The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Chronicles — Section 409

EXPOSITION. a.gain as last verso. The oarved images; CHAPTER XXXIV. Revised Version, graven images; Hebrew, This chapter, with the following, em- c•~i:/~11· This word is found twenty-two braces the en tire of the beneficent reign of times, occurring in Deuteronomy, Jndges, Josiah, son of Amon-the son an illustrious Kings, Chronicles, Psalms, Isaiah, Jeremiah, contrast t.o the father. The pn.rallel (2 Hosea., a.nd Micah. The molten images; Hebrew, n\::ii;,ipiJ, This word also occurs Kings xxii.-xxiii. 30) is less full, and also, just twenty-two times, from Exodus down- so fa.r a.e chronology goes, less clear in the wards. llltade dust of them and strowed it earlier verses. For once the writer of Kings (so Exod. x:uii. 20; 2 Kings xxiii. 6). spends his strength more largely than our Ver. 5.-Note heroin the striking fulfil- compiler on the moral and religious aspects ment of l Kings xiii. 1-3, of which our parallel (2 Kings :niii. 12-14, 16-20) of Josiah's work, and ie rather scantier in gives a more detailed a.cconnt, especially as the detail of hie external works for bis regards Israel, though not failing to recog- nR.tion, city of Jerusalem, and temple. He, nize Judah and Jerusalem's share in the however, gives very mnch leBS prominence need of purgation a.nd punishment. to the mn.tter of the celebration of the Ver. 6.-In the cities of Manasseh, .. , Ephraim,, .. Simeon, even unto Naphta.li. PMsover. Manasseh and Ephraim lay very nearly in Ver. 1.-Again the name of the mother the centre of the whole land, while Simeon is omitted.. From the parallel we learn she a.nd Napht.al..i were respectively o.t tho wa.e "Jedidah, the daughter of Ada.ia.h of southern a.nd northern extremities. With Boeca.th." their mattocks. This rendering may be Ver. 3.-This, with the following four correct, a.nd cannot be said to be foreign to verses, formB the commentary on the state- the sense and connection of the passage, ment of ver. 2, that J osie.h "declined neither the Hebrew word in that case being the to the right hand. nor t.o the left." We feminine plural of :l'.)'J• Perhaps, however, cannot mistake the allusion in this verse to the word is one with that found in Ps. oix. his :per=l religion at, say, sixteen yearB 10, a.nd may be rendered "in their ruined," of a.ge, a.a the foundation of hie religious i.e. semi-ruined, "condition." Note Keri reign and of the practice.I devotion to refor- also, whioh favours the latter reading; the mation, instanced a.a commencing witll llie Septuagint shows simply words which may twentieth year. It may be here noted that best translate, and, in their neighbourhoods the Prophet J eremia.h was ca.lled to his respectively. work in the year following thereupon, or, Ver. 7.-Wben. Cut out this word, which perhaps, the very same year (Jer. i 1, 2). represents nothing in the original. It is highly likely that Josiah a.n~ Jere~iah Ver. 8.-It is in some sense as though were gi'rnn t.o one a.nether prov1denhally, the work of purification, atoning, penitence, to co-operate in a.11 good works, now so must precede that of practical repentance, needed for Church and state. TbP- tllree of repairing, restoring, rebuilding. The de.tee of the eighth, twelfth, a.nd ( ver. 8) the original, however, does not warrant tht.1 eighteenth year of Joeiall's reign were d_ates laying of any stress on the when, found a.go.in memorable in hie life. For the two kinds in the Authorized Version. Shaphan. In of images of this verse, see succeeding note. the parallel (2 Kings xxii. 3) Slia.phan i11 Ver. 4.-Note references in Lev. :u:vi. 1, designated" the scribe." His descondnnts, 30. The images, that were on high above t.o tile second generation, at all evouts, dill them ; i.e., a.a Revised Version, the swn- him honour (Jer. xxvi. 24; xxix. 3; xxxvi. images (c?Qr:,~. The word and no.me 10, 12, 2,5; Ezek. viii. 11 ; see a.lea 2 Kings occur only eight times-in Leviticus as_just xxv. 22). The namee of Me.a.eeilLh (Jer. quoted; in our Second Book of Chromcles xxxv. 4) R.nd Joe.h (2 Kings xviii. 18) are tliree times; in Isaiah twice; and in Eze- known, but not m1uking the present persons. kiel twice. The grove• ; i.e. t.he .Atherim; Ver, 9.-Billtiah the high priest. Of 011. xxx1v. 1-33.J THE SECOND BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES. 411>