2 Kings 23:17
“But 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.”
This verse is part of the account of King Josiah’s reforms in Judah.
King Josiah was known for his commitment to purging the land of idolatry and restoring the worship of the true God.
In this particular verse, the focus is on an incident involving a tomb and the remains of a prophet.
Context:To understand the significance of this verse, it’s essential to look at the broader context of 2 Kings 23.
Throughout this chapter, King Josiah is described as carrying out extensive religious reforms.
He cleanses the temple, destroys pagan altars and idols, and reinstates the observance of the Passover.
The Prophet’s Tomb:In verse 16, Josiah sees tombs on a nearby hillside and asks whose they are.
The people of the land tell him that they are the tombs of the priests of the high places who had offered sacrifices at those places.
Josiah’s reforms sought to eradicate idolatry, so the presence of these tombs was a reminder of the wicked practices that he was trying to eliminate.
Letting the Bones Alone:When Josiah learns about the tombs, he orders that the bones of the false priests be brought out and burned upon the altar as a symbolic act of desecration.
However, when he sees another tomb, he asks for its contents to be left undisturbed.
This tomb belongs to a prophet who had come from Samaria.
Significance:The prophet’s tomb serves as a contrast to the pagan priests’ tombs.
While the priests of the high places were involved in idolatrous practices, the prophet had a different purpose and message.
The presence of his tomb on the hillside where the false priests were buried was a testament to the ongoing conflict between the true prophets of God and the false religious practices of the time.
