Verse 30
The king went - See on [2Kgs 23:1] (note).
Verse 31
Made a covenant - See on [2Kgs 23:3] (note). And see the notes on that and the preceding chapter, 2 Chronicles 33 (note), for the circumstances detailed here.
Verse 32
To stand to it - It is likely that he caused them all to arise when he read the terms of the covenant, and thus testify their approbation of the covenant itself, and their resolution to observe it faithfully and perseveringly.
Introduction
Josiah celebrates a passover, [2Chr 35:1]; regulates the courses of the priests; assigns them, the Levites, and the people, their portions; and completes the greatest passover ever celebrated since the days of Solomon, vv. 2-19. Pharaoh Necho passes with his army through Judea, [2Chr 35:20]. Josiah meets and fights with him at Megiddo, and is mortally wounded, [2Chr 35:21-23]. He is carried to Jerusalem, where he dies, [2Chr 35:24]. Jeremiah laments for him, [2Chr 35:25]. Of his acts and deeds, and where recorded, [2Chr 35:26], [2Chr 35:27].
Verse 3
Put the holy ark in the house - It is likely that the priests had secured this when they found that the idolatrous kings were determined to destroy every thing that might lead the people to the worship of the true God. And now, as all appears to be well established, the ark is ordered to be put into its own place.
For an ample account of this passover and the reformation that was then made, see on [2Kgs 23:1] (note), etc., and the places marked in the margin.
Verse 11
They killed the passover - The people themselves might slay their own paschal lambs, and then present the blood to the priests, that they might sprinkle it before the altar; and the Levites flayed them, and made them ready for dressing.
Verse 18
There was no passover like to that - "That which distinguished this passover from all the former was," says Calmet, "the great liberality of Josiah, who distributed to his people a greater number of victims than either David or Solomon had done."
Verse 20
Necho king of Egypt - Pharaoh the lame, says the Targum.
Verse 21
God commanded me to make haste - The Targum gives a curious turn to this and the following verse: "My idol commanded me to make haste; refrain therefore from me and my idol which is with me, that he betray thee not. When he heard him mention his idol, he would not go back; and he hearkened not unto the words of Necho, which he spake concerning his idol." Here is the rabbinical excuse for the conduct of Josiah.
Verse 24
The second chariot - Perhaps this means no more than that they took Josiah out of his own chariot and put him into another, either for secrecy, or because his own had been disabled. The chariot into which he was put might have been that of the officer or aid-de-camp who attended his master to the war. See the note on [2Kgs 22:20].
Verse 25
Behold, they are written in the lamentations - The Hebrews had poetical compositions for all great and important events, military songs, songs of triumph, epithalamia or marriage odes, funeral elegies, etc. Several of these are preserved in different parts of the historical books of Scripture, and these were generally made by prophets or inspired men. That composed on the tragical end of this good king by Jeremiah is now lost. The Targum says, "Jeremiah bewailed Josiah with a great lamentation; and all the chiefs and matrons sing these lamentations concerning Josiah to the present day, and it was a statute in Israel annually to bewail Josiah. Behold, these are written in the book of Lamentations, which Baruch wrote down from the mouth of Jeremiah.
Verse 27
And his deeds, first and last - "The former things which he did in his childhood, and the latter things which he did in his youth; and all the judgments which he pronounced from his eighth year, when he came to the kingdom, to his eighteenth, when he was grown up, and began to repair the sanctuary of the Lord; and all that he brought of his substance to the hand of judgment, purging both the house of Israel and Judah from all uncleanness; behold, they are written in the book of the Kings of the house of Israel, and of the house of Judah." - Targum. These general histories are lost; but in the books of Kings and Chronicles we have the leading facts.
Introduction
Jehoahaz made king on the death of his father Josiah, and reigns only three months, [2Chr 36:1], [2Chr 36:2]. He is dethroned by the king of Egypt, and Jehoiakim his brother made king in his stead, who reigns wickedly eleven years, and is dethroned and led captive to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar, [2Chr 36:3-8]. Jehoiachin is made king in his stead, and reigns wickedly three months and ten days, and is also led captive to Babylon, [2Chr 36:9], [2Chr 36:10]. Zedekiah begins to reign, and reigns wickedly eleven years, [2Chr 36:11], [2Chr 36:12]. He rebels against Nebuchadnezzar, and he and his people cast all the fear of God behind their backs; the wrath of God comes upon them to the uttermost; their temple us destroyed; and the whole nation is subjugated, and led into captivity, [2Chr 36:13-21]. Cyrus, king of Persia, makes a proclamation to rebuild the temple of the Lord, [2Chr 36:22], [2Chr 36:23].
Verse 1
Took Jehoahaz - It seems that after Necho had discomfited Josiah, he proceeded immediately against Charchemish, and in the interim, Josiah dying of his wounds, the people made his son king.
Verse 3
The king of Egypt put him down - He now considered Judah to be conquered, and tributary to him and because the people had set up Jehoahaz without his consent, he dethroned him, and put his brother in his place, perhaps for no other reason but to show his supremacy. For other particulars, see the notes on [2Kgs 23:31-35] (note).
Verse 6
Came up Nebuchadnezzar - See the notes on [2Kgs 24:1].
Archbishop Usher believes that Jehoiakim remained three years after this tributary to the Chaldeans, and that it is from this period that the seventy years' captivity, predicted by Jeremiah, is to be reckoned.
Verse 9
Jehoiachin was eight - See on [2Kgs 24:6-15] (note).
Verse 10
Made Zedekiah - king - His name was at first Mattaniah, but the king of Babylon changed it to Zedekiah. See [2Kgs 24:17] (note), and the notes there.
Verse 12
Did that which was evil - Was there ever such a set of weak, infatuated men as the Jewish kings in general? They had the fullest evidence that they were only deputies to God Almighty, and that they could not expect to retain the throne any longer than they were faithful to their Lord; and yet with all this conviction they lived wickedly, and endeavored to establish idolatry in the place of the worship of their Maker! After bearing with them long, the Divine mercy gave them up, as their case was utterly hopeless. They sinned till there was no remedy.
Verse 19
They burnt the house of God - Here was an end to the temple; the most superb and costly edifice ever erected by man.
Brake down the wall of Jerusalem - So it ceased to be a fortified city.
Burnt all the palaces - So it was no longer a dwelling-place for kings or great men.
Destroyed all the goodly vessels - Beat up all the silver and gold into masses, keeping only a few of the finest in their own shape. See [2Chr 36:18].