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2
Chronicles Chapter Thirty-four
New King James Version (NKJV)
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
him, 2 Chronicles 34:12,
upon which he deputed some persons to inquire of the Lord, who did of Huldah
the prophetess, to whom she gave an answer, which they returned to the king, 2 Chronicles 34:20 and
the chapter is concluded with an account of reading the book in the ears of all
the people, and of the king, and then making a covenant with the Lord to serve
him, 2 Chronicles 34:27.
2 Chronicles
34:1 Josiah was
eight years old when he became king, and he reigned thirty-one years in
Jerusalem.
YLT
1A son of eight years [is]
Josiah in his reigning, and thirty and one years he hath reigned in Jerusalem,
Verse 1-2
Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign,.... Of these
two verses; see Gill on 2 Kings 22:1; see
Gill on 2 Kings 22:2.
2 Chronicles
34:2 2 And
he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in
the ways of his father David; he did not turn aside to the right
hand or to the left.
YLT
2and he doth that which is
right in the eyes of Jehovah, and walketh in the ways of David his father, and
hath not turned aside -- right or left.
2 Chronicles 34:3 3 For in the eighth year of
his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek the God of his father
David; and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the
high places, the wooden images, the carved images, and the molded images.
YLT
3And in the eighth year of
his reign (and he yet a youth), he hath begun to seek to the God of David his
father, and in the twelfth year he hath begun to cleanse Judah and Jerusalem
from the high places, and the shrines, and the graven images, and the molten
images.
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, Jeremiah 1:1.
2 Chronicles 34:4 4 They broke down the altars
of the Baals in his presence, and the incense altars which were above
them he cut down; and the wooden images, the carved images, and the molded
images he broke in pieces, and made dust of them and scattered it on the
graves of those who had sacrificed to them.
YLT
4And they break down before
him the altars of the Baalim, and the images that [are] on high above them he
hath cut down, and the shrines, and the graven images, and the molten images,
he hath broken and beaten small, and streweth on the surface of the graves of
those sacrificing to them,
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 he cut down; sun images,
as the word signifies; these Chamanim might be representatives of Cham or Ham,
the son of Noah, the same with Jupiter Ammon; and there was another Heathen
deity, Amanus, StraboF23Geograph l. 11. p. 352. speaks of, supposed
to be the sun; see Gill on Leviticus 26:30,
these, as Jarchi says, were in the form of the sun, and were set above the
altars, over against the sun, to whom worship was paid; though some think this
respects not place, but time, and that these were images in times past; in the
preceding age, as the Tigurine version:
and the groves, and the carved images and the molten images, he
brake in pieces; ordered them to be broken; the groves were statues, or images in
groves, and thereby distinguished from those made of wood, and were carved, and
from those that were of molten metal, and were placed elsewhere:
and made dust of them, and strewed it upon the graves of them that
had sacrificed unto them, see 2 Kings 23:6.
2 Chronicles 34:5 5 He also burned the bones
of the priests on their altars, and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem.
YLT
5and the bones of the
priests he hath burnt on their altars, and cleanseth Judah and Jerusalem,
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.
2 Chronicles 34:6 6 And so he did in
the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, as far as Naphtali and all around,
with axes.[a]
YLT
6and in the cities of
Manasseh, and Ephraim, and Simeon, even unto Naphtali, with their tools, round
about.
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 Gill on 2 Kings 23:19,
with their mattocks round about; or hammers or mauls, as
Kimchi, or pick axes, such sort of instruments as were used in demolishing
altars and images: the Targum is,"in the house of their desolation;'
and
so other versions, "in their desolate places"F24בתרבתיהם "in desolatis locis suis, vel
eorum", Montanus, Tigurine version, Rambachius. , which were become such,
the inhabitants being carried captive, and few left behind.
2 Chronicles 34:7 7 When he had broken down
the altars and the wooden images, had beaten the carved images into powder, and
cut down all the incense altars throughout all the land of Israel, he returned
to Jerusalem.
YLT
7And he breaketh down the
altars and the shrines, and the graven images he hath beaten down very small,
and all the images he hath cut down in all the land of Israel, and turneth back
to Jerusalem.
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 land, and the things done by him, which are represented as
done before the repairs of the temple were made, and the book of the law found
and read, and the covenant he and his people made with the Lord, are spoken of
in 2 Kings 23:4, as if
done after.
