2 Chronicles 34:7
New International Version
he tore down the altars and the Asherah poles and crushed the idols to powder and cut to pieces all the incense altars throughout Israel. Then he went back to Jerusalem.

New Living Translation
He destroyed the pagan altars and the Asherah poles, and he crushed the idols into dust. He cut down all the incense altars throughout the land of Israel. Finally, he returned to Jerusalem.

English Standard Version
he broke down the altars and beat the Asherim and the images into powder and cut down all the incense altars throughout all the land of Israel. Then he returned to Jerusalem.

Berean Standard Bible
He tore down the altars and Asherah poles, crushed the idols to powder, and cut to pieces all the incense altars throughout the land of Israel. Then he returned to Jerusalem.

King James Bible
And when he had broken down the altars and the groves, and had beaten the graven images into powder, and cut down all the idols throughout all the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem.

New King James Version
When he had broken down the altars and the wooden images, had beaten the carved images into powder, and cut down all the incense altars throughout all the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem.

New American Standard Bible
he also tore down the altars and crushed the Asherim and the carved images into powder, and chopped down all the incense altars throughout the land of Israel. Then he returned to Jerusalem.

NASB 1995
he also tore down the altars and beat the Asherim and the carved images into powder, and chopped down all the incense altars throughout the land of Israel. Then he returned to Jerusalem.

NASB 1977
he also tore down the altars and beat the Asherim and the carved images into powder, and chopped down all the incense altars throughout the land of Israel. Then he returned to Jerusalem.

Legacy Standard Bible
he also tore down the altars and beat the Asherim and the graven images into powder, and cut in pieces all the incense altars throughout the land of Israel. Then he returned to Jerusalem.

Amplified Bible
he tore down the altars and beat and crushed the Asherim and the carved images into powder, and cut to pieces all the incense altars throughout the land of Israel. Then he returned to Jerusalem.

Christian Standard Bible
He tore down the altars, and he smashed the Asherah poles and the carved images to powder. He chopped down all the shrines throughout the land of Israel and returned to Jerusalem.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
He tore down the altars, and he smashed the Asherah poles and the carved images to powder. He chopped down all the incense altars throughout the land of Israel and returned to Jerusalem.

American Standard Version
And he brake down the altars, and beat the Asherim and the graven images into powder, and hewed down all the sun-images throughout all the land of Israel, and returned to Jerusalem.

Contemporary English Version
Everywhere in the northern kingdom of Israel, Josiah tore down pagan altars and Asherah poles; he crushed idols to dust and smashed incense altars. Then Josiah went back to Jerusalem.

English Revised Version
And he brake down the altars, and beat the Asherim and the graven images into powder, and hewed down all the sun-images throughout all the land of Israel, and returned to Jerusalem.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
tore down the altars, beat the Asherah poles and idols into powder, and cut down all the incense altars everywhere in Israel. Then he went back to Jerusalem.

Good News Translation
Throughout the territory of the Northern Kingdom he smashed the altars and the symbols of Asherah, ground the idols to dust, and broke into bits all the incense altars. Then he returned to Jerusalem.

International Standard Version
he also tore down altars, destroyed the Asherim and the carved images, grinding them into dust, and chopped down all the incense altars throughout the land of Israel. Then he went back to Jerusalem.

Majority Standard Bible
He tore down the altars and Asherah poles, crushed the idols to powder, and cut to pieces all the incense altars throughout the land of Israel. Then he returned to Jerusalem.

NET Bible
he tore down the altars and Asherah poles, demolished the idols, and smashed all the incense altars throughout the land of Israel. Then he returned to Jerusalem.

New Heart English Bible
He broke down the altars, and beat the Asherim and the engraved images into powder, and cut down all the incense altars throughout all the land of Israel, and returned to Jerusalem.

Webster's Bible Translation
And when he had broken down the altars and the groves, and had beaten the graven images into powder, and cut down all the idols throughout all the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem.

World English Bible
He broke down the altars, beat the Asherah poles and the engraved images into powder, and cut down all the incense altars throughout all the land of Israel, then returned to Jerusalem.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And he breaks down the altars and the Asherim, and he has beaten down the carved images very small, and he has cut down all the images in all the land of Israel, and turns back to Jerusalem.

Young's Literal Translation
And he breaketh down the altars and the shrines, and the graven images he hath beaten down very small, and all the images he hath cut down in all the land of Israel, and turneth back to Jerusalem.

Smith's Literal Translation
And he will pull down the altars and the statues, and the carved images he beat down to make fine, and he cut down all the images in all the land of Israel, and he will turn back to Jerusalem.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And when he had destroyed the altars, and the groves, and had broken the idols in pieces, and had demolished all profane temples throughout all the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And when he had destroyed the altars and the sacred groves, and had broken the idols to pieces, and when all the profane shrines had been demolished from the entire land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem.

