1Josiah causeth the book to be read in a solemn assembly. 3He reneweth the covenant between the Lord and the people. 4He destroyeth idolatry in Judah. 15He burneth men's bones upon the altar at Beth-el according to the prophecy, sparing the sepulchre of the prophet who had foretold these things. 19He pulleth down the idolatrous houses in the cities of Samaria, and slayeth the priests. 21He causeth a solemn passover to be kept. 24He putteth away witches and all abominations, and excelleth in piety all kings before and after him. 26God's determined wrath against Judah for Manasseh's provocations. 28Josiah's acts: 29he is slain in a battle with Pharaoh-nechoh; Jehoahaz succeedeth him. 31Jehoahaz after a wicked reign of three months is deposed and imprisoned by Pharaoh-nechoh, who maketh Jehoiakim king, and carrieth Jehoahaz to Egypt. 35Jehoiakim taxeth the land for Pharaoh's tribute. 36His wicked reign.
1ANDa the king 1sent, and they gathered unto him all the 2elders of Judah and of Jerusalem.
a 2 Chron. 34:29.
1 Namely, messengers, to whom he gave charge to summon the elders together.
2 Understand those who in government both of church and commonwealth were seated above others. See Exod. 3 on verse 16; Lev. 4 on verse 15.
2And the king went up into the house of the LORD, and 3all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with him, and the priests, and the 4prophets, and all the people, both small and great: and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant whichb was found in the house of the LORD.
3 Understand the most important ones.
4 Some understand by these, Jeremiah, Zephaniah, and Uriah, who lived at this time. Others, the disciples or scholars of the prophets, or the scribes, and such as were well skilled and versed in the law of God.
b 2 Kings 22:8.
3¶And the king stood by a 5pillar, and made a covenant 6before the LORD, to walk after 7the LORD, and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes 8with all their heart and all their soul, 9to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people 10stood to the covenant.
5 See 2 Kings 11 on verse 14.
6 That is, in the peoples’ court, which was before the court of the priests, in the fore-part of the temple of the Lord, wherein was the ark of the covenant, upon which the Lord manifested Himself. See Lev. 1 on verse 3.
7 That is, to walk in the ways of the Lord. What this is, see 1 Kings 11 on verse 33, and the words here following.
8 See Deut. 6 on verse 5.
9 See Deut. 27 on verse 26.
10 That is, stood close to it, and were content with it. Thus we are forbidden to stand in an evil thing, Eccl. 8:3, that is, to stick close to it, and to yield unto it.
4And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, and the priests of the 11second order, and the 12keepers of the door, to bring forth out of the temple of the LORD all the vessels that were made for Baal, and for the grove, and for all the host of heaven: and he burned them without Jerusalem in the fields of 13Kidron, and carried the ashes of them unto 14Beth-el.
11 These priests were the most important ones under the high priest.
12 Namely, of the temple of the Lord. Also 2 Kings 22:4. See the annotation.
13 See 1 Kings 2 on verse 37.
14 One of the cities where Jeroboam had raised up a golden calf, 1 Kings 12:29, and consequently a sink of idolatry; for which cause it is called Beth-aven, that is, an house of wickedness, Hosea 4:15; 10:5, and is here most shamefully disgraced by Josiah in casting out the ashes of the burnt idolatrous vessels there.
5And he put down the 15idolatrous priests, whom the kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense in the high places in the cities of Judah, and in the places round about Jerusalem; them also that burned incense unto Baal, to the sun, and to the moon, and to the planets, and to all the host of heaven.
15 Or, Chemarim. A kind of idolatrous priests of Baal; of whom see also Hosea 10:5; Zeph. 1:4. The name Chemarim is derived from a word signifying to be warm, to burn, likewise to grow black, also pulled together, rumpled, and rolled together; which is caused by burning; whence there is also with the Chaldeans the signification of shutting in. Hence there are different opinions of the learned concerning this appellation. Many perceive that these priests of Baal were so called, because their order was to wear black apparel; some think they were so called, because they were of a blackish and smoky countenance, being always busied in burning of incense, and offering of sacrifices. Others because they resigned themselves to be very fiery and blazing in their idle worship; some, because they shut themselves up by an appearance of holiness to separate themselves from the world and to live by themselves, etc.
