What is the meaning of 2 Kings 23:13?

The king also desecrated the high places east of Jerusalem

• “The king” is Josiah, whose sweeping reforms are chronicled in 2 Kings 22 – 23. Earlier verses show him tearing down pagan altars in the city (2 Kings 23:4-8).

• “High places” were elevated sites used for worship. God had repeatedly forbidden them (Deuteronomy 12:2-3), directing His people to bring sacrifices only to the place He chose (later identified as the temple in Jerusalem).

• By desecrating—literally defiling—these sites, Josiah obeyed the explicit command to destroy idolatrous centers (see 2 Chronicles 34:3-7).

• The phrase “east of Jerusalem” underscores that idolatry had crept perilously close to the holy city, highlighting how urgently reform was needed (Ezekiel 8:16 pictures similar encroachment).

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to the south of the Mount of Corruption

• “Mount of Corruption” is another name for the southern slope of the Mount of Olives. It earned that title because of the corrupt worship established there (1 Kings 11:7).

• The location matters: a hill once associated with Israel’s hope (Zechariah 14:4) had become infamous for apostasy. Josiah’s act symbolically reclaimed sacred geography for the Lord.

• By striking at corruption so near the temple mount, Josiah modeled radical separation from sin (2 Corinthians 6:17).

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which King Solomon of Israel had built for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Sidonians

• Solomon, despite his wisdom, compromised late in life by building shrines for the foreign gods of his wives (1 Kings 11:4-8). Ashtoreth (also spelled Astarte) was the chief goddess of Sidon, linked to sensual rites.

• The writer calls her an “abomination,” echoing Deuteronomy 12:31. Scripture does not soften paganism; it names it what it is—repulsive to God.

• Josiah’s demolition of Solomon’s shrine shows that no tradition, however ancient or prestigious, is exempt from obedience to God’s Word (Mark 7:8-9).

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for Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites

• Chemosh was the national deity of Moab (Numbers 21:29). Worship included human sacrifice (2 Kings 3:26-27).

• Centuries after Solomon introduced the shrine, it still stood—proof that sin, once accommodated, can linger for generations (Exodus 20:5).

• Josiah’s action fulfilled God’s call to root out every vestige of idolatry (Deuteronomy 13:12-17) and anticipated the later judgment pronounced on Moab (Jeremiah 48:7-13).

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and for Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites

• Milcom (or Molech) demanded child sacrifice (Leviticus 18:21; Jeremiah 32:35). Such cruelty stands in stark contrast to the character of the Lord, who forbade it outright.

• By mentioning Milcom last, the verse piles up a crescendo of detestable practices that had been tolerated. Josiah’s reforms therefore marked a decisive break with neighboring nations’ gods (Zephaniah 1:4-5).

• The episode illustrates a timeless principle: partial reform is not enough; all competing loyalties must be torn down (Matthew 6:24).

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summary

2 Kings 23:13 records Josiah’s removal of three ancient shrines—erected by Solomon generations earlier—on the Mount of Corruption east of Jerusalem. Each shrine honored a foreign deity (Ashtoreth, Chemosh, Milcom) that Scripture labels an “abomination.” By desecrating these high places, Josiah fulfilled God’s command to purge idolatry, reclaimed territory dangerously close to the temple, and demonstrated unwavering loyalty to the Lord. The verse reminds us that tolerated sin can persist long after its introduction, but faithful obedience decisively uproots it.