2Ki 23:4 | HCSB | STEP | Then the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest and the priests of the second rank and the doorkeepers to bring out of the Lord ’s temple all the articles made for Baal , Asherah , and the whole heavenly host . He burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of the Kidron and carried their ashes to Bethel .

2 Kings 23:4

Josiah’s Reforms

4 Then the king commanded Hilkiah ^a the high priest and the priests of the second rank ^b and the doorkeepers to bring out of the Lord’s temple all the articles made for ^{▼▼Baal: A fertility god who was the main god of the Canaanite religion and the god of rain and thunderstorms; also the Hebrew word meaning "lord," "master," "owner," or "husband"}Baal, ^{▼▼Asherah(s): A Canaanite fertility goddess, who was the mother of the god Baal; also the wooden poles associated with the worship of her}Asherah, and the whole heavenly ^{▼▼Hosts/hosts: Military forces consisting of God's angels, sometimes including the sun, moon, and stars, and occasionally, Israel}host. ^f He burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of the Kidron and carried their ashes to Bethel. ^g