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Moreover Josiah kept a passover unto the LORD in Jerusalem: and they killed the passover on the fourteenth [day] of the first month.

Moreover, Josiah kept a passover. — See on 2 Kings 23:21 .

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And he set the priests in their charges, and encouraged them to the service of the house of the LORD,

And he set the priests in their charges. — His idolatrous predecessors had put all out of order; and perhaps had made some priests that were not of the tribe of Levi, as Jeroboam had done.

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And said unto the Levites that taught all Israel, which were holy unto the LORD, Put the holy ark in the house which Solomon the son of David king of Israel did build; [it shall] not [be] a burden upon [your] shoulders: serve now the LORD your God, and his people Israel,

Put the holy ark in the house. — Heb., The ark of holiness: therefore that ark or chest is not here meant, wherein were put the collection moneys, as some would have it, but the ark of the covenant: which might be put out of its place in the days of his wicked father Amon, to make way for some idol in its room. He might remember, saith Cajetan, what damage had been done to the Philistines, when the ark stood by Dagon. The Hebrews tell us, that the priests in those idolatrous times had carried the holy ark out of the temple - that it might not stand there among those heathenish idols - and conveyed it to the house of Shallum, who was uncle to the prophet Jeremiah, and husband to the prophetess Huldah, 2 Chronicles 34:22 and that therefore Josiah sent to her to consult with the Lord for him.

It shall not be a burden upon your shoulders, — q.d., You are eased of that burden; 1 Kings 8:6 therefore,

Serve now the Lord your God, … — Employ yourselves so much the more freely and vigorously in this other part of your service. 1 Chronicles 23:26

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And prepare [yourselves] by the houses of your fathers, after your courses, according to the writing of David king of Israel, and according to the writing of Solomon his son.

Prepare yourselves. — Heathens saw that God was not to be served, but by those who were οικοθεν παρασκευασμενοι , prepared aforehand. Plutarch. Demosth. Solon willed in his laws that the sacrifices should be chosen and selected, and the sacrificers should purify themselves some days before.

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And stand in the holy [place] according to the divisions of the families of the fathers of your brethren the people, and [after] the division of the families of the Levites.

And stand in the holy place. — In the priests’ court.

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So kill the passover, and sanctify yourselves, and prepare your brethren, that [they] may do according to the word of the LORD by the hand of Moses.

Sanctify yourselves, and prepare your brethren. — Not by auricular confession, or the like; but by holy exhortations, to cast away the idols of their hearts, and to come to the sacrament with the best preparation they can make. The Sybarites, when they invited to a feast, gave their women a year’s warning to deck, and trim, and prepare themselves. Should not people long before prepare, when to come to the Lord’s table?

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And Josiah gave to the people, of the flock, lambs and kids, all for the passover offerings, for all that were present, to the number of thirty thousand, and three thousand bullocks: these [were] of the king’s substance.

Of the flock, lambs and kids. — Either of these might by the law be offered, Exodus 12:5 but use and custom made it most frequent to furnish the paschal supper rather with a lamb than with a kid: and accordingly did our Saviour celebrate the passover.

And three thousand bullocks. — These were rather a part of the solemnity of the feast of unleavened bread, which lasted seven days together, than precisely of the paschal supper.

These were of the king’s substance. — See 2 Chronicles 30:24 .

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And his princes gave willingly unto the people, to the priests, and to the Levites: Hilkiah and Zechariah and Jehiel, rulers of the house of God, gave unto the priests for the passover offerings two thousand and six hundred [small cattle], and three hundred oxen.

And his princes gave willingly. — Heb., To liberality. See the force of good example. These princes were none of the best, as appears in Zephaniah.

Two thousand and six hundred small cattle. — This these priests could not have done had they not been wealthy and well-underlaid, as we say.

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