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英文原文
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.
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The Reign of Josiah (623 BC)
繁體中文
約西亞的治期（主前 623 年）
¹ 約西亞又在耶路撒冷向耶和華守逾越節；他們在正月十四日宰了逾越節的羔羊。 ² 王使祭司各盡其職，又勉勵他們辦耶和華殿的事務。 ³ 又對那教導以色列眾人、歸耶和華為聖的利未人說：「你們將聖約櫃安放在以色列王大衛的兒子所羅門所建造的殿裡；不必再用肩頭抬它。你們現在當事奉耶和華你們的 神，並他的百姓以色列， ⁴ 你們應當按著宗族班次，照以色列王大衛所寫的，和他兒子所羅門所寫的，自己預備。 ⁵ 要按著你們弟兄百姓的宗族班次，站在聖所；利未人的宗族也照樣各按其班。 ⁶ 你們要宰逾越節的羔羊，自己分別為聖，又為你們的弟兄預備，好叫他們遵著耶和華藉摩西手所吩咐的話去行。」 ⁷ 約西亞從群畜中賜給在那裡的眾人綿羊羔和山羊羔，作逾越節的祭物，共三萬隻，牛三千隻；這些都是從王的產業中賜的。 ⁸ 眾首領也樂意賜給百姓、祭司和利未人：希勒家、撒迦利雅、耶歇—— 神殿的官長——賜給祭司作逾越節祭物的，共有羊羔二千六百隻，牛三百隻； ⁹ 又有哥尼雅、示瑪雅、拿坦業他的弟兄，並哈沙比雅、耶利、約薩拔——利未人的首領——賜給利未人作逾越節祭物的，共有羊羔五千隻，牛五百隻。 ¹⁰ 這樣，事奉的事都安排妥當；祭司各站在自己的地位，利未人也按著班次，都照王所吩咐的。 ¹¹ 他們宰了逾越節的羔羊，祭司從他們手中接血來灑，利未人就剝皮。 ¹² 他們將燔祭搬開，好按著百姓的宗族班次分給他們，獻與耶和華，正如摩西書上所寫的；對於牛也是這樣。 ¹³ 他們按著例規用火烤逾越節的羔羊；但別的聖物他們用鍋、用罐、用煎盤煮，速速地分給所有百姓。 ¹⁴ 然後他們為自己和祭司預備；因為亞倫子孫作祭司的，忙著獻燔祭和脂油，直到夜間；所以利未人為自己和亞倫子孫作祭司的預備。 ¹⁵ 亞薩子孫歌唱的都站在自己的地位，照著大衛、亞薩、希幔，和王先見耶杜頓所吩咐的；守門的在各門看守，不離開他們的職事；因為他們的弟兄利未人為他們預備。 ¹⁶ 當日，事奉耶和華的事都安排妥當，好守逾越節，又在耶和華的壇上獻燔祭，都是照約西亞王所吩咐的。 ¹⁷ 在那時候，在場的以色列人都守逾越節，又守除酵節七日。 ¹⁸ 自從先知撒母耳的日子以來，在以色列沒有守過這樣的逾越節；以色列諸王也沒有一個像約西亞、和祭司、利未人，以及在場的猶大眾人、以色列人，並耶路撒冷居民所守的。 ¹⁹ 這逾越節是在約西亞作王第十八年守的。
約西亞對偶像與偶像崇拜所作的毀滅，在《列王紀》中記載得更詳盡，在前一章（代下 35:33）只是略提；但他守逾越節一事，在那裡（王下 23:21）只是略提，卻在此處非常具體地記述。耶和華所定的節期繁多，但逾越節乃是首要的。它在以色列出埃及的那夜「開始了一切」；在基督被賣的那夜「結束了一切」；在守這節的事上，希西家和約西亞這兩位大改革家在他們的時代復興了宗教。主設立的晚餐與逾越節的相似，超過它與任何猶太節期的相似；按規矩正確遵守這個設立，既是教會純潔與美麗漸長的明證與管道，也是個別基督徒敬虔與熱誠漸長的明證與管道。宗教不能興旺之處，逾越節或是完全被忽略，或是沒有按當守的去守；歸回那節、復興那節、以這感動人心的約束之禮為莊重之業，那麼我們可望在別樣事上也有改革。
