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We are here to attend Josiah, I. To the temple, where we see his religious care for the due observance of the ordinance of the passover, according to the law, 2Ch 35:1-19. II. To the field of battle, where we see his rashness in engaging with the king of Egypt, and how dearly it cost him, 2Ch 35:20-23. III. To the grave, where we see him bitterly lamented, 2Ch 35:24-27. And so we must take our leave of Josiah.
1-19
The Reign of Josiah (623 BC)
简体中文
约西亚的治绩（公元前623年）
¹ 约西亚又在耶路撒冷向耶和华守逾越节；正月十四日，他们宰了逾越节的羊羔。 ² 王分派祭司各尽其职，又勉励他们事奉耶和华殿的事。 ³ 又对那教训以色列人、归于耶和华为圣的利未人说：你们将圣约柜安放在以色列王大卫儿子所罗门所建造的殿里；不必再用肩头抬它；现在要事奉耶和华你们的神，和他的百姓以色列， ⁴ 你们要按着宗族、照着班次，自洁预备，照着以色列王大卫所写的，和他儿子所罗门所写的； ⁵ 要在圣所站立，按着你们弟兄百姓的家族划分，又按着利未人的家族划分。 ⁶ 你们要宰逾越节的羊羔，自洁，也预备你们的弟兄，好使他们按着耶和华藉摩西手所传的话而行。 ⁷ 约西亚从自己的产业中，赐给百姓羊羔、幼羊，一切逾越节的祭物，给一切在场的人，共三万只，又赐公牛三千只。 ⁸ 他的首领们甘心送给百姓、祭司、利未人；神殿的治理者希勒家、撒迦利雅、耶歇，给祭司作逾越节祭物的羊二千六百只、牛三百只。 ⁹ 利未人的首领歌南雅、示玛雅、拿坦业他的弟兄，以及哈沙比雅、耶叶、约撒拔，给利未人作逾越节祭物的羊五千只、牛五百只。 ¹⁰ 这样，事奉的事安排妥当了；祭司各站在自己的地方，利未人也按着班次各站其位，都是照王所吩咐的。 ¹¹ 利未人宰了逾越节的羊羔，祭司从他们手中接血洒在坛上，利未人剥皮。 ¹² 他们把燔祭拿出来，好按着百姓的家族分给他们，照摩西书上所写的献给耶和华；公牛也是这样。 ¹³ 他们按着律例用火烤逾越节的羊羔；别的圣物他们用锅、用釜、用煎盘煮了，速速分给众百姓。 ¹⁴ 之后他们为自己和祭司预备；因为亚伦子孙作祭司的，献燔祭和脂油直到夜间，忙得不可开交；所以利未人为自己和为亚伦子孙的祭司预备。 ¹⁵ 亚萨子孙歌唱的，按着大卫、亚萨、希幔，和王先见耶杜顿所吩咐的，站在自己的地方；守门的在各门看守，不离他们的职守；因为他们的弟兄利未人为他们预备。 ¹⁶ 这样，当日耶和华一切事奉的事都安排妥当，照约西亚王所吩咐的，守逾越节，又在耶和华的坛上献燔祭。 ¹⁷ 当时在场的以色列人守了逾越节，又守除酵节七日。 ¹⁸ 自从先知撒母耳的日子以来，以色列中没有守过这样的逾越节；以色列诸王也没有一个像约西亚和祭司、利未人、当时在场的犹大众人、以色列众人，并耶路撒冷居民所守的逾越节。 ¹⁹ 这逾越节是约西亚作王第十八年守的。
约西亚对偶像和偶像崇拜所行的毁灭，在《列王纪》中有更详尽的记载，在此处只是在前一章中略提（代下34:33）；但他在此处守逾越节的事——在那卷书（王下23:21）中只是略提——在此处却有十分详尽的记载。礼仪律所定的耶和华的节期虽多，但逾越节是其中之首。它在以色列人出埃及的那夜"开始了它们全部"；在基督被卖的那夜"总结了它们全部"；而希西家和约西亚这两位伟大的改革者，都在他们各自的日子藉着守这节使信仰复兴。主餐的圣礼比任何犹太节期都更像逾越节；按着规矩正当遵守这圣礼，既是教会日益纯洁美丽的明证和途径，也是个别基督徒日益敬虔热心的明证和途径。信仰不能在那逾越节被完全疏忽或未按所当行的遵守之处兴盛；归回它，复兴它，郑重地对待那感人且约束人心的圣礼，那么可盼望在其他方面也将有改革。
