remarks to 2 Kings 22. In the Chronicle, on the contrary, these events are more kept apart, and described according to their order in time. As early as in the eighth year of his reign, Josiah, still a youth, began to seek the God of his ancestor David, and in his twelfth year to purge Jerusalem and Judah of idolatry (2Ch 34:3). In the eighteenth year the book of the law was discovered in the temple, brought to the king, and read before him (2Ch 34:8-18); whereupon he, deeply moved by the contents of the book which had been read, and by the answer of the prophetess Huldah when inquired of concerning it (2Ch 34:19-28), went into the temple with the elders of the people, caused the law to be read to the whole people, and made a covenant before the Lord to obey the law (2Ch 34:29-32). He then caused all the idolatrous abominations which were still to be found in the land of Israel to be removed (2Ch 34:33), and prepared to hold the passover, as it had not been held since the days of Solomon (2 Chron 35:1-19). In other respects the main difference between the two accounts is, that in 2 Kings the suppression of idolatry is narrated with greater minuteness; the passover, on the contrary, being only briefly noticed; - while in the Chronicle the purification of Jerusalem, Judah, and the kingdom of Israel is shortly summarized (2Ch 34:3-7), but the celebration of the passover is minutely described on its ceremonial side (2 Chron 35:1-19).
2Ch 34:1-2Duration and spirit of Josiah's reign; agreeing with 2Ki 22:1, 2Ki 22:2, only the note as to Josiah's mother being here omitted.
Verses 3-4
2Ch 34:3-4Extirpation of idolatry. In the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet a youth, being then only sixteen years old, Josiah began to seek the God of his ancestor David, and in the twelfth year of his reign he commenced to purify Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, Asherim, etc. The cleansing of the land of Judah from the numerous objects of idolatry is summarily described in 2Ch 34:4 and 2Ch 34:5; and thereupon there follows (2Ch 34:6 and 2Ch 34:7) the destruction of the idolatrous altars and images in the land of Israel, - all that it seemed necessary to say on that subject being thus mentioned at once. For that all this was not accomplished in the twelfth year is clear from the לטהר החל, “he commenced to cleanse,” and is moreover attested by 2Ch 34:33. The description of this destruction of the various objects of idolatry is rhetorically expressed, only carved and cast images being mentioned, besides the
