4 Then the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest and the priests of the second order and the doorkeepers , to bring out of the temple of the Lord all the vessels that were made for Baal , for Asherah , and for all the host of heaven ; and he burned them outside e Jerusalem in the fields of the Kidron , and carried their ashes to Bethel 5 He did away with the idolatrous priests whom the kings of Judah had appointed to burn incense in the high places in the cities of Judah and in the surrounding area of Jerusalem , also those who burned incense to Baal , to the sun and to the moon and to the constellations and to all the host of heaven . 6 He brought out the Asherah from the house of the Lord outside e Jerusalem to the brook Kidron , and burned it at the brook Kidron , and ground it to dust , and threw its dust on the graves of the common people .
Matthew Henry's Commentary on 2 Kings 23:4-6
Commentary on 2 Kings 23:4-14
(Read 2 Kings 23:4-14)
What abundance of wickedness in Judah and Jerusalem! One would not have believed it possible, that in Judah, where God was known, in Israel, where his name was great, in Salem, in Zion, where his dwelling-place was, such abominations should be found. Josiah had reigned eighteen years, and had himself set the people a good example, and kept up religion according to the Divine law; yet, when he came to search for idolatry, the depth and extent were very great. Both common history, and the records of God's word, teach, that all the real godliness or goodness ever found on earth, is derived from the new-creating Spirit of Jesus Christ.