在我们读到关于希西家逾越节的记载中，百姓的热心是显然的，他们所进入的敬虔情感的激越也很明显；但此处同样的心志显明得不多。他们众人守逾越节（代下35:17-18），更多是因为顺从王，而不是出于自己对这事的倾向。他们对敬虔的形式有所自夸，却少有敬虔实意的乐趣。但无论百姓在尽本分的心态上有何欠缺，官长和传道者都尽了他们的本分，确保事奉的外在部分按当有的庄严而行。
I. 王劝勉、指导、激励、鼓励祭司和利未人在这庄严的节期中尽他们的职分。也许他看见他们疏忽冷淡，不愿走出常轨或加快步伐。传道人若如此，任何人去激发他们尽本分并不为过，而官长去作最为合宜。要对亚基布说："务要谨慎，尽你从主所受的职分"（西4:17）。让我们看这位好王在这次事上如何对待他的教牧。1. 他把他们引回到摩西律法所设的职任（代下35:6），以及大卫和所罗门所定的秩序（代下35:4）。他"分派他们各尽其职"（代下35:2）。他没有为他们另立新工，也没有把他们置于新的方式之中，只是把他们召回到原有的设立。他们的班次已用文字定下；他们可以查考那文字，照"他们家族的划分"安排自己（代下35:5）。我们的准则已在写下来的话语中定下；官长当留意传道人按那准则而行，他们就是尽了本分。2. 他吩咐把约柜安放在原处。看来约柜近来被移动了——或是恶王所为，要为他们的偶像在至圣所腾出位置；或是希西家所为，要为修理圣殿的工匠腾出地方。无论如何，约西亚吩咐利未人"将约柜放在殿里"（代下35:3），不要再抬着它从一处到一处——也许他们近来这样作，借口是圣殿建成之前的做法。如今祭司既免去了抬约柜的重担，就要在其他与约柜有关的事奉上谨慎。3. 他吩咐他们"事奉神和他的百姓以色列"（代下35:3）。传道人当看自己是基督的仆人，也是为他的缘故作他教会的仆人（林后4:5）。他们当留心、当劳苦、当尽心竭力，(1) 为神的荣耀尊荣，并推进他在人中间的国度。保罗——"神的仆人"（多1:1）。(2) 为他百姓的福祉和益处，不是要辖管他们的信心，而是要作他们圣洁和喜乐的帮助者；靠神的力量，诚实事奉这两位主并无难处。4. 他吩咐他们"自洁"，又"预备他们的弟兄"（代下35:6）。传道人的工作必须从自己开始，他们当先自洁——从罪中洁净自己，从世界中分别出来，献给神。但这工作不可止于此；他们当尽力"预备他们的弟兄"——劝诫、教导、劝勉、激励、安慰他们。"内心的预备"虽"从耶和华而来"，但传道人当在他手中作器皿。5. 他"勉励他们事奉"（代下35:2）。他对他们说恩言，正如希西家所作的（代下30:22）。他应许给他们支持。当注意：我们所吩咐去作的人，我们当加以鼓励。多数人喜爱被称赞，被鼓励所感动胜过被威胁所震慑。
II. 王和首领们受他榜样所感，慷慨捐输，以承担这次逾越节的开销。礼仪的事奉耗费甚大，这也许是它被疏忽的原因之一。百姓没有足够的热心去支付费用；他们如今也不十分羡慕它，正因为这缘故；所以，1. 约西亚自费为会众提供逾越节的羊羔，以及节期七日内要献的其他祭物。他从自己的产业中拨出三万只"羊羔"作"逾越节的祭物"——献祭者要在其上设筵——又拨出三千头公牛（代下35:7），要在随后七日内献上。当注意：在信仰上认真的人，劝别人行善之时，当尽量使这事对别人成为又便宜又容易的。神在哪里多多撒种，也期望照样多多收割。恐怕会众普遍并未预备好；因此若约西亚不供给他们，神的工作必停滞。2. 祭司的首领们——他们都是大有产业的人——也为祭司的费用捐输，正如约西亚为百姓所作的。"首领们"（代下35:8），即祭司中的首领，那圣洁支派的首领，"神殿的治理者"，承担了祭司的费用。利未人中的富贵大人物中，也有人为他们提供牛羊作为祭物（代下35:9）。因为，对于真心愿意行在尽本分之道上的人，神的护理有时兴起朋友帮助他们度过，远超他们所曾期望。
III. 祭司和利未人非常乐意地尽了他们的职分（代下35:10）。他们在圣殿的院内宰了逾越节的羊羔，祭司把血洒在坛上，利未人剥皮，然后按家族把肉分给百姓（代下35:11-12），每只羊羔不少于十人，不多于二十人。他们把羊羔带到各自的住所，用火烤了，"按着律例"吃了（代下35:13）。至于那些感恩性质的其他祭物，其肉按平安祭的律法煮了，"速速分给众百姓"，使他们可以在其上设筵，作为他们因赎罪已成、与神和好而喜乐的记号。最后，祭司和利未人也留意"自己吃逾越节的羊羔"来尊荣神（代下35:14）。传道人不要以为他们为别人灵魂所尽之关怀，可以成为自己疏忽的借口；也不要以为在公众敬拜中多多忙碌，便取代了他们私室和家庭中的宗教操练。利未人在此处为自己和祭司预备，因为祭司整日全然忙于坛上的事奉；因此他们到了当吃的时候不必亲自去料理自己的羊羔，利未人便为他们预备，好在晚饭之时齐备。愿传道人由此学习彼此帮助，推进彼此的工作，如同弟兄、同一位主的同工。
