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Texts -- 2 Chronicles 34:1-8 (NET)

Context
Josiah Institutes Religious Reforms
34:1 Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned for thirty-one years in Jerusalem . 34:2 He did what the Lord approved and followed in his ancestor David’s footsteps ; he did not deviate to the right or the left . 34:3 In the eighth year of his reign , while he was still young , he began to seek the God of his ancestor David . In his twelfth year he began ridding Judah and Jerusalem of the high places , Asherah poles , idols , and images . 34:4 He ordered the altars of the Baals to be torn down , and broke the incense altars that were above them. He smashed the Asherah poles , idols and images , crushed them up and sprinkled the dust over the tombs of those who had sacrificed to them. 34:5 He burned the bones of the pagan priests on their altars ; he purified Judah and Jerusalem . 34:6 In the cities of Manasseh , Ephraim , and Simeon , as far as Naphtali , and in the ruins around them, 34:7 he tore down the altars and Asherah poles , demolished the idols , and smashed all the incense altars throughout the land of Israel . Then he returned to Jerusalem . 34:8 In the eighteenth year of his reign , he continued his policy of purifying the land and the temple . He sent Shaphan son of Azaliah , Maaseiah the city official , and Joah son of Joahaz the secretary to repair the temple of the Lord his God .

Pericope

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Bible Dictionary

  • Josiah

    [ebd] healed by Jehovah, or Jehovah will support. The son of Amon, and his successor on the throne of Judah (2 Kings 22:1; 2 Chr. 34:1). His history is contained in 2 Kings 22, 23. He stands foremost among all the kings of the lin...
    [isbe] JOSIAH - jo-si'-a (yo'shiyahu, "Yahweh supports him"; Ioseias; the King James Version Josias (which see)): I. SOURCES FOR HIS LIFE AND TIMES 1. Annalistic 2. Prophetic 3. Memorial II. TRAITS OF HIS REIGN 1. Situation at the ...
    [smith] (whom Jehovah heals). The son of Amon and Jedidah, succeeded his father B.C. 641, in the eighty years of his age, and reigned 31 years. His history is contained in (2 Kings 22:1; 2 Kings 24:30; 2 Chronicles 34:1; 2Ã...
    [nave] JOSIAH 1. King of Judah, 2 Kin. 21:24-26; 22:1; 1 Chr. 3:14; 2 Chr. 33:25. Ancestor of Jesus, Matt. 1:10, 11. slain in battle with Pharaoh-neco, 2 Kin. 23:29, 30; 2 Chr. 35:20-24. Lamentations for, 2 Chr. 35:25. Piety of...

  • Shaphan

    [isbe] SHAPHAN - sha'-fan (shaphan, "rockbadger," English Versions of the Bible "coney"; Saphphan): An old totem clan name (so W.R. Smith; compare, however, the article TOTEMISM; Gray, Gray, Studies in Hebrew Proper Names, 103 ff, ...
    [smith] (coney), the scribe or secretary of King Josiah. (2 Kings 22:3,14; 2 Chronicles 34:8,20) (B.C. 628.) He appears on an equality with the governor of the city and the royal recorder. (2 Kings 22:4; 2 Chronicles 34:9...
    [nave] SHAPHAN 1. A scribe of king Josiah, 2 Kin. 22:3-14; 2 Chr. 34:8-20. Father of Gemariah, Jer. 36:10-12. 2. Father of Ahikam and grandfather of Gedaliah, 2 Kin. 22:12; 25:22; 2 Chr. 34:20; Jer. 26:24; 39:14; 40:5, 9, 11; 41:...

  • Revivals

    [nave] REVIVALS. Religious Zech. 8:20-23. Prayer for, Hab. 3:2. Prophecies concerning, Isa. 32:15; Joel 2:28; Mic. 4:1-8; Hab. 3:2. Instances of Under Joshua, Josh. 5:2-9; Samuel, 1 Sam. 7:1-6; Elijah, 1 Kin. 18:17-40; Jehoas...

