2 Chronicles · Chapter 34

Verse 1. Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign — The reader will find the principal parts of this chapter explained at large in the notes on 2 Kings 22. and 23., to which he is referred.

Verse 2. He declined neither to the right hand, nor to the left.] He never swerved from God and truth; he never omitted what he knew to be his duty to God and his kingdom; he carried on his reformation with a steady hand; timidity did not prevent him from going far enough; and zeal did not lead him beyond due bounds. He walked in the golden mean, and his moderation was known unto all men. He went neither to the right nor to the left, he looked inward, looked forward, and looked upward. Reader, let the conduct of this pious youth be thy exemplar through life.

V. 3. Young-In the sixteenth year of his age; when he was entering into the age of temptation, and had the administration of his kingdom wholly in his own power, and none to restrain him; even then he begins to be religious in good earnest.

Verse 3. While he was yet young — In the sixteenth year of his age; when he was entering into the age of temptation, and had the administration of his kingdom wholly in his own power, and none to restrain him, even then he begins to be religious in good earnest.

Verse 4. The altars of Baalim] How often have these been broken down, and how soon set up again! We see that the religion of a land is as the religion of its king. If the king were idolatrous, up went the altars, on them were placed the statues, and the smoke of incense ascended in ceaseless clouds to the honour of that which is vanity, and nothing to the world; on the other hand, when the king was truly religious, down went the idolatrous altars, broken in pieces were the images, and the sacrificial smoke ascended only to the true God: in all these cases the people were as one man with the king.

Verse 5. He burnt the bones of the priests] ayrmwk kumeraiya, the kemarim, says the Targum. See this word explained, 2 Kings 23:5.

Verse 5. He burnt the bones of the priests, and so, perhaps without intending it, he fulfilled the prophecy of the man of God that came to Bethel. 1 Kings 13:2.

V. 6. Naphtali-Which was in the utmost borders of the kingdom of Israel. For it must be remembered, that the ten tribes were now gone into captivity; and those who were come in their stead were weak and few, and not able to withstand the power of Josiah.

Verse 6. The cities of Manasseh] Even those who were under the government of the Israelitish king permitted their idols and places of idolatry to be hewn down and destroyed: after the truth was declared and acknowledged, the spade and the axe were employed to complete the reformation.

Verse 6. Even unto Naphtali — Which was in the utmost borders of the kingdom of Israel. For it must be remembered, that the ten tribes were now gone into captivity; and those who were come in their stead were weak and few, and not able to withstand the power of Josiah.

6. Cities of Manasseh, and Ephraim, and Simeon, even unto Naphtali — The northern kingdom having been long since broken up, and the new colonists from the East having no power or special care to hinder him, Josiah probably met with no great opposition in overthrowing “all the idols throughout all the land of Israel.” Verse 7. With their mattocks — Margin, with their mauls; others, with their swords. Furst connects the phrase with “burnt the bones” in the preceding verse, and then renders the phrase “in their palatial resting-places,” that is, their princely graves or mausoleums. Gesenius adopts the Kethib, and renders “he proved their houses,” that is, examined the houses of the idolaters. But we incline to the view of Bertheau, who adopts the Keri, and points it thus µhytbrhb: the meaning then is, as the same word is translated in Psalm 109:10, in their desolate places, or, in their ruins. Josiah overthrew idolatry in the cities named, which were many of them in ruins, and all of them, perhaps, might have been spoken of as desolate places. But notwithstanding their ruin, many signs of their old idolatry remained.

The remainder of the chapter (verses 8-33) is substantially identical with 2 Kings 22:3-20, and 23:1-3, where see notes.

V. 8. The house-The house of God, called the house by way of eminency.

Verses 8-11. When he had purged the land and the house — The house of God, called the house, by way of eminence. And they returned to Jerusalem — That is, the Levites, who had gone abroad through all Josiah’s kingdom to gather money for this use, and now came with it to Jerusalem to lodge it in the treasuries of the Lord’s house. To floor the houses which the kings of Judah had destroyed — The chambers adjoining to the temple, or within the courts.

Verse 9. And they returned to Jerusalem.] Instead of wbvyw vaiyashubu, “they returned,” we should read ybvwy yoshebey, “the inhabitants;” a reading which is supported by many MSS., printed editions, and all the versions, as well as by necessity and common sense. See Clarke’s note on “2 Chronicles 19:8”, where a similar mistake is rectified.

