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2
Chronicles Chapter Thirty-five
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO 2 CHRONICLES 35
In
this chapter we have an account of the keeping of the passover and its
preparation
for which the priests and Levites were ordered to prepare
and to
which Josiah
and his princes
gave liberally
and such an one was kept as had
not been for ages past
2 Chronicles 35:1
and of Josiah's rash engagement in battle with the king of Egypt
in which he
was slain
2 Chronicles 35:20
and of the great lamentations that were made for him
2 Chronicles 35:24.
2 Chronicles
35:1 Now Josiah kept
a Passover to the Lord
in Jerusalem
and they slaughtered the Passover lambs on the fourteenth day
of the first month.
YLT
1And Josiah maketh in
Jerusalem a passover to Jehovah
and they slaughter the passover-offering on
the fourteenth of the first month
Moreover
Josiah kept a passover unto the Lord in Jerusalem
.... Where
only it was to be kept:
and they killed the passover on the fourteenth day of the first
month; the month Nisan
as the Targum
which was the exact time of
killing the passover lamb
according to the law of Moses
Exodus 12:6
in the
Vulgate Latin version of the Apocrypha in:"And Josias held the feast of
the passover in Jerusalem unto his Lord
and offered the passover the
fourteenth day of the first month;' (1 Esdras 1:1)it is called
the fourteenth moon of the first month; a phrase often used in ecclesiastical
writers
when speaking of the time of the passover; and so we now call one of
the days of the week "dies lunae"
Monday.
2 Chronicles
35:2 2 And
he set the priests in their duties and encouraged them for the service of the
house of the Lord.
YLT
2and he stationeth the
priests over their charges
and strengtheneth them for the service of the house
of Jehovah
And he set the priests in their charges
.... In their
offices
and in their proper places
to execute them:
and encouraged them to the service of the house of the Lord; to attend it
with cheerfulness and constancy
and do it according to the will of God
promising his favour and protection.
2 Chronicles
35:3 3 Then he said to the Levites
who taught all Israel
who were holy to the Lord: “Put the holy
ark in the house which Solomon the son of David
king of Israel
built. It
shall no longer be a burden on your shoulders. Now serve the Lord your God and
His people Israel.
YLT
3and saith to the Levites --
who are teaching all Israel -- who are sanctified to Jehovah
`Put the holy ark
in the house that Solomon son of David king of Israel built; it is not to you a
burden on the shoulder. `Now
serve Jehovah your God
and His people Israel
And said unto the Levites that taught all Israel
.... Whose
business it was to go through the several tribes
and instruct them in the
knowledge of God
his word and worship
statutes and ordinances. In an ancient MS.
mentioned by Junius
it is read
"who prepared for all Israel the holy
things"
&c.
which were holy unto the Lord; who were consecrated to
the name of the Lord
as the Targum
dedicated to his worship and service; or
it may signify the holy things they taught or prepared:
these put the holy ark in the house which Solomon the son of David
king of Israel did build; which some think was removed from thence by Amon
and an idol
put in its room
which is the greater trespass he is said to be guilty of
2 Chronicles 33:23
others
that it was privately removed by the high priest in idolatrous times
and laid up in some secret place for the preservation of it; but rather the
truth is
that it had been removed by the order of Josiah
for the sake of the
repairs of the most holy place; and this being done
he orders it to be
replaced; and though the Levites might not go into the holy of holies
yet they
could carry it to the entrance of the holy place
and the priests from thence
to the door of the most holy place
where the high priest could receive it
and
fix it in its proper place:
it shall not be a burden upon your shoulders; it was not
now to be carried from place to place
having a fixed abode in the most holy
place
and therefore they were at leisure to attend other service:
serve now the Lord your God
and his people Israel; by singing
the praises of God
and slaying the passover lambs for the people.
2 Chronicles
35:4 4 Prepare
yourselves according to your fathers’ houses
according to your
divisions
following the written instruction of David king of Israel and the
written instruction of Solomon his son.
YLT
4and prepare
by the house
of your fathers
according to your courses
by the writing of David king of
Israel
and by the writing of Solomon his son
And prepare yourselves
.... To do their work in
this service of the sanctuary
the passover; that they be ready to do it
and
diligent in it
and perform it according to the law of God:
by the houses of your fathers
after your courses; such of them
whose turn in course it was to officiate:
according to the writing of David king of Israel
and according to
the writing of Solomon his son; who had given in writing directions in what
manner their courses should be observed
see 1 Chronicles 23:1.
2 Chronicles
35:5 5 And
stand in the holy place according to the divisions of the fathers’
houses of your brethren the lay people
and according to the
division of the father’s house of the Levites.
