2 Kings 23 · Verse 5

2 Kings 23:5

And he put down the idolatrous priests, whom the kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense in the high places in the cities of Judah, and in the places round about Jerusalem; them also that burned incense unto Baal, to the sun, and to the moon, and to the planets, and to all the host of heaven.
2 Kings 23:5, King James Version

2 Kings 23:5 in other translations

BSBJosiah 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.
WEBHe got rid of the idolatrous priests whom the kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense in the high places in the cities of Judah and in the places around Jerusalem; those also who burned incense to Baal, to the sun, to the moon, to the planets, and to all the army of the sky.
ASVAnd he put down the idolatrous priests, whom the kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense in the high places in the cities of Judah, and in the places round about Jerusalem; them also that burned incense unto Baal, to the sun, and to the moon, and to the planets, and to all the host of heaven.
YLTAnd he hath caused to cease the idolatrous priests whom the kings of Judah have appointed, (and they make perfume in high places, in cities of Judah and suburbs of Jerusalem,) and those making perfume to Baal, to the sun, and to the moon, and to the planets, and to all the host of the heavens.
DARBYAnd he abolished the idolatrous priests, whom the kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense on the high places in the cities of Judah, and the environs of Jerusalem; and them that burned incense to Baal, to the sun, and to the moon, and to the constellations, and to all the host of heaven.
BBEAnd he put an end to the false priests, who had been put in their positions by the kings of Judah to see to the burning of offerings in the high places in the towns of Judah and the outskirts of Jerusalem, and all those who made offerings to Baal and to the sun and the moon and the twelve signs and all the stars of heaven.
WebsterAnd he put down the idolatrous priests, whom the kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense in the high places in the cities of Judah, and in the places around Jerusalem; them also that burned incense to Baal, to the sun, and to the moon, and to the planets, and to all the host of heaven.

What does 2 Kings 23:5 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
5. put down the idolatrous priests--Hebrew, chemarim, "scorched," that is, Guebres, or fire-worshippers, distinguished by a girdle (Eze 23:14-17) or belt of wool and camel's hair, twisted round the body twice and tied with four knots, which had a symbolic meaning, and made it a supposed defense against evil. them also that burned incense unto Baal, to the sun, and to the moon, &c.--or Baal-shemesh, for Baal was sometimes considered the sun. This form of false worship was not by images, but pure star-worship, borrowed from the old Assyrians. and--rather, "even to all the host of heaven."

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 5 The idolatrous priests - הכמרים hakkemarim. Who these were is not well known. The Chaldee, Syriac, and Arabic, call them the priests simply, which the kings of Judah had ordained. Probably they were an order made by the idolatrous kings of Judah, and called kemarim, from כמר camar, which signifies to be scorched, shriveled together, made dark, or black, because their business was constantly to attend sacrificial fires, and probably they were black garments; hence the Jews in derision call Christian ministers kemarim, because of their black clothes and garments. Why we should imitate, in our sacerdotal dress, those priests of Baal, is strange to think and hard to tell. Unto Baal, to the sun - Though Baal was certainly the sun, yet here they are distinguished; Baal being worshipped under different forms and attributes, Baal-peor, Baal-zephon, Baal-zebub, etc. The planets - מזלות mazzaloth. The Vulgate translates this the twelve signs, i.e., the zodiac. This is as likely as any of the other conjectures which have been published relative to this word. See a similar word Job 37:9; Job 38:32.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 2 Kings 23:4-14

What abundance of wickedness in Judah and Jerusalem! One would not have believed it possible, that in Judah, where God was known, in Israel, where his name was great, in Salem, in Zion, where his dwelling-place was, such abominations should be found. Josiah had reigned eighteen years, and had himself set the people a good example, and kept up religion according to the Divine law; yet, when he came to search for…

Read the full comment on 2 Kings 23:4-14 →

2 Kings 23:5 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וְהִשְׁבִּ֣יתve.hish.Bitand he removedH7673
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
הַכְּמָרִ֗יםha.ke.ma.Rimthe pagan priestsH3649
אֲשֶׁ֤ר'a.SherwhomH834
נָֽתְנוּ֙na.te.Nuthey had appointedH5414
מַלְכֵ֣יmal.Khei[the] kings ofH4428
יְהוּדָ֔הye.hu.DahJudahH3063
וַיְקַטֵּ֤רvay.ka.Terand he made smokeH6999
בַּבָּמוֹת֙ba.ba.mOtat the high placesH1116
בְּעָרֵ֣יbe.'a.Reiin [the] cities ofH5892
יְהוּדָ֔הye.hu.DahJudahH3063
וּמְסִבֵּ֖יu.me.si.Beiand [the] surroundings ofH4524
יְרוּשָׁלִָ֑םye.ru.sha.LimJerusalemH3389
וְאֶת\־ve.'Etand <obj.>H853
הַֽמְקַטְּרִ֣יםham.ka.te.Rimthe [ones who] made smokeH6999
לַבַּ֗עַלla.Ba.'alto <the> BaalH1168
לַשֶּׁ֤מֶשׁla.She.meshto the sunH8121
וְלַיָּרֵ֙חַ֙ve.lai.ya.Re.achand to the moonH3394
וְלַמַּזָּל֔וֹתve.lam.ma.za.Lotand to the constellationsH4208
וּלְכֹ֖לu.le.Kholand to allH3605
צְבָ֥אtze.Va'[the] host ofH6635
הַשָּׁמָֽיִם\׃ha.sha.Ma.yimthe heavensH8064

