2 Chronicles 34:19

_AND IT CAME TO PASS, WHEN THE KING HAD HEARD THE WORDS OF THE LAW, THAT HE RENT HIS CLOTHES._ When the king has heard the words of the law ... (see the notes at 2 Kings 22:11; 2 Kings 23:1.)...

EXPOSITION This chapter, with the following, embraces the entire of the beneficent reign of Josiah, son of Amon—the son an illustrious contrast to the father. The parallel (2 Kings 22-23:30) is less full, and also, so far as chronology goes, less clear in the earlier verses. For once the writer of Kings spends his strength more largely than our compiler on the moral and religious aspects of Josiah's work, and is rather scantier in the detail of his external works for his nation, city of Jerusalem, and temple. He, however, gives very much less prominence to the matter of the celebration of the Passover. 2 CHRONICLES 34:1 Again the name of the mother is omitted. From the parallel we learn she was "Jedidah, the daughter of Adaiah of Boscath....

2 Chronicles 34:14...

2 Chronicles 34:14. _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. 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 the discoveries that they might have made, they could have discovered nothing that would work so much good to all the people as this «book of the law of the Lord given by Moses.» 2 Chronicles 34:16. 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 fou

8. REFORMATION UNDER JOSIAH CHAPTER 34 The Reign of Josiah and the Reformation _ 1. The record of his reign (2 Chronicles 34:1)_ 2. The beginning of the reformation (2 Chronicles 34:3) 3. The house of the LORD repaired (2 Chronicles 34:8) 4. The law of Moses found and read (2 Chronicles 34:14) 5. Hulda, the prophetess (2 Chronicles 34:22) 6. The law read and the covenant ...

2 Chronicles 34:1 to 2 Chronicles 35:27. THE REIGN OF JOSIAH. See notes on 2 Kings 22, 2 Kings 23:1, which form the basis of the Chronicler's account; but he has made many alterations in accordance with his general tendencies. One important difference between the two accounts is that, according to the Chronicler, Josiah's Reformation takes place before the finding of the book of the Law, an obviously illogical sequence; but the Chronicler desires to emphasize Josiah's piety even in his tender years. The description of the celebration of the Passover (2 Chronicles 35:1) is far fuller than that given in...

_rent his clothes_ A sign of grief. "Clothes" is in the plur. because both inner and outer garments are meant. See Ezra 9:3 (with Ryle's note)....

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 pr...

LESSON TWENTY-FOUR 34-36 JOSIAH'S REFORMATION THE LAST DAYS OF THE SOUTHERN KINGDOM BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY. THE DECREE OF CYRUS 17. THE REIGN OF JOSIAH (Chapter 34-35) INTRODUCTION Josiah and Hilkiah led Judah in a wonderful revival of faith in God. The passover was a time of great rejoicing. Josiah's untimely death shortened Judah's time as a kingdom. Babylon came. Jerusalem was ruined. Captivity followed. At the end of the captivity Cyrus released the Jews for their return to Jerusalem. TEXT 2 Chronicles 34:1. Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign; and he reigned thirty and one years in Jerusalem. 2. And he did that which was right in the eyes of Jehovah, and walked in the ways of David his father, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left. 3. For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began

REIGN OF JOSIAH The chapter narrates how Josiah suppressed idolatry and repaired the Temple; how a book of the Law, found in the Temple, was read to the king and the people; and how the nation's covenant with the Lord was renewed. This chapter and the following are, in general, parallel to 2 Kings 22; 2 Kings 23:1 with some unimportant variants; but the Chronicler gives more prominence than the writer of 2 Kings to the passover celebrated by Josiah....