6And he brought out the 16grove from the house of the LORD, without Jerusalem, unto 17the brook Kidron, and burned it at the brook Kidron, and stamped it small to powder, and 18cast the powder thereof upon the graves of the 19children of the people.
16 Which image was set up in the temple by king Manasseh, 2 Kings 21:7.
17 Other, unto the valley of Kidron. So below in the same verse.
18 Namely, unto detestation of all deceased idolaters, and for an example and admonition to those idolaters who were yet alive.
19 That is, of the inhabitants of the land who had been idolaters. Compare 2 Chron. 34:4, or, of the common people.
7And he brake down the houses of the 20sodomites, that were by 21the house of the LORD, where the women wove 22hangings for the grove.
20 See Deut. 23 on verse 17.
21 Namely, in the peoples’ court; where the idol-ministers (as is perceived) had their abode.
22 Understand by these hangings: little chapels, or cabinets and cases made of woven, or needle and embroidered work, in which the images of the idols stood. Others understand such kind of tents, wherein idolaters did jointly and with one accord commit their filthy abominations to the honor of their idols.
8And he brought all the 23priests out of the cities of Judah, and 24defiled the high places where the priests had burned incense, from 25Geba to 26Beer-sheba, and brake down the high places 27of the gates that were in the entering in of the gate 28of Joshua the governor of the city, which were on a man’s 29left hand at the gate of the city.
23 Namely, the idolatrous priests.
24 Namely, by making them unfit and unworthy for their idolatry.
25 A city in Benjamin, the north border of the kingdom of Judah. See 1 Kings 15 on verse 22.
26 Situated in Judah, and the south border of the entire land of Canaan. See Gen. 21 on verse 31.
27 That is, which were at the gates.
28 That is, he hindered as well the idolatry of the great and mighty men, as of the poorer and lower sort of people.
29 Hebr. the left hand of a man: namely, of him who came into the gate of the city.
9Nevertheless the priests of the high places 30came not up to the altar of the LORD in Jerusalem, but they did eat of the unleavened bread among their brethren.
30 Or, came not up to the altar, etc. The meaning is: that these priests, because they had offered unto idols, were with their posterity deposed from the priesthood, as being unworthy of it, Ezek. 44:13, although notwithstanding, because they repented, they had a livelihood and maintenance allowed them out of the unleavened cakes, of which none might eat, save the priests only, Lev. 2:4, 10, being therein held the same with the blemished posterity of Aaron, Lev. 21:17, 22.
10And he 31defiled 32Topheth, which is in the valley of the children of 33Hinnom, that no man might make his son or his daughter to pass through the fire to 34Molech.
31 By causing dung excrements, dead and putrefied bodies, and all manner of filth to be cast forth there.
32 A place near to the city of Jerusalem, situated in a fair and pleasant field, so called from the word toph, signifying a drum; where idolaters offered up their children to the idol Molech, causing them to pass through the fire, or also totally to be burned and consumed; for which end and purpose they were put into the arms of an image that was made red hot, which was hollow within and full of fire. Now because the children, feeling the pain and smart of fire, made a doleful and lamentable cry, therefore they made a huge noise with drums and tabrets, to drown the shrieking and roaring of the children, that the same might not be heard by the parents and friends. Compare Lev. 18:21; Jer. 7:31.
33 The name of a man, to whose children this place did formerly belong, so that from thence it was called Ge-Bene-Hinnom; Joshua 15:8, that is, the valley of the children of Hinnom; or Gehinnom, that is, the valley of Hinnom, Neh. 11:30. From the most terrible pain of fire, which the children of the idolaters there suffered, hell (the place for the damned) has its denomination, being called Gehenna, Mat. 5:22, which is an unquenchable fire, Mark 9:43.
34 In verse 13 called Milcom. See Lev. 18 on verse 21.
11And he took away the 35horses that the kings of Judah had 36given to the sun, at the entering in of the house of the LORD, by the 37chamber of Nathan-melech the chamberlain, which was in the 38suburbs, and burned the chariots of the 39sun with fire.
