II Chronicles 34:5 · Bible study
2 Chronicles 34:5 Commentary: Burning Bones on Idolatrous Altars
Hebrew · 8 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Josiah burns the bones of idolatrous priests on their altars, fulfilling prophecy and purging Judah. A study of God's judgment on idolatry.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Josiah burns the bones of idolatrous priests on their altars to defile them and fulfill the prophecy of 1 Kings 13:2.
- Key words: bones (עֶצֶם, ʿeṣem), priests (כֹּהֵן, kōhēn), burned (שָׂרַף, śāraf), altars (מִזְבֵּחַ, mizbēaḥ), cleansed (טָהֵר, ṭāhēr).
- Main debate: Whether the Chronicler compressed the chronology of Josiah's reform, or if the burning of bones occurred specifically in the twelfth year.
- Theological theme: God's judgment on idolatry and the necessity of radical purification for covenant renewal.
- Best use: A vivid historical example of divine faithfulness to prophecy and a call to remove false worship.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Then he burned the bones of the priests on their altars. So he cleansed Judah and Jerusalem.
WEB World English Bible 2000
He burned the bones of the priests on their altars, and purged Judah and Jerusalem.
KJV King James Version 1769
And he burnt the bones of the priests upon their altars, and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And he burnt the bones of the priests upon their altars, and purged Judah and Jerusalem.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
and the bones of the priests he hath burnt on their altars, and cleanseth Judah and Jerusalem,
Darby Darby Bible 1890
and he burned the bones of the priests upon their altars, and purged Judah and Jerusalem.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And he burnt the bones of the priests on the altars of the idols, and he cleansed Juda and Jerusalem.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Quemó además los huesos de los sacerdotes sobre sus altares, y limpió á Judá y á Jerusalem.
Queimou ademais os ossos dos sacerdotes sobre seus altares, e limpou a Judá e a Jerusalém.
et il brûla les ossements des prêtres sur leurs autels. C’ est ainsi qu’ il purifia Juda et Jérusalem.
und verbrannte die Gebeine der Priester auf ihren Altären und reinigte also Juda und jerusalem,
En de beenderen der priesteren verbrandde hij op hun altaren; en hij reinigde Juda en Jeruzalem.
e bruciò le ossa dei sacerdoti sui loro altari, e così purificò Giuda e Gerusalemme.
Kości też kapłanów popalił na ołtarzach ich, i oczyścił Judę i Jeruzalem;
и кости жрецов сжег на жертвенниках их, и очистил Иудею и Иерусалим,
將他們祭司 的骸骨 燒 在 壇上，潔淨了 猶大 和 耶路撒冷；
And he had the bones of the priests burned on their altars, and so he made Judah and Jerusalem clean.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · II Chronicles 34:5
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that Josiah's burning of the priests' bones on their own altars was a deliberate act of defilement and judgment, fulfilling the prophecy of 1 Kings 13:2. The Cambridge Bible notes the parallel with 2 Kings 23:15-16, where Josiah acts at Bethel. Gill emphasizes that this was done "in detestation of their idolatry, and to deter from it." Jamieson-Fausset-Brown calls it "a greater brand of infamy." Keil and Delitzsch explain that burning the bones on the altars defiled the place with the ashes of the dead, making it permanently unclean for worship. The Hebrew verb ṭāhēr (טָהֵר) used for "purged" can mean ceremonial cleansing, removing moral and religious pollution. Matthew Henry summarizes that Josiah "made Judah clean." There is broad consensus that this act was both a symbolic and literal purification of the land from idolatry.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: The burning of the priests' bones on their own altars was a deliberate act of defilement and judgment, fulfilling the prophecy of 1 Kings 13:2, and it was part of Josiah's comprehensive purge of idolatry from Judah and Israel.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Chronology of Josiah's reform | Both 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles record that Josiah destroyed idolatrous altars and burned bones. | Some scholars argue the Chronicler placed the purge of the high places before the repair of the temple for thematic reasons, while others see it as a separate earlier campaign. |
| Fulfillment of 1 Kings 13:2 | All traditions agree that 2 Chronicles 34:5 fulfills the prophecy concerning Josiah. | There is debate over whether the prophecy was fulfilled completely in Josiah's actions, or whether it also anticipates a future eschatological judgment. |
| The meaning of burning bones | Burning human bones on an altar rendered it permanently defiled and unusable for worship. | Some interpreters emphasize the punitive aspect (dishonoring the dead priests), while others stress the purgative aspect (cleansing the land). |
Historical & Cultural Context
Josiah became king of Judah at eight years old (2 Chronicles 34:1). By his twelfth year, he began a sweeping religious reform, tearing down high places, altars, and idols throughout Judah and the former northern kingdom of Israel (2 Chronicles 34:3-7). The burning of priests' bones on their own altars was the climax of that purge. It directly fulfilled the prophecy of the man of God from Judah in 1 Kings 13:2, who predicted that a king named Josiah would sacrifice the priests of the high places and burn human bones on the altar at Bethel. That prophecy was given over three hundred years earlier, during Jeroboam's reign, when the altar at Bethel was first erected for idol worship.
