2 Chronicles 34

ENGWEBEnglish33 verses

1Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign; and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem.

2He did that which was right in the eyes of Yahweh, and walked in the ways of David his father, and didn’t turn aside to the right hand or to the left.

3For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David his father; and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, and the Asherah poles, and the engraved images, and the molten images.

4They broke down the altars of the Baals in his presence; and the incense altars that were on high above them he cut down; and the Asherah poles, and the engraved images, and the molten images, he broke in pieces, and made dust of them, and strewed it on the graves of those who had sacrificed to them.

5He burnt the bones of the priests on their altars, and purged Judah and Jerusalem.

6He did this in the cities of Manasseh and Ephraim and Simeon, even to Naphtali, around in their ruins.

7He broke down the altars, and beat the Asherah poles and the engraved images into powder, and cut down all the incense altars throughout all the land of Israel, and returned to Jerusalem.

8Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had purged the land and the house, he sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, and Maaseiah the governor of the city, and Joah the son of Joahaz the recorder, to repair Yahweh’s house his God.

9They came to Hilkiah the high priest, and delivered the money that was brought into God’s house, which the Levites, the keepers of the threshold, had gathered of the hand of Manasseh and Ephraim, and of all the remnant of Israel, and of all Judah and Benjamin, and of the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

10They delivered it into the hand of the workmen who had the oversight of Yahweh’s house; and the workmen who labored in Yahweh’s house gave it to mend and repair the house;

11even to the carpenters and to the builders gave they it, to buy cut stone, and timber for couplings, and to make beams for the houses which the kings of Judah had destroyed.

12The men did the work faithfully: and their overseers were Jahath and Obadiah, the Levites, of the sons of Merari; and Zechariah and Meshullam, of the sons of the Kohathites, to set it forward; and others of the Levites, all who were skillful with instruments of music.

13Also they were over the bearers of burdens, and set forward all who did the work in every kind of service: and of the Levites there were scribes, and officers, and porters.

14When they brought out the money that was brought into Yahweh’s house, Hilkiah the priest found the book of Yahweh’s law given by Moses.

15Hilkiah answered Shaphan the scribe, “I have found the book of the law in Yahweh’s house.” Hilkiah delivered the book to Shaphan.

16Shaphan carried the book to the king, and moreover brought back word to the king, saying, “All that was committed to your servants, they are doing.

17They have emptied out the money that was found in Yahweh’s house, and have delivered it into the hand of the overseers, and into the hand of the workmen.”

18Shaphan the scribe told the king, saying, “Hilkiah the priest has delivered me a book.” Shaphan read therein before the king.

19When the king had heard the words of the law, he tore his clothes.

20The king commanded Hilkiah, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Abdon the son of Micah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king’s servant, saying,

21“Go inquire of Yahweh for me, and for those who are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book that is found; for great is the wrath of Yahweh that is poured out on us, because our fathers have not kept Yahweh’s word, to do according to all that is written in this book.”

22So Hilkiah, and they whom the king had commanded, went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tokhath, the son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe; (now she lived in Jerusalem in the second quarter;) and they spoke to her to that effect.

23She said to them, “Yahweh, the God of Israel says: ‘Tell the man who sent you to me,

24“Yahweh says, ‘Behold, I will bring evil on this place, and on its inhabitants, even all the curses that are written in the book which they have read before the king of Judah.

25Because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense to other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands; therefore is my wrath poured out on this place, and it shall not be quenched.’”’

26But to the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of Yahweh, thus you shall tell him, ‘Yahweh, the God of Israel says: “As touching the words which you have heard,

27because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before God, when you heard his words against this place, and against its inhabitants, and have humbled yourself before me, and have torn your clothes, and wept before me; I also have heard you,” says Yahweh.

28“Behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace, neither shall your eyes see all the evil that I will bring on this place, and on its inhabitants.”’” They brought back word to the king.

29Then the king sent and gathered together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem.

30The king went up to Yahweh’s house, and all the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the priests, and the Levites, and all the people, both great and small: and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant that was found in Yahweh’s house.

31The king stood in his place, and made a covenant before Yahweh, to walk after Yahweh, and to keep his commandments, and his testimonies, and his statutes, with all his heart, and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant that were written in this book.

32He caused all who were found in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand. The inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers.

33Josiah took away all the abominations out of all the countries that pertained to the children of Israel, and made all who were found in Israel to serve, even to serve Yahweh their God. All his days they didn’t depart from following Yahweh, the God of their fathers.

Commentary

34:1-33 Josiah's good reign in Judah. - As the years of infancy cannot be useful to our fellow-creatures, our earliest youth should be dedicated to God, that we may not waste any of the remaining short space of life. Happy and wise are those who seek the Lord and prepare for usefulness at an early age, when others are pursuing sinful pleasures, contracting bad habits, and forming ruinous connexions. Who can express the anguish prevented by early piety, and its blessed effects? Diligent self-examination and watchfulness will convince us of the deceitfulness and wickedness of our own hearts, and the sinfulness of our lives. We are here encouraged to humble ourselves before God, and to seek unto him, as Josiah did. And believers are here taught, not to fear death, but to welcome it, when it takes them away from the evil to come. Nothing hastens the ruin of a people, nor ripens them for it, more than their disregard of the attempts made for their reformation. Be not deceived, God is not mocked. The current and tide of affections only turns at the command of Him who raises up those that are dead in trespasses and sins. We behold peculiar loveliness, in the grace the Lord bestows on those, who in tender years seek to know and to love the Saviour. Hath Jesus, the Day-spring from on high, visited you? Can you trace your knowledge of this light and life of man, like Josiah, from your youth? Oh the unspeakable happiness of becoming acquainted with Jesus from our earliest years!