  • Rulers

    [nave] RULERS Appointed and removed by God. See: Government, God in. Chastised, Dan. 4. See: Nation. Monarchical, See: Kings. Patriarchal, Gen. 27:29, 37. Instances of Nimrod, Gen. 10:8-10. Abraham, Gen. 14:13-24; 17:6; 21:2...

  • MUSIC

    [isbe] MUSIC - mu'-zik: I. IMPORTANCE 1. The Sole Art Cultivated 2. A Wide Vocabulary of Musical Terms 3. Place in Social and Personal Life 4. Universal Language of Emotions 5. Use in Divine Service 6. Part at Religious Reformation...

  • Covenant

    [ebd] a contract or agreement between two parties. In the Old Testament the Hebrew word berith is always thus translated. Berith is derived from a root which means "to cut," and hence a covenant is a "cutting," with reference to t...

  • Influence

    [nave] INFLUENCE. Evil 1 Kin. 11:3, 4; 1 Kin. 15:25, 26; 1 Kin. 21:25; 1 Kin. 22:51-53; 2 Kin. 8:16-18, 25-27; 2 Kin. 17:21, 22; 2 Kin. 21:9; 2 Chr. 21:5, 6; 2 Chr. 22:3-5; 2 Chr. 33:9; Prov. 22:24, 25; Prov. 29:12; Jer. 17:1, 2;...

  • TEMPLE, A1

    [isbe] TEMPLE, A1 - tem'-p'l (hekhal, "palace"; sometimes, as in 1 Ki 6:3,5, etc.; Ezek 41:1,15 ff, used for "the holy place" only; bayith, "house," thus always in the Revised Version (British and American); hieron, naos): A. STRUC...

  • Word of God

    [nave] WORD OF GOD Called Book, Psa. 40:7; Rev. 22:19; Book of the Lord, Isa. 34:16; Book of the Law, Neh. 8:3; Gal. 3:10; Good Word of God, Heb. 6:5; Holy Scriptures, Rom. 1:2; 2 Tim. 3:15; Law of the Lord, Psa. 1:2; Isa. 30:9; Or...

  • Israel

    [nave] ISRAEL 1. A name given to Jacob, Gen. 32:24-32; 2 Kin. 17:34; Hos. 12:3, 4. 2. A name of the Christ in prophecy, Isa. 49:3. 3. A name given to the descendants of Jacob, a nation. Called also Israelites, and Hebrews, Gen. 4...

  • Simeon

    [nave] SIMEON 1. Son of Jacob, Gen. 29:33; 35:23; Ex. 1:1, 2; 1 Chr. 2:1. With Levi avenges upon the Shechemites the seduction of Dinah, Gen. 34; 49:5-7. Jacob's denunciation of, Gen. 34:30; 49:5-7. Goes down into Egypt to buy g...

  • Ephraim

    [nave] EPHRAIM 1. Second son of Joseph, Gen. 41:52. Adopted by Jacob, Gen. 48:5. Blessed before Manasseh; prophecies concerning, Gen. 48:14-20. Descendants of, Num. 26:35-37; 1 Chr. 7:20-27. Mourns for his sons, 1 Chr. 7:21, 22...

  • Zeal

    [nave] ZEAL, Religious Josh. 24:15, 16; 2 Sam. 24:24, 25; 1 Kin. 9:4; 1 Kin. 15:14; 1 Chr. 29:17; 2 Chr. 15:15; 2 Chr. 19:3; Ezra 7:23; Job 16:19; Psa. 42:1, 2; Psa. 60:4; Psa. 96:2, 3, 10; Psa. 119:139; Prov. 11:30; Eccl. 9:10; ...