35 Concerning the horses mentioned in this verse, some understand it of living horses, which were kept and used to the honor of the sun: for certain men (as some perceive) were appointed every morning to ride with these horses to meet the sun rising from the house of the Lord to the house of Nathan-Melech, and to salute and worship it, and to perform divine honor unto it. Others understand it only of the images and pictures of these horses and chariots.
36 Or, had appointed.
37 That is, to the house.
38 Namely, of the city of David, not far distant from the temple. Some take the Hebrew word parvarim to be the name of a place near to the temple, but what place it was, is uncertain.
39 That is, those chariots were made to the honor of the sun, after the manner and custom of the heathen.
12And the altars that were on the 40top of the upper chamber of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made, and the altars whichc Manasseh had made in the two courts of the house of the LORD, did the king beat down, and brake them down from thence, 41and cast the dust of them into the brook Kidron.
40 Being made there to the honor of the host of heaven. See Jer. 19:13; Zeph. 1:5.
c 2 Kings 21:5.
41 This was done, partly to manifest public detestation of these idolatrous relics, and partly to root them out utterly, in order that nothing would be left of it.
13And the high places that were before Jerusalem, which were on the right hand of the mount 42of corruption, which Solomon the king of Israel had builded for 43Ashtoreth the abomination of the Zidonians, and for 44Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites, and for 45Milcom the abomination of the children of Ammon, did the king defile.
42 Other, of the corrupters. Understand the mount of Olives situated near Jerusalem, here called the mount of Mashith; that is, of him that corrupteth, or, of the corrupter, because the Jews did there corrupt themselves by idolatry. Other, it was called the mount of Mischah, that is, of anointing, because many olives grew on it, of which the anointing oil was made; so that between both the names there is but small difference in regard of the letters, but there is great difference in regard of their significations. See 1 Kings 11:7.
43 This name, with the two following, Chemosh, and Milcom, are names of idolatrous images. See of Ashtoreth, Judges 2:13.
44 See 1 Kings 11 on verse 7.
45 See Lev. 18 on verse 21.
14And he brake in pieces the images,d and cut down the groves, and filled their places with the 46bones of men.
d Exod. 23:24; 34:13; Num. 33:52; Deut. 7:5, 25; 12:3.
46 Which he caused to be taken out of the graves of idolaters, to defile therewith the idolatrous places and to make them to be abhorred. Compare verses 16, 20. Likewise, Ezek. 6:5.
15¶Moreover the altare that was at Beth-el, and the high place which Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, had made, both that altar and the high place he brake down, and burned the high place, and stamped it small to powder, and burned the grove.
e 1 Kings 12:32, 33.
16And as Josiah turned himself, he spied the sepulchres that were there in the mount, and sent, and took the bones out of the sepulchres, and burned them upon 47the altar, and polluted it, accordingf to the word of the LORD which the man of God proclaimed, who 48proclaimed these words.
47 Namely, which was reared up at Bethel by Jeroboam, verse 15.
f 1 Kings 13:2.
48 That is, foretold; namely, more than three hundred years before. See 1 Kings 13:2 and compare therewith, what is here related, and verse 20.
17Then he said, What title is that that I see? And the men of the city told him, It is the sepulchre of the man of God, which came from Judah, and proclaimed these things that thou hast done against the altar of Beth-el.
18And he said, Let him alone; let no man move his bones. So they 49let his bones alone, with the bones of the 50prophet that came out of 51Samaria.
49 Namely, that they were not burnt upon the altar at Bethel, with the other bones.
50 Who had desired to be buried close by the prophet of Judah, 1 Kings 13:31.
51 Understand not the city, but the land of Samaria, wherein the city of Bethel was situated and this prophet dwelt, when he came to the prophet of Judah, 1 Kings 13:11. Thus the name Samaria is also taken for the country of Samaria in the following verse.
19And all the houses also of the high places thatgwere in the 52cities of Samaria, which the kings of Israel had made to provoke the LORD to anger, Josiah took away, and did to them according to all the acts that he had done in Beth-el.
g 2 Chron. 34:6.