在我們所讀關於希西家逾越節的記載中，百姓的極大熱心與他們敬虔情感的昂揚是顯而易見的；但此處這種靈的光景並不多見。他們守逾越節（代下 35:17–18），更多是順應王的意願，而非出於自己對此事的強烈愛慕。他們在敬虔的外形上有些驕傲，卻對敬虔的實意少有喜樂。然而，百姓在盡本分的靈裡無論有怎樣的缺欠，官長與傳道人都盡了自己的本分，悉心使事奉的外在部分以應有的莊重而行。
一、王勸勉並指導、激發並鼓勵祭司和利未人在這莊嚴的典禮中盡他們的職分。他或許看見他們疏懶冷淡，不願改變常規，也不肯加快步伐。傳道人若如此，任何人——但官長最為合適——去激發他們盡責，並非不當。「要對亞基布說：『務要謹慎，盡你從主所受的職分』」（西 4:17）。讓我們看看這位好王在此事上如何對待他的教牧人員。1. 他使他們歸回摩西律法所設立的職分（代下 35:6），以及大衛和所羅門所定的次序（代下 35:4）。「他使他們各盡其職」（代下 35:2）。他並未為他們另立新工，也未把他們置於新的模式中，而是把他們召回到他們原有的設立。他們的班次已用文字立定；讓他們查考那文字，按「他們宗族的班次」（代下 35:5）排列自己。我們的規則已立定於書寫的道中；讓官長留意使傳道人按那規則而行，便是盡了他們的本分。2. 他下令把約櫃安放原位。看來它近來已被移位——或被惡王移位，為要在至聖所給他們的偶像騰出位置；或被希西家移位，為要給修殿的工匠騰出空間。無論如何，約西亞吩咐「利未人將約櫃安放在殿中」（代下 35:3），不要再像近來或許所作的那樣，把它從一處抬到另一處——他們或許以建殿之前的做法為自己辯護。如今祭司既已卸下這約櫃的重擔，就當在它周圍別的服事上謹慎。3. 他囑咐他們「事奉 神，和他的百姓以色列」（代下 35:3）。傳道人當看自己是基督的僕人，也是為他的緣故作他教會的僕人（林後 4:5）。他們當盡心、盡力、竭己所能，（1）為 神的榮耀與尊貴，並推進他在人間國度的利益。保羅——「 神的僕人」（多 1:1）。（2）為他百姓的福祉與益處——不是要轄管他們的信心，而是要幫助他們的聖潔與喜樂；靠著 神的能力，誠心事奉這兩位主人，並不為難。4. 他囑咐他們「自己分別為聖」，又「為你們的弟兄預備」（代下 35:6）。傳道人的工作必須從自己家中開始，他們當先自潔——從罪中淨化，從世界中分別出來，獻身於 神。但不可止於此；他們當盡力「為弟兄預備」——勸戒、教導、激發、安慰他們。「心的預備」誠然「出於耶和華」；但傳道人當作他手中的器皿。5. 他「勉勵他們事奉」（代下 35:2），正如希西家所作的（代下 30:22）。他用恩言對他們說，應許給他們他的恩待。請注意：我們所囑咐的人，我們也當鼓勵。多數人愛受稱讚，受鼓勵的影響比受威嚇的影響更大。
二、王與眾首領受他榜樣的影響，慷慨解囊，為這逾越節的開銷出資。禮儀性的事奉所費不菲，這或許正是它被忽略的原因之一。百姓的熱心不足以支付其費用；他們如今也並不十分愛慕它，緣由正在於此。因此，1. 約西亞自掏腰包，為會眾預備了逾越節的羊羔，以及在節期七日內所要獻的其他祭物。他從自己的產業中撥出三萬隻「羊羔」作「逾越節的祭物」，就是獻的人在宴席上要吃的，又撥出三千頭牛（代下 35:7），要在隨後的七日內獻上。請注意：凡在宗教上認真的人，當勸人作善事之時，當盡量使它對他們輕省容易。 神在哪裏厚賜，他也期望照樣收取。恐怕會眾普遍並沒有帶備祭物；因此若約西亞不供應他們， 神的工必停滯。2. 眾祭司長本是產業豐厚之人，為祭司的開銷捐輸，正如約西亞為百姓所作的。「眾首領」（代下 35:8），即眾祭司長，聖潔支派的首領，「 神殿的官長」——擔負了祭司的費用。利未人中一些富貴的人，也為他們預備了牛羊大小祭牲（代下 35:9）。因為，對於那些真心要行在自己本分道路上的人， 神的護理有時興起朋友扶持他們，超過他們所能期望的。
