The Meaning of 2 Kings 23:15 Explained

2 Kings 23:15

KJV: Moreover the altar that was at Bethel, and the high place which Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, had made, both that altar and the high place he brake down, and burned the high place, and stamped it small to powder, and burned the grove.

YLT: and also the altar that is in Beth-El, the high place that Jeroboam son of Nebat made, by which he made Israel sin, both that altar and the high place he hath broken down, and doth burn the high place -- he hath beat it small to dust, and hath burnt the shrine.

Darby: Moreover the altar that was at Bethel, the high place that Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin, had made, both that altar and the high place he broke down; and burned the high place, stamped it small to powder, and burned the Asherah.

ASV: Moreover the altar that was at Beth-el, and the high place which Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, had made, even that altar and the high place he brake down; and he burned the high place and beat it to dust, and burned the Asherah.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Moreover the altar  that [was] at Bethel,  [and] the high place  which Jeroboam  the son  of Nebat,  who made Israel  to sin,  had made,  both that altar  and the high place  he brake down,  and burned  the high place,  [and] stamped  [it] small to powder,  and burned  the grove. 

What does 2 Kings 23:15 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Kings 23:15-25 - Proving His Whole-Heartedness
Josiah carried his drastic reforms even to Samaria, thus fulfilling a prophecy uttered 350 years before. See 1 Kings 13:2-3. The old leaven having now been cleared out, the Passover could be celebrated. We cannot keep the feast of joy and worship till the work of self-purgation has been undertaken. See 1 Corinthians 5:7. In that great feast some of the ten tribes also joined. There was therefore an affirmation of the spiritual unity of the entire nation, though, like the professing Church of today, it was outwardly in fragments. We must never let go of our belief in the Holy Universal Church, however distracted and divided to outward seeming it may be.
Though these reforms were carried through by the king's strong hand, the generality of the nation remained idolatrous and corrupt, and yielded a feigned rather than a felt repentance. See Jeremiah 3:10; Jeremiah 4:3-4; Jeremiah 4:14; Jeremiah 5:1-3, etc. Therefore judgment could not be averted. External reformation is not enough to secure the permanence of national life. We must rend our hearts rather than our garments, Joel 2:13. There is a sorrow that needs not to be repented of, and a sorrow which "worketh death," 2 Corinthians 7:10. [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 23:15 mean?

Moreover - the altar that [was] at Bethel [and] the high place which had made Jeroboam son of Nebat who made sin Israel both altar that and the high place he broke down and he burned the high place [and] crushed [it] to powder and burned the wooden image
וְגַ֨ם אֶת־ הַמִּזְבֵּ֜חַ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּבֵֽית־ אֵ֗ל הַבָּמָה֙ אֲשֶׁ֨ר עָשָׂ֜ה יָרָבְעָ֤ם בֶּן־ נְבָט֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הֶחֱטִ֣יא יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל גַּ֣ם הַמִּזְבֵּ֧חַ הַה֛וּא וְאֶת־ הַבָּמָ֖ה נָתָ֑ץ וַיִּשְׂרֹ֧ף הַבָּמָ֛ה הֵדַ֥ק לְעָפָ֖ר וְשָׂרַ֥ף אֲשֵׁרָֽה

וְגַ֨ם  Moreover 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Conjunction
Root: גַּם  
Sense: also, even, indeed, moreover, yea.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הַמִּזְבֵּ֜חַ  the  altar 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִזְבֵּחַ  
Sense: altar.
אֲשֶׁ֣ר  that  [was] 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
בְּבֵֽית־  at 
Parse: Preposition
אֵ֗ל  Bethel 
Parse: Preposition, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: בֵּית־אֵל  
Sense: ancient place and seat of worship in Ephraim on border of Benjamin, identified with Luz (former name).
הַבָּמָה֙  [and]  the  high  place 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: בָּמָה  
Sense: high place, ridge, height, bamah (technical name for cultic platform).
עָשָׂ֜ה  had  made 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
יָרָבְעָ֤ם  Jeroboam 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יָרָבְעָם  
Sense: the first king of the northern kingdom of Israel when the kingdom split at the death of Solomon and the 0 tribes split off from Judah and Benjamin and the kingdom under Solomon’s son Rehoboam; idolatry was introduced at the beginning of his reign.
בֶּן־  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
נְבָט֙  of  Nebat 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: נְבָט  
Sense: an Ephraimite of Zereda, father of king Jeroboam I of the northern kingdom of Israel.
הֶחֱטִ֣יא  made  sin 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: חָטָא 
Sense: to sin, miss, miss the way, go wrong, incur guilt, forfeit, purify from uncleanness.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל  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.
גַּ֣ם  both 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: גַּם  
Sense: also, even, indeed, moreover, yea.
הַמִּזְבֵּ֧חַ  altar 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִזְבֵּחַ  
Sense: altar.
הַה֛וּא  that 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
הַבָּמָ֖ה  the  high  place 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: בָּמָה  
Sense: high place, ridge, height, bamah (technical name for cultic platform).
נָתָ֑ץ  he  broke  down 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָתַץ  
Sense: to pull down, break down, cast down, throw down, beat down, destroy, overthrow, break out (teeth).
וַיִּשְׂרֹ֧ף  and  he  burned 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׂרַף  
Sense: to burn.
הַבָּמָ֛ה  the  high  place 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: בָּמָה  
Sense: high place, ridge, height, bamah (technical name for cultic platform).
הֵדַ֥ק  [and]  crushed  [it] 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: דָּקַק  
Sense: to crush, pulverise, thresh.
לְעָפָ֖ר  to  powder 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עָפָר  
Sense: dry earth, dust, powder, ashes, earth, ground, mortar, rubbish.
וְשָׂרַ֥ף  and  burned 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׂרַף  
Sense: to burn.
אֲשֵׁרָֽה  the  wooden  image 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֲשֵׁרָה  
Sense: a Babylonian (Astarte)-Canaanite goddess (of fortune and happiness), the supposed consort of Baal, her images.