INTRODUCTION TO 2 CHRONICLES 34 This chapter begins with the good reign of Josiah, the reformation he made in the land, purging it from idolatry, 2 Chronicles 34:1, relates the orders he gave to repair the house of the Lord, which was accordingly done, 2 Chronicles 34:8, when the book of the law was found and brought to him, which greatly affected...
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....
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...
And they broke down the altars of Baalim in his presence,.... He not only ordered them to be broke down, but he went in person, and saw it done; these were the altars Manasseh had reared up to the idols; and though upon his humiliation he cast them out, they were rebuilt by Amon his son, see 2 Chronicles 33:3, and the images that were above them...
And he burnt the bones of the priests upon their altars,.... On which they sacrificed, in detestation of their idolatry, and to deter from it; and this he did according to the prophecy of him, above three hundred and fifty years before: and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem; from idolatry, and all the monuments of it.
And so did he in the cities of Manasseh, and Ephraim, and Simeon, even unto Naphtali,.... Which though they belonged to the ten tribes, yet these being carried captive by the king of Assyria, they that were left became subject to the kings of Judah, [See comments on 2 Kings 23:19], with their mattocks round about; or hammers or mauls, as Kimchi,...
And when he had broken down the altars and the groves,.... The statues or images in them: and had beaten the graven images into powder; and strewed it on the graves of the idolaters: and cut down all the idols throughout all the land of Israel; the sun images as in 2 Chronicles 34:4, he returned to Jerusalem; this tour of his throughout the whole...
Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had purged the land and the house,.... The temple; this was in the twenty sixth year of his age, six years this work had been doing before it was finished: he sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah: who only is mentioned in 2 Kings 22:3 two more are added here, as follow: and Maaseiah the governor of the...
And when they came to Hilkiah the high priest,.... To whom they were sent to advise with about the repair of the temple: they delivered the money that was brought into the house of God; that is, the high priest, and the Levites the doorkeepers, gave it to the king's ministers; which money was either brought to the temple voluntarily, as the free...
And they put it,.... The king's ministers did: in the hand of the workmen that had the oversight of the house of the Lord; whose business it was to inspect the temple, and see what repairs were necessary, and to overlook the workmen in making those repairs; the names of these overseers are in 2 Chronicles 34:12, and they gave it to the workmen...
Even to the artificers and builders gave they it,.... To the masons and carpenters: to buy hewn stone; to put in the room of that which was decayed or fallen down: and timber for couplings; of boards, beams, and rafters: and to floor the houses; the chambers, the apartments in the temple, which belonged to the priests and Levites: which the kings...
And the men did that work faithfully,.... The labouring men, as also their inspectors, see 2 Kings 22:7 and the overseers of them were Jahath and Obadiah, the Levites, of the sons of Merari; the third son of Levi: and Zechariah and Meshullam, of the sons of the Kohathites; who had their name from Kohath, the second son of Levi: to set it forward;...
Also they were over the bearers of burdens,.... Who carried the timber and stones to the workmen, to look after them, that they were not dilatory, and that the workmen might not stand still for want of materials being brought to them to work with: and were overseers over all that wrought in any manner of service; whether in the way of masonry, or...
And when they brought out the money that was brought into the house of the Lord,.... The Levites, who brought it out of the country into the temple, and from thence brought it to the high priest, who delivering it to the king's ministers, and they to the overseers, the repairs were begun: and then Hilkiah the high priest found a book of the law of...
And when they brought out the money that was brought into the house of the LORD, Hilkiah the priest found a book of the law of the LORD given by Moses. And Hilkiah answered and said to Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of the LORD, And Hilkiah delivered the book to Shaphan. This was a very remarkable find. Of all...
And Shaphan carried the book to the king, and brought the king word back again, saying, All that was committed to thy servant, they do it. And they have gathered together the money that was found in the house of the LORD, and have delivered it into the hand of the overseers, and to the hand of the workmen. Then Shaphan the scribe told the king,...