In the ancient Near East, disturbing the dead was considered a grave dishonor. Burning bones was an even greater defilement. According to Numbers 19:16, contact with human bones made a person ceremonially unclean for seven days. By burning the bones on the altars, Josiah rendered those places permanently defiled, no priest could ever use them again for legitimate worship. This act echoed the law's requirement that the land be cleansed from bloodshed (Numbers 35:33) and showed the king's commitment to covenant renewal. The Chronicler presents Josiah as a second David, walking in the ways of his father David (2 Chronicles 34:2), and his reform prepared the way for the discovery of the Book of the Law in the eighteenth year of his reign (2 Chronicles 34:8-14).
Josiah's actions were not limited to Judah; he extended the purge into the territories of Manasseh, Ephraim, Simeon, and Naphtali (2 Chronicles 34:6-7). This indicates he saw himself as king over all Israel, not just the southern kingdom. The Targum, cited by Adam Clarke, calls the priests kemarim, a term for idolatrous priests distinct from the Levitical priesthood. The Chronicler carefully distinguishes between the legitimate priests of YHWH and the false priests who served at the high places.
Textual Notes
The Hebrew text of 2 Chronicles 34:5 is generally stable. Keil and Delitzsch note an orthographical error in the word for "their altars" (מזבחותים, mizbeḥôtai) and read it as מזבּחותם (mizbeḥôtām). The meaning is unaffected, both forms are understood as "their altars." No other significant textual variants are noted in the consulted sources. The English translations vary between "purged" and "cleansed," reflecting the range of the Hebrew verb ṭāhēr.
Reception History
This verse has been read throughout church history as a dramatic example of God's judgment on false worship and His faithfulness to fulfill prophecy. Early Jewish interpreters, reflected in the Targum cited by Clarke, identified the priests as kemarim, a term for idolatrous priests. During the Reformation, the Geneva Bible notes emphasized Josiah as a model king who purged idolatry. Matthew Henry (1710) used the passage to underscore the necessity of thorough reformation. In modern scholarship, the focus has shifted to the Chronicler's theology: that God's word, once spoken, will be accomplished, and that true worship requires the complete removal of all rival deities. The verse is rarely used in liturgy due to its graphic content, but it appears in scriptural studies on covenant renewal and the deuteronomic reform.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Fulfilled prophecy reveals God's faithfulness. The burning of the priests' bones on their altars is a direct fulfillment of 1 Kings 13:2. God's word spoken centuries earlier does not return empty.
- Thorough cleansing requires decisive action. Josiah did not simply remove idols; he defiled the altars themselves so they could never be reused. Purification often demands drastic measures.
- Judgment on idolatry is sure. The bones of those who led others into sin were publicly dishonored as a warning. The seriousness of leading people away from God carries heavy consequences.
Five-point outline
- Context: Josiah, at age 26, launches a nationwide reform after discovering the Book of the Law.
- Action: He destroys altars, grinds idols to dust, and burns the bones of the idolatrous priests on their own altars.
- Prophecy: This act fulfills the ancient prediction of the man of God in 1 Kings 13.
- Significance: The land is defiled and cleansed at the same time, the ashes of false worship become a monument to God's judgment.
- Result: Judah and Jerusalem are purged, preparing the nation for covenant renewal and the celebration of Passover (2 Chronicles 35).
Illustration hooks
- Inherited contamination: A family discovers their heirloom furniture was used in occult rituals. Instead of just throwing it out, they burn it to remove any spiritual association. Josiah's action was that thorough.
- Courtroom verdict: A judge hands down a sentence that includes forfeiture of the property where a crime was committed. The site is demolished as a deterrent. Josiah's burning of the altars was a similar public statement.
