And he put down the idolatrous priests, 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; them also that burned incense unto Baal, to the sun, and to the moon, and to the planets, and to all the host of heaven.
King Josiah removed the false priests that the previous kings of Judah had appointed to burn incense at the worship sites throughout the cities of Judah and around Jerusalem. He also got rid of those who burned incense to the false god Baal, to the sun, moon, stars, and all the heavenly bodies.
King Josiah was cleaning house by removing all the false priests who had been leading people to worship idols and celestial objects instead of God.
📚 Historical Context
In the 7th century BC, King Josiah of Judah launched extensive religious reforms after discovering the Book of the Law in the temple, which exposed the idolatry that had infiltrated Jewish worship under previous kings. This verse describes Josiah's efforts to remove the idolatrous priests who had been appointed to burn incense to false gods in high places around Judah and Jerusalem, as part of a broader movement to restore pure worship of Yahweh. These practices reflected the influence of surrounding pagan cultures, where deities like Baal and celestial bodies were commonly venerated, directly contradicting God's commands in the Torah.
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