2 Chronicles 34:8 8 In the eighteenth year of
his reign, when he had purged the land and the temple,[b] he sent
Shaphan the son of Azaliah, Maaseiah the governor of the city, and Joah the son
of Joahaz the recorder, to repair the house of the Lord his God.
YLT
8And in the eighteenth year
of his reign, to purify the land and the house he hath sent Shaphan son of
Azaliah, and Maaseiah head of the city, and Joah son of Johaz the remembrancer,
to strengthen the house of Jehovah his God.
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 city; the city of
Jerusalem, a deputy governor under the king, a sort of mayor or provost:
and Joah the son of Joahaz the recorder; who was over
the book of memorials, as the Targum; the word may be rendered "the
remembrances"; and, according to Jarchi, as every king of Judah had a
scribe to write down the memorable things that happened in his reign, good or
bad, so the scribe had one by him, to put him in mind of every transaction,
from whom he wrote it down:
to repair the house of the Lord his God; that is, to
give orders for the doing of it, to prepare for it, provide workmen, and appoint
overseers of them: it had not been repaired since the times of Joash, which,
according to the Jewish chronologyF25Seder Olam Rabba, c. 24. , was
a space of two hundred and eighteen years.
2 Chronicles 34:9 9 When they came to Hilkiah
the high priest, they delivered the money that was brought into the house of
God, which the Levites who kept the doors had gathered from the hand of
Manasseh and Ephraim, from all the remnant of Israel, from all Judah and
Benjamin, and which they had brought back to Jerusalem.
YLT
9And they come in unto
Hilkiah the high priest, and they give the money that is brought in to the
house of God, that the Levites, keeping the threshold, have gathered from the
hand of Manasseh, and Ephraim, and from all the remnant of Israel, and from all
Judah, and Benjamin, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem,
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 gifts of
the people, for the repairs; or rather what was collected by the Levites, sent
throughout the land for that purpose, or it may be both:
which the Levites that kept the doors; of the
temple; and received the money as the people brought it:
and also had gathered of the hand of Manasseh and Ephraim, and of
all the remnant of Israel, and of all Judah, and Benjamin; they went
throughout all the land of Israel and Judah, and collected money for the above
purpose:
and they returned to Jerusalem; with it, which the high
priest took the sum of, see 2 Kings 22:4 of
whom the king's ministers now received it.
2 Chronicles 34:10 10 Then they put it in
the hand of the foremen who had the oversight of the house of the Lord; and they gave
it to the workmen who worked in the house of the Lord, to repair and
restore the house.
YLT
10and they give [it] into the
hand of the workmen, those appointed over the house of Jehovah, and they give
it [to] the workmen who are working in the house of Jehovah, to repair and to
strengthen the house;
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 that wrought in the house of the Lord,
to repair and mend the house; that is, the overseers gave the money they
received to the labourers, as the hire of their labour, and the reward of their
work, and to buy materials with, as follows.
2 Chronicles 34:11 11 They gave it to the
craftsmen and builders to buy hewn stone and timber for beams, and to floor the
houses which the kings of Judah had destroyed.
YLT
11and they give [it] to
artificers, and to builders, to buy hewn stones, and wood for couplings and for
beams to the houses that the kings of Judah had destroyed.
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 of Judah had destroyed; the
idolatrous ones, who had let them go to decay and ruin, taking no care of them.
2 Chronicles 34:12 12 And the men did the work
faithfully. Their overseers were Jahath and Obadiah the Levites, of the
sons of Merari, and Zechariah and Meshullam, of the sons of the Kohathites, to
supervise. Others of the Levites, all of whom were skillful with instruments
of music,
YLT
12And the men are working
faithfully in the business, and over them are appointed Jahath and Obadiah, the
Levites, of the sons of Merari, and Zechariah and Meshullam, of the sons of the
Kohathite, to overlook; and of the Levites, every one understanding about
instruments of song,
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; to urge and animate the men to their work,
to keep them constant to it, and see that they did it well:
and other of the Levites, all that could skill of instruments of
music; these, when they were not employed in singing in the temple,
attended this service, to look after the workmen at the repairs of it; and
perhaps they might play, as some think, on their instruments of music, while
the men were at work, that they might go on in it the more pleasantly and
cheerfully.
