XXXV. JOSIAH’S PASSOVER (2 Chronicles 35:1.) (Comp. 2 Kings 23:21.) This event receives brief but emphatic notice in the short section of Kings which records it. The passage is freely copied in 3 Ezra 1:1. It is of peculiar importance, as giving a more complete representation of the Passover than t... [ Continue Reading ]
MOREOVER. — _And._ The form of the Hebrew verb implies that this Passover was held subsequently to the renewal of the covenant; and 2 Kings 23:23 fixes the date precisely as “the eighteenth year of king Josiah.” KEPT. — _Made_ (2 Chronicles 30:1). ON THE FOURTEENTH DAY OF THE FIRST MONTH. — In str... [ Continue Reading ]
SET THE PRIESTS IN THEIR CHARGES. — Literally, _over their wards_ (2 Chronicles 8:14). The king appointed them to discharge their proper duties in connection with the rite. ENCOURAGED THEM. — By exhortation and instruction. (See an instance in 2 Chronicles 29:5 _seq._)... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LEVITES THAT TAUGHT ALL ISRAEL. — In the law (Nehemiah 8:7; comp. also 2 Chronicles 17:8). WHICH WERE HOLY UNTO THE LORD. — Separated to His service (Exodus 28:36, “Holiness to the Lord,” the inscription on Aaron’s mitre), PUT THE HOLY ARK IN THE HOUSE. — This command implies that the ark had b... [ Continue Reading ]
(3-6) The king’s charge to the Levites.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND PREPARE YOURSELVES. — The pronoun should not be italicised, for the verb is _niphal_ or reflexive, and not _hiphil_ or causative, as the Hebrew vowel points wrongly suggest. BY THE HOUSES OF YOUR FATHERS. — _According to your father-houses._ AFTER YOUR COURSES. — _In your divisions,_ (See 1 Ch... [ Continue Reading ]
STAND IN THE HOLY PLACE. — In the Temple court. ACCORDING TO THE DIVISIONS... THE LEVITES. — Rather, _according to the sections of the father-houses of your brethren the sons of the people_ (as opposed to “the sons of Levi”); _and, in fact, a portion of a father-house of the Levites;_ scil., beside... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SANCTIFY YOURSELVES. — Probably by washing the hands before handing the blood of sprinkling to the priests. (See 2 Chronicles 30:16 _seq._) PREPARE YOUR BRETHREN. — Prepare (the passover) _for your brethren of_ the laity. THAT THEY MAY DO. — _So as to do._ The Levites themselves are to obey th... [ Continue Reading ]
JOSIAH GAVE. — As in 2 Chronicles 30:24, _presented as a heave-offering._ TO THE PEOPLE. — _To the sons of the people; i.e.,_ the laity. OF THE FLOCK. — Literally, _small cattle, to wit, lambs and sons of goats._ ALL FOR THE PASSOVER OFFERINGS — _i.e.,_ the thirty thousand small cattle. THREE TH... [ Continue Reading ]
(7-9) The king and the grandees present the victims. (Comp. 2 Chronicles 30:24.)... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HIS PRINCES... LEVITES. — _And his princes for a free-will offering_ (Leviticus 7:16) _to the people, to the priests, and to the Levites had presented_ heave-offerings. How many victims they gave is not specified. Some words may have fallen out of the text. (Comp. 2 Chronicles 30:24.) Hilkiah is... [ Continue Reading ]
CONANIAH ALSO... JOZABAD. — The three names Conaniah, Shemaiah, and Jozabad, occurred as belonging to principal Levites under Hezekiah (2 Chronicles 31:12). They may be names of leading houses rather than persons.... [ Continue Reading ]
SO THE SERVICE WAS PREPARED. — The preparations were completed. (See 2 Chronicles 35:4; 2 Chronicles 35:16) IN THEIR PLACE. — _On their stand_ (2 Chronicles 30:16).... [ Continue Reading ]
THE PASSOVER. — The paschal victims. FROM THEIR HANDS. — Heb., _hand._ The hand of the Levites, who caught the blood when they slaughtered the victims, and gave it to the priests. FLAYED. — _Were flaying._ — The exception of 2 Chronicles 30:17 has become the rule here.... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY REMOVED. — Cut off those parts of the victims which had to be consumed on the altar of burnt offering. (Comp. Leviticus 3:9; Leviticus 4:31.) These parts are naturally called “the burnt offering,” although no special burnt offering was appointed for the evening of the Passover. THAT THEY MIGHT... [ Continue Reading ]
