This particular Bible mystery doesn’t quite qualify for the “Weird Bible Passage” series I did a few months ago. It is more a matter of different translational possibilities. Specifically, the verse in question is 2 Kings 23:8, which is within the passage describing the actions of Judah’s King Josiah when he was instituting reforms.

It is possible to get confused when reading the verse, thinking that the latter half refers to gates at the entrance to a gate (or some such thing), which seems redundant. But, a more careful reading shows that there is something else at the entrance of the Joshua Gate, and that is what we want to examine a bit. I checked many translations, and most of them refer to Josiah breaking down or destroying “the high places at/of the gates”. (Note: I have italicized the relevant words in each of the quotes below.) For example, the English Standard Version (ESV) reads:

“8 And he brought all the priests out of the cities of Judah, and defiled the high places where the priests had made offerings, from Geba to Beersheba. And he broke down the high places of the gates that were at the entrance of the gate of Joshua the governor of the city, which were on one’s left at the gate of the city.” (2 Kings 23:8 (ESV))

Similarly, from the New American Standard, 1995 Update (NASB95), we have:

“8 Then he brought all the priests from the cities of Judah, and defiled the high places where the priests had burned incense, from Geba to Beersheba; and he broke down the high places of the gates which were at the entrance of the gate of Joshua the governor of the city, which were on one’s left at the city gate.” (2 Kings 23:8 (NASB95))

Here is a slightly different take in the New International Version (NIV):

“8 Josiah brought all the priests from the towns of Judah and desecrated the high places, from Geba to Beersheba, where the priests had burned incense. He broke down the gateway at the entrance of the Gate of Joshua, the city governor, which was on the left of the city gate.” (2 Kings 23:8 (NIV))

Now, the “high places” approach is a legit, “literal” translation of the Hebrew wording which refers to an elevated place where people back then went to worship their god(s). I understand why the ESV and NASB95, formal translations that I happen to like, use “high place(s)”. But, if a reader doesn’t realize what it means, it could cause a little confusion; I think using “altar” or “shrine” or even “pagan shrine” is a better translation which retains “formal equivalency”. Unfortunately, the NIV’s choice of simply “the gateway” erases all sense of the altar/shrine being there, and the casual or uninformed reader might wonder why Josiah was destroying a gateway along with all the pagan religious stuff.

Fortunately, there are a few Bible translations that took my advice (hah!). For example, the New Living Translation (NLT) says,

“8 Josiah brought to Jerusalem all the priests who were living in other towns of Judah. He also defiled the pagan shrines, where they had offered sacrifices — all the way from Geba to Beersheba. He destroyed the shrines at the entrance to the gate of Joshua, the governor of Jerusalem. This gate was located to the left of the city gate as one enters the city.” (2 Kings 23:8 (NLT))

Similarly, the Common English Bible (CEB) says,

“8 Then Josiah brought all the priests out of Judah’s cities. From Geba to Beer-sheba, he defiled the shrines where the priests had been burning incense. He also tore down the shrines at the gates at the entrance to the gate of Joshua the city’s governor, which were on the left as one entered the city gate. (2 Kings 23:8 (CEB))

However, there are a minority number of translations — I counted at least six (NEB, REB, NET, GNT, WYC, JER) — that throw in a little something extra. They specify the object of the worship at the shrine. Take the New English Bible (NEB), for example, including relevant textual note…

“He brought in all the priests from the cities of Judah and desecrated the hill-shrines where they had burnt sacrifices, from Geba to Beersheba, and dismantled the hill-shrines of the demons[e] in front of the gate of Joshua, the governor of the city, to the left of the city gate.” (2 Kings 23:8 (NEB))

e: Or satyrs.

Notice how the NEB uses “hill-shrines”, an acceptable replacement for “high places” that has the added benefit of retaining the idea of being located at a raised elevation.

The Jerusalem Bible (JER), including relevant textual note, says…

“8 He brought all the priests in from the towns of Judah, and from Geba to Beersheba he desecrated the high places where these priests had offered sacrifice. He pulled down the shrine of the goats[g] which stood at the gate of Joshua, the governor of the city, to the left as you enter the city gate.” (2 Kings 23:8 (JER))

g: Text corrected. The reference is to demons represented as he-goats, after the fashion of satyrs, see Lv 17:7; 2 Ch 11:15.

It’s interesting that the JER translators chose “high places” in the first part of the verse but “the shrine of the goats” in the latter part. Inconsistent? Or, an effort to show both the more literal translation of the Hebrew and a more helpful rendering to clarify what it was?

