1Josiah causeth a solemn passover to be kept. 20He goeth to fight with Pharaoh-necho, and is slain in battle at Megiddo. 25The lamentations made for him. 26His acts.
1MOREOVER Josiah kepta1a passover unto the LORD in Jerusalem: and they killed the 2passover 3on the fourteenth day of the 4first month.
a 2 Kings 23:21.
1 See of this feast Exod. 12:3; 34:18; Lev. 23:5; Num. 9:2; 28:16.
2 That is, the lamb that was to be killed at the feast. See Num. 9 on verse 11.
3 According to the ordinance of the law, Exod. 12:6.
4 Namely, of the holy or ecclesiastical year, which month was called Nisan or Abib. See Exod. 12 on verse 2; Num. 9 on verse 1.
2And he set the priests in their charges, and 5encouraged them to the service of the house of the LORD,
5 That is, he exhorted them to their bounden duty, and encouraged them.
3And said unto the Levites that taught all Israel, which were 6holy unto the LORD, 7Put the 8holy ark in the house which Solomon the son of David king of Israel did build; it shall 9not be a burden upon your shoulders: serve now the LORD your God, and his people Israel,
6 See 2 Chron. 23 on verse 6.
7 From this may be gathered that the ark at this time was not in the temple, or at least not in the Holy of Holies, where it ought to have been; being taken away from there by some idolatrous king previously.
8 Hebr. the ark of holiness. See Lev. 16 on verse 4.
9 Namely, to bear the ark commonly, as their ancestors had done formerly in the wilderness, and as long as the tabernacle stood, Num. 7:9. The sense is: While they were eased of the former burden and that which appertained thereunto, they ought therefore to have the more regard to the other parts of their office. See 1 Chron. 23 on verse 27; 1 Chron. 23 on verse 28, etc.
4And prepare yourselves by the houses of your fathers, after your courses, according to the writing of David king of Israel, and accordingb to the writing of Solomon his son.
b 1 Chronicles 23; 24; 25; 26.
5And stand 10in the holy place according to the divisions of the families of the fathers of your brethren 11the people, and after the division of the families of the Levites.
10 Other, in the sanctuary, that is, by the temple in the court of the priests, there to receive the paschal lambs of those who were not of the tribe of Levi, and to kill them, seeing the priests were in other ways sufficiently employed about the offerings, and the sprinkling of the blood, etc. See of this place Lev. 6 on verse 16; Num. 28 on verse 7, where it is called the holy place.
11 Hebr. the sons or children of the people; that is, the people. Understand those who were not of the tribe of Levi, but belonged to the other tribes, and were not consecrated to the work of the service of God.
6So kill 12the passover, and sanctify yourselves, and prepare your brethren, that they may do according to the word of the LORD by the hand of Moses.
12 That is, the paschal lambs. See of this phrase Num. 9 on verse 11. Also verse 11.
7Andc Josiah 13gave to the people, of the flock, lambs and 14kids, all for the passover offerings, 15for all that were present, to the number of thirty thousand, and three thousand 16bullocks: these were of the king's substance.
c 2 Chron. 30:24.
13 Or, heaved or gave an heaving; that is, an offering or gift. The verb to heave is taken for to offer or to give, as 2 Chron. 30:24, see the annotation; as the heaving is taken for offering. See Num. 5 on verse 9; 2 Chron. 30:24, with the annotation; likewise here in the following.
14 Hebr. sons of goats. See Lev. 1 on verse 14.
15 That is, was present or at hand among the small cattle of the king, that was fit to be slain at this feast, according to the law, Exod. 12:5. Other, according to all those that were found there; that is, according to what was enough for the people who were come to Jerusalem to the passover feast.
16 These served for burnt offerings and thank offerings, which they were likewise to offer at this feast. See Num. 28:19.
8And his 17princes gave 18willingly unto the people, to the priests, and to the Levites: 19Hilkiah and Zechariah and Jehiel, rulers of the house of God, gave unto the priests for the passover offerings two thousand and six hundred 20small cattle, and three hundred oxen.
17 Compare 2 Chron. 30:24, where it may be seen what they gave.
18 See Lev. 7 on verse 16.
19 That is, the high priest, and the two priests of the second order, who were the high priest’s fellow-helpers, yet were under him. See Num. 3 on verse 32; 2 Kings 23 on verse 4.
20 The sense is here improved by this insertion taken out of the previous verse from the words of the flock; the same insert is also done in the following verse.
9Conaniah also, and Shemaiah and Nethaneel, his brethren, and Hashabiah and Jeiel and Jozabad, chief of the Levites, gave unto the Levites for passover offerings five thousand small cattle, and five hundred oxen.
10So the service was prepared, and the priests stood in their place, and the Levites in their courses, according to the king's commandment.
11And they killed the passover, and the priests 21sprinkled the blood 22from their hands, and the Levites flayed them.
21 Namely, upon the altar. See 2 Chron. 29:22.
22 That is, which they took from the hand of the slayer or killer; for, the word sprinkling comprehends here in it also the signification of the verb to take. See Gen. 12 on verse 15; 2 Chron. 30:16.
12And 23they removed the 24burnt offerings, that they might 25give according to the divisions of the families of 26the people, to offer unto the LORD, as it is written in the book of Moses. And so did they with the oxen.
23 Namely, from the lambs or the kids, which they had slain and flayed.
24 That is, that part which was to be offered unto the Lord for a burnt offering; as the fat (see verse 14), the tail, the kidneys, the caul, which were all to be burnt with fire, Lev. 3:9, 10, 11. Some understand that they separated or set apart some lambs to give them unto the people, according to the paternal houses, to be offered.
