2 Chronicles 34 - Study the King James Bible

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

And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the ways of David his father, and declined neither to the right hand, nor to the left.

For 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 groves, and the carved images, and the molten images.

And they brake down the altars of Baalim in his presence; and the images, that were on high above them, he cut down; and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images, he brake in pieces, and made dust of them, and strowed it upon the graves of them that had sacrificed unto them.

2 Chronicles 34:4. Images that were on high— Or, solar statues. Or, temples dedicated to the fire.

And he burnt the bones of the priests upon their altars, and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem.

And so did he in the cities of Manasseh, and Ephraim, and Simeon, even unto Naphtali, with their mattocks round about.

And when he had broken down the altars and the groves, and had beaten the graven images into powder, and cut down all the idols throughout all the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem.

Now 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 the house of the LORD his God.

And when they came to Hilkiah the high priest, they delivered the money that was brought into the house of God, which the Levites that kept the doors had gathered of the hand of Manasseh and Ephraim, and of all the remnant of Israel, and of all Judah and Benjamin; and they returned to Jerusalem.

10.

And they put it in the hand of the workmen that had the oversight of the house of the LORD, and they gave it to the workmen that wrought in the house of the LORD, to repair and amend the house:

11.

Even to the artificers and builders gave they it, to buy hewn stone, and timber for couplings, and to floor the houses which the kings of Judah had destroyed.

12.

And the men did the work faithfully: and the overseers of them 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 other of the Levites, all that could skill of instruments of musick.

13.

Also they were over the bearers of burdens, and were overseers of all that wrought the work in any manner of service: and of the Levites there were scribes, and officers, and porters.

14.

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.

2 Chronicles 34:14. A book of the law—given by Moses— See note on 2 Kings 22:8. The word given is not in the Hebrew. It is literally, A book of the law of Jehovah, by the hand of Moses. It is scarcely possible for words more naturally to describe a book written by Moses himself, or to vouch more fully that the manuscript of the law at this time found was in the hand-writing of Moses: and though there are fifteen places in the Old Testament (Joshua 8:31-32. 1 Kings 2:3. 2 Kings 14:6; 2 Kings 23:25. 2 Chronicles 23:18; 2Ch 25:4; 2 Chronicles 30:16; 2 Chronicles 35:12.Ezra 3:2; Ezra 3:2; Ezra 6:18. Nehemiah 13:1. Dan 11:13 and Malachi 4:4.) which contain the words, law of Moses, and book of Moses; yet this one place only mentions the book of the law in the hand or by the hand of Moses: the reason of which seems to be, that the other places speak of that law in general, but this place speaks of one particular manuscript, namely, the original. As to the point of age, this manuscript might certainly be the original, distance of time leaving it very possible; for the most extended chronology does not make the interval from the death of Moses to the death of Josiah, 950 years; an age exceeded by that of several manuscripts preserved at this day. Kennicott's Diss. vol. 2: p. 299.

15.

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.

16.

And Shaphan carried the book to the king, and brought the king word back again, saying, All that was committed to thy servants, they do it.

17.

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.

18.

Then Shaphan the scribe told the king, saying, Hilkiah the priest hath given me a book. And Shaphan read it before the king.

19.

And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the law, that he rent his clothes.

