1 Josiah H2977 was eight H8083 years H8141 old H1121 when he began to reign, H4427 and he reigned H4427 in Jerusalem H3389 one H259 and thirty H7970 years. H8141
And now, O LORD H3068 my God, H430 thou hast made thy servant H5650 king H4427 instead of David H1732 my father: H1 and I am but a little H6996 child: H5288 I know H3045 not how to go out H3318 or come in. H935 And thy servant H5650 is in the midst H8432 of thy people H5971 which thou hast chosen, H977 a great H7227 people, H5971 that cannot be numbered H4487 nor counted H5608 for multitude. H7230 Give H5414 therefore thy servant H5650 an understanding H8085 heart H3820 to judge H8199 thy people, H5971 that I may discern H995 between good H2896 and bad: H7451 for who is able H3201 to judge H8199 this thy so great H3515 a people? H5971
Josiah H2977 was eight H8083 years H8141 old H1121 when he began to reign, H4427 and he reigned H4427 thirty H7970 and one H259 years H8141 in Jerusalem. H3389 And his mother's H517 name H8034 was Jedidah, H3040 the daughter H1323 of Adaiah H5718 of Boscath. H1218 And he did H6213 that which was right H3477 in the sight H5869 of the LORD, H3068 and walked H3212 in all the way H1870 of David H1732 his father, H1 and turned not aside H5493 to the right hand H3225 or to the left. H8040 And it came to pass in the eighteenth H8083 H6240 year H8141 of king H4428 Josiah, H2977 that the king H4428 sent H7971 Shaphan H8227 the son H1121 of Azaliah, H683 the son H1121 of Meshullam, H4918 the scribe, H5608 to the house H1004 of the LORD, H3068 saying, H559 Go up H5927 to Hilkiah H2518 the high H1419 priest, H3548 that he may sum H8552 the silver H3701 which is brought H935 into the house H1004 of the LORD, H3068 which the keepers H8104 of the door H5592 have gathered H622 of the people: H5971 And let them deliver H5414 it into the hand H3027 of the doers H6213 of the work, H4399 that have the oversight H6485 of the house H1004 of the LORD: H3068 and let them give H5414 it to the doers H6213 of the work H4399 which is in the house H1004 of the LORD, H3068 to repair H2388 the breaches H919 of the house, H1004 Unto carpenters, H2796 and builders, H1129 and masons, H1443 and to buy H7069 timber H6086 and hewn H4274 stone H68 to repair H2388 the house. H1004 Howbeit there was no reckoning made H2803 with them of the money H3701 that was delivered H5414 into their hand, H3027 because they dealt H6213 faithfully. H530 And Hilkiah H2518 the high H1419 priest H3548 said H559 unto Shaphan H8227 the scribe, H5608 I have found H4672 the book H5612 of the law H8451 in the house H1004 of the LORD. H3068 And Hilkiah H2518 gave H5414 the book H5612 to Shaphan, H8227 and he read H7121 it. And Shaphan H8227 the scribe H5608 came H935 to the king, H4428 and brought H7725 the king H4428 word H1697 again, H7725 and said, H559 Thy servants H5650 have gathered H5413 the money H3701 that was found H4672 in the house, H1004 and have delivered H5414 it into the hand H3027 of them that do H6213 the work, H4399 that have the oversight H6485 of the house H1004 of the LORD. H3068 And Shaphan H8227 the scribe H5608 shewed H5046 the king, H4428 saying, H559 Hilkiah H2518 the priest H3548 hath delivered H5414 me a book. H5612 And Shaphan H8227 read H7121 it before H6440 the king. H4428 And it came to pass, when the king H4428 had heard H8085 the words H1697 of the book H5612 of the law, H8451 that he rent H7167 his clothes. H899 And the king H4428 commanded H6680 Hilkiah H2518 the priest, H3548 and Ahikam H296 the son H1121 of Shaphan, H8227 and Achbor H5907 the son H1121 of Michaiah, H4320 and Shaphan H8227 the scribe, H5608 and Asahiah H6222 a servant H5650 of the king's, H4428 saying, H559 Go H3212 ye, enquire H1875 of the LORD H3068 for me, and for the people, H5971 and for all Judah, H3063 concerning the words H1697 of this book H5612 that is found: H4672 for great H1419 is the wrath H2534 of the LORD H3068 that is kindled H3341 against us, because our fathers H1 have not hearkened H8085 unto the words H1697 of this book, H5612 to do H6213 according unto all that which is written H3789 concerning us. So Hilkiah H2518 the priest, H3548 and Ahikam, H296 and Achbor, H5907 and Shaphan, H8227 and Asahiah, H6222 went H3212 unto Huldah H2468 the prophetess, H5031 the wife H802 of Shallum H7967 the son H1121 of Tikvah, H8616 the son H1121 of Harhas, H2745 keeper H8104 of the wardrobe; H899 (now she dwelt H3427 in Jerusalem H3389 in the college;) H4932 and they communed H1696 with her. And she said H559 unto them, Thus saith H559 the LORD H3068 God H430 of Israel, H3478 Tell H559 the man H376 that sent H7971 you to me, Thus saith H559 the LORD, H3068 Behold, I will bring H935 evil H7451 upon this place, H4725 and upon the inhabitants H3427 thereof, even all the words H1697 of the book H5612 which the king H4428 of Judah H3063 hath read: H7121 Because they have forsaken H5800 me, and have burned incense H6999 unto other H312 gods, H430 that they might provoke me to anger H3707 with all the works H4639 of their hands; H3027 therefore my wrath H2534 shall be kindled H3341 against this place, H4725 and shall not be quenched. H3518 But to the king H4428 of Judah H3063 which sent H7971 you to enquire H1875 of the LORD, H3068 thus shall ye say H559 to him, Thus saith H559 the LORD H3068 God H430 of Israel, H3478 As touching the words H1697 which thou hast heard; H8085 Because thine heart H3824 was tender, H7401 and thou hast humbled H3665 thyself before H6440 the LORD, H3068 when thou heardest H8085 what I spake H1696 against this place, H4725 and against the inhabitants H3427 thereof, that they should become a desolation H8047 and a curse, H7045 and hast rent H7167 thy clothes, H899 and wept H1058 before H6440 me; I also have heard H8085 thee, saith H5002 the LORD. H3068 Behold therefore, I will gather H622 thee unto thy fathers, H1 and thou shalt be gathered H622 into thy grave H6913 in peace; H7965 and thine eyes H5869 shall not see H7200 all the evil H7451 which I will bring H935 upon this place. H4725 And they brought H7725 the king H4428 word H1697 again. H7725
