He removed the high places, broke the pillars, and cut down the Asherah. He also broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, because in those days the children of Israel burned incense to it; and he called it Nehushtan.
ExplanationCommentary
Verse 4. Groves. The people were now more obedient, being terrified at the chastisement of Israel, ( Calmet.) though Samaria was not taken till the sixth year of this good king; who carried his reform rather than most of his predecessors, ( Bible.) in destroying the high places which had been unlawfully ( Calmet.) retained, as consecrated to the true God. See verse 22. Bible.—Yet Josias had still some to remove. Menochius.—Nohestan; that is, their brass, or a little brass. So he called it in comtempt, because they had made a god of it. Challoner.—Before, this image had been treated with due respect. When any relic or image becomes the occasion of abuse in the Catholic Church, it is thus taken away, or the error is otherwise corrected. See Saint Augustine de Calmet. x. 8. Ser. 14. de Verb. Ap. and so forth Worthington.—Some of the ancients assert, that Ezechias suppressed many books of Solomon, on account of similar abuses. But this seems not to be well attested. We know that he made a collection of some of some of his sentences. Proverbs 25:1.