2 Kings 23:24 Meaning: The Thoroughness of Josiah's Reform
Moreover, Josiah removed those who had familiar spirits, the wizards, and the teraphim, and the idols, and all the abominations that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, that he might confirm the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in Yahweh’s house.
Moreover the workers with familiar spirits, and the wizards, and the images, and the idols, and all the abominations that were spied in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, did Josiah put away, that he might perform the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of the Lord.
Moreover them that had familiar spirits, and the wizards, and the teraphim, and the idols, and all the abominations that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, did Josiah put away, that he might confirm the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of Jehovah.
And also, those having familiar spirits, and the wizards, and the teraphim, and the idols, and all the abominations that were seen in the land of Judah, and in Jerusalem, hath Josiah put away, in order to establish the words of the law that are written on the book that Hilkiah the priest hath found in the house of Jehovah.
Moreover the necromancers and the soothsayers, and the teraphim and the idols, and all the abominations that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, Josiah took away, that he might perform the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilkijah the priest had found in the house of Jehovah.
Meaning in one sentence
Josiah removed mediums, wizards, teraphim, and idols to obey God's law completely. Learn what this thorough reform means for your faith today.
Context
This verse sits near the end of a long chapter cataloging King Josiah's sweeping religious reforms. In the eighteenth year of his reign, the high priest Hilkiah discovered a long‑neglected scroll of the Law in the temple. When the king heard its words, he tore his clothes and set out to obey every command. He first cleansed the temple and the high places. Then he turned to what people kept hidden: mediums, spiritists, household gods called teraphim, and every detestable object that had crept into Judah and Jerusalem. Nothing was too small or too private to escape his attention. The goal was not a mere cleanup. He meant to establish the words of the Law permanently among his people.
Key Words
Three Hebrew words in this verse open a window on what Josiah removed. Teraphim (household gods) appear often in the Old Testament as family idols that people consulted for guidance or blessing. Rachel stole her father's teraphim when she left home, and Micah made teraphim for his own shrine. These were not public statues but private objects, kept in homes, often mixed with worship of Yahweh. Ov (medium) and yidde'oni (spiritist) refer to people who claimed to contact the dead or know hidden things. The Law plainly forbade them (Leviticus 19:31, 20:27). Josiah did not only tear down grand altars. He searched out the quiet corners where superstition had taken root. He wanted to confirm the words of the Law. The Hebrew verb hakim means to establish, to make something stand firm. He was not checking a box. He was building a foundation that would hold.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians across traditions have seen in this verse the cost of wholehearted obedience. Barnes noted that Josiah understood it was not enough to stop open idolatry; hidden practices that people combined with worship needed to be uprooted too. The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges observed that teraphim were household gods to which some charm was ascribed, and that the king's actions targeted superstitions that grew alongside true religion. Wesley's Explanatory Notes points out that the three words for idols emphasize that all instruments and monuments of idolatry must be destroyed. Together, these readings agree that Josiah's reform reached every layer of life, from the temple to the home, and that such thoroughness flows from taking God's word seriously.
A common misunderstanding
A common misreading is that Josiah was merely zealous and went too far, burning things that were harmless. In fact, he was doing precisely what the Law commanded. Leviticus 19:31 forbids turning to mediums, and Deuteronomy 18:10‑12 lists these practices as abominations. Josiah was not inventing new rules. He was finally obeying the old ones. His thoroughness was not extremism; it was faithfulness.
Living This Out
What do you keep hidden? Not in a cupboard, but in your heart or your habits. A horoscope you check. A lucky charm you touch. A resentment you nurse. A secret you protect. Josiah's reform asks you this week to let God's word examine your hidden places. What competes for your trust in ways you rarely admit? Name it. The goal is not shame but freedom. When you bring it into the light and let it go, you are not losing something. You are making room for the One who is truly trustworthy.
Main takeaway: True obedience to God's word requires removing everything that competes for our trust, whether public or hidden.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
King Josiah found God's book and obeyed it completely. He got rid of all the bad things people were doing, even the secret ones. God wants us to obey Him in every part of our lives.
For ages 9, 12
Josiah didn't just clean up the temple. He went into people's homes and removed household idols that they had kept for years. He wanted to obey God's law everywhere, not just where others could see. Ask yourself if there is anything you trust more than God, even something small. Obeying God fully means letting go of those things too.
Questions People Ask
What were teraphim in 2 Kings 23:24?
Teraphim were household idols or family gods. People kept them in their homes and sometimes consulted them for guidance or blessing. They appear earlier in stories like Rachel stealing her father's teraphim (Genesis 31:19) and Micah making teraphim for his shrine (Judges 17:5).
Why did Josiah remove mediums and wizards?
The Law of Moses explicitly forbade consulting mediums and wizards (Leviticus 19:31, 20:27; Deuteronomy 18:10-12). These practices were considered detestable because they turned people away from trusting God and seeking His guidance. Josiah removed them as part of his thorough obedience to the Law.
What does 'confirm the words of the law' mean in verse 24?
The Hebrew verb 'hakim' means to establish or make something stand firm. Josiah was not just performing a one-time cleanup. He wanted to establish the authority of God's Law so that the reforms would last and the people would continue to obey.
Did Josiah succeed in completely eradicating idolatry?
The reforms were deep and comprehensive, yet idolatry resurfaced after Josiah's death. The next chapter shows that God's anger did not turn away, and judgment eventually came. But the Bible still praises Josiah as a king who turned to the Lord with all his heart, soul, and might (2 Kings 23:25).
What can we learn from Josiah's thoroughness in this verse?
We learn that true obedience to God is not partial. It reaches into public actions and private habits. Josiah's example challenges us to let God's word examine every area of our lives, even the ones we keep hidden from others.
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