YLT
5and stand in the sanctuary
by the divisions of the house of the fathers of your brethren
sons of the
people
and the portion of the house of a father of the Levites
And stand in the holy place
.... The court of the
priests
where their ministrations were:
according to the divisions of the families of your brethren the
people; of the other tribes
who were according to their families to
provide a lamb for the passover:
and after the division of the families of the Levites; who were
obliged to observe the same ordinance in their respective families
and for
whom
as well as for the other families of Israel
they were to slay the lamb.
2 Chronicles
35:6 6 So
slaughter the Passover offerings
consecrate yourselves
and prepare them
for your brethren
that they may do according to the word of the Lord by the hand of
Moses.”
YLT
6and slaughter the passover-offering
and sanctify yourselves
and prepare for your brethren
to do according to the
word of Jehovah by the hand of Moses.'
So kill the passover
.... In the manner
time
and place
and for the persons it should be killed:
and sanctify yourselves: by washing themselves
and garments
that they might be fit for this service:
and prepare your brethren; prepare a lamb for your
brethren
or instruct them how to perform their office that needed instruction:
that they may do according to the word of the Lord by the hand of
Moses; celebrate the ordinance of the passover in all its rites
according to the law of Moses
at least in every rite in which they were more
peculiarly concerned.
2 Chronicles 35:7 7 Then Josiah gave the lay
people lambs and young goats from the flock
all for Passover offerings
for all who were present
to the number of thirty thousand
as well as three
thousand cattle; these were from the king’s possessions.
YLT
7And Josiah lifteth up to
the sons of the people a flock of lambs and young goats
the whole for
passover-offerings
for every one who is found
to the number of thirty
thousand
and oxen three thousand: these [are] from the substance of the king.
And Josiah gave to the people
of the flock
lambs and kids
all
for the passover offerings
.... Which be either lambs or kids of the
goats
Exodus 12:5
for
all that were present
to the number of 30
000; that is
30
000 lambs or kids
which would serve 30
000 families:
and three thousand bullocks; these were for the
"chagigah" or feast
kept on the day following the passover:
these were of the king's substance; taken out of his flocks
and herds
or bought with his money
and liberally given to the people
to such
poor families as could not afford well to be at the expense of such a festival.
2 Chronicles 35:8 8 And his leaders gave
willingly to the people
to the priests
and to the Levites. Hilkiah
Zechariah
and Jehiel
rulers of the house of God
gave to the priests for the
Passover offerings two thousand six hundred from the flock
and
three hundred cattle.
YLT
8And his heads
for a
willing-offering to the people
to the priests
and to the Levites
have lifted
up; Hilkiah
and Zechariah
and Jehiel
leaders in the house of God
to the
priests have given for passover-offerings two thousand and six hundred
and
oxen three hundred;
And his princes gave willingly to the people
to the priests and
the Levites
.... Besides
to some other families
they gave also to poor
priests and Levites
which the king's bounty did not extend to; and these
princes were not secular
but ecclesiastical princes
as follows:
Hilkiah
and Zechariah
and Jehiel
rulers of the house; of the
temple; Hilkiah was high priest
and the other two were chief priests
the one
of the line of Eleazar
and the other of the line of Ithamar:
these gave unto the priests for the passover lambs; 2600 small
cattle; which were lambs
or kids
or both:
and three hundred oxen; for peace offerings on
the seven days of unleavened bread
to feast upon.
2 Chronicles 35:9 9 Also Conaniah
his
brothers Shemaiah and Nethanel
and Hashabiah and Jeiel and Jozabad
chief of
the Levites
gave to the Levites for Passover offerings five thousand from
the flock and five hundred cattle.
YLT
9and Conaniah
and Shemaiah
and Nethaneel
his brethren
and Hashabiah
and Jeiel
and Jozabad
heads of
the Levites
have lifted up to the Levites
for passover-offerings
five
thousand
and oxen five hundred.
Cononiah also
and Shemaiah and Nathaneel his brethren
.... See 2 Chronicles 31:12.
and Hashabiah
and Jehiel
and Jozabad
chief of the Levites; men of
considerable substance
and in good posts and offices:
gave unto the Levites; their poor brethren of
that order:
for passover offerings five thousand small cattle; lambs
or
kids
or both:
and five hundred oxen; for the feast that followed
the passover.
2 Chronicles 35:10 10 So the service was
prepared
and the priests stood in their places
and the Levites in their
divisions
according to the king’s command.
