6He 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.

Read all of 2 Kings 23

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

2 Kings 23:4

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Then the kingהַמֶּ֡לֶךְham·me·leḵArticle; Noun - masculine singularH4428 king
commandedוַיְצַ֣וway·ṣawConjunctive waw; Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH6680 lay charge (upon), give charge (to), charge, command, order
Hilkiahחִלְקִיָּהוּ֩ḥil·qî·yā·hūNoun - proper - masculine singularH2518 Chilhijah
the highהַגָּד֜וֹלhag·gā·ḏō·wlArticle; Adjective - masculine singularH1419 great
priestהַכֹּהֵ֨ןhak·kō·hênArticle; Noun - masculine singularH3548 priest
the priestsכֹּהֲנֵ֣יkō·hă·nêNoun - masculine plural constructH3548 priest
second in rankהַמִּשְׁנֶה֮ham·miš·nehArticle; Noun - masculine singularH4932 double, copy, second
and the doorkeepersשֹׁמְרֵ֣יšō·mə·rêVerb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural constructH8104 keep, watch, preserve
to removeלְהוֹצִיא֙lə·hō·w·ṣîPreposition-l; Verb - Hifil - Infinitive constructH3318 go or come out
from the templeמֵהֵיכַ֣לmê·hê·ḵalPreposition-m; Noun - masculine singular constructH1964 palace, temple
of the LORDיְהוָ֔הYah·wehNoun - proper - masculine singularH3068 Yahweh
allכָּל־kāl-Noun - masculine singular constructH3605 the whole, all
the articlesהַכֵּלִ֗יםhak·kê·lîmArticle; Noun - masculine pluralH3627 article, utensil, vessel
madeהָֽעֲשׂוּיִם֙hā·‘ă·śū·yimArticle; Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine pluralH6213 do, make
for Baalלַבַּ֣עַלlab·ba·‘alPreposition-l, Article; Noun - proper - masculine singularH1168 owner, lord
Asherahוְלָֽאֲשֵׁרָ֔הwə·lā·’ă·šê·rāhConjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Article; Noun - feminine singularH842 Ashera
and allוּלְכֹ֖לū·lə·ḵōlConjunctive waw, Preposition-l; Noun - masculine singular constructH3605 the whole, all
the hostצְבָ֣אṣə·ḇāNoun - common singular constructH6635 army, war, warfare
of heavenהַשָּׁמָ֑יִםhaš·šā·mā·yimArticle; Noun - masculine pluralH8064 sky, aloft
And he burned themוַֽיִּשְׂרְפֵ֞םway·yiś·rə·p̄êmConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular; third person masculine pluralH8313 burn
outsideמִח֤וּץmi·ḥūṣPreposition-m; Noun - masculine singularH2351 the outside
Jerusalemלִירוּשָׁלִַ֙ם֙lî·rū·šā·limPreposition-l; Noun - proper - feminine singularH3389 Jerusalem
in the fieldsבְּשַׁדְמ֣וֹתbə·šaḏ·mō·wṯPreposition-b; Noun - feminine plural constructH7709 field
of Kidronקִדְר֔וֹןqiḏ·rō·wnNoun - proper - feminine singularH6939 Kidron
and carriedוְנָשָׂ֥אwə·nā·śāConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singularH5375 lift, take, carry
their ashesעֲפָרָ֖ם‘ă·p̄ā·rāmNoun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine pluralH6083 dry earth, dust
to Bethelאֵֽל׃’êlNoun - proper - feminine singularH1008 Bethel