  • Joah

    [ebd] Jehovah his brother; i.e., helper. (1.) One of the sons of Obed-edom (1 Chr. 26:4), a Korhite porter. (2.) A Levite of the family of Gershom (1 Chr. 6:21), probably the same as Ethan (42). (3.) The son of Asaph, and "recorde...
    [isbe] JOAH - jo'-a (yo'ach, "Yahweh is brother"): (1) Son of Asaph and recorder under King Hezekiah (2 Ki 18:18,26; Isa 36:3,11,22); he was one of the 3 officers sent by the king to speak to the Assyrian envoys at the siege of Jer...
    [smith] (whose brother (i.e. helper) is Jehovah). The son of Asaph,a nd chronicler or keeper of the records to Hezekiah. (Isaiah 36:3,11,22) (B.C. 776.) The son or grandson of Zimmah, a Gershonite. (1 Chronicles 6:21) The third s...
    [nave] JOAH 1. Son of Asaph, 2 Kin. 18:18, 26; Isa. 36:3, 11, 22. 2. A descendant of Gershom, 1 Chr. 6:21; 2 Chr. 29:12. 3. A son of Obed-edom, 1 Chr. 26:4. 4. A Levite, who repaired the temple, 2 Chr. 34:8.

  • Joahaz

    [ebd] (2 Chr. 34:8), a contracted form of Jehoahaz (q.v.).
    [isbe] JOAHAZ - jo'-a-haz (yo'-achaz, "Yahweh has grasped" = "Jehoahaz"): (1) Father of JOAH (4) (2 Ch 34:8). (2) the Revised Version (British and American) and Hebrew in 2 Ki 14:1 for Jehoahaz, king of Israel. See JEHOAHAZ. (3) th...
    [smith] (whom Jehovah holds), the father of Joah, the chronicler or keeper of the records to King Josiah. (2 Chronicles 34:8) (B.C. before 623.)
    [nave] JOAHAZ, father of Joah, 2 Chr. 34:8.

  • Maaseiah

    [ebd] the work of Jehovah. (1.) One of the Levites whom David appointed as porter for the ark (1 Chr. 15:18, 20). (2.) One of the "captains of hundreds" associated with Jehoiada in restoring king Jehoash to the throne (2 Chr. 23:1...
    [isbe] MAASEIAH - ma-a-se'-ya, ma-a-si'a (ma`aseyahu, "Yahweh's work"; Maassaia, and Massaias in the Septuagint): A name common in exilic and late monarchic times (Gray, H P N). (1) A Levite musician named in connection with David'...
    [smith] (work of the Lord), the name of four persons who had married foreign wives. In the time of Ezra, A descendant of Jeshua the priest. (Ezra 10:18) A priest, of the sons of Harim. (Ezra 10:21) A priest, of the sons of Pashur. (...
    [nave] MAASEIAH 1. A Levite musician, 1 Chr. 15:18, 20. 2. A captain of hundreds, 2 Chr. 23:1. 3. An officer of Uzziah, 2 Chr. 26:11. 4. Son of Ahaz. Slain by Zichri, 2 Chr. 28:7. 5. Governor of Jerusalem, 2 Chr. 34:8. 6. The ...

  • Children

    [nave] CHILDREN In answer to prayer: To Abraham, Gen. 15:2-5, with Gen. 21:1, 2; Isaac, Gen. 25:21; Leah, Gen. 30:17-22; Rachel, Gen. 30:22-24; Haah, 1 Sam. 1:9-20; Zacharias, Luke 1:13. Treatment of, at birth, Ezek. 16:4-6; Luke ...

  • SUN-WORSHIP

    [isbe] SUN-WORSHIP - sun'-wur-ship: The splendor of the sun makes it a natural object of adoration, once the purer idea of the one true God (Rom 1:20,21) is parted with, and in most ancient nations the worship of the sun was an out...

  • Manasseh

    [nave] MANASSEH 1. Son of Joseph and Asenath, Gen. 41:50, 51; 46:20; adopted by Jacob on his deathbed, Gen. 48:1, 5-20. Called Manasses, Rev. 7:6. 2. Tribe of. Descendants of Joseph. The two sons of Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh, ...