YLT
10And the service is
prepared
and the priests stand on their station
and the Levites on their
courses
according to the command of the king
So the service was prepared
.... Every thing was got
ready both for the passover and the feast of unleavened bread
for all sorts of
people
rich and poor:
and the priests stood in their place; in their
court near the altar
to sprinkle the blood of the sacrifices about it
as in
the following verse:
and the Levites in their courses; whose turn it was to
officiate:
according to the king's commandment
2 Chronicles 35:4.
2 Chronicles 35:11 11 And they slaughtered the
Passover offerings; and the priests sprinkled the blood with
their hands
while the Levites skinned the animals.
YLT
11and they slaughter the
passover-offering
and the priests sprinkle out of their hand
and the Levites
are striping;
And they killed the passover
.... The lambs for the
passover
which was done by the Levites:
and the priests sprinkled the blood from their hands; which they
received from the Levites
see 2 Chronicles 30:16.
and the Levites flayed them; the passover lambs
took
off their skins.
2 Chronicles 35:12 12 Then they removed the
burnt offerings that they might give them to the divisions of the
fathers’ houses of the lay people
to offer to the Lord
as it is
written in the Book of Moses. And so they did with the cattle.
YLT
12and they turn aside the
burnt-offering
to put them by the divisions of the house of the fathers of the
sons of the people
to bring near to Jehovah
as it is written in the book of
Moses -- and so to the oxen.
And they removed the burnt offerings
.... Either such
of the lambs and kids as were designed for burnt offerings for the people;
these they separated from those that were for the passover; or they removed
from them what was to be burnt
the fat of the inwards
of the kidneys
and the
caul on the liver:
that they might give; the rest for the
passover:
according to the divisions of the families of the people
to offer
unto the Lord; according to the number of them:
as it is written in the book of Moses; see Leviticus 3:3
and so did they with the oxen; such of them as were
appointed for burnt offerings were set apart by themselves
and such as were
for peace offerings; what of them were to be burnt
as those before mentioned
were taken from them.
2 Chronicles 35:13 13 Also they roasted the
Passover offerings with fire according to the ordinance; but the other
holy offerings they boiled in pots
in caldrons
and in pans
and
divided them quickly among all the lay people.
YLT
13And they cook the passover
with fire
according to the ordinance
and the sanctified things they have
cooked in pots
and in kettles
and in pans -- for all the sons of the people.
And they roasted the passover with fire
according to the
ordinance
.... Of the Lord by Moses
Exodus 12:8.
but the other holy offerings; which were the peace
offerings:
sod they in pots
and in cauldrons
and pans; which was
forbid to be done with the passover lamb
but might with the other sacrifices
which were to be eaten
Exodus 12:9.
and divided them speedily among all the people; the parts
which belonged to the offerer
who was the king; but he gave his part to the
people
and therefore the Levites delivered them to them as soon as they could.
2 Chronicles 35:14 14 Then afterward they
prepared portions for themselves and for the priests
because the priests
the
sons of Aaron
were busy in offering burnt offerings and fat until
night; therefore the Levites prepared portions for themselves and for the
priests
the sons of Aaron.
YLT
14And afterward they have prepared
for themselves
and for the priests: for the priests
sons of Aaron
[are] in
the offering up of the burnt-offering and of the fat till night; and the
Levites have prepared for themselves
and for the priests
sons of Aaron.
And afterwards they made ready for themselves
and for the priests
.... The
passover lambs
and such parts of the peace offerings that belonged to them:
because the priests the sons of Aaron were busied in offering
burnt offerings; such as are before said to be removed or separated for that
purpose:
and the fat; of the peace offerings that was to be burnt: and this employed
them
until night; so that they could not prepare the passover for themselves:
and therefore the Levites prepared
not only for themselves
but
and also for the priests the sons of Aaron; who were otherwise
engaged in the service of the day.
2 Chronicles 35:15 15 And the singers
the sons
of Asaph
were in their places
according to the command of David
Asaph
Heman
and Jeduthun the king’s seer. Also the gatekeepers were at each
gate; they did not have to leave their position
because their brethren the
Levites prepared portions for them.
YLT
15And the singers
sons of
Asaph
[are] on their station
according to the command of David
and Asaph
and Heman
and Jeduthun seer of the king
and the gate keepers [are] at gate
and gate; it is not for them to turn aside from off their service
for their
brethren the Levites have prepared for them.
And the singers the sons of Asaph were in their place
.... In the court
of the priests
singing and playing on their instruments while the sacrifices
were offering:
according to the commandment of David
and Asaph
and Heman
and
Jeduthun the king's seer; the same with Ethan; and everyone were seers
as Jarchi
interprets it
that is
the three last:
and the porters waited at every gate; such of the
Levites as were in
that post and office:
they might not depart from their service; to let people
in and out
that came for their passover lamb
and share in their other offerings:
for their brethren the Levites prepared for them; because they
were not at leisure to prepare for themselves.
