And he brought out the Asherah from the house of the LORD, outside Jerusalem, to the brook Kidron, and burned it at the brook Kidron and beat it to dust and cast the dust of it upon the graves of the common people.
English Standard Version (ESV)
He doesn't just destroy the idol; he defiles it by grinding it to dust and scattering it over the common graves. This wasn't just about removing an object of worship; it was a public, visceral act to utterly discredit and dishonor the forbidden practice, leaving no room for its return.
And he brought out the Asherah from the house of the LORD, outside Jerusalem, to the brook Kidron, and burned it at the brook Kidron and beat it to dust and cast the dust of it upon the graves of the common people.
English Standard Version (ESV)
King Josiah, driven by a deep desire to purify Judah's worship and return to God's covenant, is systematically tearing down idolatrous practices. After cleansing the Temple of Baal and Asherah symbols, he expands his purge to the surrounding areas, ensuring no trace of foreign gods remains within Jerusalem's sight. This act is part of a larger national reformation aimed at restoring true worship to the land.
Josiah didn't just hide the offending objects; he utterly annihilated them. What does this tell us about the severity of idolatry?
King Josiah's actions in 2 Kings 23 are a powerful example of zealous obedience. When he found the Asherah pole—a symbol of pagan worship—in the very temple of the Lord, his response was drastic.
Utter Destruction
He didn't just move it; he dragged it out, burned it, ground it to dust, and scattered that dust on the graves of commoners. This wasn't about making the temple look prettier; it was a public, irreversible act of purging the sacred space from anything that had been defiled by false worship. This shows that confronting sin, especially in places of worship, requires more than a surface-level fix; it demands decisive, complete removal.
Why was this Asherah pole even inside the house of the Lord in the first place? This reveals a deep spiritual compromise.
The presence of an Asherah pole within the temple precincts signifies a profound corruption of worship that had crept in over generations. Asherah was a Canaanite goddess associated with fertility, and her worship often involved sensual rituals. Its placement in God's temple means that the people of Israel, even those who may have still outwardly honored Yahweh, had blended or replaced true worship with pagan practices.
A Blend of Worship
Josiah’s discovery wasn't just about one misplaced idol; it was an exposé of how deeply syncretism—the blending of different religions—had infiltrated the heart of Israel's faith. He found the very symbols of a foreign goddess mingling with the holy things of the Lord.
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Understand the original words
asherah · Hebrew Noun
A Canaanite mother goddess, often represented by a wooden pole or tree, whose worship was strictly forbidden in Israel as it involved idolatry and detestable practices.
bayit Yahweh · Hebrew Noun phrase
A term used for the temple in Jerusalem, the central place of God's dwelling among His people in the Old Testament.
King Josiah's radical purge of idolatry, described here, was a direct response to the rediscovery of God's law, highlighting the devastating impact of foreign religious practices on the people of Judah and God's call for exclusive devotion.
c. 931 BC
Division of the Kingdom
After Solomon's reign, the united kingdom of Israel split into two: the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah. This division led to differing religious practices and political alliances over the centuries.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria
The Assyrian Empire conquered the Northern Kingdom of Israel, exiling its people and scattering them. This event served as a stark warning to Judah about the consequences of disobedience.
c. 701 BC
Sennacherib's Invasion
The Assyrian king Sennacherib besieged Jerusalem, but the city was miraculously spared. King Hezekiah had previously initiated reforms, but idolatry still persisted in various forms.
c. 640-609 BC— this verse
Reign of King Josiah
Josiah became king of Judah at a young age and later initiated a sweeping religious reformation after the discovery of the Book of the Law in the Temple.
c. 622 BC
Discovery of the Book of the Law
During renovations of the Temple, the high priest Hilkiah found a scroll believed to be the Book of Deuteronomy. Its reading profoundly impacted King Josiah and led to his extensive reforms.
c. 605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Under King Nebuchadnezzar II, Babylon began deporting prominent Judeans, including some from the royal family, to Babylon. This marked the beginning of Judah's decline towards exile.
This passage provides the command to burn and destroy idols, directly paralleling Josiah's actions in 2 Kings 23 to eradicate the Asherah.
Exodus 34:13Here, God instructs His people to tear down altars and break down pillars of foreign gods, reinforcing the importance of removing all traces of idolatry that Josiah carried out.
Jeremiah 17:2This verse speaks of children remembering their idolatrous practices even in the presence of altars and Asherah poles, highlighting the deep-seated nature of the sin Josiah was actively confronting.
Judges 3:7This verse describes the Israelites falling into idolatry by serving Asherah and the Baals, setting the historical context for the pervasive nature of the sin Josiah was trying to purge.
He doesn't just destroy the idol; he defiles it by grinding it to dust and scattering it over the common graves. This wasn't just about removing an object of worship; it was a public, visceral act to utterly discredit and dishonor the forbidden practice, leaving no room for its return.
King Josiah, driven by a deep desire to purify Judah's worship and return to God's covenant, is systematically tearing down idolatrous practices. After cleansing the Temple of Baal and Asherah symbols, he expands his purge to the surrounding areas, ensuring no trace of foreign gods remains within Jerusalem's sight. This act is part of a larger national reformation aimed at restoring true worship to the land.
King Josiah, driven by a deep desire to purify Judah's worship and return to God's covenant, is systematically tearing down idolatrous practices. After cleansing the Temple of Baal and Asherah symbols, he expands his purge to the surrounding areas, ensuring no trace of foreign gods remains within Jerusalem's sight. This act is part of a larger national reformation aimed at restoring true worship to the land.
"And he brought out the Asherah from the house of the LORD, outside Jerusalem, to the brook Kidron, and burned it at the brook Kidron and beat it to dust and cast the dust of it upon the graves of the common people." — He doesn't just destroy the idol; he defiles it by grinding it to dust and scattering it over the common graves. This wasn't just about removing an object of worship; it was a public, visceral act…
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Last reviewed October 2026