- Old warning, new fulfillment: A town's founding documents included a warning that a certain building would be torn down if misused. Generations later, the warning is enacted. The prophecy of 1 Kings 13 waited 350 years.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why did Josiah need to burn bones? Couldn't he just remove the altars?
- Does this passage teach that God punishes people after death? What about the priests who had already died?
- How does this relate to the New Testament teaching on cleansing the temple (John 2:13-22)?
Leading a Discussion
This passage confronts us with the seriousness of idolatry and God's commitment to purify His people. As you discuss, consider both the historical context and the spiritual principles that carry into the New Testament.
Discussion questions
- Read 1 Kings 13:1-2. How does knowing this prophecy deepen your understanding of Josiah's actions in 2 Chronicles 34:5?
- Why do you think the Chronicler emphasizes that Josiah burned the bones of the priests "on their altars"? What message does that send to the people of Judah?
- The verb for "purged" in verse 5 (ṭāhēr) often refers to ceremonial cleansing. In what ways is the land cleansed by this act of desecration?
- Compare 2 Chronicles 34:5 with 2 Kings 23:16-20. What additional details does the Kings account provide? Why might the Chronicler have condensed the story?
- How does Josiah's reform challenge our own approach to removing sin and idols from our lives? Is there a place for drastic action?
- Some people struggle with the violence of this act. How would you explain the justice of God in this context to someone who finds it troubling?
- In what ways does the New Testament show that God still desires a purified people (1 Corinthians 3:16-17; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18)? How does that shape your daily walk?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Numbers 35:33 | “‘So you shall not pollute the land where you live; for blood pollutes the land. No atonement can be made for the land for the blood that is shed in it, but by the blood of him who shed it. |
| I Kings 13:2 | He cried against the altar by Yahweh’s word, and said, “Altar! Altar! Yahweh says: ‘Behold, a son will be born to David’s house, Josiah by name. On you he will sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and they will burn men’s bones on you.’” |
| II Kings 23:16 | As Josiah turned himself, he spied the tombs that were there in the mountain; and he sent, and took the bones out of the tombs, and burned them on the altar, and defiled it, according to Yahweh’s word which the man of God proclaimed, who proclaimed these things. |
| II Kings 23:20 | He killed all the priests of the high places that were there, on the altars, and burned men’s bones on them; and he returned to Jerusalem. |
| II Chronicles 34:7 | He broke down the altars, beat the Asherah poles and the engraved images into powder, and cut down all the incense altars throughout all the land of Israel, then returned to Jerusalem. |
| Jeremiah 3:10 | Yet for all this her treacherous sister, Judah, has not returned to me with her whole heart, but only in pretense,” says Yahweh. |
| Jeremiah 4:14 | Jerusalem, wash your heart from wickedness, that you may be saved. How long will your evil thoughts lodge within you? |
| Jeremiah 8:1 | “At that time,” says Yahweh, “they will bring the bones of the kings of Judah, the bones of his princes, the bones of the priests, the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, out of their graves. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
6 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke highlights the specific Aramaic word used for these priests, "kumeraiya" or "kemarim," noting it appears in the Targum. He points readers to an earlier explanation of this term, which distinguishes these idolatrous priests from the legitimate Levitical priests who served at the altar.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
he burnt the bones of the priests ] Specially at Beth-el; 2 Ki_23:15-16 . cleansed ] R.V. purged (as in 2 Ch_34:3 ; 2 Ch_34:8 ).
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes emphasize that Josiah's burning of the priests' bones on their own altars was a deliberate act to defile those altars completely, making them forever unsuitable for idolatrous worship. This action, along with the purging of Judah and Jerusalem, shows the thoroughness of his reform.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill stresses that Josiah's burning of priests' bones on their own altars fulfilled a prophecy given over 350 years earlier. The act was a deliberate defilement meant to express abhorrence of idolatry and discourage its return. Cleansing Judah and Jerusalem meant removing all idols and their associated monuments.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch explains that burning the bones of idolatrous priests on their altars was a deliberate act of defilement: the ashes of the dead would render the places permanently unclean. This single phrase compresses the fuller narrative in 2 Kings of how Josiah defiled altars on the Mount of Olives and burned bones of Bethel's priests. The commentator also notes a textual spelling error in the Hebrew.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Matthew Henry observes that Josiah came to the throne at just eight years old, yet his youth did not disqualify him from his right to rule. Because he was a child, he initially left affairs to others, so his religious reforms did not begin until his twelfth year, unlike Hezekiah who acted immediately.