  • Azaliah

    [smith] (whom the Lord reserved), the father of Shaphan the scribe in the reign of Josiah. (2 Kings 22:3; 2 Chronicles 34:8) (B.C. before 641.)
    [nave] AZALIAH, father of Shaphan, 2 Kin. 22:3; 2 Chr. 34:8.
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Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • The Book of Samuel covers the period of Israel's history bracketed by Samuel's conception and the end of David's reign. David turned the kingdom over to Solomon in 971 B.C.3David reigned for 40 and one-half years (2 Sam. 2:11...
  • Solomon's sin in going after other gods was the quintessence of covenant infidelity. David had sinned against God deliberately (2 Sam. 11), but his heart remained devoted to Yahweh. His sin was not as serious as Solomon's was...
  • Jeroboam, who would become the first king of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, was from Ephraim, the most prominent tribe in the North (v. 26).Part of Benjamin affiliated voluntarily with Judah eventually (v. 32; cf. 12:21; 2 C...
  • Josiah began to seek Yahweh when he was 16 years old and began initiating religious reforms when he was 20 (2 Chron. 34:3-7). His reforms were more extensive than those of any of his predecessors. One of them was the repair o...
  • Ackroyd, Peter R. "An Interpretation of the Babylonian Exile: A Study of 2 Kings 20, Isaiah 38-39."Scottish Journal of Theology27:3:(August 1974):329-52.Albright, William F. The Archaeology of Palestine. 1949. Revised ed. Pel...
  • Chronicles covers a broader period of history than any other Old Testament book. It begins with Adam and ends with Anani who lived eight generations after King Jehoiachin (1 Chron. 3:24). If we allow 25 years for each generat...
  • Even though 1 and 2 Chronicles give one continuous story the emphasis in 2 Chronicles is different from that in 1 Chronicles. In 1 Chronicles the emphasis is the importance of the temple in national life. However in 2 Chronic...
  • (Continued from notes on 1 Chronicles)III. The reign of Solomon chs. 1-9A. Solomon's wisdom and prosperity ch. 1B. The building of the temple 2:1-5:11. Preparations for building the temple ch. 22. The temple proper 3:1-93. Th...
  • The Chronicler featured Azariah's sermon (vv. 1-7), Asa's reformation (vv. 8-15), and Maacah's removal (vv. 16-19) during the middle part of Asa's reign.A message from the prophet Azariah was the spark that ignited revival in...
  • The godly in Judah may have regarded Josiah as the most likely candidate to fulfill the promises God had given to David. His early life and reign were spiritually exemplary (vv. 2-3). He sought to purge idolatry from the whol...
  • As Hezekiah had done, Josiah led his people in observing the Passover, that greatest feast of Israel that commemorated her redemption from Egyptian slavery. Josiah's Passover was even greater than Hezekiah's that Hezekiah had...
  • Ackroyd, Peter R. I and II Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah. London: SCM Press, 1973.Aharoni, Yohanan, and Michael Avi-Yonah. The Macmillan Bible Atlas. Revised ed., New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1977.Albright, William F. The...
  • The texts of the individual psalms do not usually indicate who wrote them.1However some of the titles of the individual psalms do contain information about the writers.2This is the only really reliable information we have as ...
  • The biblical records of the times in which Jeremiah ministered are 2 Kings 21-25 and 2 Chronicles 33-36. His contemporary prophets were Zephaniah and Habakkuk before the Exile, and Ezekiel and Daniel after it began.King Manas...
  • This passage consists of five short parts (vv. 1-5, 6-8, 9-10, 11-14, and 15-17). Most scholars believe it dates from the reign of Josiah, perhaps after the discovery of the Law but before he initiated his reforms (about 621 ...
  • This chapter belongs after chapter 36 chronologically, either after 36:8 or 36:32. It serves as an appendix to the historical incidents recorded there. Perhaps the writer or final editor placed it here to show that Yahweh exe...
  • 1:4 Yahweh announced that He would stretch out His hand in judgment against Judah and the people of Jerusalem. Stretching out the hand is a figure of speech that implies a special work of punishment (cf. Exod. 6:6; Deut. 4:34...

Expositions Of Holy Scripture (Maclaren)

  • Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem one and thirty years. 2. And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the ways of David his father, and declined neithe...
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