PUT THE HOLY ARK ETC - The ark of the covenant may have been temporarily removed from the holy of holies while Josiah effected necessary repairs. IT SHALL NOT BE A BURDEN UPON YOUR SHOULDERS - The removing and replacing the ark Josiah means “shall not henceforth be your duty. The ark shall remain u... [ Continue Reading ]
The sense of this verse probably is: “So divide yourselves that, for every distinct family among the people who come to the Passover, there shall be a portion of a Levitical family to minister.”... [ Continue Reading ]
PREPARE YOUR BRETHREN ... - i. e. “as you minister to your brethren the people, by killing and flaying their offerings and handing the blood to the priests, instruct them how they are to eat the Passover acceptably.” It is implied that many would be ignorant of the requirements of the Law.... [ Continue Reading ]
See the marginal references and note. 2 Chronicles 35:8 HIS PRINCES - i. e. his ecclesiastical princes, the chief men of the priests and Levites. For the poor families of their own order the leading priests furnished both Passover-cattle and cattle for thank-offerings. The chief Levites acted simi... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY REMOVED THE BURNT OFFERINGS - They separated from the Paschal lambs those parts which were to be burned on the altar. These parts they gave to the offerers, who took them up to the altar and handed them to the officiating priests.... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY MIGHT NOT DEPART - The singers and porters remained at their posts, while other Levites sacrificed for them and brought them their share of the lambs.... [ Continue Reading ]
AFTER ALL THIS - i. e. 13 years after, 608 B.C. See the 2 Kings 23:28 notes.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE HOUSE WHEREWITH I HAVE WAR - Necho viewed Babylon as the successor and representative of Assyria - the hereditary enemy of Egypt - and he means that he is merely continuing an old hostility with which Josiah has nothing to do. No doubt the Assyrian and Egyptian armies had often passed up and dow... [ Continue Reading ]
DISGUISED HIMSELF - Compare the marginal reference. But most modern critics are dissatisfied with this sense in this place, and prefer to render “equipped himself;” or - with the Septuagint - adopt another reading, and render “took courage.” THE WORDS OF NECHO FROM THE MOUTH OF GOD - The author app... [ Continue Reading ]
The fate of Josiah was unprecedented. No king of Judah had, up to this time, fallen in battle. None had left his land at the mercy of a foreign conqueror. Hence, the extraordinary character of the mourning (compare Zechariah 12:11).... [ Continue Reading ]
Some find Jeremiah’s lament in the entire Book of Lamentations; others in a part of it Lamentations 4. But most critics are of opinion that the lament is lost. Days of calamity were commemorated by lamentations on their anniversaries, and this among the number. The “Book of Dirges” was a collection... [ Continue Reading ]