And G1161 Ezekias G1478 begat G1080 Manasses; G3128 and G1161 Manasses G3128 begat G1080 Amon; G300 and G1161 Amon G300 begat G1080 Josias; G2502 And G1161 Josias G2502 begat G1080 Jechonias G2423 and G2532 his G846 brethren, G80 about the time G1909 they were carried away G3350 to Babylon: G897
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on 2 Chronicles 34
Commentary on 2 Chronicles 34 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 34
2Ch 34:1, 2. Josiah's Good Reign.
1. Josiah was eight years old—(See on 2Ki 22:1). The testimony borne to the undeviating steadfastness of his adherence to the cause of true religion places his character and reign in honorable contrast with those of many of his royal predecessors.
2Ch 34:3-7. He Destroys Idolatry.
3. in the eighth year of his reign—This was the sixteenth year of his age, and, as the kings of Judah were considered minors till they had completed their thirteenth year, it was three years after he had attained majority. He had very early manifested the piety and excellent dispositions of his character. In the twelfth year of his reign, but the twentieth of his age, he began to take a lively interest in the purgation of his kingdom from all the monuments of idolatry which, in his father's short reign, had been erected. At a later period, his increasing zeal for securing the purity of divine worship led him to superintend the work of demolition in various parts of his dominion. The course of the narrative in this passage is somewhat different from that followed in the Book of Kings. For the historian, having made allusion to the early manifestation of Josiah's zeal, goes on with a full detail of all the measures this good king adopted for the extirpation of idolatry; whereas the author of the Book of Kings sets out with the cleansing of the temple, immediately previous to the celebration of the passover, and embraces that occasion to give a general description of Josiah's policy for freeing the land from idolatrous pollution. The exact chronological order is not followed either in Kings or Chronicles. But it is clearly recorded in both that the abolition of idolatry began in the twelfth and was completed in the eighteenth year of Josiah's reign. Notwithstanding Josiah's undoubted sincerity and zeal and the people's apparent compliance with the king's orders, he could not extinguish a strongly rooted attachment to idolatries introduced in the early part of Manasseh's reign. This latent predilection appears unmistakably developed in the subsequent reigns, and the divine decree for the removal of Judah, as well as Israel, into captivity was irrevocably passed.
4. the graves of them that had sacrificed unto them—He treated the graves themselves as guilty of the crimes of those who were lying in them [Bertheau].
5. he burnt the bones of the priests upon their altars—A greater brand of infamy could not have been put on idolatrous priests than the disinterment of their bones, and a greater defilement could not have been done to the altars of idolatry than the burning upon them the bones of those who had there officiated in their lifetime.
6. with their mattocks—or, "in their deserts"—so that the verse will stand thus: "And so did [namely, break the altars and burn the bones of priests] he in the cities of Manasseh, and Ephraim, and Simeon, even unto Naphtali, in their deserted suburbs." The reader is apt to be surprised on finding that Josiah, whose hereditary possessions were confined to the kingdom of Judah, exercised as much authority among the tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, Simeon, and others as far as Naphtali, as he did within his own dominion. Therefore, it is necessary to observe that, after the destruction of Samaria by Shalmaneser, the remnant that continued on the mountains of Israel maintained a close intercourse with Judah, and looked to the sovereigns of that kingdom as their natural protectors. Those kings acquired great influence over them, which Josiah exercised in removing every vestige of idolatry from the land. He could not have done this without the acquiescence of the people in the propriety of this proceeding, conscious that this was conformable to their ancient laws and institutions. The Assyrian kings, who were now masters of the country, might have been displeased at the liberties Josiah took beyond his own territories. But either they were not informed of his doings, or they did not trouble themselves about his religious proceedings, relating, as they would think, to the god of the land, especially as he did not attempt to seize upon any place or to disturb the allegiance of the people [Calmet].
2Ch 34:8-18. He Repairs the Temple.
8. in the eighteenth year of his reign … he sent Shaphan—(See on 2Ki 22:3-9).
2Ch 34:19-33. And, Causing the Law to Be Read, Renews the Covenant between God and the People.
19. when the king had heard the words of the law, &c.—(See on 2Ki 22:11-20; 23:1-3).