New American Bible
he tore down the altars and asherahs, and the carved images he beat into dust, and broke down the incense stands throughout the land of Israel. Then he returned to Jerusalem.

New Revised Standard Version
he broke down the altars, beat the sacred poles and the images into powder, and demolished all the incense altars throughout all the land of Israel. Then he returned to Jerusalem.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And when he had broken down the altars and smashed in pieces the images, and ground them into dust and scattered it throughout all the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And he uprooted the altars and he shattered the images until he pulverized them like dust and scattered them into all the land of Israel, and he returned and he came to Jerusalem.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And he broke down the altars, and beat the Asherim and the graven images into powder, and hewed down all the sun-images throughout all the land of Israel, and returned to Jerusalem.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And he pulled down the altars and the groves, and he cut the idols in small pieces, and cut off all the high places from all the land of Israel, and returned to Jerusalem.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Josiah Destroys Idolatry
6Josiah did the same in the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, as far as Naphtali, and in the ruins around them. 7He tore down the altars and Asherah poles, crushed the idols to powder, and cut to pieces all the incense altars throughout the land of Israel. Then he returned to Jerusalem.

Cross References
2 Kings 23:4-20
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. / Josiah 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. / 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. ...

2 Kings 18:4
He removed the high places, shattered the sacred pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles. He also demolished the bronze snake called Nehushtan that Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had burned incense to it.

2 Kings 23:24
Furthermore, Josiah removed the mediums and spiritists, the household gods and idols, and all the abominations that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem. He did this to carry out the words of the law written in the book that Hilkiah the priest had found in the house of the LORD.

2 Kings 23:8
Then Josiah brought all the priests from the cities of Judah and desecrated the high places, from Geba to Beersheba, where the priests had burned incense. He tore down the high places of the gates at the entrance of the gate of Joshua the governor of the city, which was to the left of the city gate.

2 Kings 23:14
He smashed the sacred pillars to pieces, cut down the Asherah poles, and covered the sites with human bones.

1 Kings 13:2
And he cried out against the altar by the word of the LORD, “O altar, O altar, this is what the LORD says: ‘A son named Josiah will be born to the house of David, and upon you he will sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense upon you, and human bones will be burned upon you.’”

1 Kings 13:5
And the altar was split apart, and the ashes poured out, according to the sign that the man of God had given by the word of the LORD.

1 Kings 15:12-13
He banished the male shrine prostitutes from the land and removed all the idols that his fathers had made. / He also removed his grandmother Maacah from her position as queen mother because she had made a detestable Asherah pole. Asa chopped down the pole and burned it in the Kidron Valley.

1 Kings 22:43
And Jehoshaphat walked in all the ways of his father Asa; he did not turn away from them, but did what was right in the eyes of the LORD. The high places, however, were not removed; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.

Exodus 23:24
You must not bow down to their gods or serve them or follow their practices. Instead, you are to demolish them and smash their sacred stones to pieces.

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.

Deuteronomy 12:3
Tear down their altars, smash their sacred pillars, burn up their Asherah poles, cut down the idols of their gods, and wipe out their names from every place.

Judges 2:2
and you are not to make a covenant with the people of this land, but you shall tear down their altars.’ Yet you have not obeyed My voice. What is this you have done?

Judges 6:25-32
On that very night the LORD said to Gideon, “Take your father’s young bull and a second bull seven years old, tear down your father’s altar to Baal, and cut down the Asherah pole beside it. / Then build a proper altar to the LORD your God on the top of this stronghold. And with the wood of the Asherah pole you cut down, take the second bull and offer it as a burnt offering.” / So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the LORD had told him. But because he was too afraid of his father’s household and the men of the city, he did it by night rather than in the daytime. ...

Isaiah 17:8
They will not look to the altars they have fashioned with their hands or to the Asherahs and incense altars they have made with their fingers.


Treasury of Scripture

And when he had broken down the altars and the groves, and had beaten the graven images into powder, and cut down all the idols throughout all the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem.

beaten

2 Chronicles 34:1
Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem one and thirty years.

Deuteronomy 9:21
And I took your sin, the calf which ye had made, and burnt it with fire, and stamped it, and ground it very small, even until it was as small as dust: and I cast the dust thereof into the brook that descended out of the mount.

into powder [heb] to make powder

2 Chronicles 31:1
Now when all this was finished, all Israel that were present went out to the cities of Judah, and brake the images in pieces, and cut down the groves, and threw down the high places and the altars out of all Judah and Benjamin, in Ephraim also and Manasseh, until they had utterly destroyed them all. Then all the children of Israel returned, every man to his possession, into their own cities.