IV. 歌唱的和守门的各按本位供职（代下35:15）。歌唱的以他们神圣的诗歌和音乐表达并激发会众的喜乐，使事奉对他们十分愉快；守门的在各门看守，确保没有任何事物闯入玷污或扰乱聚会，也没有人擅自离开，免得有人在事奉完毕之前偷溜。他们这样供职之时，他们的弟兄利未人为他们预备了逾越节的羊羔。
V. 整个庄严的节期都按律法极精确地举行（代下35:16-17），并因此，自撒母耳的日子以来没有这样守过的（代下35:18）——因为在希西家的逾越节中有几处不合规之处。帕特里克主教又观察：在这方面它也超过前诸王所守的逾越节——约西亚虽远不如大卫、所罗门、约沙法那样富有，却自费为全会众提供祭祀的牲畜，包括逾越节用的和感恩用的——这是在他之前没有任何王行过的。
英文原文
The Reign of Josiah (623 BC)
¹ Moreover Josiah kept a passover unto the LORD in Jerusalem: and they killed the passover on the fourteenth day of the first month.
² And he set the priests in their charges, and encouraged them to the service of the house of the LORD,
³ 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,
⁴ 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.
⁵ 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.
⁶ 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.
⁷ 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.
⁸ 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.
⁹ Conaniah also, and Shemaiah and Nethaneel, his brethren, and Hashabiah and Jeiel and Jozabad, chief of the Levites, gave unto the Levites for passover offerings five thousand small cattle, and five hundred oxen.
¹⁰ So the service was prepared, and the priests stood in their place, and the Levites in their courses, according to the king's commandment.
¹¹ And they killed the passover, and the priests sprinkled the blood from their hands, and the Levites flayed them.
¹² And they removed the burnt offerings, that they might give according to the divisions of the families of the people, to offer unto the LORD, as it is written in the book of Moses. And so did they with the oxen.
¹³ And they roasted the passover with fire according to the ordinance: but the other holy offerings sod they in pots, and in caldrons, and in pans, and divided them speedily among all the people.