2 Chronicles 34:13 13 were
over the burden bearers and were overseers of all who did work in any
kind of service. And some of the Levites were scribes, officers,
and gatekeepers.
YLT
13and over the
burden-bearers, and overseers of every one doing work for service and service;
and of the Levites [are] scribes, and officers, and gatekeepers.
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 in that of carpenters, or of such that served them, or
in whatsoever way:
and of the Levites there were scribes, and officers, and porters; some to take
the account of the money carried in and paid, who were the
scribes, according to Jarchi; and others who looked after the men, and
kept them to work, who were the
officers; and others that let them in and out, called
porters.
2 Chronicles 34:14 14 Now when they brought out
the money that was brought into the house of the Lord, Hilkiah the
priest found the Book of the Law of the Lord given by Moses.
YLT
14And in their bringing out
the money that is brought in to the house of Jehovah, hath Hilkiah the priest
found the book of the law of Jehovah by the hand of Moses,
Verses 14-28
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 the
Lord given by Moses 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: See Gill on 2 Kings 22:8. From
hence, to the end of 2 Chronicles 34:28,
is the same as 2 Kings 22:8.
2 Chronicles 34:15 15 Then Hilkiah answered and
said to Shaphan the scribe, “I have found the Book of the Law in the house of
the Lord.”
And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan.
YLT
15and Hilkiah answereth and
saith unto Shaphan the scribe, `A book of the law I have found in the house of
Jehovah;' and Hilkiah giveth the book unto Shaphan,
2 Chronicles 34:16 16 So Shaphan carried the
book to the king, bringing the king word, saying, “All that was committed to
your servants they are doing.
YLT
16and Shaphan bringeth in the
book unto the king, and bringeth the king back word again, saying, `All that
hath been given into the hand of thy servants they are doing,
2 Chronicles 34:17 17 And they have gathered the
money that was found in the house of the Lord, and have delivered it
into the hand of the overseers and the workmen.”
YLT
17and they pour out the money
that is found in the house of Jehovah, and give it into the hand of those
appointed, and into the hands of those doing the work.'
2 Chronicles 34:18 18 Then Shaphan the scribe
told the king, saying, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan
read it before the king.
YLT
18And Shaphan the scribe declareth
to the king, saying, `A book hath Hilkiah the priest given to me;' and Shaphan
readeth in it before the king.
2 Chronicles 34:19 19 Thus it happened, when the
king heard the words of the Law, that he tore his clothes.
YLT
19And it cometh to pass, at
the king's hearing the words of the law, that he rendeth his garments,
2 Chronicles 34:20 20 Then the king commanded
Hilkiah, Ahikam the son of Shaphan, Abdon[c] the son of
Micah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah a servant of the king, saying,
YLT
20and the king commandeth
Hilkiah, and Ahikam son of Shaphan, and Abdon son of Micah, and Shaphan the
scribe, and Asaiah, servant of the king, saying,
2 Chronicles 34:21 21 “Go, inquire of the Lord for me, and
for those who are left in Israel and Judah, concerning the words of the book
that is found; for great is the wrath of the Lord that is poured
out on us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the Lord, to do
according to all that is written in this book.”
YLT
21`Go, seek Jehovah for me,
and for him who is left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the
book that is found, for great [is] the fury of Jehovah that is poured on us,
because that our fathers kept not the word of Jehovah, to do according to all
that is written on this book.'
2 Chronicles 34:22 22 So Hilkiah and those the
king had appointed went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum
the son of Tokhath,[d] the son of
Hasrah,[e] keeper of
the wardrobe. (She dwelt in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter.) And they spoke to
her to that effect.
YLT
22And Hilkiah goeth, and they
of the king, unto Huldah the prophetess, wife of Shallum son of Tikvath, son of
Hasrah, keeper of the garments, and she is dwelling in Jerusalem in the Second,
and they speak unto her thus.