三、祭司和利未人非常樂意地盡了他們的職分（代下 35:10）。他們在聖殿院內宰了逾越節的羔羊，祭司把血灑在壇上，利未人剝皮，然後按百姓的宗族把肉分給他們（代下 35:11–12）——每隻羊羔不少於十人，不多於二十人。他們把肉帶到各自的居所，用火烤了，按例規吃了（代下 35:13）。至於其他感恩性的祭物，其肉按平安祭的律法煮了，「速速地分給所有百姓」，使他們可享用，作為他們因贖罪成就、並藉此與 神和好而喜樂的記號。末了，祭司和利未人自己也留意「吃逾越節的羔羊」以榮耀 神（代下 35:14）。傳道人不要以為照顧別人靈魂的用心，可以作為忽略自己靈魂的藉口；也不要以為在公眾敬拜上事務繁多，便可免去他們在內室與家庭中的敬虔操練。此處利未人為自己和祭司預備，因為祭司整日忙於壇上的事奉；因此他們到了當吃的時候，不必自己去烤羊羔，利未人為他們在晚餐之時預備好了。願傳道人由此學會彼此幫助、彼此推動工作，如同弟兄、如同同一位主的同工。
四、歌唱的和守門的都各在自己的崗位上盡職（代下 35:15）。歌唱的人以他們的聖詩和音樂表達並激發會眾的喜樂，使事奉對他們十分愉快；守門的在各門留意，使無一闖入者來污穢或擾亂會眾，也使無人擅自出去，直到事奉完畢無人偷離。他們如此從事工作之時，他們的弟兄利未人為他們預備了逾越節的羊羔。
五、整個典禮照律法極其精確地進行（代下 35:16–17），正因如此，自撒母耳時候以來沒有這樣的（代下 35:18），因為希西家的逾越節有幾項不規則之處。帕特里克主教指出，這次的逾越節在另一方面也超過以前的列王所守的：約西亞雖然絕不如大衛、所羅門、約沙法那樣富足，卻自費為全會眾預備了祭牲——無論逾越節的還是感恩的——這是以前的王所未曾作的。
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)
繁體中文
約西亞之死（主前610年）
²⁰ 這一切事以後，約西亞修完了殿，埃及王尼哥上來，要攻擊靠近伯拉河的迦基米施。約西亞出去抵擋他。 ²¹ 尼哥差遣使者來見約西亞說：「猶大王啊，我與你何干？我今日來不是要攻擊你，乃是要攻擊與我交戰的那家；並且神吩咐我速行。你不要干預神的事，因為神與我同在，免得他毀滅你。」 ²² 約西亞卻不肯轉去向他，改裝要與他爭戰。他不聽從尼哥出自神的話，便來到米吉多平原爭戰。 ²³ 弓箭手射中約西亞王。王對臣僕說：「我受了重傷，你們拉我出去吧！」 ²⁴ 他的臣僕扶他下了戰車，扶上第二輛車，送到耶路撒冷。他就死了，葬在他列祖的墳墓裡。全猶大和耶路撒冷人都為約西亞悲哀。 ²⁵ 耶利米為約西亞作哀歌。所有歌唱的男女也唱哀歌，追悼約西亞，直到今日；又使在以色列中成為定例。這些哀歌都寫在哀歌書上。 ²⁶ 約西亞其餘的事，和他照著耶和華律法上所記而行的善， ²⁷ 並他自始至終所行的，都寫在以色列和猶大列王記上。
從約西亞著名的逾越節到他的去世，前後共十三年。在此期間，我們可以盼望他國中諸事順遂，他自己的興旺與宗教的興盛都蒙福祉；然而聖經並沒有記述那些年的美好景象，只是略過不提，因為百姓雖經歷這一切，仍舊未從愛罪的性情中回轉，神也未收回他烈怒的審判。因此我們聽見約西亞的下一個消息，便是他在日子的中段、在最有作為之時被剪除，尚未滿四十歲。這個悲慘的故事，我們已見於王下二十三29-30。此處所述更為詳盡。此處比那裡更多顯出的，是對約西亞的責備，以及對百姓的稱讚——兩者都出乎人意料之外。
一、約西亞是一位極好的君王，然而他在無緣無故、也無神的呼召之下出去與埃及王爭戰，他的魯莽與擅專實在大受責備。按《列王紀》所載，他插手與自己無干的爭戰，已是糟糕。但此處看來更糟；因為似乎埃及王曾差遣使者來警告他不可從事這場征戰（代下三十五21）。
