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Texts -- 2 Kings 23:17-37 (NET)

Context
23:17 He asked , “What is this grave marker I see ?” The men from the city replied , “It’s the grave of the prophet who came from Judah and foretold these very things you have done to the altar of Bethel .” 23:18 The king said , “Leave it alone ! No one must touch his bones .” So they left his bones undisturbed , as well as the bones of the Israelite prophet buried beside him. 23:19 Josiah also removed all the shrines on the high places in the cities of Samaria . The kings of Israel had made them and angered the Lord. He did to them what he had done to the high place in Bethel . 23:20 He sacrificed all the priests of the high places on the altars located there , and burned human bones on them. Then he returned to Jerusalem . 23:21 The king ordered all the people , “Observe the Passover of the Lord your God , as prescribed in this scroll of the covenant .” 23:22 He issued this edict because a Passover like this had not been observed since the days of the judges ; it was neglected for the entire period of the kings of Israel and Judah . 23:23 But in the eighteenth year of King Josiah’s reign, such a Passover of the Lord was observed in Jerusalem . 23:24 Josiah also got rid of the ritual pits used to conjure up spirits , the magicians , personal idols , disgusting images , and all the detestable idols that had appeared in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem . In this way he carried out the terms of the law recorded on the scroll that Hilkiah the priest had discovered in the Lord’s temple . 23:25 No king before or after repented before the Lord as he did, with his whole heart , soul , and being in accordance with the whole law of Moses . 23:26 Yet the Lord’s great anger against Judah did not subside ; he was still infuriated by all the things Manasseh had done . 23:27 The Lord announced , “I will also spurn Judah , just as I spurned Israel . I will reject this city that I chose – both Jerusalem and the temple , about which I said , “I will live there .” 23:28 The rest of the events of Josiah’s reign and all his accomplishments are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Judah . 23:29 During Josiah’s reign Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt marched toward the Euphrates River to help the king of Assyria . King Josiah marched out to fight him, but Necho killed him at Megiddo when he saw him. 23:30 His servants transported his dead body from Megiddo in a chariot and brought it to Jerusalem , where they buried him in his tomb . The people of the land took Josiah’s son Jehoahaz , poured olive oil on his head , and made him king in his father’s place .
Jehoahaz’s Reign over Judah
23:31 Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem . His mother was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah , from Libnah . 23:32 He did evil in the sight of the Lord as his ancestors had done . 23:33 Pharaoh Necho imprisoned him in Riblah in the land of Hamath and prevented him from ruling in Jerusalem . He imposed on the land a special tax of one hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold . 23:34 Pharaoh Necho made Josiah’s son Eliakim king in Josiah’s place , and changed his name to Jehoiakim . He took Jehoahaz to Egypt , where he died . 23:35 Jehoiakim paid Pharaoh the required amount of silver and gold , but to meet Pharaoh’s demands Jehoiakim had to tax the land . He collected an assessed amount from each man among the people of the land in order to pay Pharaoh Necho .
Jehoiakim’s Reign over Judah
23:36 Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned for eleven years in Jerusalem . His mother was Zebidah the daughter of Pedaiah , from Rumah . 23:37 He did evil in the sight of the Lord as his ancestors had done .

Pericope

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Bible Dictionary

  • 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; ...

  • TAX; TAXING

    [isbe] TAX; TAXING - taks, taks'-ing: I. INTRODUCTION 1. General Considerations 2. Limits of the Discussion II. TAXES IN ISRAEL UNDER SELF-GOVERNMENT 1. In the Earliest Period 2. Under the Theocracy; in the Period of the Judges 3. ...

  • SANCTUARY

    [isbe] SANCTUARY - sank'-tu-a-ri, sank'-tu-a-ri (miqdash, miqqedhash, qodhesh, "holy place"; hagion): 1. Nature of Article 2. The Graf-Wellhausen Hypothesis The Three Stages 3. Difficulties of the Theory (1) Slaughter Not Necessari...

  • 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...

  • 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...

  • Religion

    [nave] RELIGION. False Deut. 32:31-33. See: Idolatry; Intolerance; Teachers, False. Family See: Family. National Supported by taxes, Ex. 30:11-16; 38:26. Priests supported by the State, 1 Kin. 18:19; 2 Chr. 11:13-15. Subve...

  • Pentateuch

    [ebd] the five-fold volume, consisting of the first five books of the Old Testament. This word does not occur in Scripture, nor is it certainly known when the roll was thus divided into five portions Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Nu...

  • PHARAOH-NECOH

    [isbe] PHARAOH-NECOH - ne'-ko (par`oh nekhoh, also nekho; Nechao (2 Ki 23:29,33,34; 2 Ch 35:22; 36:4, the King James Version, Necho, the Revised Version (British and American) NECO; Jer 46:2; 2 Ch 35:20, the King James Version Nech...

