2Ki 23 | TSK | STEP | Josiah causes the book to be read in a solemn assembly. He renews the covenant of the Lord. He destroys idolatry. He burns dead men's bones upon the altar of Beth-el, as was fore-prophesied. He keeps a most solemn passover. He puts away witches and all abomination. God's final wrath against Judah. Josiah, provoking Pharaoh-nechoh, is slain at Megiddo. Jehoahaz, succeeding him, is imprisoned by Pharaoh-nechoh, who makes Jehoiakim king. Jehoiakim's wicked reign. the king.

priests of the second order.These were either such as occasionally supplied the high priest's office, or those of the second course or order established by David. See the References.

1Ch 24:4-19; Mt 26:3; 27:1

the keepers.

22:4; 1Ch 26:1-19

to bring.

21:3,7; 2Ch 33:3,7; 34:3,4

Baal.

17:16; Jud 2:13; 1Ki 16:31; 18:19,26,40; 19:18; Isa 27:9; Jer 7:9

Kidron.

2Sa 15:23; Joh 18:1

Cedron. Beth-el.

1Ki 12:29; Ho 4:15; Am 4:4

put down. Heb. caused to cease. the idolatrous priests.Heb. Chemarim.

Ho 10:5; *marg:"Foretold. Zep 1:4, 5."

planets. or, twelve signs, or constellations.So the Vulgate {duodecim signa,} "the twelve signs," i.e., the zodiac; which is the most probable meaning of the word {mazzaloth,} from the Arabic {manzeel,} a {caravanserai,} house, or dwelling, as being the apparent dwellings of the sun in his annual course; and the Targumists and Rabbins often employ the words {tereysar mazzalaya,} to denote the signs of the zodiac.

all the host.

21:3,4; Jer 8:1,2; 44:17-19

the grove.Or rather, Asherah, or Astarte.

21:7; Jud 3:7; 1Ki 14:23; 16:33; Jer 17:2

and burned.

Ex 32:20; De 7:25; 9:21

the graves.

10:27; 2Ch 34:4

the children.Probably the common people.

the sodomites.

Ge 19:4,5; 1Ki 14:24; 15:12; 22:46; 2Ch 34:33; Ro 1:26,27

where.

Ex 35:25,26; Eze 8:14; 16:16; Ho 2:13

hangings. Heb. houses.

from, etc.The northern and southern borders of Judah.

Geba.

Jos 21:17; 1Ki 15:22; 1Ch 6:60; Isa 10:29; Zec 14:10

Beer-sheba.

Ge 21:31; 26:23; Jud 20:1; 1Ki 19:3

the priests.

Eze 44:10-14; Mal 2:8,9

but they did.

1Sa 2:36; Eze 44:29-31

Topheth.

Isa 30:33; Jer 7:31,32; 19:6,11-13

Tophet. the valley.

Jos 15:8; 2Ch 28:3; 33:6; Jer 19:2; 32:35; Mt 5:22; *Gr:

might make.

16:3; 17:17; 21:6; Le 18:21; De 18:10; Jer 32:35; Eze 16:21; 20:26,31

Eze 23:37-39

the sun.

5; 2Ch 14:5; 34:4; Eze 8:16

house of the Lord.Throughout the East, the horse because of his swiftness and utility, was dedicated to the sun; and the Greeks and Romans feigned that the chariot of the sun was drawn by four horses, Pyrous, Eous, Aithon, and Phlegon: and hence also chariots were dedicated to that luminary. Jarchi says, that those who adored the sun had horses, which they mounted every morning, to go out to meet him at his rising. The kings of Judah had imitated these idolatrous customs, and kept the horses of the sun even at the entrance of the temple of the Lord!

chamberlain. or, eunuch, or officer.

on the top.

De 22:8; Jer 19:13; Zep 1:5

which Manasseh.

21:5,21,22; 2Ch 33:5,15

brake them down from thence. or, ran from thence. cast.

the mount of corruption. that is, the mount of Olives.Houbigant, deriving the Hebrew {mashchith} from {mashach,} "to anoint," reads "the Mount of Olives." Jarchi, following the Chaldee, also says this was the Mount of Olives; for this is the mount {hammishchah,} of unction: but because of the idolatrous purposes for which it was used, the Scripture changed the appellation to the mount of {hammashchith,} corruption.

Solomon.

1Ki 11:7; Ne 13:26

Ashtoreth.

Jud 2:13; 10:6; 1Sa 7:4; 12:10; 1Ki 11:5,33

Chemosh.

Nu 21:29; Jud 11:24; Jer 48:7,13,16

Milcom.

Zep 1:5

Malcham.

he brake.

Ex 23:24; Nu 33:52; De 7:5,25,26; 2Ch 34:3,4; Mic 1:7

images. Heb. statues. the bones of men.

16; Nu 19:16,18; Jer 8:1,2; Eze 39:12-16; Mt 23:27,28

the altar.

10:31; 1Ki 12:28-33; 14:16; 15:30; 21:22

stamped.

burned.