¹⁴ And afterward they made ready for themselves, and for the priests: because the priests the sons of Aaron were busied in offering of burnt offerings and the fat until night; therefore the Levites prepared for themselves, and for the priests the sons of Aaron.
¹⁵ And the singers the sons of Asaph were in their place, according to the commandment of David, and Asaph, and Heman, and Jeduthun the king's seer; and the porters waited at every gate; they might not depart from their service; for their brethren the Levites prepared for them.
¹⁶ So all the service of the LORD was prepared the same day, to keep the passover, and to offer burnt offerings upon the altar of the LORD, according to the commandment of king Josiah.
¹⁷ And the children of Israel that were present kept the passover at that time, and the feast of unleavened bread seven days.
¹⁸ And there was no passover like to that kept in Israel from the days of Samuel the prophet; neither did all the kings of Israel keep such a passover as Josiah kept, and the priests, and the Levites, and all Judah and Israel that were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
¹⁹ In the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah was this passover kept.
The destruction which Josiah made of idols and idolatry was more largely related in the Kings, but just mentioned here in the foregoing chapter (2Ch 35:33); but his solemnizing the passover, which was touched upon there (2Ki 23:21), is very particularly related here. Many were the feasts of the Lord, appointed by the ceremonial law, but the passover was the chief. It began them all in the night wherein Israel came out of Egypt; it concluded them all in the night wherein Christ was betrayed; and in the celebration of it Hezekiah and Josiah, those two great reformers, revived religion in their day. The ordinance of the Lord's supper resembles the passover more than it does any of the Jewish festivals; and the due observance of that ordinance, according to the rule, is an instance and means both of the growing purity and beauty of churches and of the growing piety and devotion of particular Christians. Religion cannot flourish where that passover is either wholly neglected or not duly observed; return to that, revive that, make a solemn business of that affecting binding ordinance, and then, it is to be hoped, there will be a reformation in other instances also.
In the account we had of Hezekiah's passover the great zeal of the people was observable, and the transport of devout affection that they were in; but little of the same spirit appears here. It was more in compliance with the king that they all kept the passover (2Ch 35:17,18) than from any great inclination they had to it themselves. Some pride they took in this form of godliness, but little pleasure in the power of it. But, whatever defect there was among the people in the spirit of the duty, both the magistrates and the ministers did their part and took care that the external part of the service should be performed with due solemnity.
I. The king exhorted and directed, quickened and encouraged, the priests and Levites to do their office in this solemnity. Perhaps he saw them remiss and indifferent, unwilling to go out of their road or mend their pace. If ministers are so, it is not amiss for any, but most proper for magistrates, to stir them up to their business. Say to Archippus, Take heed to thy ministry, Col 4:17. Let us see how this good king managed his clergy upon this occasion. 1. He reduced them to the office they were appointed to by the law of Moses (2Ch 35:6) and the order they were put into by David and Solomon, 2Ch 35:4. He set them in their charge, 2Ch 35:2. He did not cut them out new work, nor put them into any new method, but called them back to their institution. Their courses were settled in writing; let them have recourse to that writing, and marshal themselves according to the divisions of their families, 2Ch 35:5. Our rule is settled in the written word; let magistrates take care that ministers walk according to that rule and they do their duty. 2. He ordered the ark to be put in its place. It should seem, it had of late been displaced, either by the wicked kings, to make room for their idols in the most holy place, or by Hezekiah, to make room for the workmen that repaired the temple. However it was, Josiah bids the Levites put the ark in the house (2Ch 35:3), and not carry it about from place to place, as perhaps of late they had done, justifying themselves therein by the practice before the temple was built. Now that the priests were discharged from this burden of the ark they must be careful in other services about it. 3. He charged them to serve God and his people Israel, 2Ch 35:3. Ministers must look upon themselves as servants both to Christ and to his church for his sake, 2Co 4:5. They must take care, and take pains, and lay out themselves to the utmost, (1.) For the glory and honour of God, and to advance the interests of his kingdom among men. Paul, a servant of God, Tit 1:1. (2.) For the welfare and benefit of his people, not as having dominion over their faith, but as helpers of their holiness and joy; and there will be no difficulty, in the strength of God, in honestly serving these two masters. 4. He charged them to sanctify themselves, and prepare their brethren, 2Ch 35:6. Ministers' work must begin at home, and they must sanctify themselves in the first place, purify themselves from sin, sequester themselves from the world, and devote themselves to God. But it must not end there; they must do what they can to prepare their brethren by admonishing, instructing, exhorting, quickening, and comforting, them. The preparation of the heart is indeed from the Lord; but ministers must be instruments in his hand. 5. He encouraged them to the service, 2Ch 35:2. He spoke comfortably to them, as Hezekiah did, 2Ch 30:22. He promised them his countenance. Note, Those whom we charge we should encourage. Most people love to be commended, and will be wrought upon by encouragements more than by threats.
