The Church Fathers on this verse
THEOSIS
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2 Chronicles 34:3Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

And in the eighth year of his reign, when he was yet a boy, he began to seek the God of his father David: and in the twelfth year after he began to reign, he cleansed Juda and Jerusalem from the high places, and the groves, and the idols, and the graven things.

Douay-Rheims

וּבִשְׁמוֹנֶ֨ה שָׁנִ֜ים לְמָלְכ֗וֹ וְהוּא֙ עוֹדֶ֣נּוּ נַ֔עַר הֵחֵ֕ל לִדְר֕וֹשׁ לֵאלֹהֵ֖י דָּוִ֣יד אָבִ֑יו וּבִשְׁתֵּ֧ים עֶשְׂרֵ֣ה שָׁנָ֗ה הֵחֵל֙ לְטַהֵ֔ר אֶת־יְהוּדָה֙ וִיר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם מִן־הַבָּמוֹת֙ וְהָ֣אֲשֵׁרִ֔ים וְהַפְּסִלִ֖ים וְהַמַּסֵּכֽוֹת׃

Hebrew (Masoretic text)

The Church Fathers on this verse

2 Church Fathers comment on this verse

Cyrill of Alexandria

5th centuryChurch Father

He dismantled the altars and sacred sites, purifying the holy temple from the abominations brought by Manasseh. He instructed the priests to carry out their duties as prescribed by the law for the glory of God. In addition, he burned the chariot dedicated to the sun and expelled from Jerusalem false prophets, enchanters, and magicians. Many priests were executed, their remains offered on the altars of the idols, and he overturned the altar set up at Bethel by Jeroboam. Due to his profound devotion to God, the Lord withheld His anger and did not act on His threats during his reign.

Theophan the Recluse

19th centuryChurch Father

Throughout the history of God’s people, it has often occurred that one or more kings have come to power who, influenced by the practices of surrounding nations, have introduced idolatry in their land. As a result, numerous idols emerged on the hills, in groves, in city squares, and even within the temple itself. The people began to worship these idols, causing the worship of the true God to be neglected. However, when God raised up kings aligned with His will, such as Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah, and Josiah, their foremost duty was to purify the temple, the city, the hills and groves, and the entire kingdom from false gods. Evil was expelled, and righteousness flourished. The one true God was exalted and worshipped in the temple, in the city, on the hills, and in the fields.

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Once again, God was visibly acknowledged as their sovereign.

A similar work is being accomplished within us. Each individual represents a small kingdom, with our consciousness and self-activity serving as the monarch. The subjects are the various forces of our existence—body, soul, and spirit. The heart serves as the sanctuary of God within us. When our king—our consciousness and freedom—turns away from God and leans towards ourselves and worldly matters, our being becomes filled with passions and harmful desires, akin to idols. In such cases, every aspect of our body and soul becomes a priestly offering to these false gods, and God is forgotten. We then serve our bodily desires, such as indulgence, laziness, lust, and distractions like revelry, festivals, and entertainment, just as the pagans worshipped Venus and Bacchus. In our souls, we become ensnared by vanity, the need for approval, envy, the desire for recognition, anger, hatred, and other vices, which give rise to the idols of selfishness and hardened egoism. Thus, we become idolaters, wholeheartedly serving these other gods with all our strength and experiencing a state of divine fearlessness, disgust, or hatred.

However, when God's mercy intervenes and He imparts to us a spirit of reverence and awe, our consciousness and freedom—our king—awaken and direct themselves back to God. With fervor, we begin the task of cleansing our inner kingdom from all idols, expelling passions from every aspect of our being, and replacing them with virtues that are pleasing to God. As we strive to serve Him alone, our attitude shifts from self-centeredness to self-denial and devotion. In place of our passions, we cultivate the holy fruits of the Spirit: humility, meekness, temperance, purity, love, peace, patience, diligence, and more—all motivated by a desire to honor God and a profound sense of dependence on Him.

In this way, both our thoughts and our love for God are revitalized, restoring our devotion and worship. God is reinstated on His throne within us, and all that opposes Him, both great and small, within and without, is cast out and destroyed. This signifies the true enthronement of God within us.

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Passages read together with this verse.