2 Chronicles 34:19. The king—rent his clothes— If there were several copies of the law in Judah taken from the venerable original of Moses, under the inspection of the high-priest or some prophet, how are we to account for the surprise expressed by Josiah and the people, at his reading the copy found by Hilkiah? To this I answer, that their ignorance of the law may fairly and fully be accounted for from the history of the preceding reigns; only from recollecting what a very idolatrous king Manasseh was for fifty-five years; and that he wanted neither power nor inclination to destroy the copies of the law, had they not been secreted by the servants of the true God. The law, after being so long concealed, would be unknown to almost all the Jews; and thus the solemn reading of it by good king Josiah (to whom it might be discovered safely) would awaken his own and the people's earnest attention. The copy produced was probably the original, written by Moses, which would excite still greater veneration: but if it were not, we cannot doubt that it had the proper marks of authenticity. And it must be added, that copies of the Pentateuch had providentially been long before this time in the hands of their enemies, the Israelites and Samaritans: which single circumstance shews the impracticability of what some had been pleased to intimate, that Hilkiah might introduce a spurious Pentateuch; so that, upon the whole, there might be many copies of the law extant in Judah, and the copy produced by Hilkiah may have been the autograph or hand-writing of Moses, notwithstanding this objection. Kennicott's Diss. vol. 2 p. 301.
REFLECTIONS.—1st, Josiah began very young to reign, and, probably, during his minority things continued as his ungodly father had left them: but in his sixteenth year God was pleased graciously to work upon his heart; and, notwithstanding the bad education he may be supposed to have had, he then began to seek the Lord; and when, in the twelfth year of his reign, he took the government into his own hands, he resolutely set himself to purge out the abominations of his kingdom. Nor did he merely remove them, as Manasseh did, but utterly destroyed them; reduced the idols and groves to dust, and cast it on the graves of the dead; defiled the altars by burning the dead bones of their priests upon them, and then beat them in pieces; and this reformation he carried on, not only through Judah, but through the cities of Israel, going round himself to see the work accomplished. Note; (1.) Those whom God chooses for a great work, he generally calls in the days of their youth. (2.) The business which the master himself attends, will be well done.
2nd, When the house of God was thoroughly purged, and he had returned from his progress, (which he seems to have repeated, 2 Kings 24 after the temple-service was re-established,) he gave orders for the repair of the house of the Lord, whom he had chosen for his God. By his command, money was collected, workmen of approved fidelity hired, and officers of the Levites appointed to see the work well done. Note; (1.) A ruinous church is a sad symptom of an irreligious people. (2.) An honest labourer is a worthy character.
3rdly, Concerning the book of the law, we may further observe, (1.) That tenderness of heart in hearing God's word is a gracious symptom of a penitent or converted soul. (2.) God's providence in thus preserving his written word is, even to this hour, matter of thankfulness. (3.) When God gives us his book, let us not neglect to examine it. Wilful ignorance is wilful sin. (4.) To tremble at God's word, and, under conviction of our sins, to humble our souls before him, is the way to obtain mercy; while wrath certain and terrible awaits the hardened sinner.
4thly, Concerned not less for his people, than for himself, Josiah assembles them to hear the words of God's book, and, by his example and command, engages them to renew their covenant with God. And what he so faithfully began, he persevered in all his days; so that publicly, and in profession, the service of God was diligently maintained. But with many, indeed with far the greater part, the reformation, as appears by the prophets Jeremiah, Zephaniah, and Ezekiel, was hypocritical; and their sins were exceedingly aggravated, that with so good an example before them, and such means of grace, they chose their own delusions, and were unfaithful to their covenant. Note; The great concern of a good king will be, to make his subjects acquainted with God's word. (2.) We are bound by every tie of duty to cleave to God; but, unless our hearts be bound with cords of grace, all other bonds, or vows, or covenants, will be ineffectual. (3.) They who resist the means of grace, and continue unchanged under a preached gospel, fill up most grievously the measure of their iniquities.

20.

And the king commanded Hilkiah, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Abdon the son of Micah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah a servant of the king's, saying,

21.

Go, inquire of the LORD for me, and for them that are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book that is found: for great is the wrath of the LORD that is poured out upon us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the LORD, to do after all that is written in this book.

22.

And Hilkiah, and they that the king had appointed, went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvath, the son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe; (now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the college:) and they spake to her to that effect.

23.

And she answered them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Tell ye the man that sent you to me,

24.

Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, even all the curses that are written in the book which they have read before the king of Judah:

25.

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

26.

And as for the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the LORD, so shall ye say unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel concerning the words which thou hast heard;

27.

Because thine heart was tender, and thou didst humble thyself before God, when thou heardest his words against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, and humbledst thyself before me, and didst rend thy clothes, and weep before me; I have even heard thee also, saith the LORD.

28.

Behold, I will gather thee to thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered to thy grave in peace, neither shall thine eyes see all the evil that I will bring upon this place, and upon the inhabitants of the same. So they brought the king word again.

29.

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

30.

And the king went up into the house of the LORD, and all the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the priests, and the Levites, and all the people, great and small: and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant that was found in the house of the LORD.

31.

And the king stood in his place, and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD, 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 which are written in this book.

32.

And he caused all that were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand to it. And the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers.

33.

And Josiah took away all the abominations out of all the countries that pertained to the children of Israel, and made all that were present in Israel to serve, even to serve the LORD their God. And all his days they departed not from following the LORD, the God of their fathers.