2 Kings 23:5

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
also did away withוְהִשְׁבִּ֣יתwə·hiš·bîṯConjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singularH7673 cease, desist, rest
the idolatrous priestsהַכְּמָרִ֗יםhak·kə·mā·rîmArticle; Noun - masculine pluralH3649 (idol-)priest
ordainedנָֽתְנוּ֙nā·ṯə·nūVerb - Qal - Perfect - third person common pluralH5414 give, put, set
by the kingsמַלְכֵ֣יmal·ḵêNoun - masculine plural constructH4428 king
of Judahיְהוּדָ֔הyə·hū·ḏāhNoun - proper - masculine singularH3063 Judah
to burn incenseוַיְקַטֵּ֤רway·qaṭ·ṭêrConjunctive waw; Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH6999 make sacrifices smoke, send them up in smoke
on the high placesבַּבָּמוֹת֙bab·bā·mō·wṯPreposition-b, Article; Noun - feminine pluralH1116 high place
of the citiesבְּעָרֵ֣יbə·‘ā·rêPreposition-b; Noun - feminine plural constructH5892 excitement
of Judahיְהוּדָ֔הyə·hū·ḏāhNoun - proper - masculine singularH3063 Judah
and in the places all aroundוּמְסִבֵּ֖יū·mə·sib·bêConjunctive waw; Noun - masculine plural constructH4524 that which surrounds, or is round
Jerusalemיְרוּשָׁלִָ֑םyə·rū·šā·limNoun - proper - feminine singularH3389 Jerusalem
those who had burned incenseהַֽמְקַטְּרִ֣יםham·qaṭ·ṭə·rîmArticle; Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine pluralH6999 make sacrifices smoke, send them up in smoke
to Baalלַבַּ֗עַלlab·ba·‘alPreposition-l, Article; Noun - proper - masculine singularH1168 owner, lord
to the sunלַשֶּׁ֤מֶשׁlaš·še·mešPreposition-l, Article; Noun - common singularH8121 sun
and moonוְלַיָּרֵ֙חַ֙wə·lay·yā·rê·aḥConjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Article; Noun - masculine singularH3394 moon
to the constellationsוְלַמַּזָּל֔וֹתwə·lam·maz·zā·lō·wṯConjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Article; Noun - masculine pluralH4208 constellation, Zodiacal sign
and to allוּלְכֹ֖לū·lə·ḵōlConjunctive waw, Preposition-l; Noun - masculine singular constructH3605 the whole, all
the hostצְבָ֥אṣə·ḇāNoun - common singular constructH6635 army, war, warfare
of heavenהַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃haš·šā·mā·yimArticle; Noun - masculine pluralH8064 sky, aloft

2 Kings 23:6

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
He broughtוַיֹּצֵ֣אway·yō·ṣêConjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH3318 go or come out
the Asherah poleהָאֲשֵׁרָה֩hā·’ă·šê·rāhArticle; Noun - feminine singularH842 Ashera
from the houseמִבֵּ֨יתmib·bêṯPreposition-m; Noun - masculine singular constructH1004 house
of the LORDיְהוָ֜הYah·wehNoun - proper - masculine singularH3068 Yahweh
toאֶל־’el-PrepositionH413 motion to
the Kidronקִדְר֔וֹןqiḏ·rō·wnNoun - proper - feminine singularH6939 Kidron
Valleyנַ֣חַלna·ḥalNoun - masculine singular constructH5158 torrent, torrent-valley, wady
outsideמִח֤וּץmi·ḥūṣPreposition-m; Noun - masculine singularH2351 the outside
Jerusalemלִירוּשָׁלִַ֙ם֙lî·rū·šā·limPreposition-l; Noun - proper - feminine singularH3389 Jerusalem
andקִדְר֖וֹןqiḏ·rō·wnNoun - proper - feminine singularH6939 Kidron
he burnedוַיִּשְׂרֹ֥ףway·yiś·rōp̄Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH8313 burn
itאֹתָ֛הּ’ō·ṯāhDirect object marker; third person feminine singularH853 mark of the accusative
groundוַיָּ֣דֶקway·yā·ḏeqConjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH1854 crush, pulverise, thresh; be fine
to powderלְעָפָ֑רlə·‘ā·p̄ārPreposition-l; Noun - masculine singularH6083 dry earth, dust
and threwוַיַּשְׁלֵךְ֙way·yaš·lêḵConjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH7993 throw, fling, cast
its dustעֲפָרָ֔הּ‘ă·p̄ā·rāhNoun - masculine singular construct; third person feminine singularH6083 dry earth, dust
onעַל־‘al-PrepositionH5921 height
the gravesקֶ֖בֶרqe·ḇerNoun - masculine singular constructH6913 grave, sepulchre
of the commonבְּנֵ֥יbə·nêNoun - masculine plural constructH1121 son
peopleהָעָֽם׃hā·‘āmArticle; Noun - masculine singularH5971 people

Cross-references

Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.

2 Kings 23:4 2 Kings 21:3 · 2 Kings 21:7 · 2 Chronicles 33:3 · 2 Kings 25:18

2 Kings 23:5 Jeremiah 44:17–19 · 2 Kings 21:3–4

2 Kings 23:6 2 Chronicles 34:4 · 2 Kings 23:15

Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.

Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.