II. The king and the princes, influenced by his example, gave liberally for the bearing of the charges of this passover. The ceremonial services were expensive, which perhaps was one reason why they had been neglected. People had not zeal enough to be at the charge of them; nor were they now very fond of them, for that reason, and therefore, 1. Josiah, at his own proper cost, furnished the congregation with paschal lambs, and other sacrifices, to be offered during the seven days of the feast. He allowed out of his own estate 30,000 lambs for passover offerings, which the offerers were to feast upon, and 3000 bullocks (2Ch 35:7) to be offered during the following seven days. Note, Those who are serious in religion should, when they persuade others to do that which is good, make it as cheap and easy to them as may be. And where God sows plentifully he expects to reap accordingly. It is to be feared that the congregation generally had not come provided; so that, if Josiah had not furnished them, the work of God must have stood still. 2. The chief of the priests, who were men of great estates, contributed towards the priests' charges, as Josiah did towards the people's. The princes (2Ch 35:8), that is, the chief of the priests, the princes of the holy tribe, rulers of the house of God, bore the priests' charges. And some of the rich and great men of the Levites furnished them also with cattle, both great and small, for offerings, 2Ch 35:9. For, as to those that sincerely desire to be found in the way of their duty, Providence sometimes raises up friends to bear them out in it, beyond what they could have expected.
III. The priests and Levites performed their office very readily, 2Ch 35:10. They killed the paschal lambs in the court of the temple, the priests sprinkled the blood upon the altar, the Levites flayed them, and then gave the flesh to the people according to their families (2Ch 35:11,12), not fewer than ten, nor more than twenty, to a lamb. They took it to their several apartments, roasted it, and ate it according to the ordinance, 2Ch 35:13. As for the other sacrifices that were eucharistical, the flesh of them was boiled according to the law of the peace-offerings and was divided speedily among the people, that they might feast upon it as a token of their joy in the atonement made and their reconciliation to God thereby. And, lastly, The priests and Levites took care to honour God by eating of the passover themselves, 2Ch 35:14. Let not ministers think that the care they take for the souls of others will excuse their neglect of their own, or that being employed so much in public worship will supersede the religious exercises of their closets and families. The Levites here made ready for themselves and for the priests, because the priests were wholly taken up all day in the service of the altar; therefore, that they might not have their lamb to dress when they should eat it, the Levites got it ready for them against supper time. Let ministers learn hence to help one another, and to forward one another's work, as brethren, and fellow-servants of the same Master.
IV. The singers and porters attended in their places, and did their office, 2Ch 35:15. The singers with their sacred songs and music expressed and excited the joy of the congregation, and made the service very pleasant to them; and the porters at the gates took care that there should be no breaking in of any thing to defile or disquiet the assembly, nor going out of any from it, that none should steal away till the service was done. While they were thus employed their brethren the Levites prepared paschal lambs for them.
V. The whole solemnity was performed with great exactness, according to the law (2Ch 35:16,17), and, upon that account, there was none like it since Samuel's time (2Ch 35:18), for in Hezekiah's passover there were several irregularities. And bishop Patrick observes that in this also it exceeded the other passovers which the preceding kings had kept, that though Josiah was by no means so rich as David, and Solomon, and Jehoshaphat, yet he furnished the whole congregation with beasts for sacrifice, both paschal and eucharistical, at his own proper cost and charge, which was more than any king ever did before him.
