2 Kings 23:30

30 Josiah's servants took his body in a chariot, returned him to Jerusalem, and buried him in his own tomb. By popular choice Jehoahaz son of Josiah was anointed and succeeded his father as king.

2 Kings 23:30 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 23:30

And his servants carried him in a chariot dead from Megiddo,
&c.] They took him out of the chariot in which he was wounded, and put him into another, where he died of his wounds by the way; being mortally wounded, he is said to be dead, or a dead man, see ( 2 Chronicles 35:24 )

and brought him to Jerusalem;
which, according to Bunting F2, was forty four miles from Megiddo:

and buried him in his own sepulchre;
which either he had provided for himself in his lifetime, or which in common belonged to the kings of Judah, see ( 2 Chronicles 35:24 )

and the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, and
anointed him, and made him king in his father's stead;
though he was not the eldest son, Jehoiakim, who was afterwards placed in his room, being two years older, as appears from ( 2 Kings 23:31 2 Kings 23:36 ) and this is the reason, as the Jewish commentators in general agree, that he was anointed; which they say was never done to the son of a king, unless there was a competitor, or some objection to, or dispute about, the succession, as in the case of Solomon and others.


FOOTNOTES:

F2 Travels p. 188.

2 Kings 23:30 In-Context

28 The rest of the life and times of Josiah is written in The Chronicles of the Kings of Judah.
29 Josiah's death came about when Pharaoh Neco king of Egypt marched out to join forces with the king of Assyria at the Euphrates River. When King Josiah intercepted him at the Plain of Megiddo, Neco killed him.
30 Josiah's servants took his body in a chariot, returned him to Jerusalem, and buried him in his own tomb. By popular choice Jehoahaz son of Josiah was anointed and succeeded his father as king.
31 Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he began to rule. He was king in Jerusalem for a mere three months. His mother's name was Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah. She came from Libnah.
32 In God's opinion, he was an evil king, reverting to the evil ways of his ancestors.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.