The Good News Translation (GNT) reads…

“8 He brought to Jerusalem the priests who were in the cities of Judah, and throughout the whole country he desecrated the altars where they had offered sacrifices. He also tore down the altars dedicated to the goat demons near the gate built by Joshua, the city governor, which was to the left of the main gate as one enters the city.” (2 Kings 23:8 (GNT))

The New English Translation (NET), including important text-critical note, renders it…

“8 He brought all the priests from the cities of Judah and ruined[a] the high places where the priests had offered sacrifices, from Geba to Beer Sheba.[b] He tore down the high place of the goat idols[c] situated at the entrance of the gate of Joshua, the city official, on the left side of the city gate.” (2 Kings 23:8 (NET))

c: The Hebrew text reads “the high places of the gates,” which is problematic in that the rest of the verse speaks of a specific gate. The translation assumes an emendation to בָּמוֹת הַשְּׁעָרִים (bamot hasheʿarim), “the high place of the goats” (that is, goat idols). Worship of such images is referred to in Lev 17:7 and 2 Chr 11:15. For a discussion of the textual issue, see M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 286-87.

Note that both the Jerusalem Bible and the NET give support for their rendering by pointing to Lev. 17:7 and 2 Chron. 11:15, so let me provide a few examples of what different translations say in those verses, along with a bit of scriptural context.

When God was instructing Moses that whenever an Israelite kills an ox, lamb, or goat, he is required to present it as a gift to God at the entrance of the tent of meeting, lest he be imputed with bloodguilt and “cut off” from the people:

“7 So they shall no more sacrifice their sacrifices to goat demons, after whom they whore. This shall be a statute forever for them throughout their generations.” (Lev. 17:7 (ESV))

When Solomon’s rebellious son Rehoboam was securing his kingdom in Judah after Solomon’s death:

“15 and he appointed his own priests for the high places and for the goat idols and for the calves that he had made.” (2 Chron. 11:15 (ESV))

Now from the NASB95:

“7 They shall no longer sacrifice their sacrifices to the [a]goat demons with which they play the harlot. This shall be a permanent statute to them throughout their generations.”’” (Lev. 17:7 (NASB95))

a: Or goat-idols

“15 He set up priests of his own for the high places, for the satyrs and for the calves which he had made.” (2 Chron. 11:15 (NASB95))

Here is how the less formal NIV translates these two verses:

“7 They must no longer offer any of their sacrifices to the goat idols[a] to whom they prostitute themselves. This is to be a lasting ordinance for them and for the generations to come.’” (Lev. 17:7 (NIV))

a: Or the demons

“15 when he appointed his own priests for the high places and for the goat and calf idols he had made.” (2 Chron. 11:15 (NIV))

The New Living Translation says:

“7 The people must no longer be unfaithful to the Lord by offering sacrifices to the goat idols.[a] This is a permanent law for them, to be observed from generation to generation.” (Lev. 17:7 (NLT))

a: Or goat demons

“15 Jeroboam appointed his own priests to serve at the pagan shrines, where they worshiped the goat and calf idols he had made.” (2 Chron. 11:15 (NLT))

The Revised English Bible, successor to the NEB, reads:

“7 No longer are they to offer their slaughtered beasts to the demons whom they wantonly follow. This is to be a rule binding on them and their descendants for all time.” (Lev. 17:7 (REB))

“15 and he appointed his own priests for the shrines, for the demons, and for the calves which he had made.” (2 Chron. 11:15 (REB))

And the NET, including important text-critical note, has:

“7 So the people[a] must no longer offer[b] their sacrifices to the goat demons,[c] acting like prostitutes by going after them.[d] This is to be a perpetual statute for them throughout their generations.”’[e]” (Lev. 17:7 (NET))

c: On “goat demons” of the desert regions see the note on Lev 16:8.

“15 Jeroboam[a] appointed his own priests to serve at the worship centers[b] and to lead in the worship of the goat idols and calf idols he had made.[c]” (2 Chron. 11:15 (NET))

OK, that should be enough. 🙂

I wouldn’t say I have a strong theological opinion on this translation issue. But, given the context of most of 2 Kings 23 — i.e., tearing down and defiling the idols and shrines to various pagan gods –, as well as other references specifically to goat-demons/idols/shrines, I am definitely in favor of v.8 saying something like “hill-shrines to the goat-demons” in the section in question.

If the translation team for a “formal” translation (e.g., ESV, NASB, NKJV) insists on using “high places”, then a footnote explaining briefly what those were and that they were likely being used in pagan worship to demons/idols with a he-goat image, that would work, too. If the footnote cross-referenced Lev. 17:7 and 2 Chron. 11:15, that would be even better!

What do you think?

Tags: 2 Chronicles 11:15, 2 Kings 23:8, accurate rendering, Bible translation, biblical Hebrew, city gates, goat idols, Leviticus 17:7, pagan altars, range of options, reforms of King Josiah, satyrs, shrines, the gate of Joshua

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