  • OLD PROPHET, THE

    [isbe] OLD PROPHET, THE - (nabhi' 'echadh zaqen, "an old prophet" (1 Ki 13:11), ha-nabhi' ha-zaqen, "the old prophet" (1 Ki 13:29)): 1. The Narrative: The narrative of 1 Ki 13:11-32, in which the old prophet is mentioned, is part o...

  • Necho II

    [ebd] an Egyptian king, the son and successor of Psammetichus (B.C. 610-594), the contemporary of Josiah, king of Judah. For some reason he proclaimed war against the king of Assyria. He led forth a powerful army and marched north...

  • Law of Moses

    [ebd] is the whole body of the Mosaic legislation (1 Kings 2:3; 2 Kings 23:25; Ezra 3:2). It is called by way of eminence simply "the Law" (Heb. Torah, Deut. 1:5; 4:8, 44; 17:18, 19; 27:3, 8). As a written code it is called the "b...

  • LAW IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

    [isbe] LAW IN THE OLD TESTAMENT - || I. TERMS USED 1. Torah ("Law") 2. Synonyms of Torah (1) Mitswah ("Command") (2) `Edhah ("Witness," "Testimony") (3) MishpaTim ("Judgments") (4) Chuqqim ("Statutes") (5) Piqqudhim ("Precepts") II...

  • Jerusalem

    [ebd] called also Salem, Ariel, Jebus, the "city of God," the "holy city;" by the modern Arabs el-Khuds, meaning "the holy;" once "the city of Judah" (2 Chr. 25:28). This name is in the original in the dual form, and means "posses...

  • JOHANAN

    [isbe] JOHANAN - jo-ha'-nan (yochanan, "Yahweh has been gracious"; Ioanan; compare JEHOHANAN): (1) Son of Kareah, and one of "the captains of the forces who were in the fields" (i.e. probably guerrilla bands), who allied with Gedal...

  • 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;...

  • HIGH PLACE

    [isbe] HIGH PLACE - 1. General: (1) "High place" is the normal translation of bamah, a word that means simply "elevation" (Jer 26:18; Ezek 36:2, etc.; compare the use in Job 9:8 of the waves of the sea. For the plural as a proper n...

  • GOD, 2

    [isbe] GOD, 2 - II. The Idea of God in the Old Testament. 1. Course of Its Development: Any attempt to write the whole history of the idea of God in the Old Testament would require a preliminary study of the literary and historical...

  • Congregation

    [ebd] (Heb. kahal), the Hebrew people collectively as a holy community (Num. 15:15). Every circumcised Hebrew from twenty years old and upward was a member of the congregation. Strangers resident in the land, if circumcised, were,...

  • CHRONOLOGY OF THE OLD TESTAMENT

    [isbe] CHRONOLOGY OF THE OLD TESTAMENT - kro-nol'-o-ji: I. INTRODUCTORY 1. Difficulties of the Subject 2. Plan of Treatment 3. Bible to be Regarded as Highest Authority II. THE AGES BETWEEN THE TESTAMENTS III. PERSIAN PERIOD IV. BA...

  • CHEMOSH

    [isbe] CHEMOSH - ke'-mosh (kemosh; Chamos): 1. Moabites, the People of Chemosh 2. Solomon and Chemosh Worship 3. Josiah Putting Down Chemosh Worship 4. Chemosh and Ammonites 5. Moabite Stone 6. Mesha's Inscription and the Old Testa...

