And so did he in the cities of Manasseh, and Ephraim, and Simeon, even unto Naphtali, with their mattocks round about.
He did the same thing in the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, all the way to Naphtali, tearing down idols with their tools all around those areas.
King Josiah extended his religious reforms beyond Judah into the northern territories, destroying idols and false worship sites throughout the land.
📚 Historical Context
This verse describes King Josiah's religious reforms around 621 BC, when he expanded his campaign to destroy idol worship beyond his own kingdom of Judah into the former northern kingdom of Israel. These northern territories (Manasseh, Ephraim, Simeon, and Naphtali) had been conquered by Assyria over a century earlier, but Assyrian power was now declining, allowing Josiah to extend his influence northward.
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