The Meaning of 2 Kings 23:7 Explained

2 Kings 23:7

KJV: And he brake down the houses of the sodomites, that were by the house of the LORD, where the women wove hangings for the grove.

YLT: And he breaketh down the houses of the whoremongers that are in the house of Jehovah, where the women are weaving houses for the shrine.

Darby: And he broke down the houses of the sodomites, which were in the house of Jehovah, where the women wove tents for the Asherah.

ASV: And he brake down the houses of the sodomites, that were in the house of Jehovah, where the women wove hangings for the Asherah.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And he brake down  the houses  of the sodomites,  that [were] by the house  of the LORD,  where the women  wove  hangings  for the grove. 

What does 2 Kings 23:7 Mean?

Study Notes

grove
.
The groves (Heb. Asherim) so often mentioned in the OT were devoted to the worship of Ashtereth, the Babylonian goddess Ishtar, the Aphrodite of the Greeks, the Roman Venus. CF.
(See Scofield " Judges 2:13 ") .

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 23:7 mean?

And he tore down - the [ritual] booths of the perverted persons that [were] in the house of Yahweh where the women wove there hangings for the wooden image
וַיִּתֹּץ֙ אֶת־ בָּתֵּ֣י הַקְּדֵשִׁ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֖ר בְּבֵ֣ית יְהוָ֑ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר הַנָּשִׁ֗ים אֹרְג֥וֹת שָׁ֛ם בָּתִּ֖ים לָאֲשֵׁרָֽה

וַיִּתֹּץ֙  And  he  tore  down 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָתַץ  
Sense: to pull down, break down, cast down, throw down, beat down, destroy, overthrow, break out (teeth).
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.
בָּתֵּ֣י  the  [ritual]  booths 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
הַקְּדֵשִׁ֔ים  of  the  perverted  persons 
Parse: Article, Adjective, masculine plural
Root: קָדֵשׁ  
Sense: male temple prostitute.
אֲשֶׁ֖ר  that  [were] 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
בְּבֵ֣ית  in  the  house 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
יְהוָ֑ה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֲשֶׁ֣ר  where 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
הַנָּשִׁ֗ים  the  women 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine plural
Root: אִשָּׁה  
Sense: woman, wife, female.
אֹרְג֥וֹת  wove 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, feminine plural
Root: אָרַג  
Sense: to weave.
בָּתִּ֖ים  hangings 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
לָאֲשֵׁרָֽה  for  the  wooden  image 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֲשֵׁרָה  
Sense: a Babylonian (Astarte)-Canaanite goddess (of fortune and happiness), the supposed consort of Baal, her images.