2 Chronicles 35:16 16 So all the service of the Lord was prepared
the same day
to keep the Passover and to offer burnt offerings on the altar of
the Lord
according to the command of King Josiah.
YLT
16And all the service of
Jehovah is prepared on that day
to keep the passover
and to cause to ascend
burnt-offering upon the altar of Jehovah
according to the command of king
Josiah.
So all the service of the Lord was prepared the same day
.... With
every sacrifice
and for all sorts of persons:
to keep the passover
and to offer burnt offerings upon the altar
of the Lord; which were required to be done on that day:
according to the commandment of King Josiah; which was
that every thing be provided
prepared
and done
as the law required.
2 Chronicles 35:17 17 And the children of Israel
who were present kept the Passover at that time
and the Feast of Unleavened
Bread for seven days.
YLT
17And the sons of Israel who
are found make the passover at that time
and the feast of unleavened things
seven days.
And the children of Israel that were present kept the passover at
that time
.... In its proper time
on the fourteenth day of Nisan:
and the feast of unleavened bread seven days; the seven
days following the passover
as the Lord by Moses appointed.
2 Chronicles 35:18 18 There had been no Passover
kept in Israel like that since the days of Samuel the prophet; and none of the
kings of Israel had kept such a Passover as Josiah kept
with the priests and
the Levites
all Judah and Israel who were present
and the inhabitants of
Jerusalem.
YLT
18And there hath not been
made a passover like it in Israel from the days of Samuel the prophet
and none
of the kings of Israel made such a passover as Josiah hath made
and the
priests
and the Levites
and all Judah and Israel who are found
and the
inhabitants of Jerusalem.
Verse 18-19
And there was no passover like to that kept in Israel
.... So
exactly according to the law
so universally by Israel and Judah
and with such
liberality shown by the king
and the chief of the priests and Levites; of
this
and the following verse; see Gill on 2 Kings 23:22; see
Gill on 2 Kings 23:23
2 Chronicles 35:19 19 In the eighteenth year of
the reign of Josiah this Passover was kept.
YLT
19In the eighteenth year of
the reign of Josiah hath this passover been made.
2 Chronicles 35:20 20 After all this
when
Josiah had prepared the temple
Necho king of Egypt came up to fight against
Carchemish by the Euphrates; and Josiah went out against him.
YLT
20After all this
when Josiah
hath prepared the house
come up hath Necho king of Egypt
to fight against
Carchemish by Phrat
and Josiah goeth forth to meet him;
After all this
when Josiah had prepared the temple
.... Purified
it
and cleansed it from the filth in it
and from all idolatry
and had
repaired it
and put the service of it in good order
and on a good footing
after which great prosperity in church and state might have been expected:
Necho king of Egypt came up to fight against Carchemish by
Euphrates; now called Querquisia
supposed by some to be the same with the
Cadytis of Herodotus
which that historian calls a great city of Syria
whither
he says Necho went after the battle with the SyriansF24Euterpe
sive
l. 2. c. 159. & Galei not. in ib. ; of which See Gill on Isaiah 10:9 and of
this king of Egypt; see Gill on 2 Kings 23:29
Jeremiah 46:2.
and Josiah went out against him; or to meet him
and stop
him from going through his land
which lay between Egypt and Syria; Egypt being
on the south of Israel
and Euphrates on the north of it
as Jarchi observes.
2 Chronicles 35:21 21 But he sent messengers to
him
saying
“What have I to do with you
king of Judah? I have not come
against you this day
but against the house with which I have war; for God
commanded me to make haste. Refrain from meddling with God
who is
with me
lest He destroy you.”
YLT
21and he sendeth unto him
messengers
saying
`What -- to me and to thee
O king of Judah? not against
thee do I come to-day
but unto the house with which I have war
and God said
to haste me; cease for thee from God who [is] with me
and He doth not destroy
thee.'
But he sent ambassadors to him
.... That is
Necho sent
to Josiah:
saying
what have I to do with thee
thou king of Judah? signifying he
had no quarrel with him
he did not come to fight with him
and he had no
business to intermeddle between him and another prince:
I come not against thee this day; in an hostile manner:
but against the house wherewith I have war; the king of
Assyria:
for God commanded me to make haste; and oppose his enemy:
according to the Targum
it was his idol; and which is the sense of other
Jewish writersF25T. Bab. Taanith
fol. 22. 2. ; but the true God
might have appeared to him in a dream
or sent a prophet to him; or at least he
might pretend this
that it might have the greater effect on Josiah; and indeed
it seems to be real from the following verse:
forbear thee from meddling with God
who is with me
that he
destroy thee not; he concluded God was with him
and would succeed him
because he
had put him upon this enterprise
and hastened him to it; therefore Josiah
in
opposing him
might expect to be resisted by him
and fall.
