2 Kings 23:16

_AND AS JOSIAH TURNED HIMSELF, HE SPIED THE SEPULCHRES THAT WERE THERE IN THE MOUNT, AND SENT, AND TOOK THE BONES OUT OF THE SEPULCHRES, AND BURNED THEM UPON THE ALTAR, AND POLLUTED IT, ACCORDING TO THE WORD OF THE LORD WHICH THE MAN OF GOD PROCLAIMED, WHO PROCLAIMED THESE WORDS._ And as Josiah turned himself, he spied, the sepulchres that were there in the mount. 'The "mount," doubtless, is the same as the mountain, on the east of Beth-el, described in the history of Abraham. The "sepulchres" must be the numerous rock-hewn tombs still visible in the whole descent from that "mountain" to the Wady Suweinit. In one of these, though we know not which, lay side by side the bones of the two prophets-the aged, prophet of Beth-el and his brother and victim, "the man of God from Judah" - and they were left to repose. From that time the desolation foretold by Amos and Hosea (Hosea 4:15;

15-24 Josiah's zeal extended to the cities of Israel within his reach. He carefully preserved the sepulchre of that man of God, who came from Judah to foretell the throwing down of Jeroboam's altar. When they had cleared the country of the old leaven of idolatry, then they applied themselves to the keeping of the feast. There was not holden such a passover in any of the foregoing reigns. The revival of a long-neglected ordinance, filled them with holy joy; and God recompensed their zeal in destroying idolatry with uncommon tokens of his presence and favour. We have reason to think that during the remainder of Josiah's reign, religion flourished....

Verse 2 Kings 23:16. _AND AS JOSIAH TURNED HIMSELF_] This verse is much more _complete_ in the _Septuagint_, and in the _Hexaplar Syriac_ version at Paris. I shall give the whole, making a distinction where, in those versions, any thing is added: "And as Josiah turned himself, he spied the sepulchres that were there in the mount, and sent and took the bones out of the sepulchres, and burnt them upon the altar, and polluted it: according to the word of the Lord which the man of God proclaimed [when Jeroboam stood by the altar at the feast. And turning about, _he_ cast his eyes on the sepulchre of the man of God] who proclaimed these words." See 1 Kings 13:2, where these things were predicted, and see the notes there....

A parenthesis giving the earlier reforms of Josiah. 2 Kings 23:4 THE PRIESTS OF THE SECOND ORDER - This is a new expression; and probably refers to the ordinary priests, called here “priests of the second order,” in contrast with the high priest, whose dignity was reviving (2 Kings 12:2 note). THE VESSELS - This would include the whole apparatus of worship, altars, images, dresses, utensils, etc., for Baal, etc. (2 Kings 21:3 notes). The ashes of the idolatrous objects burned in the first instance in the “fields of Kidron” (i. e., in the part of the valley which lies nort

EXPOSITION 2 KINGS 23:1 JOSIAH'S RENEWAL OF THE COVENANT. HIS REFORMS AND DEATH. REIGN OF JEHOAHAZ. ACCESSION OF JEHOIAKIM. 2 KINGS 23:1 _Josiah_'_s renewal of the covenant_._ _The first care of Josiah, on receiving Huldah's message, which stamped the book found as the true "book of the covenant," was to call together a great assembly of the nation, which should be sufficiently representative of it, and renew the covenant between God and his people made originally a

AND AS JOSIAH TURNED HIMSELF,.... From the high place, and the altar at Bethel; for he not only gave orders for the destroying of idolatrous places and idols, but he saw them executed himself: HE SPIED THE SEPULCHRES THAT WERE THERE IN THE MOUNT; the graves of idolatrous priests and worshippers, who chose to be buried near those places of idolatry; nor was it unusual for persons to be buried on hills and mountains, see Joshua 24:30 and this was a custom in other nations formerly t, particularly among the Indians u now, who in many things agree with the Jews: AND SENT AND TOOK THE BONES OUT OF THE SEPULCHRES, AND BURNT THEM UPON THE ALTAR; where they had sacrificed to idols: AND POLLUTED IT; with their bones, which, according to the law, were defiling, and which was done in contempt of their idolatrous worship there: a

2. THE RESULTS OF THE REVIVAL AND THE DEATH OF JOSIAH CHAPTER 23:1-30 _ 1. The People hear the law (2 Kings 23:1; 2 Chronicles 34)_ 2. Josiah makes a covenant (2 Kings 23:3) 3. The great reformations (2 Kings 23:4) 4. The Passover celebrated (2 Kings 23:21; 2 Chronicles 35) 5. Further statements concerning Josiah (2 Kings 23:24

The grave of the prophet. This is evidently an addition to the original story. The altar, which in 2 Kings 23:15 had been destroyed, is supposed to be still standing. The man of God is, of course, the disobedient prophet of 1 Kings 13. Samaria (2 Kings 23:18 f.) is evidently the province and not the city. Josiah is represented as purifying the whole district from the high-place worship. From Jeremiah 41:9 we learn that even after the destruction of the Temple the ruins were visited by devout Israelites from that district....

SEPULCHRES. Hebrew, plural of _keber._ See note on 2 Kings 21:26. THE WORD. See 1 Kings 13:2. THE MAN OF GOD. See note on Deuteronomy 33:1. App-49. GOD. Hebrew. _Elohim._ App-4. PROCLAIMED. Supply Figure of speech _Ellipsis_ thus: "proclaimed [when Jeroboam stood by the altar at the feast], who proclaimed these words" 369 years before. See 1 Kings 13:1; 1 Kings 13:2....

F. THE REFORMATION INTENSIFIED 23:4-23 The author deals with the reformation launched by Josiah geographically rather than chronologically. He discusses (1) the cleansing of the Temple (2 Kings 23:4-7); (2) the reforms in Jerusalem and Judah (2 Kings 23:8-14); (3) the reforms in the territory which had formerly belonged to the kingdom of Israel in the North (2 Kings 23:15-20); and (4) the great passover celebration in which Jews and Israelites jointly shared in Jerusalem (2 Kings 23:21-23). 1. _THE CLEANSING OF THE TEMPLE_ ...