20-27
The Death of Josiah (610 BC)
简体中文
约西亚之死（主前610年）
²⁰ 这些事以后，约西亚修完了殿，埃及王尼哥上来，要攻击靠近幼发拉底河的迦基米施；约沙法出去迎敌。
²¹ 尼哥差遣使者来见约沙法，说：犹大王啊，我与你何干？我今日来不是要攻击你，乃是要攻击与我争战之家；并且神吩咐我速行，你不要干预神的事，免得祂毁灭你；因为神与我同在。
²² 约西亚却不愿转脸离开他，仍改装要与他争战；他不听从神借尼哥口中所说的话，就到了米吉多平原争战。
²³ 弓箭手射中约西亚王；王对臣仆说：我受了重伤，你把我带回。
²⁴ 他的臣仆就把他从战车上扶下来，放在他有的第二辆车上，送到耶路撒冷；他就死了，葬在他列祖的坟墓里。犹大和耶路撒冷人都为约沙法哀哭。
²⁵ 耶利米为约沙法作哀歌；所有歌唱的男女也唱哀歌，论到约沙法，直到今日；他们又在以色列中以此为定例；看哪，这些歌都写在哀歌书上。
²⁶ 约西亚其余的事，和他照耶和华律法上所记的善行，
²⁷ 并他自始至终所行的，都写在以色列和犹大诸王记上。
从约西亚著名的逾越节到他的死，相隔十三年。在此期间，我们可以指望他国中诸事顺遂，他自己亨通，宗教兴旺；然而我们并未读到那些年令人愉悦的记载，反而是被略过不提，因为百姓尽管如此，仍未转离对罪的爱慕，神也未转离祂怒气的猛烈。所以我们接下来听见关于约西亚的事，便是他在中年、在有用之时被剪除，年寿不足四十。这悲惨的故事我们在王下23:29,30已有。此处记载较为详细，并比前书更多显出对约西亚的责备和对百姓的称赞，是出乎人意之外的。
一、约西亚是个很善良的君王，但他贸然僭妄地出兵与埃及王争战——既无因由，也无呼召——却大受责备。在《列王纪》中已显得不好——他干涉了与他无关的争端；此处看来更糟，因为埃及王似乎差遣使者来警告他不可作此举（代下35:21）。
- 埃及王从三方面与约西亚说理。
（1）从公义原则。他声言无意伤害他，所以约西亚对他动兵，是不公平的，违背了常理的公平与万国律法。即使是「义人」参与「不义之事」，也别指望亨通。「神并不偏待人」。参箴3:20，25:8。
（2）从宗教原则：「神与我同在」；不，「祂吩咐我速行」，所以你若拦阻我的行动，便是干预神。埃及王在此不可能只是假装这话（如西拿基立在类似情形中所作的，王下18:25），指望借此使约西亚止步，因为他知道约西亚敬畏神的话；因为此处说（代下35:22）尼哥的话是「从神口中出来的」。所以我们当设想，或借异梦，或借他心中强烈而理当视为出于神的感动，或借耶利米或别的先知，他得了命令要向亚述王开战。
（3）从权宜原则：「免得祂毁灭你」；你若与那不仅有更强军队、更有更正义的事业，更有神站在他一边的人交战，便是自冒其险。
- 约西亚如此被迷惑，竟不听从这些合理的劝告、不放弃此举，并非出于神对约西亚的怒气——他的心向耶和华他神是正直的——而是出于神对那假冒为善的国民的怒气，他们不配得这样一位好王。他不肯「转脸离开他」，竟亲自出马，在「米吉多平原」与埃及军交战（代下35:22）。他若不能信埃及王真有神的命令去作他所行的，那么既是他声言有此命令，约西亚便当在出兵之前先求问神的谕旨。他未这样行，便是他大错，且后果致命。在这事上他未行他祖大卫所行的道；因为若换作大卫，必求问耶和华：「我可以上去吗？你必将他们交在我手里吗？」我们若在自己所行的事上不承认神，怎能指望亨通呢？
二、百姓原是很恶的百姓，但他们这样为约西亚之死哀哭，却大受称赞。耶利米为他哀哭，我并不奇怪——他是「哭泣的先知」，并清楚地预见这善王一死，全国必随之彻底败亡。但奇的是，「犹大和耶路撒冷」——那麻木无知的百姓——竟都「为他哀哭」（代下35:24），并设计如何借歌唱的男女来激发哀悼，又如何使哀悼传遍全国（他们在以色列中立为定例，要各族的人都学习并歌唱在这悲惨场合所写的哀歌），又如何使纪念传之久远：这些挽歌被收入国家诗集；它们记在《哀歌》中。由此可见：
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他们对自己的善君还有相当的尊敬；他们虽未全心全意附从他所设计的一切善事，却不能不大大敬重他。敬虔有用的人即使在那些不愿以其榜样为范的人心中，也必彰显出来；许多人自己不愿顺服真实敬虔的规则，却不能不为它说好话，并在别人身上尊重它。也许那些约西亚死后为他哀哭的人，他活着时并未为着有他而感谢神。以色列人在摩西亚伦活着时向他们发怨言，有时还要用石头打他们，但他们死时却为他们哀哭多日。我们常因失去怜悯而学会珍视它们，而我们在享有之时却未按所当行的看重。
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他们对如今他既离去自己所处的危险还有几分感觉。耶利米大概告诉他们，他既被接去，他们如今可期望什么灾祸；他们信他的话到一种地步，竟为那护卫他们的死而哀哭。请留意：许多人宁愿被劝去为将至的灾祸哀哭，也不愿借普遍的改革去防止它们；他们要为患难流泪，却不肯被说服离开他们的罪。然而，「依着神的意思忧愁，就生出没有后悔的懊悔来，以致得救」。
英文原文
The Death of Josiah (610 BC)
²⁰ After all this, when Josiah had prepared the temple, Necho king of Egypt came up to fight against Carchemish by Euphrates: and Josiah went out against him.
