seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
2 Kings 23:8 Josiah brought all the priests from the towns of Judah and desecrated the high places, from Geba to Beersheba, where the priests had burned incense. He broke down the gateway at the entrance of the Gate of Joshua, the city governor, which was on the left of the city gate. 9 Although the priests of the high places did not serve at the altar of the Lord in Jerusalem, they ate unleavened bread with their fellow priests.
10 He desecrated Topheth, which was in the Valley of Ben Hinnom, so no one could use it to sacrifice their son or daughter in the fire to Molek. 11 He removed from the entrance to the temple of the Lord the horses that the kings of Judah had dedicated to the sun. They were in the court[a] near the room of an official named Nathan-Melek. Josiah then burned the chariots dedicated to the sun.
10 He desecrated Topheth, which was in the Valley of Ben Hinnom, so no one could use it to sacrifice their son or daughter in the fire to Molek. 11 He removed from the entrance to the temple of the Lord the horses that the kings of Judah had dedicated to the sun. They were in the court[a] near the room of an official named Nathan-Melek. Josiah then burned the chariots dedicated to the sun.
a. 2 Kings 23:11 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain
This is from the enduringword commentary.
Then he tore down the ritual booths of the perverted persons: Supposedly sacred prostitution was an integral part of the worship of many of these pagan idols. The temple had become a brothel and King Josiah corrected this disgraceful perversion.
He defiled Topheth… he removed the horses that the kings of Judah had dedicated to the sun… he burned the chariots of the sun… the king broke down and pulverized… he broke in pieces the sacred pillars: This passage reveals something of the extent of official idolatry in Judah. It was widespread, elaborate, and heavily invested in. Previous kings of Judah had spent a lot of time and money to honor these pagan idols. It took a long, dedicated commitment on the part of King Josiah to do this work.
Perverted persons: “The Hebrew word basically denotes ‘holy, set apart’, here clearly for non-Yahwistic purposes.” (Wiseman) “We have already often met with these kedeshim or consecrated persons.” (Clarke)
“The word translated ‘hangings’ likely refers to a fabric woven by idol worshippers for curtains behind which the ritual obscenities were practiced.” (Dilday)
“The word translated ‘hangings’ likely refers to a fabric woven by idol worshippers for curtains behind which the ritual obscenities were practiced.” (Dilday)
He defiled Topheth… he removed the horses that the kings of Judah had dedicated to the sun… he burned the chariots of the sun… the king broke down and pulverized… he broke in pieces the sacred pillars: This passage reveals something of the extent of official idolatry in Judah. It was widespread, elaborate, and heavily invested in. Previous kings of Judah had spent a lot of time and money to honor these pagan idols. It took a long, dedicated commitment on the part of King Josiah to do this work.
“The utilization of the horse in the solar cultus was widespread in the ancient Near East, being attested particularly in Assyrian and Aramean inscriptional and artifactual sources.” (Patterson and Austel)
“Since the symbolic wooden pole could be burned and pulverized, the scattering of the ashes over peoples’ graves served to despise both the god and its worshippers (cf. Jeremiah 26:23).” (Wiseman)
And he defiled Topheth, which is in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom: “Here it appears the sacred rites of Molech were performed, and to this all the filth of the city was carried, and perpetual fires were kept up in order to consume it. Hence, it has been considered a type of hell; and in this sense it is used in the New Testament.” (Clarke)
“The rabbins say that Topheth had its name from toph, a drum, because instruments of this kind were used to drown the cries of the children that were put into the burning arms of Molech, to be scorched to death.” (Clarke)
“Since the symbolic wooden pole could be burned and pulverized, the scattering of the ashes over peoples’ graves served to despise both the god and its worshippers (cf. Jeremiah 26:23).” (Wiseman)
And he defiled Topheth, which is in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom: “Here it appears the sacred rites of Molech were performed, and to this all the filth of the city was carried, and perpetual fires were kept up in order to consume it. Hence, it has been considered a type of hell; and in this sense it is used in the New Testament.” (Clarke)
“The rabbins say that Topheth had its name from toph, a drum, because instruments of this kind were used to drown the cries of the children that were put into the burning arms of Molech, to be scorched to death.” (Clarke)
He stopped the baby slaughter.... He took out the perverted persons places of worship.... including all the crap they had carried into the Temple in Jerusalem.... these people hadn't seen the law in decades and they certainly were not worshiping according to the Law.
I still cannot fathom how they thought scorching babies to death would please anyone!!!
