He tore down the altars and Asherah poles, crushed the idols to powder, and cut to pieces all the incense altars throughout the land of Israel. Then he returned to Jerusalem.
Concerning Josiah we are here told, 1. That he came to the crown when he was very young, only eight years old (yet his infancy did not debar him from his right), and he reigned thirty-one years (Ch2 34:1), a considerable time.
Commenting on 2 Chronicles 34:1-7
Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had purged the land and the house,.... The temple; this was in the twenty sixth year of his age, six years this work had been doing before it was finished: he sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah: who only is mentioned in Kg2 22:3 two more are added here, as follow: and Maaseiah the governor...
And when he had broken down the altars and the groves, and had beaten the graven images into powder, and cut down all the idols throughout all the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem. (d) This great zeal of this godly king the Holy Spirit sets forth as an example and pattern to other kings and rulers, to teach them what God requires of them.