52 Namely, which were brought under the dominion of the kingdom of Judah.
20And he 53slew all the priests of the high places that were there upon the altars, and burned men's bones upon them, and returned to Jerusalem.
53 Other, offered, etc. that is, put them to death upon the altars, to show that he not only hated idolatry in the highest degree, but even the very places where it was practiced, polluting them by shedding men’s blood, and burning their bones upon them. Understand this of the priests, who (according to Jeroboam’s institution) were made of the lowest of the people, and did obstinately persist in their idolatry. See 1 Kings 12:31.
21¶And the king commanded all the people, saying, Keeph the passover unto the LORD your God, asiit is written in the 54book of this covenant.
h 2 Chron. 35:1.
i Exod. 12:3; Deut. 16:2.
54 Namely, the book of the law; of which see 2 Kings 22:8, etc., and here verse 2, etc.
2255Surely there was not holden such a passover 56from the days of the judges that judged Israel, nor in all the days of the kings of Israel, nor of the kings of Judah;
55 Other, For surely like unto, etc. Here a reason is given, showing that the king’s command was very well obeyed.
56 Meaning: those who are not counted there; for 2 Chron. 35:18 it is said, from the days of Samuel, who was the last of the judges. The meaning is: that from the beginning of the government of kings, who did immediately succeed the judges, no passover was ever kept with so great preparation, assembly, purity, reverence, attention, and devotion, as this was kept.
23But in the eighteenth year of king Josiah, wherein this passover was holden to the LORD in Jerusalem.
24¶Moreover the workers with 57familiar spirits, and the wizards, and the 58images, and the 59idols, and all the abominations that were spied in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, did Josiah putj away, that he might perform the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of the LORD.
57 See of this and the wizards, Lev. 19 on verse 31.
58 See Gen. 31 on verse 19.
59 See Lev. 26 on verse 30.
j Lev. 19:31; 20:27; Deut. 18:11; Isa. 8:19.
25And 60like unto him was there no king before him, that turned to the LORD with 61all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; neither after him arose there any like him.
60 Understand this properly in respect of the fervency of his zeal in rooting out all abominations that bare a great sway in his time; and in respect of the innocency and integrity of his life, in diligent heeding the law of the Lord, as the following words of this verse import. Compare the annotation at 2 Kings 18 on verse 5.
61 See 1 Kings 2 on verse 4.
26¶Notwithstanding the LORD 62turned not from the fierceness of his great wrath, wherewith his anger was kindled against Judah, because of all the provocations that Manasseh had provoked him 63withal.
62 Not because the king did not please his God, but because the people did not follow their king, neither in the unfeigned acceptation of his pure worship, nor in the upright repentance and amendment of life, as it did soon appear after the king’s decease.
63 Namely, because they did commit the same, after the example of king Manasseh, following him in his abominations, but not in his repentance and conversion.
27And the LORD said, I will remove Judah also 64out of my sight, 65ask I have removed Israel, and will cast off this city Jerusalem which I have chosen, and the house of which I said, 66My name shall be there.
64 See 2 Kings 17 on verse 18.
65 Namely, by carrying them away out of their land, although this would not be forever, as was the carrying away of the Israelites. See 2 Kings 17:18, 20; 18:11; 21:13, with the annotation.
k 2 Kings 17:18, 20; 24:3.
66 See 1 Kings 8 on verse 29 and 1 Kings 9:3. Likewise 2 Kings 21:4.
28Now the rest of the acts of Josiah, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
29¶In 67his days Pharaoh-nechoh68 king of Egypt went up against the king of Assyria 69to the river Euphrates: and king Josiah 70went against him; and he 71slew him at 72Megiddo, when he had seen 73him.
67 Namely, when Josiah had finished the repairs of the house of the Lord. See 2 Chron. 35:20.
68 See of him also verse 33; Jer. 46:2.
69 To the city of Carchemish, situated by the Euphrates, which the king of Assyria had taken away from the Syrians; of which he boasts in Isa. 10:9.