2 Chronicles 35:22 22 Nevertheless Josiah would
not turn his face from him
but disguised himself so that he might fight with
him
and did not heed the words of Necho from the mouth of God. So he came to
fight in the Valley of Megiddo.
YLT
22And Josiah hath not turned
round his face from him
but to fight against him hath disguised himself
and
hath not hearkened unto the words of Necho
from the mouth of God
and cometh
in to fight in the valley of Megiddo;
Nevertheless
Josiah would not turn his face from him
.... Or
withdraw his forces
and go back:
but disguised himself that he might fight with him; without being
personally known
and aimed at
see 1 Kings 22:30.
and hearkened not unto the words of Necho from the mouth of God: not believing
that what he said came from the Lord
though it might; and his infirmity was
that he did not inquire of the Lord about it:
and came to fight in the valley of Megiddo; which was in
the tribe of Manasseh
thought to be the Magdolum of Herodotus
where he says
Necho fought the battleF26Gale in Herodot. ut supra. (Euterpe
sive
l. 2. c. 159. & Galei not. in ib.) ; See Gill on 2 Kings 23:29.
2 Chronicles 35:23 23 And the archers shot King
Josiah; and the king said to his servants
“Take me away
for I am severely
wounded.”
YLT
23and the archers shoot at
king Josiah
and the king saith to his servants
`Remove me
for I have become
very sick.'
And the archers shot at King Josiah
.... For
though
disguised
he appeared to be a general officer
and indeed chief commander
and
therefore aimed at him
and pressed him hard:
and the king said to his servants
have me away
for I am wounded; as Ahab said
when in the like case
1 Kings 22:34.
2 Chronicles 35:24 24 His servants therefore
took him out of that chariot and put him in the second chariot that he had
and
they brought him to Jerusalem. So he died
and was buried in one of the
tombs of his fathers. And all Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah.
YLT
24And his servants remove him
from the chariot
and cause him to ride on the second chariot that he hath
and
cause him to go to Jerusalem
and he dieth
and is buried in the graves of his
fathers
and all Judah and Jerusalem are mourning for Josiah
And his servants therefore took him out of that chariot
.... Dead
and
had him to Jerusalem
and buried him; See Gill on 2 Kings 23:30
and all Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah; he having
been so good a king
so tender of them
and such an happy instrument in
restoring the true religion
and the service of God; this was the sense of the
generality of them
who were sincere in their mourning; but it is not
improbable that those who were inclined to idolatry were secretly glad
though
they dissembled mourning with the rest.
2 Chronicles 35:25 25 Jeremiah also lamented for
Josiah. And to this day all the singing men and the singing women speak of
Josiah in their lamentations. They made it a custom in Israel; and indeed they are
written in the Laments.
YLT
25and Jeremiah lamenteth for
Josiah
and all the singers and the songstresses speak in their lamentations of
Josiah unto this day
and set them for a statute on Israel
and lo
they are
written beside the lamentations.
And Jeremiah lamented for Josiah
.... Composed a
lamentation for him
which is now lost; for what is said in Lamentations 4:20
respects Zedekiah
and not Josiah:
and all the singing men
and all the singing women
spake of
Josiah in their lamentations unto this day; who were made use of on
mournful occasions
as the "preficae" among the Romans
see Jeremiah 9:17 these
in their mournful ditties used to make mention of his name
and the disaster
that befell him:
and made them an ordinance in Israel; an annual constitution
as the Targum calls it
appointing a solemn mourning for him once a year
which
Jarchi says was on the ninth of Ab or July:
and
behold
they are written in the lamentations; not of
Jeremiah; though the Targum is
"lo
they are written in the book which Baruch wrote from the mouth of Jeremiah
concerning the lamentations
'but respect a collection of lamentations on
various subjects then in being
but since lost.
2 Chronicles 35:26 26 Now the rest of the acts
of Josiah and his goodness
according to what was written in the Law of
the Lord
YLT
26And the rest of the matters
of Josiah
and his kind acts
according as it is written in the law of Jehovah
Verse 26-27
His
piety towards God
and liberality to the people; of these two verses; see Gill
on 2 Kings 23:28.
2 Chronicles 35:27 27 and his deeds from first
to last
indeed they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and
Judah.
YLT
27even his matters
the first
and the last
lo
they are written on the book of the kings of Israel and
Judah.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》