He took away the horses that the kings of Judah had dedicated to the sun, at the entrance of the LORD’s house, by the room of Nathan Melech the officer who was in the court; and he burned the chariots of the sun with fire.
ExplanationCommentary
Verse 11. Nathan-melech. Septuagint “to the treasury (room. Pagnin) of Nathan, the king’s eunuch,” or chamberlain. Bible.—Pharurim, “the suburbs.” Vatable. Menochius. Chal.—It perhaps denotes the guard-house. See 1 Chronicles 26:18.—Chariots. The aforesaid horses were designed to draw them in honour of the sun. Some nations used to ride in this manner with all expedition, at its rising; and the Rabbins pretend that the king, or some other by his order, had been accustomed to ride from the eastern gate of the temple to the house of the governor, Nathan-melech. The horse was consecrated to the sun, on account of its agility.
Placat equo Persis radiis Hyperiona cinctum,
Ne detur celeri victima tarda Deo. Ovid, Fast. i.
The Persians sacrificed the horse to the sun, that a slow victim may not be offered to the swift deity. The sun gives vigour to the whole material system, as the instrumental cause in the hand of God; and horses perceive the influence, more particularly in the warmer climates, and exult in their strength. Job 39:21. Bible.—Perhaps these horses had been destined for sacrifice by the infidel kings of Juda, as well as the chariots. Calmet.—The Rhodeans threw some into the sea every year. Festus.—Others think that what Josias took away, was only engraved, or, that the horses had been set at liberty for superstitious observations, as was customary among the pagans. Tacit. Mor. Germ. Sueton. in Julio.