25 Namely, the passover offerings, lambs or goats.
26 Hebr. to the sons or children of the people, as verses 5, 7 and 13.
13Andd they 27roasted the passover with fire according to the ordinance: but 28the other holy offerings 29sod they in pots, and in caldrons, and in pans, and 30divided them speedily among all the people.
d Exod. 12:8, 9.
27 Hebr. properly boiled up; that is, they roasted it at the fire, as it appears by the contrast which is there immediately added of the things which were boiled in pots, etc.; for, God had commanded that they were to roast the paschal lamb, Exod. 12:8, 9. The Hebrew word is also taken for roasting in Deut. 16:7.
28 Understand the pieces and parts of the thank offerings, which pertained to those who offered them.
29 That is, boiled.
30 Hebr. they caused them to run to all the children of the people; that is, they divided to everyone among the people, with special haste and nimbleness, their part or portion of the offering.
14And afterward they 31made ready for themselves, and for the priests: because the priests the sons of Aaron were busied in offering of burnt offerings and the fat until night; 32therefore the Levites prepared for themselves, and for the priests the sons of Aaron.
31 Namely, the paschal lambs that pertained to them and to the priests.
32 The sense is, while the priests were so much employed with burnt offerings, whereof is spoken in verse 12, that they could not make ready for themselves the paschal lambs, which belonged to them, that therefore the Levites did it for them.
15And the singers the sons of Asaph were in their place, 33according to the commandment of David, and Asaph, and Heman, and Jeduthun 34the king’s seer; and the porters waited 35at every gate; they might not depart from their service; for their brethren the Levites prepared for them.
33 See of this order, which David had made according to God’s command, but which the men mentioned in the text had renewed, and inculcated upon their sons, 1 Chronicles 25; 26.
34 That is, the prophet. See 1 Sam. 9:9, and the annotation.
35 Hebr. at gate and gate.
16So all the service of the LORD was prepared the same day, to keep the passover, and to offer 36burnt offerings upon the altar of the LORD, according to the commandment of king Josiah.
36 See on verse 12.
17And the children of Israel that were present kept the passover at that time, and the feast of unleavened bread seven days.
18And 37there was no passover like to that kept in Israel from the days of Samuel the prophet; neither did all the kings of Israel keep such a passover as Josiah kept, and the priests, and the Levites, and all Judah and Israel that were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
37 See the exposition hereof, 2 Kings 23 on verse 22.
19In thee eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah was this passover kept.
e 2 Kings 23:23.
20¶After all this, when Josiah had prepared 38the temple, 39Necho king of Egypt camef up to fight against Carchemish by Euphrates: and Josiah went out against him.
38 Namely, of God; that is, the house, and consequently the entire worship of God.
39 See hereof and of Carchemish 2 Kings 23 on verse 29.
f 2 Kings 23:29, etc.
21But 40he sent ambassadors to him, saying, 41What have I to do with thee, thou king of Judah? I come not against thee this day, but against 42the house wherewith I have war: for God commanded me to make haste: forbear thee 43from meddling with God, who is with me, that he destroy thee not.
40 Namely, Necho, the king of Egypt.
41 Hebr. What is it to me and thee? Compare 2 Sam. 16:10 and the annotation.
42 Hebr. an house of my war or battle, that is, which makes war against me, or with whom I have war; he means the Assyrians, who had taken Carchemish, of which their king boasts, Isa. 10:9. See 2 Kings 23 on verse 29. Compare also 2 Sam. 8 on verse 10, the 23rd annotation.
43 That is, from coming against Him, and from desiring to hinder His purpose, which He intends and desires to execute by me.
22Nevertheless Josiah would not turn his face from him, but 44disguised himself, that he might fight with him, and hearkened not unto the words of Necho from the mouth of God, and came to fight in the 45valley of Megiddo.
44 That is, he changed himself, in order that he might not be known, as Ahab had done at one time, 1 Kings 22:30.
45 See 1 Kings 9 on verse 15; Zech. 12:11.
23And the archers shot at king Josiah; and the king said to his servants, Have me away; for I am sore 46wounded.
46 Hebr. grown sick, that is, wounded as such, that I have become very sick and faint from it. See the same phrase 1 Kings 22:34.
24His servants therefore took him out of that chariot, and put him in the second chariot that he had; and they brought him to Jerusalem, and he died, and was buried in one of the 47sepulchres of his fathers. And all Judah and Jerusalem 48mourned for Josiah.
47 That is, in one of them. See Gen. 19 on verse 29. Or, among the sepulchers of his fathers.
48 Compare Gen. 23:2 and the annotation.
25¶And Jeremiah 49lamented for Josiah: and all the singing men and the singing women spake of Josiah in their lamentations 50to this day, and made them 51an ordinance in Israel: and, behold, they are written 52in the 53lamentations.
49 Which was written to the end that men, reading the same, would accustom themselves to ponder on the most sad and doleful condition of that kingdom and to lament the cause thereof, to repent of their sins and to pray unto God for mercy.
50 That is, which continue unto this day, wherein this was written.
51 Namely, to be sung every year.
52 See of this lamentation also Zech. 12:11.
53 Some understand this of the lamentations of Jeremiah, wherein is not only lamented the final destruction of Jerusalem, but also all the miseries and calamities which came upon the city and upon the land. The beginning whereof was the death of this godly king.
26Now the rest of the acts of Josiah, and his 54goodness, 55according to that which was written in the law of the LORD,
54 Understand the works of his godliness, in destroying all idolatry, and reforming religion, and maintaining the ordinances of God. The Hebrew word is likewise so taken 2 Chron. 32:32; Neh. 13:14.
55 That is, which agree with that which is written in the law of the Lord.
27And his deeds, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah.