Bible Commentaries

Josiah [was] eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem one and thirty years.

Josiah was eight years old. — Woe to that land whose prince is a child, saith Solomon; Ecclesiastes 10:16 but Josiah was an extraordinary child, and a great blessing to his people. So was our Edward VI, that second Josiah, who began early likewise, and lived much in a little time, in brevi vitae spacio tempora virtutum multa replevit. Jerome. See 2 Kings 22:1 .

return to '

And he did [that which was] right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the ways of David his father, and declined [neither] to the right hand, nor to the left.

And he did that which was right. — See 2 Kings 22:2 .

return to '

For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David his father: and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images.

For in the eighth year of his reign. — So soon as he had the reins in his own hands, he began.

He began to seek. — That is, Publicly to show his zeal for God; which was in him of a little child.

And in the twelfth year. — See 2 Kings 23:4-5 , …

return to '

And they brake down the altars of Baalim in his presence; and the images, that [were] on high above them, he cut down; and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images, he brake in pieces, and made dust [of them], and strowed [it] upon the graves of them that had sacrificed unto them.

In his presence. — He would see it done; that so it might be thoroughly done.

He cut down … he brake in pieces, … — Notanda est congeries verborum, saith Lavater. Five or six several words are here used, to show how he mauled them, and made mortar of them, as we say; such was his holy indignation, zeal, and revenge.

return to '

And he burnt the bones of the priests upon their altars, and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem.

And he burnt the bones. — That those altars might be defiled, discredited, and abhorred for ever.

He cleansed Judah and Jerusalem. — Cleansed it as well as he could; bringing them to an outward conformity, whose hearts were still full of harlotry; as well appeared when Josiah’s head was laid.

return to '

And [so did he] in the cities of Manasseh, and Ephraim, and Simeon, even unto Naphtali, with their mattocks round about.

And so did he in the cities of Manasseh. — Wherever he had to do; and in all places else where he could come; so great was his zeal, so diffusive his charity.

return to '

And when he had broken down the altars and the groves, and had beaten the graven images into powder, and cut down all the idols throughout all the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem.

And when he had broken. — See 2 Chronicles 34:4 .

And cut down all the images. — Which have their name from burning or raging heat; because idolaters, quasi aestu perciti, followed their idols with much heat of desire, through any danger. Some render it the sun images.

return to '

Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had purged the land, and the house, he sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, and Maaseiah the governor of the city, and Joah the son of Joahaz the recorder, to repair the house of the LORD his God.

Now in the eighteenth year. — See on 2 Kings 22:3 .

To repair the house of the Lord. — This had been done before by Joash, 2 Kings 12:5 but that was two hundred and thirty-four years since: so that now there was need of new reparations. Tempus edax rerum.

return to '