The Meaning of 2 Kings 23:13 Explained

2 Kings 23:13

KJV: And the high places that were before Jerusalem, which were on the right hand of the mount of corruption, which Solomon the king of Israel had builded for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Zidonians, and for Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites, and for Milcom the abomination of the children of Ammon, did the king defile.

YLT: And the high places that are on the front of Jerusalem, that are on the right of the mount of corruption, that Solomon king of Israel had built to Ashtoreth abomination of the Zidonians, and Chemosh abomination of Moab, and to Milcom abomination of the sons of Ammon, hath the king defiled.

Darby: And the high places that were before Jerusalem, which were on the right hand of the mount of corruption, which Solomon the king of Israel had built for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Zidonians, and for Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites, and for Milcom the abomination of the children of Ammon, did the king defile.

ASV: And the high places that were before Jerusalem, which were on the right hand of the mount of corruption, which Solomon the king of Israel had builded for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Sidonians, and for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, and for Milcom the abomination of the children of Ammon, did the king defile.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the high places  that [were] before  Jerusalem,  which [were] on the right hand  of the mount  of corruption,  which Solomon  the king  of Israel  had builded  for Ashtoreth  the abomination  of the Zidonians,  and for Chemosh  the abomination  of the Moabites,  and for Milcom  the abomination  of the children  of Ammon,  did the king  defile. 

What does 2 Kings 23:13 Mean?

Study Notes

Ashtoreth
2 Kings 23:6 ; 2 Kings 23:7 .
Ashtaroth
Ashtaroth, plural of Ashtoreth 1 Kings 11:5 were figures of Ashtoreth the Phoenician goddess (the Astarte of the Greeks), which were worshipped as idols during times of spiritual declension in Israel.; Judges 10:6 ; 1 Samuel 7:3 ; 1 Samuel 7:4 ; 1 Samuel 12:10 ; 1 Samuel 31:10 ; 1 Kings 11:5 ; 1 Kings 11:33 ; 2 Kings 23:13 . Jeremiah refers Jeremiah 44:18 ; Jeremiah 44:19 to Ashtoreth as the "queen of heaven."

Context Summary

2 Kings 23:5-14 - Destroying Inducements To Evil
Encouraged by the prophets Zephaniah, Urijah, and perhaps Jeremiah, Josiah set himself to the work of thorough reform, in which he endeavored to carry his people. The various items mentioned here prove how deeply the heart of the nation had become corrupted. In the very Temple itself were altars and vessels for the unholy rites of Baal and Ashtaroth. Multitudes of black-hooded priests filled the streets. At the Temple gates were the horses and chariots of the sun-worship. Around the hills glittered idol shrines. These were all swept away.
In all our lives there are times when we should carefully examine ourselves-not by our own conceptions of what may be right or wrong, nor by the conventional standards which are accepted by our neighbors, but by the high and holy standards of the New Testament-the example and precepts of our Lord. We are too prone to suit our conceptions of what He requires to the fancies or choices of our own desires, instead of testing ourselves by "the pattern given in the Mount." If hand or foot or eye cause us to offend, we must show ourselves no mercy. [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Kings 23

1  Josiah causes the book to be read in a solemn assembly
3  He renews the covenant of the Lord
4  He destroys idolatry
15  He burns dead men's bones upon the altar of Bethel, as was prophesied
21  He keeps a most solemn Passover
24  He puts away witches and all abomination
26  God's final wrath against Judah
29  Josiah, provoking Pharaoh Neco, is slain at Megiddo
31  Jehoahaz, succeeding him,
33  is imprisoned by Pharaoh Neco, who makes Jehoiakim king
36  Jehoiakim's wicked reign

What do the individual words in 2 Kings 23:13 mean?

And the high places that [were] east of Jerusalem that [were] on the south of the Mount of Corruption which had built Solomon king of Israel for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Sidonians for Chemosh of the Moabites for Milcom the abomination of the sons Ammon defiled the king
וְֽאֶת־ הַבָּמ֞וֹת אֲשֶׁ֣ר ׀ עַל־ פְּנֵ֣י יְרוּשָׁלִַ֗ם אֲשֶׁר֮ מִימִ֣ין לְהַר־ הַמַּשְׁחִית֒ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בָּ֠נָה שְׁלֹמֹ֨ה מֶֽלֶךְ־ יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל לְעַשְׁתֹּ֣רֶת ׀ שִׁקֻּ֣ץ צִידֹנִ֗ים וְלִכְמוֹשׁ֙ מוֹאָ֔ב וּלְמִלְכֹּ֖ם תּוֹעֲבַ֣ת בְּנֵֽי־ עַמּ֑וֹן טִמֵּ֖א הַמֶּֽלֶךְ

הַבָּמ֞וֹת  the  high  places 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine plural
Root: בָּמָה  
Sense: high place, ridge, height, bamah (technical name for cultic platform).
אֲשֶׁ֣ר ׀  that  [were] 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
עַל־  east 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
יְרוּשָׁלִַ֗ם  Jerusalem 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יְרוּשָׁלַםִ  
Sense: the chief city of Palestine and capital of the united kingdom and the nation of Judah after the split.
אֲשֶׁר֮  that  [were] 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
מִימִ֣ין  on  the  south 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: יָמִין  
Sense: right, right hand, right side.
לְהַר־  of  the  Mount 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: הַר  
Sense: hill, mountain, hill country, mount.
הַמַּשְׁחִית֒  of  Corruption 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מַשְׁחִית  
Sense: ruin, destruction.
בָּ֠נָה  had  built 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בָּנָה  
Sense: to build, rebuild, establish, cause to continue.
שְׁלֹמֹ֨ה  Solomon 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שְׁלֹמֹה  
Sense: son of David by Bathsheba and 3rd king of Israel; author of Proverbs and Song of Songs.
מֶֽלֶךְ־  king 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
לְעַשְׁתֹּ֣רֶת ׀  for  Ashtoreth 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: עַשְׁתֹּרֶת  
Sense: the principal female deity of the Phoenicians worshipped in war and fertility.
שִׁקֻּ֣ץ  the  abomination 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: שִׁקּוּץ  
Sense: detestable thing or idol, abominable thing, abomination, idol, detested thing.
צִידֹנִ֗ים  of  the  Sidonians 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: צִידֹנִי  
Sense: an inhabitant of Sidon.
וְלִכְמוֹשׁ֙  for  Chemosh 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: כְּמֹושׁ 
Sense: the national deity of the Moabites and a god of the Ammonites.
מוֹאָ֔ב  of  the  Moabites 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מֹואָב 
Sense: a son of Lot by his eldest daughter.
וּלְמִלְכֹּ֖ם  for  Milcom 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מַלְכָּם 
Sense: the god of the Ammonites and Phoenicians to whom some Israelites sacrificed their infants in the valley of Hinnom.
תּוֹעֲבַ֣ת  the  abomination 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: תֹּועֵבָה  
Sense: a disgusting thing, abomination, abominable.
בְּנֵֽי־  of  the  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
עַמּ֑וֹן  Ammon 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַמֹּון  
Sense: a people dwelling in Transjordan descended from Lot through Ben-ammi.
טִמֵּ֖א  defiled 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: טָמֵא 
Sense: to be unclean, become unclean, become impure.
הַמֶּֽלֶךְ  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.