Verses 8-11. When he had purged the land and the house — The house of God, called the house, by way of eminence. And they returned to Jerusalem — That is, the Levites, who had gone abroad through all Josiah’s kingdom to gather money for this use, and now came with it to Jerusalem to lodge it in the treasuries of the Lord’s house. To floor the houses which the kings of Judah had destroyed — The chambers adjoining to the temple, or within the courts.

Verses 8-11. When he had purged the land and the house — The house of God, called the house, by way of eminence. And they returned to Jerusalem — That is, the Levites, who had gone abroad through all Josiah’s kingdom to gather money for this use, and now came with it to Jerusalem to lodge it in the treasuries of the Lord’s house. To floor the houses which the kings of Judah had destroyed — The chambers adjoining to the temple, or within the courts.

V. 11. Houses-The chambers joining to the temple.

Verses 8-11. When he had purged the land and the house — The house of God, called the house, by way of eminence. And they returned to Jerusalem — That is, the Levites, who had gone abroad through all Josiah’s kingdom to gather money for this use, and now came with it to Jerusalem to lodge it in the treasuries of the Lord’s house. To floor the houses which the kings of Judah had destroyed — The chambers adjoining to the temple, or within the courts.

11. To floor — Margin, to rafter. Gesenius, to furnish with beams. Furst, to build up. Our version, to floor, probably expresses the sense as nearly as any. The houses which the kings of Judah (Amon and Manasseh) had destroyed are to be understood of the houses and chambers of the priests in the temple and its courts.

V. 12. Musick-All these here named, were skilful in instruments of musick. Which may be here mentioned, to intimate, that as they were skilful, so they were exercised in both employments, and did successively oversee the work, and praise God with their voices and instruments.

Verse 12. All that could skill of instruments of music] Did the musicians play on their several instruments to encourage and enliven the workmen? Is not this a probable case from their mention here? If this were really the case, instrumental music was never better applied in any thing that refers to the worship of God. It is fabled of Orpheus, a most celebrated musician, that such was the enchanting harmony of his lyre, that he built the city of Thebes by it: the stones and timbers danced to his melody; and by the power of his harmony rose up, and took their respective places in the different parts of the wall that was to defend the city! This is fable; but as all fable is a representation of truth, where is the truth and fact to which this refers? How long has this question lain unanswered! But have we not the answer now? It is known in general, that the cities of Herculaneum and Pompeii were overwhelmed by an eruption of Mount Vesuvius, about the seventy-ninth year of the Christian era. It is also known that, in sinking for wells, the workmen of the king of Naples lighted on houses, &c., of those overwhelmed cities; that excavations have been carried on, and are now in the act of being carried on, which are bringing daily to view various utensils, pictures, and books, which have escaped the influence of the burning lava; and that some of those parchment volumes have been unrolled, and facsimiles of them engraved and published; and that our late Prince Regent, afterwards George IV., king of Great Britain, expended considerable sums of money annually in searching for, unrolling, and deciphering those rolls. This I record to his great credit as the lover of science and literature. Now, among the books that have been unrolled and published, is a Greek Treatise on Music, by Philodemus; and here we have the truth represented which lay hidden under the fables of Orpheus and Amphion. This latter was a skilful harper, who was frequently employed by the Theban workmen to play to them while engaged in their labour, and for which they rewarded him out of the proceeds of that labor. So powerful and pleasing was his music, that they went lightly and comfortably through their work; and time and labour passed on without tedium or fatigue; and the walls and towers were speedily raised. This, by a metaphor, was attributed to the dulcet sounds of his harp; and poetry seized on and embellished it, and mythology incorporated it with her fabulous system. Orpheus is the same. By his skill in music he drew stones and trees after him, i.e., he presided over and encouraged the workmen by his skill in music. Yet how simple and natural is the representation given by this ancient Greek writer of such matters! See Philodemus, Col. viii. and ix. Orpheus, and Amphion, by their music, moved the workmen to diligence and activity, and lessened and alleviated their toil. May we not suppose, then, that skilful musicians among the Levites did exercise their art among the workmen who were employed in the repairs of the house of the Lord? May I be allowed a gentle transition? Is it not the power and harmony of the grace of Jesus Christ in the Gospel, that convert, change, and purify the souls of men, and prepare them for and place them in that part of the house of God, the New Jerusalem? A most beautiful and chaste allusion to this fact and fable is made by an eminent poet, while praying for his own success as a Christian minister, who uses all his skill as a poet and musician for the glory of God:—

Thy own musician, Lord, inspire,

And may my consecrated lyre

Repeat the psalmist’s part!