Jump to Previous
Altars Asherah Asherahs Asherim Ashe'rim Beat Beaten Brake Breaketh Broke Broken Carved Chopped Crushed Cut Dust Engraved Graven Groves Hewed Idols Images Incense Israel Jerusalem Pieces Pillars Poles Powder Pulled Shrines Sun-Images Throughout Tore Wood
Jump to Next
Altars Asherah Asherahs Asherim Ashe'rim Beat Beaten Brake Breaketh Broke Broken Carved Chopped Crushed Cut Dust Engraved Graven Groves Hewed Idols Images Incense Israel Jerusalem Pieces Pillars Poles Powder Pulled Shrines Sun-Images Throughout Tore Wood
2 Chronicles 34
1. Josiah's good reign
3. He destroys idolatry
8. He takes order for the repair of the temple
14. Hilkiah, having found a book of the law,
21. Josiah sends to Huldah to enquire of the Lord
23. Huldah prophesies the destruction of Jerusalem, but respite thereof in Josiah's time
29. Josiah, causing it to be read in a solemn assembly, renews the covenant with God














Then he tore down the altars
The phrase "tore down the altars" signifies a decisive and forceful action against idolatry. In Hebrew, the word for "altars" is "mizbeach," which refers to structures used for sacrifices to deities. King Josiah's actions reflect a commitment to purifying worship in Israel, aligning with the first commandment to have no other gods. This act of tearing down symbolizes a rejection of false worship and a return to covenant faithfulness.

and Asherah poles
"Asherah poles" were wooden symbols associated with the Canaanite goddess Asherah, often placed near altars. The Hebrew term "Asherah" can refer to both the goddess and the pole itself. Josiah's removal of these poles indicates a cleansing of syncretistic practices that had infiltrated Israelite worship. This action underscores the importance of exclusive devotion to Yahweh, as Asherah worship was a direct violation of the covenant.

crushed the idols to powder
The phrase "crushed the idols to powder" conveys a thorough and irreversible destruction of idolatrous images. The Hebrew word for "idols" is "pesel," meaning carved images. By reducing them to powder, Josiah ensures that these objects of false worship could not be restored or reused, demonstrating a complete eradication of idolatry. This act reflects the biblical principle of total separation from sin.

and chopped down all the incense altars
"Chopped down all the incense altars" refers to the removal of structures used for burning incense to idols. The Hebrew word "mizbeach" is again used here, emphasizing the systematic dismantling of idolatrous practices. Incense altars were integral to pagan worship, and their destruction signifies a rejection of any form of worship not directed to Yahweh. This action highlights the need for purity in worship practices.

throughout the land of Israel
The phrase "throughout the land of Israel" indicates the comprehensive nature of Josiah's reforms. His actions were not limited to a single location but extended across the entire nation, suggesting a widespread return to covenantal faithfulness. This reflects the biblical theme of national repentance and restoration, as the king leads the people back to God.

Then he returned to Jerusalem
"Then he returned to Jerusalem" marks the conclusion of Josiah's campaign against idolatry. Jerusalem, the spiritual and political center of Israel, represents the heart of the nation's worship. By returning there, Josiah reaffirms the centrality of the temple and the proper worship of Yahweh. This return signifies a restoration of rightful worship and governance, aligning the nation with God's purposes.

(7) The idols.--Sun-statues (2Chronicles 34:4). The word does not occur in the parallel account; but 2Chronicles 34:5 mentions sun-worship.

Verse 7. - When. Cut out this word, which represents nothing in the original.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
He tore down
וַיְנַתֵּ֣ץ (way·nat·têṣ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5422: To pull down, break down

the altars
הַֽמִּזְבְּח֗וֹת (ham·miz·bə·ḥō·wṯ)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 4196: An altar

and Asherah poles,
הָאֲשֵׁרִ֤ים (hā·’ă·šê·rîm)
Article | Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 842: A Phoenician goddess, also an image of the same

crushed
כִּתַּ֣ת (kit·taṯ)
Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3807: To bruise, violently strike

the idols
וְהַפְּסִלִים֙ (wə·hap·pə·si·lîm)
Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 6456: An idol, image

to powder,
לְהֵדַ֔ק (lə·hê·ḏaq)
Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct
Strong's 1854: To crush, pulverize, thresh

and cut to pieces
גִּדַּ֖ע (gid·da‘)
Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1438: To fell a, tree, to destroy anything

all
וְכָל־ (wə·ḵāl)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

the incense altars
הַֽחַמָּנִ֥ים (ha·ḥam·mā·nîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 2553: A sun-pillar

throughout
בְּכָל־ (bə·ḵāl)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

the land
אֶ֣רֶץ (’e·reṣ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 776: Earth, land

of Israel.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל (yiś·rā·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc

Then he returned
וַיָּ֖שָׁב (way·yā·šāḇ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7725: To turn back, in, to retreat, again

to Jerusalem.
לִירוּשָׁלִָֽם׃ (lî·rū·šā·lim)
Preposition-l | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 3389: Jerusalem -- probably 'foundation of peace', capital city of all Israel


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OT History: 2 Chronicles 34:7 He broke down the altars and beat (2 Chron. 2Ch iiCh ii ch 2 chr 2chr)
2 Chronicles 34:6
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