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 2 Kings 23:5

  • Jeremiah 44:17-19

    But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, as we have done, we, and our fathers, our kings, and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem: for then had we plenty of victuals, and were well, and saw no evil. But since we left off to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, we have wanted all things, and have been consumed by the sword and by the famine. And when we burned incense to the queen of heaven, and poured out drink offerings unto her, did we make her cakes to worship her, and pour out drink offerings unto her, without our men?

  • 2 Kings 21:3-4

    For he built up again the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; and he reared up altars for Baal, and made a grove, as did Ahab king of Israel; and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them. And he built altars in the house of the Lord, of which the Lord said, In Jerusalem will I put my name.

  • Hosea 10:5

    The inhabitants of Samaria shall fear because of the calves of Beth–aven: for the people thereof shall mourn over it, and the priests thereof that rejoiced on it, for the glory thereof, because it is departed from it.

  • Jeremiah 8:1-2

    At that time, saith the Lord, they shall bring out the bones of the kings of Judah, and the bones of his princes, and the bones of the priests, and the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, out of their graves: And they shall spread them before the sun, and the moon, and all the host of heaven, whom they have loved, and whom they have served, and after whom they have walked, and whom they have sought, and whom they have worshipped: they shall not be gathered, nor be buried; they shall be for dung upon the face of the earth.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
put down. Heb. caused to cease. the idolatrous priests.Heb. Chemarim.
Ho 10:5; *marg:"Foretold. Zep 1:4, 5."
planets. or, twelve signs, or constellations.So the Vulgate {duodecim signa,} "the twelve signs," i.e., the zodiac; which is the most probable meaning of the word {mazzaloth,} from the Arabic {manzeel,} a {caravanserai,} house, or dwelling, as being the apparent dwellings of the sun in his annual course; and the Targumists and Rabbins often employ the words {tereysar mazzalaya,} to denote the signs of the zodiac.
all the host.
21:3,4; Jer 8:1,2; 44:17-19

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 2 Kings 23:4

    And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, and the priests of the second order, and the keepers of the door, to bring forth out of the temple of the Lord all the vessels that were made for Baal, and for the grove, and for all the host of heaven: and he burned them without Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron, and carried the ashes of them unto Beth–el.

  • 2 Kings 23:5

    And he put down the idolatrous priests, whom the kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense in the high places in the cities of Judah, and in the places round about Jerusalem; them also that burned incense unto Baal, to the sun, and to the moon, and to the planets, and to all the host of heaven.

  • 2 Kings 23:6

    And he brought out the grove from the house of the Lord, without Jerusalem, unto the brook Kidron, and burned it at the brook Kidron, and stamped it small to powder, and cast the powder thereof upon the graves of the children of the people.

Read all of 2 Kings 23

2 Kings 23:5 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y quitó á los Camoreos, que habían puesto los reyes de Judá para que quemasen perfumes en los altos en las ciudades de Judá, y en los alrededores de Jerusalem; y asimismo á los que quemaban perfumes á Baal, al sol y á la luna, y á los signos, y á todo el ejército del cielo.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et il supprima les Camarim, que les rois de Juda avaient établis pour faire fumer l’encens sur les hauts lieux dans les villes de Juda et dans les environs de Jérusalem, et ceux qui brûlaient de l’encens à Baal, au soleil, et à la lune, et au zodiaque, et à toute l’armée des cieux.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und er schaffte die Götzenpriester ab, welche die Könige von Juda eingesetzt hatten, und die auf den Höhen, in den Städten von Juda und in der Umgebung von Jerusalem geräuchert hatten; und die, welche dem Baal, der Sonne und dem Monde und dem Tierkreise und dem ganzen Heere des Himmels räucherten.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Et delevit aruspices quos posuerant reges Juda ad sacrificandum in excelsis per civitates Juda, et in circuitu Jerusalem: et eos qui adolebant incensum Baal, et soli, et lunæ, et duodecim signis, et omni militiæ cæli.