Prophets — Either Jeremiah, Zephaniah, Urijah: or, the sons of the prophets. It seems he read it himself. Josiah did not think it beneath him, to be a reader, any more than Solomon did to be a preacher, and David to be even a door keeper in the house of God. All people are concerned to know the scri... [ Continue Reading ]
Stood — They declared their consent to it, and their concurrence with the king in that act, which possibly they did by standing up, as the king himself stood when he took it. It is of good use, with all possible solemnity, to oblige ourselves to our duty. And he that bears an honest heart, does not... [ Continue Reading ]
Second order — Either those two who were next in degree to the high — priest, and in case of sickness were to manage his work: or the heads of the twenty four courses which David had appointed. The grove — The image of the grove: it being most frequent to call images by the names of the persons or t... [ Continue Reading ]
Priests — Heb. the Chemarim; the highest rank of priests, employed in the highest work, which was to burn incense.... [ Continue Reading ]
The people — Of that people, those idolatrous people, as it is explained, 2 Chronicles 34:4.... [ Continue Reading ]
Sodomites — Sodomy was a part of idol — worship, being done to the honour of some of their idols, and by the appointment of those impure and diabolical spirits, which were worshipped in their idols. Hangings — Or, curtains, either to draw before the idols which were worshipped in the grove, to prese... [ Continue Reading ]
Priests — Belonging to the high — places following, whether such as worshipped idols; or such as worshipped God in those forbidden places. Defiled — By burning dead mens bones upon them, or by putting them to some other unclean use. From Geba — The northern border of the kingdom of Judah. Beer — she... [ Continue Reading ]
The priest — Who worshipped the true God there. In Jerusalem — Were not suffered to come thither to the exercise of their priestly function; as a just punishment for the corruption of God's worship, and the transgression of so plain and positive a law of God, Deuteronomy 12:11, which was much worse... [ Continue Reading ]
Topheth — Very near Jerusalem, where was the image of Molech, to whom some sacrificed their children, burning them in the fire, others dedicated them, making them pass between two fires. It is supposed to be called Topheth, from toph, a drum; because they beat drums at the burning of the children, t... [ Continue Reading ]
Horses — Such the eastern nations used to consecrate to the sun, to signify the swiftness of his motion. The sun — Either, to be sacrificed to the sun: or, to draw those chariots in which the kings, or some other in their stead, went forth every morning to worship the rising sun: for both these were... [ Continue Reading ]
The top — Upon the roof of the king's house. They were so mad upon their idols, that they were not content with all their publick high places and altars, but made others upon their house — tops, for the worship of the heavenly bodies. Cast — To shew his detestation of them: and to abolish the very r... [ Continue Reading ]
Corruption — The mount of olives, called the mount of corruption, for the gross idolatry there practiced. Which — Not the same individual altars; which doubtless either Solomon upon his repentance, or some other of Josiah's predecessors had taken away, but other altars built by Manasseh or Amon, whi... [ Continue Reading ]
Men — Of the idolatrous priests, which he caused to be taken out of their graves, 2 Kings 23:18. As he carried the ashes of the images to the graves, to mingle them with dead mens bones, so he carried dead mens bones to the places where the images had been, that both ways idolatry might be rendered... [ Continue Reading ]
Beth — el — Probably this city was now under the kingdom of Judah, to which it was added by Abijah long since. And it is probable, since the ten tribes were carried away, many cities had put themselves under the protection of Judah. The golden calf, it seems, was gone; but Josiah would leave no rema... [ Continue Reading ]
Himself — Josiah's care and zeal was so great, that he would not trust his officers with these things, but would see them done with his own eyes. These words — Three hundred years before it was done.... [ Continue Reading ]
The priests — By this relation it appears, that after the departure of the king of Assyria, divers of the Israelites who had retired to other parts, and kept themselves out of the conqueror's hands, returned together with their priests to their own land, and to their old trade, worshipping idols; to... [ Continue Reading ]
Such a passover — Celebrated with such solemn care, and great preparation, and numerous sacrifices, and universal joy of all good men; which was much the greater, because of their remembrance of the former wicked and miserable times under Manasseh, and Amon; and the good hopes they now had of the ha... [ Continue Reading ]
Images, &c. — Three words noting the same thing, to shew, That all the instruments and monuments of idolatry were destroyed, as God had commanded. Spied — All that were discovered; not only such as were in the place of worship, but such as their priests or zealots had removed, and endeavoured to hid... [ Continue Reading ]
No king — For his diligent study in God's law, and his exact care, and unwearied industry, and fervent zeal, in rooting out idolators, and all kinds and appearances of idolatry, not only in Judah, but in Israel also; and in the establishment of the true religion in all his dominions, and in the conf... [ Continue Reading ]
Notwithstanding — Because though the king was most hearty in his repentance and acceptable to God, and therefore the judgment was delayed for his time; yet the people were in general corrupt, and secretly averse from Josiah's pious reformation, as appears from the complaints of the prophets, especia... [ Continue Reading ]
I said — Upon the conditions in sundry places expressed, which they broke, and therefore God justly made them to know his breach of promise.... [ Continue Reading ]
The king, &c. — The king of Babylon, who having formerly rebelled against the Assyrian had now conquered him; as appears by the course of the sacred, and the concurrence of the prophane history; and therefore is here and elsewhere called the Assyrian, and the king of Assyria, because now he was the... [ Continue Reading ]
Dead — Mortally wounded. Jehoahaz — Who was younger than Jehoiakim, yet preferred by the people before the elder brother; either because Jehoiakim refused the kingdom for fear of Pharaoh, whom he knew he should hereby provoke. Or because Jehoahaz was the more stout and warlike prince; whence he is c... [ Continue Reading ]
His fathers — His grand — parents, Manasseh, and Amon. He restored that idolatry which his father had destroyed. Jerusalem saw not a good day, after Josiah was laid in his grave; but one trouble came after another, 'till within two and twenty years it was destroyed.... [ Continue Reading ]
In bands — Either, because he presumed to take the kingdom without his consent: or because he renewed the war against Pharaoh.... [ Continue Reading ]
Jehoiakim — The giving of names was accounted an act of dominion; which therefore parents did to their children, and conquerors to their vassals or tributaries.... [ Continue Reading ]