“The Lord said also unto me in the days of Josiah the king, Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel hath done? she is gone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there hath played the harlot.”
A shift in perspective introduces a new dimension: 'During the reign of King Josiah, the LORD said to me, "Have you seen what faithless Israel has done? She has gone up on every high hill and under every spreading tree and has committed adultery there."' This verse situates the prophecy during Josiah's reign (c. 640-609 BCE), a period of religious reform, yet even during this attempt to restore covenant faithfulness, Israel's idolatry persists. The reference to 'faithless Israel' (the northern kingdom, destroyed by Assyria c. 722 BCE) suggests that Israel's apostasy had precedent: the northern tribes had already experienced exile as divine judgment for covenant violation, yet Judah learned nothing from their fate. The continued practice of fertility rites on high hills and under trees despite Josiah's religious reform indicates the depth of Israel's apostasy: even deliberate royal efforts to restore orthodoxy cannot overcome the people's systematic pursuit of false gods. Theologically, this verse establishes a crucial principle: Israel's idolatry is so deeply rooted that reform efforts, while well-intentioned, cannot effect genuine transformation without a change of heart.
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