2 Chronicles 34:1-11

Josiah Makes Judah a Better Nation

1 Josiah was eight years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for 31 years.

2 He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. He lived the way King David had lived. He didn't turn away from it to the right or the left.

3 While he was still young, he began to worship the God of King David. It was the eighth year of Josiah's rule. In his 12th year he began to get rid of the high places in Judah and Jerusalem. He removed the poles that were used to worship the goddess Asherah. He also removed the wooden and metal statues of gods.

4 He ordered the altars of the gods that were named after Baal to be torn down. He cut to pieces the altars for burning incense that were above them. He smashed the Asherah poles. He also smashed the wooden and metal statues of gods. He broke all of them to pieces. He scattered the pieces over the graves of those who had offered sacrifices to those gods.

5 He burned the bones of the priests on their altars. That's the way he made Judah and Jerusalem pure and clean.

6 He went to the towns of Manasseh, Ephraim and Simeon. He went all the way to Naphtali. He also went to the destroyed places around all of those towns.

7 Everywhere he went he tore down the altars and the Asherah poles. He crushed the statues of gods to powder. He cut to pieces all of the altars for burning incense. He destroyed all of those things everywhere in Israel. Then he went back to Jerusalem.

8 In the 18th year of Josiah's rule, he decided to make the land and temple pure and clean. So he sent Shaphan, Maaseiah and Joah to repair the temple of the LORD his God. Shaphan was the son of Azaliah. Maaseiah was ruler of the city. And Joah, the son of Joahaz, kept the records.

9 They went to the high priest Hilkiah. They gave him the money that had been brought into God's temple. The Levites who guarded the doors had collected it. They had received some of the money from the people of Manasseh, Ephraim and the others who remained in Israel. They had received the rest of it from the people of Judah and Benjamin and those who lived in Jerusalem.

10 They put all of the money in the care of the men who had been appointed to direct the work on the LORD's temple. Those men paid the workers who repaired the temple and made it look like new again.

11 They also gave money to the builders and those who worked with wood. The workers used it to buy lumber and blocks of stone. The lumber was used for the supports and beams for the buildings. The kings of Judah had let the buildings fall down.

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2 Chronicles 34:1-11 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO 2 CHRONICLES 34

This chapter begins with the good reign of Josiah, the reformation he made in the land, purging it from idolatry, 2Ch 34:1-7, relates the orders he gave to repair the house of the Lord, which was accordingly done, 2Ch 34:8-13, when the book of the law was found and brought to him, which greatly affected him, 2Ch 34:12-19, upon which he deputed some persons to inquire of the Lord, who did of Huldah the prophetess, to whom she gave an answer, which they returned to the king, 2Ch 34:20-28 and the chapter is concluded with an account of reading the book in the ears of all the people, and of the king, and then making a covenant with the Lord to serve him, 2Ch 34:27-33.

Of these two verses, \\see Gill on "2Ki 22:1"\\, \\see Gill on "2Ki 22:2"\\. 19893-950128-2136-2Ch34.2

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

2 Chronicles 34:1-11

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Josiah Makes Judah a Better Nation

2 Chronicles 34:1-11 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO 2 CHRONICLES 34