CLARITY EDITION · OLD TESTAMENT
2 Chronicles 34
Chapter 34 of 36
Chapter Overview
What happens in 2 Chronicles 34
Josiah becomes king at age eight and begins seeking God as a teenager. He launches a thorough purge of idolatry throughout the land. During temple repairs, the Book of the Law is discovered. When Josiah hears its words, he tears his clothes in grief and leads the greatest covenant renewal since Moses.
Scripture
2 Chronicles 34
Josiah Purges Idolatry
Study note
Josiah was only eight years old when he became king. By age 16 he began seeking God, and by age 20 he started purging Judah and Jerusalem of hilltop shrines, Asherah poles, carved images, and metal idols. He tore down the altars of the Baals, ground the idols to dust, and scattered the dust on the graves of those who had worshipped them. He even burned the bones of the pagan priests on their altars. His reforms extended beyond Judah into the northern territories.
1 Josiah was just eight years old when he became king, and he ruled in Jerusalem for 31 years. Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem one and thirty years.
2 He did what the Lord saw as right. He followed the ways of his ancestor David and never turned away from them. And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the ways of David his father, and declined neither to the right hand, nor to the left.
3 While still young, in his eighth year as king, he began to follow David's God. By his twelfth year, he began to clean out Judah and Jerusalem. He removed hilltop shrines, idol poles, and carved and metal idols. For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David his father: and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images.
4 Under his command, the altars of the Baals were torn apart. He cut down the incense altars that stood above them. He smashed the Asherah poles and the carved and metal idols, ground them to dust, and scattered the powder on the graves of those who had worshipped them. And they brake down the altars of Baalim in his presence; and the images, that were on high above them, he cut down; and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images, he brake in pieces, and made dust of them, and strowed it upon the graves of them that had sacrificed unto them.
5 He burned the bones of the pagan priests on their own altars. In this way, he cleaned up Judah and Jerusalem. And he burnt the bones of the priests upon their altars, and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem.
6 He did the same in the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, all the way to Naphtali. He cleared the ruins around them too. And so did he in the cities of Manasseh, and Ephraim, and Simeon, even unto Naphtali, with their mattocks round about.
7 He tore down the altars and Asherah poles, crushed the idols to powder, and cut down all the incense altars throughout the entire land of Israel. Then he returned to Jerusalem. And when he had broken down the altars and the groves, and had beaten the graven images into powder, and cut down all the idols throughout all the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem.
The Temple Is Repaired
Study note
In the eighteenth year of his reign, Josiah sent officials to repair the Lord's temple. Money that had been collected from people across both Judah and the surviving northern tribes was given to the workers. Skilled craftsmen did the work faithfully under Levite supervisors.
8 In the eighteenth year of his rule, after he had cleaned up the land and the temple, he sent three men to repair the temple of the Lord his God. They were Shaphan son of Azaliah, Maaseiah the city governor, and Joah son of Joahaz the recorder. Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had purged the land, and the house, he sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, and Maaseiah the governor of the city, and Joah the son of Joahaz the recorder, to repair the house of the LORD his God.
9 They went to Hilkiah the high priest. They gave him the money brought to God's temple. Levite gatekeepers had gathered it from Manasseh, Ephraim, and the rest of Israel. They also got it from Judah, Benjamin, and Jerusalem. And when they came to Hilkiah the high priest, they delivered the money that was brought into the house of God, which the Levites that kept the doors had gathered of the hand of Manasseh and Ephraim, and of all the remnant of Israel, and of all Judah and Benjamin; and they returned to Jerusalem.
10 They gave the money to the men in charge of the work on the Lord's temple. Those men paid the workers who were fixing and restoring it. And they put it in the hand of the workmen that had the oversight of the house of the LORD, and they gave it to the workmen that wrought in the house of the LORD, to repair and amend the house:
11 They gave money to the builders and carpenters. The workers used it to buy cut stone and wood for beams and joists. They repaired the buildings that the kings of Judah had let fall apart. Even to the artificers and builders gave they it, to buy hewn stone, and timber for couplings, and to floor the houses which the kings of Judah had destroyed.
12 The workers did their jobs faithfully. Their supervisors were Jahath and Obadiah, Levites from the family of Merari, and Zechariah and Meshullam from the family of Kohath. The Levites, all of whom were skilled musicians, were in charge of the project. And the men did the work faithfully: and the overseers of them were Jahath and Obadiah, the Levites, of the sons of Merari; and Zechariah and Meshullam, of the sons of the Kohathites, to set it forward; and other of the Levites, all that could skill of instruments of musick.
13 They also managed the laborers and directed all the workers at every task. Some of the Levites served as secretaries, officials, and gatekeepers. Also they were over the bearers of burdens, and were overseers of all that wrought the work in any manner of service: and of the Levites there were scribes, and officers, and porters.
The Book of the Law Is Found
Study note
While the temple was being repaired, Hilkiah the high priest found the Book of the Law of the Lord that had been given through Moses. When it was read to King Josiah, he tore his clothes in grief and horror. He sent officials to inquire of the Lord, saying, 'God's anger must be great against us because our ancestors did not obey what is written in this book.'
14 Workers were taking out the money kept at the Lord's temple. Then Hilkiah the priest found a book. It was the Book of the Lord's Law, given through Moses. And when they brought out the money that was brought into the house of the LORD, Hilkiah the priest found a book of the law of the LORD given by Moses.
