דברי הימים ב, פרק ל״ד, פסוק ד׳

A thorough and uncompromising campaign to uproot idol worship from the land begins with the direct action of the King of Judah. This massive purification effort starts in the cities of Judah before expanding into other regions [מלבי״ם]. The destruction of the pagan altars is carried out under the king's direct supervision. His men dismantle the structures right in front of him, acting on his explicit orders [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

Among the symbols targeted in this purge are specific objects dedicated to sun worship. The primary approach among commentators is that these were statues or images shaped like the sun. However, another perspective suggests they were special trees dedicated to the sun, cultivated under the belief that spiritual energy flowed down into them from the sky [רלב״ג]. These objects were positioned high above the altars, intentionally placed to face the sun, a pagan practice that had been established generations earlier during the reign of King Manasseh [רש״י, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

The king ensures these idols are entirely eradicated. He orders them to be chopped down and shattered [מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ], actively fulfilling the biblical commandment to cut down pagan worship trees [רלב״ג]. He does not stop at merely breaking them. The remains are crushed and ground into a fine dust [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. This extreme measure guarantees that no one will ever be able to derive any use or benefit from the materials [רלב״ג].

Finally, the king takes the pulverized dust of the idols and scatters it across the local cemeteries. Commentators note that this action is specifically directed at the graves of the people who had sacrificed to these very idols during their lifetimes [רד״ק, מלבי״ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The act is designed to publicly disgrace the deceased idolaters [מצודת דוד]. By scattering the dust over the graves and burning the bones of pagan priests on the ruined altars to defile them [רלב״ג], the king brings an ancient historical cycle to a close. This deliberate desecration perfectly fulfills a long-standing prophecy given to Jeroboam, which foretold that a king from the house of David named Josiah would one day sacrifice the bones of the pagan priests upon those very altars [רש״י].