Ver. 1,2. Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign,.... Of these two verses, [See comments on 2Ki 22:1], [See comments on 2Ki 22:2].

Chapter 34 Before we see Judah and Jerusalem ruined we shall yet see some glorious years, while good Josiah sits at the helm. By his pious endeavours for reformation God tried them yet once more; if they had known in this their day, the day of their visitation, the things that belonged to their peace and improved them, their ruin might have been prevented. But after this reign they were hidden from their eyes, and the next reigns brought an utter desolation upon them. In this chapter we have, I. A general account of Josiah’s character (v. 1, 2). II. His zeal to root out idolatry (v. 3-7). III. His care to repair the temple (v. 8–13). IV. The finding of the book of the law and the good use made of it (v. 14–28). V. The public reading of the law to the people and their renewing their covenant with God thereupon (v. 29–33). Much of this we had 2 Ki. 22.Verses 1-7 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 (v. 1), a considerable time. I fear, however, that in the beginning of his reign things went much as they had done in his father’s time, because, being a child, he must have left the management of them to others; so that it was not till his twelfth year, which goes far in the number of his years, that the reformation began, v. 3. He could not, as Hezekiah did, fall about it immediately. 2. That he reigned very well (v. 2), approved himself to God, trod in the steps of David, and did not decline either to the right hand of to the left: for there are errors on both hands. 3. That while he was young, about sixteen years old, he began to seek after God, v. 3. We have reason to think he had not so good an education as Manasseh had (it is well if those about him did not endeavour to corrupt and debauch him); yet he thus sought God when he was young. It is the duty and interest of young people, and will particularly be the honour of young gentlemen, as soon as they come to years of understanding, to begin to seek God; for those that seek him early shall find him. 4. That in the twelfth year of his reign, when it is probable he took the administration of the government entirely into his own hands, he began to purge his kingdom from the remains of idolatry; he destroyed the high places, groves, images, altars, all the utensils of idolatry, v. 3, 4. He not only cast them out as Manasseh did, but broke them to pieces, and made dust of them. This destruction of idolatry is here said to be in his twelfth year, but it was said (2 Ki. 23:23) to be in his eighteenth year. Something was probably done towards it in his twelfth year; then he began to purge out idolatry, but that good work met with opposition, so that it was not thoroughly done till they had found the book of the law six years afterwards. But here the whole work is laid together briefly which was much more largely and particularly related in the Kings. His zeal carried him out to do this, not only in Judah and Jerusalem, but in the cities of Israel too, as far as he had any influence upon them.

[See comments on 2Ch 34:1]

For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young,.... Being in the sixteenth year of his age; though Kimchi thinks it was the very year he began to reign, which was the eighth of his age; and Jarchi observes, it may be interpreted, "though he was young, he began to seek after the God of David his father"; to pray unto him, to seek after the knowledge of him, and the true manner of worshipping him, what were his will, commands, and ordinances; the Targum is,

"to seek instruction or doctrine of the Lord God of David his father,''

to be taught his ways, such as David his great ancestor walked in, and whom he chose to follow:

and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, and the groves and the carved images, and the molten images; which were made in the times of Manasseh; and though removed by him when humbled, were restored in the reign of Amon. Now Josiah purged the land from these, by putting them down, and destroying them; and this he did when he was twenty years of age, having now more authority, being out of his minority, and from under guardians, and one year before Jeremiah began to prophesy, Jer 1:1.

2Ch 34:3-7.

Read the full commentary Audio, full commentary and offline reading

Translations8 · 5

AMHEVG ኢዮስያስም መንገሥ በጀመረ ጊዜ የስምንት ዓመት ልጅ ነበረ፥ በኢየሩሳሌምም ሠላሳ አንድ ዓመት ነገሠ። አማርኛ ENGNIV Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years. English BCV ኢዮስያስ ክነግስ እንተሎ፥ ወዲ ሸሞንተ ዓመት ነበረ፤ ኣብ ኢየሩሳሌም ኮይኑ ኸዓ ሰላሳን ሓደን ዓመት ገዝአ። ትግርኛ GAZBIB Yosiyaas dhalatee waggaa saddeetitti mootii ta'ee, Yerusaalem keessa taa'ee waggaa soddomii tokko mo'e; Afaan Oromoo BCV GIZ ከዊኖ ወልደ ሰማኒቱ ዓመት አመ ያነግሥዎ ለኢዮስያስ ወሠላሳ ወአሐደ ዓመተ ነግሠ በኢየሩሳሌም። giz GAZGAZ Yosiyaas dhalatee waggaa saddeetitti mootii ta'ee, Yerusaalem keessa taa'ee waggaa soddomii tokko mo'e; Afaan Oromoo BCV aksum ኢዮስያስ ክነግስ እንተሎ፥ ወዲ ሸሞንተ ዓመት ነበረ፤ ኣብ ኢየሩሳሌም ኮይኑ ኸዓ ሰላሳን ሓደን ዓመት ገዝአ። ትግርኛ AMHNIV ኢዮስያስ በነገሠ ጊዜ ዕድሜው ስምንት ዓመት ነበር፤ በኢየሩሳሌም ተቀምጦም ሠላሳ አንድ ዓመት ገዛ። አማርኛ