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埃及王與約西亞理論，其根據：（一）公義的原則。他聲明自己無意加害於他，因此約西亞對他動兵，是違背共同的公道與萬國之律的。即使「義人」從事「不義之舉」，也不要指望亨通。「神是不偏待人的」。參箴三20、二十五8。（二）宗教的原則：「神與我同在」；不，「他吩咐我速行」，所以你若阻撓我的行動，就是干預神。埃及王不可能只是裝出這番話（如西拿基立曾在一個類似情境中所作的，王下十八25），指望藉此使約西亞退兵，因為他知道約西亞敬畏神的話；因為此處明說（代下三十五22）尼哥的話「是出自神的」。所以我們當設想，或是藉著異夢，或是藉著靈裡一種他以為來自神的強烈感動，或是藉著耶利米或別的先知，他受了吩咐要去與亞述王爭戰。（三）謀略的原則：「免得他毀滅你」；你若與那不僅軍隊更好、事業更正、更有神同在的人爭戰，後果自負。
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並非因神向約西亞發怒——他向耶和華他的神心裡正直；而是因神向一個假冒為善的國家發怒——他們不配有這樣一位好王，才使他如此神志不清，不聽這些合理的勸說、不放棄他的計劃。他「不肯轉去向他」，卻親自前去在「米吉多平原」與埃及軍隊交戰（代下三十五22）。即或他不能相信埃及王果真受了神的命令如此行，那麼對方既聲稱有這樣的命令，他出去迎戰之前也當求問神的諭言。他沒有這樣作，便是他的大錯，且帶來致命的後果。在這事上他沒有效法他祖大衛所行的；因為若換作大衛的境況，他必求問耶和華：「我可以上去麼？你將他們交在我手裡麼？」我們若不在一切所行的事上承認神，怎能指望自己的道路亨通呢？
二、百姓是極邪惡的百姓，但他們為約西亞的死那樣哀哭，實在大可稱讚。耶利米為他哀哭並不稀奇；他是流淚的先知，又明明預見這位好王一死，國家便隨之徹底傾覆。但令人驚訝的是，全猶大和耶路撒冷——那個遲鈍麻木的百姓——竟「為他悲哀」（代下三十五24），又設法藉著歌唱的男女來激發哀悼，並設法使哀悼傳遍全國（他們在以色列中定了規矩，要全國上下學唱並歌唱為這悲哀場合所作的哀歌），又設法使這事長久被記念：這些哀歌被收入國家詩集之中，「都寫在哀歌書上」。由此可見，1. 他們對自己的賢君仍存幾分敬意；雖然他們沒有全心全意地跟從他一切善意的設計，卻不能不大大尊敬他。敬虔有用的人，甚至在那些不願受其榜樣影響的人的良心裡，也必被顯明出來；許多人自己不願順服真誠敬虔的法則，卻不能不稱讚它、在別人身上尊重它。或許有些人在約西亞死後為他哀哭，活著的時候卻沒有為約西亞感謝神。以色列人在摩西、亞倫活著之時向他們發怨言，有時甚至說要用石頭打他們；但他們死後，以色列人卻為他們哀哭多日。我們常在失去恩典之時，才學會珍視——而這些恩典我們擁有之時並未珍惜。2. 如今他離去了，他們對自己將要面臨的危險也有幾分知覺。耶利米可能已經告訴他們，他所預見、即將臨到他們的災禍，正是因約西亞被接去才來到的；他們對他所說的話竟信到這個地步，以至於為那作他們保障的約西亞之死哀哭。請注意，許多人寧可被勸說為將臨的災禍哀哭，也不肯藉著全面的改革去防止那些災禍；他們肯為自己的患難流淚，卻不肯被勸服離棄自己的罪。然而敬虔的憂愁能生發悔改，那悔改必引致得救。
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.
本章我們要跟隨約西亞：一、來到聖殿，看見他為按律法妥善守逾越節這典章所存的敬虔之心（代下 35:1-19）。二、來到戰場，看見他貿然與埃及王交戰，以及這事讓他付出了何等慘痛的代價（代下 35:20-23）。三、來到墳墓，看見他被人深切哀悼（代下 35:24-27）。我們就此要向約西亞告別了。