2 Kings 23:5

“And he put down the idolatrous priests, etc.] The Cemarim, so called, because they wore black clothes, as Kimchi and others, whereas the priests of the Lord were clothed in white linen, (see Gill on “<360104>Zephaniah 1:4”). whom the kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense in the high places, in the cities of Judah, and in the places round about Jerusalem; for though those high places were destroyed by Hezekiah, they were rebuilt by Manasseh his son, and priests put in them to officiate there, whom Josiah now deposed, (<122103>2 Kings 21:3), them also that burnt incense unto Baal; in the same high places; these were the priests, and the others in the preceding clause are thought to be…”

“put down the idolatrous priests--Hebrew, chemarim, "scorched," that is, Guebres, or fire-worshippers, distinguished by a girdle (Eze 23:14-17) or belt of wool and camel's hair, twisted round the body twice and tied with four knots, which had a symbolic meaning, and made it a supposed defense against evil. them also that burned incense unto Baal, to the sun, and to the moon, &c.--or Baal-shemesh, for Baal was sometimes considered the sun. This form of false worship was not by images, but pure star-worship, borrowed from the old Assyrians. and--rather, "even to all the host of heaven."”

“A parenthesis giving the earlier reforms of Josiah. 2 Kings 23:4 The priests of the second order - This is a new expression; and probably refers to the ordinary priests, called here “priests of the second order,” in contrast with the high priest, whose dignity was reviving (2 Kings 12:2 note). The vessels - This would include the whole apparatus of worship, altars, images, dresses, utensils, etc., for Baal, etc. (2 Kings 21:3-5 notes). The ashes of the idolatrous objects burned in the first instance in the “fields of Kidron” (i. e., in the part of the valley which lies northeast of the city, a part much broader than that between the Temple Hill and the Mount of Olives) were actually taken to…”

“Priests - Heb. the Chemarim; the highest rank of priests, employed in the highest work, which was to burn incense. 4 Kings (2 Kings) 23:6”

“23:5-7 Josiah stopped the idolatrous priests from officiating over pagan rituals. He also demolished the living quarters of the cult prostitutes. Manasseh and Amon apparently had allowed the prostitution carried over from Canaanite practices (see 1 Kgs 14:24; 15:12; 22:46) to be practiced within the Temple itself.”

“put down: Heb. caused to cease the idolatrous priests: Heb. Chemarim. Hos 10:5 \*marg. "Foretold. Zep 1:4, Zep 1:5." planets: or, twelve signs, or constellations, So the Vulgate duodecim signa, "the twelve signs," i.e., the zodiac; which is the most probable meaning of the word mazzaloth, from the Arabic manzeel, a caravanserai, house, or dwelling, as being the apparent dwellings of the sun in his annual course; and the Targumists and Rabbins often employ the words tereysar mazzalaya, to denote the signs of the zodiac. all the host: Kg2 21:3, Kg2 21:4; Jer 8:1, Jer 8:2, Jer 44:17-19 4 Kings (2 Kings) 23:6”