2 Chronicles 34:23 23 Then she answered them,
“Thus says the Lord
God of Israel, ‘Tell the man who sent you to Me,
YLT
23And she saith to them,
`Thus said Jehovah, God of Israel, Say to the man who hath sent you unto me,
2 Chronicles 34:24 24 “Thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, I
will bring calamity on this place and on its inhabitants, all the curses that
are written in the book which they have read before the king of Judah,
YLT
24Thus said Jehovah, Lo, I am
bringing in evil on this place, and on its inhabitants, all the execrations
that are written on the book that they read before the king of Judah;
2 Chronicles 34:25 25 because they have forsaken
Me and burned incense to other gods, that they might provoke Me to anger with
all the works of their hands. Therefore My wrath will be poured out on this
place, and not be quenched.’”’
YLT
25because that they have
forsaken Me, and make perfume to other gods, so as to provoke Me with all the
works of their hands, and poured out is My fury upon this place, and it is not
quenched.
2 Chronicles 34:26 26 But as for the king of
Judah, who sent you to inquire of the Lord, in this manner you shall
speak to him, ‘Thus says the Lord God of Israel: “Concerning
the words which you have heard—
YLT
26`And unto the king of
Judah, who is sending you to inquire of Jehovah, thus do ye say unto him: Thus
said Jehovah God of Israel, whose words thou hast heard:
2 Chronicles 34:27 27 because your heart was
tender, and you humbled yourself before God when you heard His words against
this place and against its inhabitants, and you humbled yourself before Me, and
you tore your clothes and wept before Me, I also have heard you,” says
the Lord.
YLT
27Because thy heart [is]
tender, and thou art humbled before God in thy hearing His words concerning
this place, and concerning its inhabitants, and art humbled before Me, and dost
rend thy garments, and weep before Me: even I also have heard -- the
affirmation of Jehovah.
2 Chronicles 34:28 28 “Surely I will gather you
to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace; and your
eyes shall not see all the calamity which I will bring on this place and its
inhabitants.”’” So they brought back word to the king.
YLT
28Lo, I am gathering thee
unto thy fathers, and thou hast been gathered unto thy graves in peace, and
thine eyes do not look on all the evil that I am bringing upon this place, and
upon its inhabitants;' and they bring the king back word.
2 Chronicles 34:29 29 Then the king sent and
gathered all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem.
YLT
29And the king sendeth and
gathereth all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem,
Verses 29-32
Then the king sent and gathered,.... From hence, to the
end of 2 Chronicles 34:32,
the same account is given of the reading of the law to the people, and of the
covenant the king and they made to serve the Lord, as in 2 Kings 23:1.
2 Chronicles 34:30 30 The king went up to the
house of the Lord,
with all the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem—the priests and the
Levites, and all the people, great and small. And he read in their hearing all
the words of the Book of the Covenant which had been found in the house of the Lord.
YLT
30and the king goeth up to
the house of Jehovah, and every man of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem,
and the priests, and the Levites, even all the people, from great even unto
small, and he readeth in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant
that is found in the house of Jehovah.
2 Chronicles 34:31 31 Then the king stood in his
place and made a covenant before the Lord, to follow the Lord, and to keep
His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes with all his heart and
all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant that were written in this
book.
YLT
31And the king standeth on
his station, and maketh the covenant before Jehovah, to walk after Jehovah, and
to keep His commands, and His testimonies, and His statutes, with all his
heart, and with all his soul, to do the words of the covenant that are written
on this book.
2 Chronicles 34:32 32 And he made all who were
present in Jerusalem and Benjamin take a stand. So the inhabitants of Jerusalem
did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers.
YLT
32And he presenteth every one
who is found in Jerusalem and Benjamin, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem do
according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers.
2 Chronicles 34:33 33 Thus Josiah removed all
the abominations from all the country that belonged to the children of
Israel, and made all who were present in Israel diligently serve the Lord their God. All
his days they did not depart from following the Lord God of their
fathers.
YLT
33And Josiah turneth aside all
the abominations out of all the lands that the sons of Israel have, and causeth
every one who is found in Israel to serve, to serve Jehovah their God; all his
days they turned not aside from after Jehovah, God of their fathers.
And Josiah took away all the abominations out of all the countries
that pertained to the children of Israel,.... All their idols, as
related in 2 Kings 23:4,
&c.
and made all that were present in Israel to serve, even to serve
the Lord their God; by his edicts, and by his example:
and all his days they departed not from following the Lord God of
their fathers; not publicly and universally; otherwise there were great
declensions and corruptions among them, as the prophecies of Jeremiah and
Zephaniah show.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)