²¹ But he sent ambassadors to him, saying, What have I to do with thee, thou king of Judah? I come not against thee this day, but against the house wherewith I have war: for God commanded me to make haste: forbear thee from meddling with God, who is with me, that he destroy thee not.
²² Nevertheless Josiah would not turn his face from him, but disguised himself, that he might fight with him, and hearkened not unto the words of Necho from the mouth of God, and came to fight in the valley of Megiddo.
²³ And the archers shot at king Josiah; and the king said to his servants, Have me away; for I am sore wounded.
²⁴ His servants therefore took him out of that chariot, and put him in the second chariot that he had; and they brought him to Jerusalem, and he died, and was buried in one of the sepulchres of his fathers. And all Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah.
²⁵ And Jeremiah lamented for Josiah: and all the singing men and the singing women spake of Josiah in their lamentations to this day, and made them an ordinance in Israel: and, behold, they are written in the lamentations.
²⁶ Now the rest of the acts of Josiah, and his goodness, according to that which was written in the law of the LORD,
²⁷ And his deeds, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah.
It was thirteen years from Josiah's famous passover to his death. During this time, we may hope, thing went well in his kingdom, that he prospered, and religion flourished; yet we are not entertained with the pleasing account of those years, but they are passed over in silence, because the people, for all this, were not turned from the love of their sins nor God from the fierceness of his anger. The next news therefore we hear of Josiah is that he is cut off in the midst of his days and usefulness, before he is full forty years old. We had this sad story, 2Ki 23:29,30. Here it is somewhat more largely related. That appears here, more than did there, which reflects such blame on Josiah and such praise on the people as one would not have expected.
I. Josiah was a very good prince, yet he was much to be blamed for his rashness and presumption in going out to war against the king of Egypt without cause or call. It was bad enough, as it appeared in the Kings, that he meddled with strife which belonged not to him. But here it looks worse; for, it seems, the king of Egypt sent ambassadors to him, to warn him against this enterprise, 2Ch 35:21.
