_JOSIAH READS IN THE TEMPLE THE BOOK OF THE LAW. HE PURIFIES THE TEMPLE AND JUDAH FROM IDOLATRY. HE DESTROYS THE ALTAR AT BETH-EL, AND POLLUTES THE PLACE. HE TAKES AWAY THE HIGH PLACES OF SAMARIA, AND KILLS THE PRIESTS: HE CELEBRATES THE PASSOVER, IS WOUNDED AT MEGIDDO, AND DIES. HE IS SUCCEEDED BY... [ Continue Reading ]
THE PRIESTS AND THE PROPHETS— _The priests and the Levites._ Houbigant. 2 Chronicles 34:30.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE IDOLATROUS PRIESTS— In the Hebrew כמרים _kemarim._ It is plain from this place, that their particular business was to _burn incense._ Hence the faithful Jews seem to call them כמרים in contempt, as being continually _scorched_ by their fumigating fires. Bishop Patrick thinks, that they were so c... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE BROUGHT OUT THE GROVE— _And he brought out Aschera._ Houbigant.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE DEFILED TOPHETH— _Topheth_ תפת comes from תפ _top,_ a _musical instrument,_ a _drum_ or _tabor;_ and the place was so called, according to the general opinion of the Jews, because _drums_ or _tabors_ in this horrid valley were used to be beaten, in order to drown the cries and shrieks of the... [ Continue Reading ]
HE TOOK AWAY THE HORSES—GIVEN TO THE SUN—AND BURNED THE CHARIOTS, &C.— Whether these horses and chariots were real, or only carved or molten, is not easy to determine. The ancient Persians used to consecrate white horses and chariots to the sun, with which they adorned their processions, wherein the... [ Continue Reading ]
THE ALTARS THAT WERE ON THE TOP OF THE UPPER CHAMBER— Or, _The altars on the house-top._ The ancient idolaters and the magi were wont to sacrifice not only upon high places and mountains, but also upon the housetops. See Jeremiah 32:29.... [ Continue Reading ]
MOUNT OF CORRUPTION— _Mount of olives;_ Houbigant; who supposes the word משׁחית _mashchith,_ which we render _corruption,_ to be derived from משׁח _mashach, to anoint._... [ Continue Reading ]
HIGH PLACE— Houbigant thinks it may be collected from hence, that the high places were made of wood raised up in the manner of a theatre. See 2 Kings 23:13.... [ Continue Reading ]
WHAT TITLE IS THAT THAT I SEE?— The Jews have some ridiculous fables concerning this matter. We may suppose, agreeably to the text, that the king espied a stone or a pillar more eminent than the rest, with an inscription upon it, not legible. This caused him to ask the question of _the men of the ci... [ Continue Reading ]
CITIES OF SAMARIA— _City of Samaria;_ Houbigant. Josiah, perhaps, may be thought by some to have followed the dictates of his zeal rather too far, in destroying the images and altars, and other monuments of idolatry, in the kingdom of _Israel,_ where he had neither any regal nor judicial authority;... [ Continue Reading ]
SURELY THERE WAS NOT HOLDEN SUCH A PASSOVER, &C.— These words, taken in a literal sense, must denote that this passover, which was celebrated by two tribes only, was more numerous and more magnificent, than all those that were observed in the days of David and Solomon, in the most happy and flourish... [ Continue Reading ]
LIKE UNTO HIM WAS THERE NO KING BEFORE HIM, &C.— As it is mentioned to the particular praise of Hezekiah, chap. 2 Kings 18:5., that there was no king like him, who trusted in the Lord God of Israel; so the preference given to Josiah is here limited to his _turning to the Lord with all his heart,_ &c... [ Continue Reading ]
IN HIS DAYS PHARAOH-NECHOH, KING OF EGYPT, WENT UP, &C.— We have heretofore observed, that _Pharaoh_ in the Egyptian language signifies _king:_ but _Nechoh,_ according to Herodotus, was the proper name of this monarch; though some will have it to be an appellative signifying _lame,_ because this Pha... [ Continue Reading ]
JEHOAHAZ WAS TWENTY AND THREE YEARS OLD— Jehoahaz was not the eldest son of Josiah, as appears from this; he was but three and twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned but three months; after which his brother Jehoiakim, when he was made king, _was five and twenty years old,_ 2 Kings 23:... [ Continue Reading ]
RIBLAH— _Riblah_ was a city of Syria, upon the Orontes, afterwards called Antioch. As it was one of the pleasantest places in all Syria, Nebuchadnezzar lay there to attend the success of the siege of Jerusalem, to send his army proper supplies, and to intercept any relief that might come to the besi... [ Continue Reading ]
TURNED HIS NAME TO JEHOIAKIM— It was usual for conquerors to change the names of the persons whom they vanquished in war, in testimony of their absolute power over them. Thus we find the king of Babylon changing the name of _Mattaniah_ into _Zedekiah,_ when he constituted him king of Judah; ch. 2 Ki... [ Continue Reading ]