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2 Chronicles 34:4

Old Testament Historical ASV (1901)

What does 2 Chronicles 34:4 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “And they brake down the altars of the Baalim in his presence; and the sun-images that were on high above them he hewed down; and the Asherim, and the graven images, and the molten images, he brake in pieces, and made dust of them, and strewed it upon the graves [of them] that had sacrificed unto them.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

And they brake down the altars of the Baalim in his presence; and the sun-images that were on high above them he hewed down; and the Asherim, and the graven images, and the molten images, he brake in pieces, and made dust of them, and strewed it upon the graves [of them] that had sacrificed unto them.
2 Chronicles 34:4 — American Standard Version

Context — 2 Chronicles 34

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
1Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign; and he reigned thirty and one years in Jerusalem.
2And he did that which was right in the eyes of Jehovah, and walked in the ways of David his father, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left.
3For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David his father; and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, and the Asherim, and the graven images, and the molten images.
4And they brake down the altars of the Baalim in his presence; and the sun-images that were on high above them he hewed down; and the Asherim, and the graven images, and the molten images, he brake in pieces, and made dust of them, and strewed it upon the graves [of them] that had sacrificed unto them.
5And he burnt the bones of the priests upon their altars, and purged Judah and Jerusalem.
6And [so did he] in the cities of Manasseh and Ephraim and Simeon, even unto Naphtali, in their ruins round about.
7And 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.
← 2 Chronicles 34:32 Chronicles 34:5 →
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What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“And they broke down the altars of Baalim in his presence, etc.] He not only ordered them to be broke down, but he went in person, and saw it done; these were the altars Manasseh had reared up to the idols; and though upon his humiliation he cast them out, they were rebuilt by Amon his son, (see <143303>2 Chronicles 33:3,15,22), and the images that were above them he cut down; sun images, as the word signifies; these Chamanim might be representatives of Cham or Ham, the son of Noah, the same with Jupiter Ammon; and there was another Heathen deity, Amanus, Strabo f156 speaks of, supposed to be the sun, (See Gill on “<032630>Leviticus 26:30”), these, as Jarchi says, were in the form of the sun,…”
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Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“the graves of them that had sacrificed unto them--He treated the graves themselves as guilty of the crimes of those who were lying in them [BERTHEAU].”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“The images - Margin, sun-images. See Leviticus 26:30 note. return to 'Top of Page'”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“brake down: Ch2 33:3; Exo 23:24; Lev 26:30; Deu 7:5, Deu 7:25 images: or, sun images, Ch2 14:5; Kg2 23:4, Kg2 23:5, Kg2 23:11 made dust: Ch2 34:7; Exo 32:20; Deu 9:21; Kg2 23:12; Psa 18:42; Isa 27:9 graves: Heb. face of the graves, Kg2 10:26, Kg2 10:27, Kg2 23:4, Kg2 23:6 2 Chronicles 34:5”
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Related study paths

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Sources and verification