70 Namely, to turn him away and to prevent him from passing through his land with his army, fearing lest damage would befall his own kingdom, or desiring thereby to befriend the king of Assyria.
71 That is, the archers of king Nechoh wounded him mortally; so that he, being carried to Jerusalem, died by the way or in Jerusalem, having received his death’s wound at Megiddo, 2 Chron. 35:23, 24.
72 A city in the tribe of Manasseh. See 1 Kings 9 on verse 15.
73 That is, when Josiah was come to look him in the face, and fought against him. See 2 Kings 14:8 and the annotation.
30And his servants carried him in a chariot 74dead from Megiddo, and brought him to Jerusalem, and buried him in his own sepulchre. Andl the people of the land took 75Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, and 76anointed him, and made him king in his father's stead.
74 That is, mortally wounded and accounted as dead. So we say of a man that is a dying, or must suddenly die, he is a dead man. So the word dead is almost taken, Gen. 20:3.
l 2 Chron. 36:1.
75 Otherwise called also (as some perceive) Johanan, 1 Chron. 3:15 and Shallum, Jer. 22:11.
76 Thus (according to the opinion of some) openly declaring, that in this general calamity, they required him to be their king with all speed, to be protected by him against king Nechoh, and to preserve the land and kingdom.
31¶Jehoahaz was twenty and three years old when he began to reign; and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Hamutal, the daughter of 77Jeremiah of Libnah.
77 This Jeremiah is to be distinguished from Jeremiah the prophet; for, the prophet was of Anathoth in Benjamin, Jer. 1:1, but this man was of Libnah in Judah.
32And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that 78his fathers had done.
78 Namely, his grandfather Amon, and his great-grandfathers Manasseh, Ahaz, etc.
33And Pharaoh-nechoh 79put him in bands at 80Riblah in the land of Hamath, 81that he might not reign in Jerusalem; and put the land to a tribute of an hundred 82talents of silver, and a talent of gold.
79 That is, put him in prison. This was done while he was busy employed in the war against the city of Carchemish; of which see 2 Chron. 35:20; Jer. 46:2.
80 A city situated in Syria, by some held to be Apamia, by others Antioch.
81 Other, when he reigned at Jerusalem.
82 See Exod. 25 on verse 39.
34And Pharaoh-nechoh made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in the room of Josiah his father, and 83turned his name to Jehoiakim,m and took Jehoahaz away: and he came to Egypt, and died 84there.
83 Hebr. turned about, or changed. He would thereby prove that he had power and command over him. See similar examples, 2 Kings 24:17; Dan. 1:7.
m Mat. 1:11.
84 Namely, as Jeremiah had foretold, Jer. 22:12, where in verse 11, according to the opinion of many, he is called Shallum.
35And Jehoiakim gave the silver and the gold to Pharaoh; but he 85taxed the land to give the money according to the 86commandment of Pharaoh: he exacted the silver and the gold of the people of the land, of every one 87according to his taxation,n to give it unto Pharaoh-nechoh.
85 That is, Jehoiakim taxed or valued the estates and means of all the inhabitants of the land, and made them accordingly to bring in their taxes and tributes.
86 Hebr. mouth.
87 That is, according as he was taxed by the king.
n compulsory payment
36¶Jehoiakim was twenty and five years old when he 88began to reign; and he reigned 89eleven years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Zebudah, the daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah.
88 Namely, alone and in full power after the death of Jehoahaz his brother, who, while he was prisoner, was yet held to be king, although he, namely Jehoiakim governed the kingdom. Others think that Jehoiakim was 25 years old, when Jehoahaz his brother was deposed, and carried away captive unto Egypt; and consequently that he was the eldest of Josiah’s sons, expounding the place 1 Chron. 3:15 not of natural procreation, but of kingly reign or government, and that Jehoahaz was therefore anointed at his coronation, that his choice or election might be the better secured against the gainsaying of Jehoiakim, his eldest brother, as Solomon was anointed for such like cause, 1 Kings 1:34, 39.
89 Namely, if we count up his reign from the time that he kept his brother’s place; which was presently after that his brother was carried captive into Egypt.
37And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his 90fathers had done.
90 See on verse 32.