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Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • 1:22-26 The writer described Ephraim and Manasseh together as "the house of Joseph"(vv. 22-29). First, he narrated Ephraim's activity (vv. 22-26). The Ephraimites' treatment of the man of Bethel who gave them information viol...
  • 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...
  • I. The reign of Solomon chs. 1-11A. Solomon's succession to David's throne 1:1-2:121. David's declining health 1:1-42. Adonijah's attempt to seize the throne 1:5-533. David's charge to Solomon 2:1-94. David's death 2:10-12B. ...
  • God sent a young Judahite prophet to Bethel to announce a prophecy that God would judge Jeroboam for his apostasy. When he arrived, the king was exercising his priestly function at the Bethel altar (v. 1). The prophet predict...
  • (Continued from notes on 1 Kings)3. Ahaziah's evil reign in Israel -1 Kings 22:51-2 Kings 1:184. Jehoram's evil reign in Israel 2:1-8:155. Jehoram's evil reign in Judah 8:16-246. Ahaziah's evil reign in Judah 8:25-9:29C. The ...
  • Manasseh began reigning as vice-regent with his father Hezekiah when he was 12 years old in 697 B.C. This arrangement continued for 11 years until Hezekiah died in 686 B.C. For a total of 55 years Manasseh was king of Judah. ...
  • 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...
  • Jehoahaz, whose other name was Shallum, was the middle of Josiah's three sons all of whom ruled Judah after Josiah. Jehoahaz was the people's choice (v. 31), but he reigned for only three months in 609 B.C.When Pharaoh Neco d...
  • Zedekiah (Mattaniah) was Josiah's third son to rule over Judah. He rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar (v. 20) by making a treaty with Pharaoh Hophra (589-570 B.C.) under pressure from nationalists in Judah (cf. Jer. 37-38)."Clea...
  • 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...
  • Manasseh was one of the few examples of an evil Judean king who turned out good. Nevertheless his wickedness made captivity inevitable for Judah (2 Kings 23:26; Jer. 15:4)."Manasseh's acts are . . . a calculated attempt to th...
  • 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 reading of Scripture (Neh 8) and the act of prayer (Neh 9) followed by community commitment (Neh 10) is a model for worshiping communities."62This was another instance in Israel's history of a covenant renewal accompanyi...
  • 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...
  • Perverse conduct was the consequence of Israel's apostasy and infidelity, and it led to slavery.2:14-15 Israel was Yahweh's firstborn son, not a slave or even a home-born servant.77As such he enjoyed the special care and prov...
  • This is the first of several symbolic acts that Jeremiah performed to communicate divine messages (cf. 16:1-4; 18:1-12; 19:1-2, 10-11; 27:1-28:17; 32:1-15; 43:8-13; 51:59-64). Other prophets did the same thing (cf. Isa. 20:2-...
  • The national defeat pictured in this lament was a serious one. It may have been the first Babylonian invasion of Judah in 597 B.C., which resulted in severe destruction and exile for some Judeans.14:17 Jeremiah was to tell th...
  • This section probably contains two originally separate parts (vv. 10 and 11-12).22:10 Jeremiah instructed the people not to mourn over Josiah, who had died in battle with the Egyptians, as much as they should mourn over those...
  • "Jehoiakim was condemned by Jeremiah more severely than any other king. He seems to have been a typical Oriental despot who rejected Josiah's reforms."30722:13-14 Jeremiah called down woe on the person who advanced his own in...
  • 24:1 This prophetic message came to Jeremiah after Nebuchadnezzar had taken King Jehoiachin (Coniah, Jeconiah, cf. 22:24) and many of the other royal counselors, craftsmen, and smiths (or artisans) captive to Babylon in 597 B...
  • This section consists of four parts: a summary of Jeremiah's Temple Sermon (vv. 2-6), the prophet's arrest and trial (vv. 7-16), the elders' plea for his life (vv. 17-19, 24), and the incident involving Uriah and his executio...
  • 36:27-28 The Lord commanded Jeremiah to make another copy of the scroll that the king had burned (cf. 2 Kings 22:15-20).36:29 He was also to send a message from the Lord to the king. Jehoiakim had burned the first scroll beca...
  • What Jeremiah had predicted for so long finally became a reality for Judah. There are four chapters in the Bible that record the fall of Jerusalem reflecting the importance of this event (39; 52; 2 Kings 25; 2 Chron. 36).39:1...
  • 41:4-5 Two days after Gedaliah's murder, before the news of it had spread, 80 religious pilgrims came down from the old towns of Shechem, Shiloh, and Samaria in northern Israel on their way to Jerusalem. Their dress and other...
  • This chapter on Egypt contains three separate prophecies that Jeremiah delivered about the fate of that nation. Their purpose seems to have been to discourage King Jehoiakim (609-598 B.C.) and the pro-Egyptian party in Judah ...
  • Aharoni, Yohanan, and Michael Avi-Yonah. The Macmillan Bible Atlas. Revised ed. London: Collier Macmillan Publishers; and New York: Macmillan Publishers Co., 1977.Albright, William Foxwell. The Archaeology of Palestine. Revis...
  • ". . . the focus of chap. 6 is on the individual responsibility of the people and prepares the way for the subsequent spoken messages."1216:1-2 The Lord directed Ezekiel to pronounce an oracle of judgment against "the mountai...
  • 23:11-13 Oholibah observed her sister's behavior and fate, but she did not learn from them. As many historians have observed, the one thing we learn from history is that most people do not learn from history. Oholibah became ...
  • References in the book help us date it approximately but make it impossible to be precise or dogmatic. The Lord told Habakkuk that He was raising up the Chaldeans (Neo-Babylonians), the fierce and impetuous people who were al...
  • 1:7 In view of the inevitability of coming judgment for idolatry, it was appropriate for the Judeans to be quiet before sovereign Yahweh (cf. Hab. 2:20)."This is a call to the people of Judah to cease every manner of oppositi...
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