His Son and thine reveal in me,

And fill with sacred melody

The fibres of my heart.

So shall I charm the listening throng,

And draw the LIVING STONES along

By Jesus’ tuneful name.

The living stones shall dance, shall rise,

And FORM a CITY in the skies,

The New Jerusalem.

CHARLES WESLEY.

Verse 12. All that could skill of instruments of music — All these, here named, were skilful in instruments of music — Which may be here mentioned, to intimate, that as they were skilful, so they were exercised in both employments, and did successively oversee the work, and praise God with their voices and instruments.

12. All that could skill of instruments — The word skill in the sense here intended is obsolete; we should render, all that were skilled in instruments of music.

13. Of the Levites… scribes — On the ancient office of the scribe, see note on 2 Samuel 8:17. “Here,” says Rawlinson, “we have come to a new state of things — an order of scribes, forming a distinct division of the Levitical body, has been instituted. It has been well observed, that though the class-term is first found in this passage, the class itself probably originated in the reign of Hezekiah. When that monarch employed men to copy out the uncollected proverbs of Solomon, (Proverbs 25:1,) a class of scribes must have been instituted. It is probably to the rise of this class that we are indebted for the preservation of so many prophecies belonging to Hezekiah’s time, while the works of almost all previous prophets — Ahijah, Iddo, Shemaiah, Jehu the son of Hanani, and probably many others — have perished.”

Verse 14. Found a book of the law] See on 2 Kings 22:8.

V. 19. Rent his clothes-Were the things contained in scripture new to us, as they were here to Josiah, surely they would make deeper impressions upon us than they commonly do. But they are not the less weighty, and therefore should not be the less regarded, because they are well known.

Verse 19. When the king had heard the words he rent his clothes — Were the things contained in Scripture new to us, as they were here to Josiah, surely they would make deeper impressions upon us than they commonly do. But they are not the less weighty, and therefore should not be the less regarded, because they are well known.

Verse 22. Huldah the prophetess] See on 2 Kings 22:14.

Verse 27. Because thine heart was tender] “Because thy heart was melted, and thou hast humbled thyself in the sight of the WORD of the Lord, yyd armym meymera daya, when thou didst hear his words, ywmgtp ty yath pithgamoi, against this place,” &c. Here the Targum most evidently distinguishes between armym meymera, the PERSONAL WORD, and פתגם pithgam, a word spoken or expressed.

Verse 28. Gathered to thy grave in peace] See particularly Clarke’s note on “2 Kings 22:20”.

Verse 30. The king went] See on 2 Kings 23:1.

Verse 31. Made a covenant] See on 2 Kings 23:3. And see the notes on that and the preceding chapter, for the circumstances detailed here.

V. 32. To stand to it-He caused them to engage by an oath or covenant, that they would observe the laws of God, as his predecessors had formerly done, and which indeed they were before obliged to do.

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.

II CHRONICLES

Verses 32, 33. He caused all present to stand to it — He caused them to engage by an oath or covenant, that they would observe the laws of God, as his predecessors had formerly done, and which indeed they were before obliged to do. The inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant, &c. — They complied with God’s and the king’s command, as to the outward acts of God’s worship, though not with an upright and renewed heart, as appears by the history. To serve, even to serve the Lord their God — The repetition shows, that this was the only thing his heart was set upon. He aimed at nothing, in all he did, but to engage them to God and their duty.

V. 33. Even to serve-The repetition shews, that this was the only thing his heart was set upon. He aimed at nothing in all he did, but to engage them to God and their duty.

Verses 32, 33. He caused all present to stand to it — He caused them to engage by an oath or covenant, that they would observe the laws of God, as his predecessors had formerly done, and which indeed they were before obliged to do. The inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant, &c. — They complied with God’s and the king’s command, as to the outward acts of God’s worship, though not with an upright and renewed heart, as appears by the history. To serve, even to serve the Lord their God — The repetition shows, that this was the only thing his heart was set upon. He aimed at nothing, in all he did, but to engage them to God and their duty.

33. All his days they departed not from… the Lord — He succeeded in keeping down all open idolatry, but he did not root its evil leaven out of the hearts of all the people. See the note at 2 Kings 23:25.