2 Kings 23:17

“Then he said, What title is that that I see? And the men of the city told him, It is the sepulchre of the man of God, which came from Judah, and proclaimed these things that thou hast done against the altar of Bethel.”

Immediate Context

The preceding line reads “And as Josiah turned himself, he spied the sepulchres that were there in the mount, and sent, and took the bones out of the sepulchres, and burned them upon the altar, and polluted it, according to the word of the Lord which the man of God proclaimed, who proclaimed these words.” The titled verse reads “Then he said, What title is that that I see? And the men of the city told him, It is the sepulchre of the man of God, which came from Judah, and proclaimed these things that thou hast done against the altar of Bethel.” The following line reads “And he said, Let him alone; let no man move his bones. So they let his bones alone, with the bones of the prophet that came out of Samaria.” Together, these lines place 2 Kings 23:17 within its immediate canonical and literary sequence.

Reading the Verse

The verse records speech within a historical scene. Meaning depends on who speaks, who receives the words, and what prompted the exchange.

The verse first states “Then he said, What title is that that I see?” It then adds “And the men of the city told him, It is the sepulchre of the man of God, which came from Judah, and proclaimed these things that thou hast done against the altar of Bethel.” Both movements belong together.

Biblical Significance

Recorded speech reveals decisions, commands, questions, fears, promises, or responses within the biblical account. Keeping the correct words with the correct speaker is essential.

Application

Readers should ask what the speech accomplishes in the scene and how the surrounding narrative evaluates it. Careful listening should precede application.

Read in this setting, 2 Kings 23:17 speaks through its own wording and context. Its claims and application begin with the KJV text above.