And he burnt the bones of the priests upon their altars, and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem.
He burned the bones of the pagan priests on their own altars, and purified Judah and Jerusalem.
King Josiah completely destroyed idol worship by burning the bones of false priests on their altars, thoroughly cleansing his kingdom of pagan practices.
📚 Historical Context
This verse describes King Josiah's radical religious reforms around 621 BC, when he systematically destroyed all traces of idol worship in Judah. Burning the bones of dead priests on their own altars was considered the ultimate defilement in ancient times, making those altars permanently unusable for worship. This was part of Josiah's effort to return the nation to worshiping God alone, following the discovery of God's law in the temple.
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