30 And the king H4428 went up H5927 into the house H1004 of the LORD, H3068 and all the men H376 of Judah, H3063 and the inhabitants H3427 of Jerusalem, H3389 and the priests, H3548 and the Levites, H3881 and all the people, H5971 great H1419 and small: H6996 and he read H7121 in their ears H241 all the words H1697 of the book H5612 of the covenant H1285 that was found H4672 in the house H1004 of the LORD. H3068
Behold, the days H3117 come, H935 saith H5002 the LORD, H3068 that I will make H3772 a new H2319 covenant H1285 with the house H1004 of Israel, H3478 and with the house H1004 of Judah: H3063 Not according to the covenant H1285 that I made H3772 with their fathers H1 in the day H3117 that I took H2388 them by the hand H3027 to bring them out H3318 of the land H776 of Egypt; H4714 which my covenant H1285 they brake, H6565 although I was an husband H1166 unto them, saith H5002 the LORD: H3068
And moreover, H3148 because the preacher H6953 was wise, H2450 he still taught H3925 the people H5971 knowledge; H1847 yea, he gave good heed, H239 and sought out, H2713 and set in order H8626 many H7235 proverbs. H4912 The preacher H6953 sought H1245 to find out H4672 acceptable H2656 words: H1697 and that which was written H3789 was upright, H3476 even words H1697 of truth. H571
And all the people H5971 gathered themselves together H622 as one H259 man H376 into the street H7339 that was before H6440 the water H4325 gate; H8179 and they spake H559 unto Ezra H5830 the scribe H5608 to bring H935 the book H5612 of the law H8451 of Moses, H4872 which the LORD H3068 had commanded H6680 to Israel. H3478 And Ezra H5830 the priest H3548 brought H935 the law H8451 before H6440 the congregation H6951 both of men H376 and women, H802 and all that could hear H8085 with understanding, H995 upon the first H259 day H3117 of the seventh H7637 month. H2320 And he read H7121 therein before H6440 the street H7339 that was before H6440 the water H4325 gate H8179 from the morning H216 until midday, H4276 H3117 before the men H582 and the women, H802 and those that could understand; H995 and the ears H241 of all the people H5971 were attentive unto the book H5612 of the law. H8451 And Ezra H5830 the scribe H5608 stood H5975 upon a pulpit H4026 of wood, H6086 which they had made H6213 for the purpose; H1697 and beside H681 him stood H5975 Mattithiah, H4993 and Shema, H8087 and Anaiah, H6043 and Urijah, H223 and Hilkiah, H2518 and Maaseiah, H4641 on his right hand; H3225 and on his left hand, H8040 Pedaiah, H6305 and Mishael, H4332 and Malchiah, H4441 and Hashum, H2828 and Hashbadana, H2806 Zechariah, H2148 and Meshullam. H4918 And Ezra H5830 opened H6605 the book H5612 in the sight H5869 of all the people; H5971 (for he was above all the people;) H5971 and when he opened H6605 it, all the people H5971 stood up: H5975
Then Shaphan H8227 the scribe H5608 told H5046 the king, H4428 saying, H559 Hilkiah H2518 the priest H3548 hath given 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 law, H8451 that he rent H7167 his clothes. H899
Also in the third H7969 year H8141 of his reign H4427 he sent H7971 to his princes, H8269 even to Benhail, H1134 and to Obadiah, H5662 and to Zechariah, H2148 and to Nethaneel, H5417 and to Michaiah, H4322 to teach H3925 in the cities H5892 of Judah. H3063 And with them he sent Levites, H3881 even Shemaiah, H8098 and Nethaniah, H5418 and Zebadiah, H2069 and Asahel, H6214 and Shemiramoth, H8070 and Jehonathan, H3083 and Adonijah, H138 and Tobijah, H2900 and Tobadonijah, H2899 Levites; H3881 and with them Elishama H476 and Jehoram, H3088 priests. H3548 And they taught H3925 in Judah, H3063 and had the book H5612 of the law H8451 of the LORD H3068 with them, and went about H5437 throughout all the cities H5892 of Judah, H3063 and taught H3925 the people. H5971
And they entered H935 into a covenant H1285 to seek H1875 the LORD H3068 God H430 of their fathers H1 with all their heart H3824 and with all their soul; H5315 That whosoever would not seek H1875 the LORD H3068 God H430 of Israel H3478 should be put to death, H4191 whether H4480 small H6996 or great, H1419 whether man H376 or woman. H802
Then said H559 Solomon, H8010 The LORD H3068 hath said H559 that he would dwell H7931 in the thick darkness. H6205 But I have built H1129 an house H1004 of habitation H2073 for thee, and a place H4349 for thy dwelling H3427 for ever. H5769 And the king H4428 turned H5437 his face, H6440 and blessed H1288 the whole congregation H6951 of Israel: H3478 and all the congregation H6951 of Israel H3478 stood. H5975 And he said, H559 Blessed H1288 be the LORD H3068 God H430 of Israel, H3478 who hath with his hands H3027 fulfilled H4390 that which he spake H1696 with his mouth H6310 to my father H1 David, H1732 saying, H559 Since the day H3117 that I brought forth H3318 my people H5971 out of the land H776 of Egypt H4714 I chose H977 no city H5892 among all the tribes H7626 of Israel H3478 to build H1129 an house H1004 in, that my name H8034 might be there; neither chose H977 I any man H376 to be a ruler H5057 over my people H5971 Israel: H3478 But I have chosen H977 Jerusalem, H3389 that my name H8034 might be there; and have chosen H977 David H1732 to be over my people H5971 Israel. H3478 Now it was in the heart H3824 of David H1732 my father H1 to build H1129 an house H1004 for the name H8034 of the LORD H3068 God H430 of Israel. H3478 But the LORD H3068 said H559 to David H1732 my father, H1 Forasmuch as it was in thine heart H3824 to build H1129 an house H1004 for my name, H8034 thou didst well H2895 in that it was in thine heart: H3824 Notwithstanding H7535 thou shalt not build H1129 the house; H1004 but thy son H1121 which shall come forth H3318 out of thy loins, H2504 he shall build H1129 the house H1004 for my name. H8034 The LORD H3068 therefore hath performed H6965 his word H1697 that he hath spoken: H1696 for I am risen up H6965 in the room of David H1732 my father, H1 and am set H3427 on the throne H3678 of Israel, H3478 as the LORD H3068 promised, H1696 and have built H1129 the house H1004 for the name H8034 of the LORD H3068 God H430 of Israel. H3478 And in it H8033 have I put H7760 the ark, H727 wherein is the covenant H1285 of the LORD, H3068 that he made H3772 with the children H1121 of Israel. H3478
And it shall be, when he sitteth H3427 upon the throne H3678 of his kingdom, H4467 that he shall write H3789 him a copy H4932 of this law H8451 in a book H5612 out of that which is before H6440 the priests H3548 the Levites: H3881 And it shall be with him, and he shall read H7121 therein all the days H3117 of his life: H2416 that he may learn H3925 to fear H3372 the LORD H3068 his God, H430 to keep H8104 all the words H1697 of this law H8451 and these statutes, H2706 to do H6213 them: That his heart H3824 be not lifted up H7311 above his brethren, H251 and that he turn not aside H5493 from the commandment, H4687 to the right hand, H3225 or to the left: H8040 to the end that he may prolong H748 his days H3117 in his kingdom, H4467 he, and his children, H1121 in the midst H7130 of Israel. H3478
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).