1. The king of Egypt argued with Josiah, (1.) From principles of justice. He professed that he had no desire to do him any hurt, and therefore it was unfair, against common equity and the law of nations, for Josiah to take up arms against him. If even a righteous man engage in an unrighteous cause, let him not expect to prosper. God is no respecter of persons. See Pr 3:20,25:8. (2.) From principles of religion: "God is with me; nay, He commanded me to make haste, and therefore, if thou retard my motions, thou meddlest with God." It cannot be that the king of Egypt only pretended this (as Sennacherib did in a like case, 2Ki 18:25), hoping thereby to make Josiah desist, because he knew he had a veneration for the word of God; for it is said here (2Ch 35:22) that the words of Necho were from the mouth of God. We must therefore suppose that either by a dream, or by a strong impulse upon his spirit which he had reason to think was from God, or by Jeremiah or some other prophet, he had ordered him to make war upon the king of Assyria. (3.) From principles of policy: "That he destroy thee not; it is at thy peril if thou engage against one that has not only a better army and a better cause, but God on his side."
2. It was not in wrath to Josiah, whose heart was upright with the Lord his God, but in wrath to a hypocritical nation, who were unworthy of so good a king, that he was so far infatuated as not to hearken to these fair reasonings and desist from his enterprise. He would not turn his face from him, but went in person and fought the Egyptian army in the valley of Megiddo, 2Ch 35:22. If perhaps he could not believe that the king of Egypt had a command from God to do what he did, yet, upon his pleading such a command, he ought to have consulted the oracles of God before he went out against him. His not doing that was his great fault, and of fatal consequence. In this matter he walked not in the ways of David his father; for, had it been his case, he would have enquired of the Lord, Shall I go up? Wilt thou deliver them into my hands? How can we think to prosper in our ways if we do not acknowledge God in them?
II. The people were a very wicked people, yet they were much to be commended for lamenting the death of Josiah as they did. That Jeremiah lamented him I do not wonder; he was the weeping prophet, and plainly foresaw the utter ruin of his country following upon the death of this good king. But it is strange to find that all Judah and Jerusalem, that stupid senseless people, mourned for him (2Ch 35:24), contrived how to have their mourning excited by singing men and singing women, how to have it spread through the kingdom (they made an ordinance in Israel that the mournful ditties penned on this sad occasion should be learned and sung by all sorts of people), and also how to have the remembrance of it perpetuated: these elegies were inserted in the collections of state poems; they are written in the Lamentations. Hereby it appeared, 1. That they had some respect to their good prince, and that, though they did not cordially comply with him in all his good designs, they could not but greatly honour him. Pious useful men will be manifested in the consciences even of those that will not be influenced by their example; and many that will not submit to the rules of serious godliness themselves yet cannot but give it their good word and esteem it in others. Perhaps those lamented Josiah when he was dead that were not thankful to God for him while he lived. The Israelites murmured at Moses and Aaron while they were with them and spoke sometimes of stoning them, and yet, when they died, they mourned for them many days. We are often taught to value mercies by the loss of them which, when we enjoyed them, we did not prize as we ought. 2. That they had some sense of their own danger now that he was gone. Jeremiah told them, it is likely, of the evil they might now expect to come upon them, from which he was taken away; and so far they credited what he said that they lamented the death of him that was their defence. Note, Many will more easily be persuaded to lament the miseries that are coming upon them than to take the proper way by universal reformation to prevent them, will shed tears for their troubles, but will not be prevailed upon to part with their sins. But godly sorrow worketh repentance and that repentance will be to salvation.
此处我们要跟随约西亚：一、到圣殿——在那里我们看见他对按律法妥善守逾越节这礼所尽的敬虔用心（代下35:1-19）。二、到战场——在那里我们看见他与埃及王交战的鲁莽，以及他为此所付的沉重代价（代下35:20-23）。三、到坟墓——在那里我们看见他被深切哀悼（代下35:24-27）。如此，我们便要向约西亚道别了。