The Meaning of 2 Kings 23:6 Explained

2 Kings 23:6

KJV: And he brought out the grove from the house of the LORD, without Jerusalem, unto the brook Kidron, and burned it at the brook Kidron, and stamped it small to powder, and cast the powder thereof upon the graves of the children of the people.

YLT: And he bringeth out the shrine from the house of Jehovah to the outside of Jerusalem, unto the brook Kidron, and burneth it at the brook Kidron, and beateth it small to dust, and casteth its dust on the grave of the sons of the people.

Darby: And he brought out the Asherah from the house of Jehovah, outside Jerusalem, to the torrent of Kidron, and burned it at the torrent of Kidron, and stamped it small to powder, and cast the powder upon the graves of the children of the people.

ASV: And he brought out the Asherah from the house of Jehovah, without Jerusalem, unto the brook Kidron, and burned it at the brook Kidron, and beat it to dust, and cast the dust thereof upon the graves of the common people.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And he brought out  the grove  from the house  of the LORD,  without  Jerusalem,  unto the brook  Kidron,  and burned  it at the brook  Kidron,  and stamped [it] small  to powder,  and cast  the powder  thereof upon the graves  of the children  of the people. 

What does 2 Kings 23:6 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 23:6 mean?

And he brought out - the wooden image from the house of Yahweh outside Jerusalem to the Brook Kidron and burned it at the Brook Kidron and ground [it] to ashes and threw its ashes on the graves of common the people
וַיֹּצֵ֣א אֶת־ הָאֲשֵׁרָה֩ מִבֵּ֨ית יְהוָ֜ה מִח֤וּץ לִירוּשָׁלִַ֙ם֙ אֶל־ נַ֣חַל קִדְר֔וֹן וַיִּשְׂרֹ֥ף אֹתָ֛הּ בְּנַ֥חַל קִדְר֖וֹן וַיָּ֣דֶק לְעָפָ֑ר וַיַּשְׁלֵךְ֙ עֲפָרָ֔הּ עַל־ קֶ֖בֶר בְּנֵ֥י הָעָֽם

וַיֹּצֵ֣א  And  he  brought  out 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
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.
הָאֲשֵׁרָה֩  the  wooden  image 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֲשֵׁרָה  
Sense: a Babylonian (Astarte)-Canaanite goddess (of fortune and happiness), the supposed consort of Baal, her images.
מִבֵּ֨ית  from  the  house 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
יְהוָ֜ה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
מִח֤וּץ  outside 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular
Root: חוּץ  
Sense: outside, outward, street, the outside.
לִירוּשָׁלִַ֙ם֙  Jerusalem 
Parse: Preposition-l, 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.
נַ֣חַל  the  Brook 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: נַחַל 
Sense: torrent, valley, wadi, torrent-valley.
קִדְר֔וֹן  Kidron 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: קִדְרֹון  
Sense: a stream east of Jerusalem.
וַיִּשְׂרֹ֥ף  and  burned 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׂרַף  
Sense: to burn.
בְּנַ֥חַל  at  the  Brook 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: נַחַל 
Sense: torrent, valley, wadi, torrent-valley.
קִדְר֖וֹן  Kidron 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: קִדְרֹון  
Sense: a stream east of Jerusalem.
וַיָּ֣דֶק  and  ground  [it] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: דָּקַק  
Sense: to crush, pulverise, thresh.
לְעָפָ֑ר  to  ashes 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עָפָר  
Sense: dry earth, dust, powder, ashes, earth, ground, mortar, rubbish.
וַיַּשְׁלֵךְ֙  and  threw 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁלַךְ  
Sense: to throw, cast, hurl, fling.
עֲפָרָ֔הּ  its  ashes 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: עָפָר  
Sense: dry earth, dust, powder, ashes, earth, ground, mortar, rubbish.
קֶ֖בֶר  the  graves 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: קֶבֶר  
Sense: grave, sepulchre, tomb.
בְּנֵ֥י  of  common 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
הָעָֽם  the  people 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.