2 Chronicles 34:4

2 And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD and walked in the ways of his father David; he did not turn aside to the right or to the left.

3 In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, Josiah began to seek the God of his father David, and in the twelfth year he began to cleanse Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the Asherah poles, the carved idols, and the cast images.

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.

5 Then he burned the bones of the priests on their altars. So he cleansed Judah and Jerusalem.

6 Josiah did the same in the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, as far as Naphtali, and in the ruins around them.

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB
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.
KJV
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.
WEB
They broke down the altars of the Baals in his presence; and he cut down the incense altars that were on high above them. He broke the Asherah poles, the engraved images, and the molten images in pieces, made dust of them, and scattered it on the graves of those who had sacrificed to them.
ASV
And they brake down the altars of the Baalim in his presence; and the sun-images that were on high above them he hewed down; and the Asherim, and the graven images, and the molten images, he brake in pieces, and made dust of them, and strewed it upon the graves [of them] that had sacrificed unto them.
DARBY
And they broke down the altars of the Baals in his presence; and the sun-pillars that were on high above them he cut down; and the Asherahs and the graven images and the molten images he broke in pieces, and made dust [of them] and strewed it upon the graves of those that had sacrificed to them;
BLB
And in his presence they broke down the altars of the Baals, and the incense altars that [were] on high above them he cut down. And the Asherah poles, and the carved images, and the molten images, he broke in pieces and made dust of them, and he scattered [it] on the surface of the graves of those who had sacrificed to them.
ÅB
De rev ned Ba'alenes altere, mens han så på det, og solstøttene som sto ovenpå dem, hugg han i stykker, og Astartebildene og de utskårne og støpte bilder sønderslo han og knuste dem, og støvet av dem strødde han på de folks graver som hadde ofret til dem,
OTB
De rev ned Ba'al-altrene i hans nærvær, og han hogg ned røkelsesaltrene som var høyt over dem; han knuste også Asjeraene, de utskårne bildene og de støpte bildene til pulver, og strødde det på gravene til dem som hadde ofret til dem.
B1930
De rev ned Ba'alenes altere, mens han så på det, og solstøttene som stod ovenpå dem, hugg han i stykker, og Astarte-billedene og de utskårne og støpte billeder sønderslo han og knuste dem, og støvet av dem strødde han på de folks graver som hadde ofret til dem,

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

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.

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  • 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.

    Read in context
  • 2 Kings 23:4–6

    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.

    Read in context
  • Isaiah 27:9

    Therefore Jacob’s guilt will be atoned for, and the full fruit of the removal of his sin will be this: When he makes all the altar stones like crushed bits of chalk, no Asherah poles or incense altars will remain standing.

    Read in context
  • 2 Kings 23:11–12

    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.

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  • 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.

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  • 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.

    Read in context
  • Psalms 18:42

    I ground them as dust in the face of the wind; I trampled them like mud in the streets.

    Read in context