1Ki 13:1,2,32; Mt 24:35; Joh 10:35

who proclaimed.The Septuagint and Hexaplar Syriac at Paris insert, "when Jeroboam stood by the altar at the feast. And turning about, he cast his eyes on the sepulchre of the man of God"--

It is the sepulchre.

1Ki 13:1,30,31

alone. Heb. to escape. the bones of the prophet.

1Ki 13:1-22,31

the houses.

17:9; 1Ki 12:31; 13:32

the cities.

2Ch 30:6-11; 31:1; 34:6,7

the kings.

8:18; 1Ki 16:33; Mic 6:16

to provoke the Lord.

17:16-18; 21:6; Ps 78:58; Jer 7:18,19; Eze 8:17,18

he slew. or, he sacrificed.

10:25; 11:18; Ex 22:20; De 13:5; 1Ki 13:2; 18:40; Isa 34:6

Zec 13:2,3

burned.

2Ch 34:5

Keep.

2Ch 35:1-19

as it is written.

Ex 12:3-20; Le 23:5-8; Nu 9:2-5; 28:16-25; De 16:1-8

Surely.

2Ch 35:18,19

of the kings.

2Ch 30:1-3,13-20; 35:3-17

Moreover."His eighteenth year ending."

the workers.

21:3,6; 1Sa 28:3-7; Isa 8:19; 19:3; Ac 16:16-18; Re 22:15

images. or, teraphim.

Ge 31:19; Jud 17:5; 18:17,18; Ho 3:4

that he might.

Le 19:31; 20:27; De 18:10-12; Isa 8:20; Ro 3:20; Jas 1:25

the book.

22:8-13; 2Ch 34:14-19

A.M. 3363-3394. B.C. 641-610. unto him.

18:5

that turned.

3; De 4:29; 6:5; 1Ki 2:4; 8:48; 15:5; Jer 29:13

according.

Ne 10:29; Mal 4:4; Joh 1:17; 7:19

Notwithstanding.

21:11-13; 22:16,17; 24:2,4; 2Ch 36:16; Jer 3:7-10; 15:1-4

provocations. Heb. angers.

I will remove.

17:18,20; 18:11; 21:13; 24:3; 25:11; De 29:27,28; Eze 23:32-35

out of my sight.

Ps 51:11; Jer 31:37; 33:24; La 2:7

My name.

21:4,7; 1Ki 8:29; 9:3

the rest.

20:20

A.M. 3394. B.C. 610.

Pharaoh-nechoh.Pharaoh-nechoh, called [Nekos,] Necos, the son of Psammiticus, by Herodotus, was now was now marching "to make war upon the Medes and Babylonians, who had dissolved the Assyrian empire," the king of the latter being the famous Nabopollasar, who had also become king of Assyria.

33,34,35; 2Ch 35:20-24; Jer 46:2

Euphrates.

2Ki 24:7; 2Ch 35:20; Jer 46:2

Josiah went.

2Ch 35:20-23

slew him.

2Ki 22:20; Ec 8:14; 9:1,2; Isa 57:1,2; Ro 11:33

Megiddo.Megiddo, called [Magdolon,] Magdolum, by Herodotus, was situated in the tribe of Manasseh, west of Jordan, in the valley of Jezreel, and not far fron Hadad-Rimmon, or Maximianopolis. This shews that Josiah reigned over the country formerly possessed by the ten tribes; and it is also probable, that Nechoh had landed his troops at or near Cæsarea of Palestine.

9:27; Jos 17:11; Jud 1:27; 5:19; 1Ki 4:12; Zec 12:11

Megiddon.

Re 16:16

Armageddon. he had seen him.

14:8,11

servants.

9:28; 1Ki 22:33-38; 2Ch 35:24

the people.

14:21; 21:24; 2Ch 36:1,2-4

Jehoahaz.

1Ch 3:15; Jer 22:11

Shallum. Hamutal.

24:18

21:2-7,21,22

put him.

2Ch 36:3,4; Eze 19:3,4

Riblah.Theodoret (in Jer ch. 46,) expressly affirms that Riblah or Reblatha was in his time called Emesa. [Kome de estin he Reblatha tes nun kaloumenes Emeses.] Emesa was a city of Syria, situated on the Orontes, and, according to the Antonine Itinerary, 18 miles from Laodicea ad Libanum. It is now called Homs, or Hems, about eight hours, or twenty-four miles S.E. of Hamah or Hamath, in the road to Damascus. The present town only occupies about one quarter of the space contained within the ancient walls, which apparently date from the time of the Saracens. Here is nothing remarkable, except a Roman sepulchre, and a large castle in ruins.

25:6; Nu 34:11; Jer 39:5,6; 52:9,10,26,27

Hamath.

Nu 13:21; 1Ki 8:65

that he might not reign. or, because he reigned. put, etc.Heb. set a mulct upon the land.

18:14; Ex 21:22; 2Ch 36:3; Pr 19:19

Eliakim.

Jos 18:18; 2Ch 36:3,4

the son.

1Ch 3:15

turned.

24:17; Ge 41:45; Da 1:7

Jehoiakim."Called Jakim, Mt 1:11."