15 and also the altar that 'is' in Beth-El, the high place that Jeroboam son of Nebat made, by which he made Israel sin, both that altar and the high place he hath broken down, and doth burn the high place—he hath beat it small to dust, and hath burnt the shrine. 16 And Josiah turneth, and seeth the graves that 'are' there in the mount, and sendeth and taketh the bones out of the graves, and burneth 'them' on the altar, and defileth it, according to the word of Jehovah that the man of God proclaimed, who proclaimed these things. 17 And he saith, 'What 'is' this sign that I see?' and the men of the city say unto him, 'The grave of the man of God who hath come from Judah, and proclaimeth these things that thou hast done concerning the altar of Beth-El.' 18 And he saith, 'Let him alone, let no man touch his bones;' and they let his bones escape, with the bones of the prophet who came out of Samaria. 19 And also all the houses of the high places that 'are' in the cities of Samaria, that the kings of Israel made to provoke to anger, hath Josiah turned aside, and doth to them according to all the deeds that he did in Beth-El. 20 And he slayeth all the priests of the high places who 'are' there by the altars, and burneth the bones of man upon them, and turneth back to Jerusalem.
21 And the king commandeth the whole of the people, saying, 'Make ye a passover to Jehovah your God, as it is written on this book of the covenant.' 22 Surely there hath not been made like this passover from the days of the judges who judged Israel, even all the days of the kings of Israel, and of the kings of Judah; 23 but in the eighteenth year of king Josiah, hath this passover been made to Jehovah in Jerusalem.
24 And also, those having familiar spirits, and the wizards, and the teraphim, and the idols, and all the abominations that were seen in the land of Judah, and in Jerusalem, hath Josiah put away, in order to establish the words of the law that are written on the book that Hilkiah the priest hath found in the house of Jehovah.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on 2 Kings 23:15-24
Commentary on 2 Kings 23:15-24
(Read 2 Kings 23:15-24)
Josiah's zeal extended to the cities of Israel within his reach. He carefully preserved the sepulchre of that man of God, who came from Judah to foretell the throwing down of Jeroboam's altar. When they had cleared the country of the old leaven of idolatry, then they applied themselves to the keeping of the feast. There was not holden such a passover in any of the foregoing reigns. The revival of a long-neglected ordinance, filled them with holy joy; and God recompensed their zeal in destroying idolatry with uncommon tokens of his presence and favour. We have reason to think that during the remainder of Josiah's reign, religion flourished.