2 Kings 23 Study Notes

23:17-18 Then Josiah became aware of the tomb of the Judean prophet who predicted the deeds Josiah had just done. The prophet’s bones were left undisturbed, but Josiah had still desecrated other graves near Bethel. In this context from Samaria may indicate only that the prophet was native to Israel, often referred to collectively as “Samaria.”

23:19-20 Josiah’s reforms took a more brutal turn in the north with a systematic slaughter of the illegal priests of the north. Josiah desecrated the altars by killing the priests on their own altars.

23:21-23 The events detailed above must have occurred in Josiah’s eighteenth year before the observance of the Passover. The high point of Josiah’s reforms was this Passover celebration. The description here does not give adequate reason for this glowing evaluation, but in the Chronicles account (2Ch 35) its importance becomes clear. Chronicles comes close to presenting this Passover as the reestablishment of the guilds and personnel for the ritual life of the Israelites.

23:24 This verse contains a rare mention of the household idols in Judah (Jdg 17:5; 18:14-21; 1Sm 19:13). Archaeology documents the presence of this sin in the south as well as the north.

23:25 Such high praise of Josiah is joined to a quote from Dt 6:5.

23:26-27 Once again, the writer returned to the theme of failure. The national repentance fell far short of what was needed to avoid God’s judgment. History shows that the people had not been reached by this revival.

23:28 A formal closer concludes Josiah’s reign, except for the following record of his death.

23:29-30 Assyria had earlier suffered major defeats. A coalition of Medes and Babylonians had destroyed Nineveh in 612 BC and captured Haran in 610 BC. Pharaoh Neco of Egypt then went north toward the Euphrates River to help the Assyrians recapture Haran. Josiah intercepted the Egyptian army near Megiddo. He died from wounds he received in this battle. Josiah’s accomplishments confirmed his greatness. Though his reforms did not halt God’s judgment, his reestablishment of ritual and the religious guilds was essential for the renewal of Israel’s religious life after the exile.

23:31-33 The people made Josiah’s son Jehoahaz (also referred to as Shallum, Jr 22:11-12) king. Pharaoh Neco imprisoned Jehoahaz and put Judah under tribute. Neco’s victory over Josiah apparently eliminated the Judean army as a significant fighting force.

23:34-35 Jehoahaz’s brother Eliakim, renamed Jehoiakim by Neco, was made king. Renaming a vassal symbolized the ruler’s power over the subject king. Jehoiakim sent tribute to Pharaoh. Jehoahaz was a political prisoner in Egypt.

23:36-37 The formal opening statements for Jehoiakim identify him as another bad king. The prophet Jeremiah condemned him for social injustice in building a huge palace, while ignoring the poor (Jr 22:13-17).