ACCORDING TO THE ORDINANCE. — Exodus 12:8. BOASTED WITH FIRE. — _Cooked in the fire._ BUT THE OTHER HOLY OFFERINGS SOD THEY... PANS. — _And the consecrated things they cooked in the pots, and in the caldrons, and in the pans._ — “The consecrated things” are the oxen (2 Chronicles 29:33). Their fle... [ Continue Reading ]
AFTERWARD. — After serving the laity with their passover. THEY MADE READY. — The Passover (Luke 22:8; Luke 22:13). BECAUSE THE PRIESTS... UNTIL NIGHT. — The reason why the Levites prepared the Passover and the after meals for them. IN OFFERING OF BURNT OFFERINGS AND THE FAT. — _In offering the bu... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE SINGERS THE SONS OF ASAPH WERE IN THEIR PLACE. — “At their post” or station (1 Chronicles 23:28). The “sons” of Heman and Jeduthun are omitted for brevity. ACCORDING TO THE COMMANDMENT... KING’S SEER. — Comp. 1 Chronicles 25:1. THEY MIGHT NOT DEPART. — Rather, _they had no need to depart f... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SAME DAY. — On _that day,_ i.e., “at that time”(2 Chronicles 35:17.) TO OFFER BURNT OFFERINGS. — To burn the fat of the Passover victims, and of the peace offerings. The verse summarises the foregoing account. (Comp. 2 Chronicles 35:10.)... [ Continue Reading ]
CHARACTER OF THE PASSOVER THUS HELD, AND ITS DATE (2 Chronicles 35:17). (17) AT THAT TIME. — The Passover was kept on the evening of the 14th Nisan, and the Mazzoth from the 15th to the 21st of the same month.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THERE WAS NO PASSOVER LIKE TO THAT. — 2 Kings 23:22. FROM THE DAYS OF SAMUEL THE PROPHET — Kings, “from the days of the judges that judged Israel,” of whom Samuel was the last and greatest (1 Samuel 7:15). NEITHER DID ALL THE KINGS OF ISRAEL. — Kings, “and (from) all the days of the kings of I... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THE EIGHTEENTH YEAR. — 2 Kings 23:23. KEPT. — _Made_ (_na’asâh_). For the date, comp. 2 Chronicles 34:8. The religious reformation appropriately _culminated_ in a splendid celebration of the Passover.... [ Continue Reading ]
JOSIAH SLAIN IN BATTLE AGAINST NECHO KING OF EGYPT (2 Chronicles 35:20. Comp. 2 Kings 23:29; 2 Kings 3 Ezra 1:23-30). (20) AFTER ALL THIS. — Comp. the similar, “after these matters, and this faithfulness” (2 Chronicles 32:1). The phrase calls attention to the difference between the event and what m... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT... AMBASSADORS. — _And_... _messengers._ WHAT HAVE I TO DO WITH THEE? — Literally, _what to me and to thee?_ Τί ἐμοὶ καὶ σοί_;_ (LXX.; and Mark 5:7; Luke 8:28). I COME NOT AGAINST THEE. — So the old versions. The Hebrew is, “not against thee — thee — to-day,” The versions appear to have read _... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT DISGUISED HIMSELF. — Like Ahab (2 Chronicles 18:29). The LXX. reads, “he strengthened himself,” or “persisted” (ἐκραταιώθη). (Comp. 3 Esdr. 1:28.) This implies the reading _hithchazzaq_ instead of _hithchappêsh._ It is wholly unlikely that “disguised himself” is used in the figurative sense of “... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE ARCHERS SHOT. — Comp. the death of Ahab (2 Chronicles 18:33, and of Saul, 1 Chronicles 10:3). HAVE ME AWAY. — LXX., Ἐξαγάγετέ με. “Take me out” (of the war-chariot). FOR I AM SORE WOUNDED. — So Ahab. (2 Chronicles 18:33).... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT CHARIOT. — _The_ (war) _chariot._ PUT HIM. — _Made him ride._ BROUGHT HIM TO JERUSALEM, AND HE DIED. — 2 Kings 23:30 says: “And his servants made him ride dead (or _dying_) from Megiddo.’ Even if it be not permissible to render _mêth_ “dying,” we cannot agree with the suggestion of Thenius th... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JEREMIAH LAMENTED — _i.e.,_ wrote a dirge. The special mourning of the land over Josiah is not mentioned in Kings. THE SINGING MEN... WOMEN. — The LXX. has “the ruling men... women,” reading _sârîm_... _sârôth,_ instead of _shârîm... shârôth._ SPAKE OF JOSIAH IN THEIR LAMENTATIONS. — In the di... [ Continue Reading ]
HIS GOODNESS. — _His pious deeds_ (2 Chronicles 32:32). ACCORDING TO THAT... THE LORD. — Said of no king besides. THE BOOK... AND JUDAH. — 2 Kings 23:28, “the Book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah.”... [ Continue Reading ]