15 Hilkiah told Shaphan the secretary, "I found the Book of the Law in the Lord's temple!" He handed the book to Shaphan. And Hilkiah answered and said to Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of the LORD. And Hilkiah delivered the book to Shaphan.
16 Shaphan brought the book to the king and gave his report: "Your officials are doing everything they were given to do." And Shaphan carried the book to the king, and brought the king word back again, saying, All that was committed to thy servants, they do it.
17 "They have emptied out the money found in the Lord's temple and given it to the supervisors and workers." And they have gathered together the money that was found in the house of the LORD, and have delivered it into the hand of the overseers, and to the hand of the workmen.
18 Then Shaphan the secretary told the king, "Hilkiah the priest gave me a book." And Shaphan read parts of it out loud to the king. Then Shaphan the scribe told the king, saying, Hilkiah the priest hath given me a book. And Shaphan read it before the king.
19 When the king heard what was written in the Law, he ripped his clothes in grief. And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the law, that he rent his clothes.
20 He sent out five men. They were Hilkiah, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Abdon son of Micah, Shaphan the clerk, and Asaiah the king's servant. And the king commanded Hilkiah, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Abdon the son of Micah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah a servant of the king's, saying,
21 "Go and ask the Lord for me and for everyone left in Israel and Judah about what is written in this book we found. The Lord must be very angry with us. Our ancestors did not obey the Lord's word or do anything this book says." Go, inquire of the LORD for me, and for them that are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book that is found: for great is the wrath of the LORD that is poured out upon us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the LORD, to do after all that is written in this book.
Huldah's Prophecy and the Covenant Renewal
Study note
The officials went to the prophetess Huldah, who confirmed that God would bring disaster on the land because the people had abandoned him. But because Josiah's heart was tender and he humbled himself before God, the disaster would not come in his lifetime. Josiah then gathered all the people and read the entire Book of the Covenant to them. He made a covenant before the Lord to follow him and obey his commands with all his heart. He made everyone in Jerusalem and Benjamin commit to it. Throughout his lifetime, the people did not turn away from following the Lord.
22 Hilkiah and the men the king sent went to see the prophetess Huldah, the wife of Shallum son of Tokhath, son of Hasrah, who maintained the temple clothes. She lived in the Second District of Jerusalem. They told her what had happened. And Hilkiah, and they that the king had appointed, went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvath, the son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe; (now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the college:) and they spake to her to that effect.
23 She answered them, "This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Tell the man who sent you to me," And she answered them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Tell ye the man that sent you to me,
24 "The Lord says: 'I am going to bring disaster on this place and its people. Every curse written in the scroll that was read to the king of Judah will come true.'" Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, even all the curses that are written in the book which they have read before the king of Judah:
25 "'They left me and burned incense to other gods. Everything they have done has made me angry. So my anger will be poured out on this place. It will not be stopped.'" Because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands; therefore my wrath shall be poured out upon this place, and shall not be quenched.
26 "Tell Judah's king, who sent you to ask the Lord: 'Israel's God says this about the words you heard:'" And as for the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the LORD, so shall ye say unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel concerning the words which thou hast heard;
27 "'Your heart was soft, and you humbled yourself before God. You heard what he said against this place and its people. You humbled yourself before me, tore your clothes, and cried in my presence. So I have heard you,' says the Lord." Because thine heart was tender, and thou didst humble thyself before God, when thou heardest his words against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, and humbledst thyself before me, and didst rend thy clothes, and weep before me; I have even heard thee also, saith the LORD.
28 "'I will let you die in peace and be gathered to your ancestors. You will not have to see all the disaster I am going to bring on this place and its people.'" They brought her answer back to the king. Behold, I will gather thee to thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered to thy grave in peace, neither shall thine eyes see all the evil that I will bring upon this place, and upon the inhabitants of the same. So they brought the king word again.
29 Then the king called together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. Then the king sent and gathered together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem.
30 The king went up to the Lord's temple. All of Judah and Jerusalem went with him. So did the priests, Levites, and everyone else. He read every word of the Book of the Deal found in the Lord's temple. And the king went up into the house of the LORD, and all the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the priests, and the Levites, and all the people, great and small: and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant that was found in the house of the LORD.
31 The king stood in his special place and made a covenant before the Lord. He promised to follow the Lord and obey his commands, laws, and rules with all his heart and soul, and to keep the words of the covenant written in this book. And the king stood in his place, and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD, and to keep his commandments, and his testimonies, and his statutes, with all his heart, and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant which are written in this book.
32 He made all in Jerusalem and Benjamin promise to keep the deal. The people followed the deal of God, the God of their fathers. And he caused all that were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand to it. And the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers.
33 Josiah removed all the disgusting idols from every part of the land that belonged to the Israelites. He required everyone in Israel to serve the Lord their God. For the rest of his life, the people did not turn away from the Lord, the God of their ancestors. And Josiah took away all the abominations out of all the countries that pertained to the children of Israel, and made all that were present in Israel to serve, even to serve the LORD their God. And all his days they departed not from following the LORD, the God of their fathers.
Key Themes
Themes in 2 Chronicles 34
Seeking God from a young ageThe power of rediscovering God's wordGenuine grief over personal and national sinCovenant renewal as a community commitment
Apply This Today
Living 2 Chronicles 34
When the Book of the Law was found and read aloud, Josiah tore his robes in grief over how far the nation had strayed. Encountering God's Word with an open heart will reveal areas that need change. Let Scripture search your heart and lead you to renewed commitment.
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