Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Kings 23:26
Notwithstanding the LORD turned not from the fierceness of his great wrath, wherewith his anger was kindled against Judah, because of all the provocations that Manasseh had provoked him withal.
See the marginal references. True repentance might have averted Gods anger. But the people had sunk into a condition in which a true repentance was no longer possible. Individuals, like Josiah, were sincere, but the mass of the nation, despite their formal renewal of the covenant 2Ki 23:3, and their outward perseverance in Yahweh-worship 2Ch 34:33, had feigned rather than felt repentance. The earlier chapters of Jeremiah are full at once of reproaches which he directs against the people for their insincerity, and of promises if they would repent in earnest.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 26. The Lord turned not] It was of no use to try this fickle and radically depraved people any longer. They were respited merely during the life of Josiah.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The Lord turned not from the fierceness of his great, wrath; because though the king was most hearty in his repentance, and acceptable to God, as we said before, and therefore the judgment was delayed for his time; yet the people were generally corrupt, and secretly averse from Josiahs pious and excellent reformation, and inclined to their old lusts and idols; as appears from the complaints of the prophets, especially Jeremiah and Zephaniah, against them; and by the following history, wherein we see that as soon as ever Josiah was gone, his children, and the princes, and the people suddenly and greedily returned to their former abominations.
Because of all the provocations that Manasseh had provoked him withal: the sins of Manasseh, and of the men of his generation, who complied and concurred with him in his idolatrous and cruel practices, 2Ki 24:3,4, are justly punished in this generation; partly, because of Gods sovereign right of punishing sinners (such as these unquestionably were) when and upon what occasion he sees fit; partly, because of that public warning and declaration of God, that he would visit the iniquity of the fathers upon the children; and principally, because these men had never sincerely repented of their own nor of their fathers sins, but their hearts still hankered after them; which, though not yet seen by men, was manifest to God, who therefore pronounced this terrible sentence against them.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
26. Notwithstanding, the Lord turnednot from the fierceness of his wrath,c. The nationalreformation which Josiah carried on was acquiesced in by the peoplefrom submission to the royal will but they entertained a secret andstrong hankering after the suppressed idolatries. Though outwardlypurified, their hearts were not right towards God, as appears frommany passages of the prophetic writings; their thorough reform washopeless; and God, who saw no sign of genuine repentance, allowed Hisdecree (2Ki 21:12-15)for the subversion of the kingdom to take fatal effect.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Notwithstanding, the Lord turned not from the fierceness of his great wrath, wherewith his anger was kindled against Judah,…. Notwithstanding the great reformation wrought among them; for though Josiah was a sincere reformer, and did what he did heartily, as to the Lord, according to his will, and for his glory; yet the people were not sincere in their compliance, they turned to the Lord not with their whole heart, but feignedly, Jer 3:10
because of all the provocations that Manasseh had provoked him withal; by shedding innocent blood and committing idolatry, which the people consented to and approved of, and even now privately committed idolatry, as the prophecies of Jeremiah and Zephaniah show; and it may easily be concluded that their hearts were after their idols, by their openly returning to them in the days of the sons of Josiah.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(26) The fierceness of his great wrath . . . kindled.The great heat of his wrath, wherewith his wrath burnt.
Because of all the provocations that Manasseh . . .Comp. the predictions of Jeremiah (Jer. 15:4; Jer. 25:2 seq.) and Zephaniah; and see the Note on 2Ch. 34:33.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
(26, 27) The historian naturally adds these remarks to prepare the way for what he has soon to relatethe final ruin of the kingdom; and probably also to suggest an explanation of what must have seemed to him and his contemporaries a very mysterious stroke of providence, the untimely end of the good king Josiah.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
CONCLUSION OF JOSIAH’S HISTORY, 2Ki 23:26-30.
26. The Lord turned not from his great wrath “In spite of all this effort, the kingdom of Judah was doomed. Even the traditions which invested Josiah with a blaze of preternatural glory, maintained that in his day the sacred oil was forever lost. Too late is written on the pages even which describe this momentary revival. It did not reach the deeply-seated, widespread corruption which tainted rich and poor alike.” Stanley.
Reader! we learn from hence these most solemn truths. The word of the Lord is unalterable. He hath proclaimed the sure wages of sin to be death. And rather than this law shall be altered, his only begotten Son shall die. Oh! how solemn a consideration in the very moment while we bless God for the mercy. We rejoice indeed; but we rejoice with trembling.
2Ki 23:26 Notwithstanding the LORD turned not from the fierceness of his great wrath, wherewith his anger was kindled against Judah, because of all the provocations that Manasseh had provoked him withal.
Ver. 26. Notwithstanding the Lord, &c. ] See on 2Ki 23:22 .
Because of all the provocations that Manasseh had provoked him withal. in the Hands of Heathen foes
2Ki 23:26-37
Josiahs life ended in terrible disaster. He persisted in measuring himself in battle against the king of Egypt in a quarrel which was none of his, and thus met his death. The events of this paragraph are fully narrated in 2Ch 35:1-27, and are corroborated by the Greek historian, Herodotus, and by the sculptures on this Pharaohs tomb. The story of Jehoiakim should also be studied in the pages of Jeremiah- Jer 22:1-30; Jer 26:1-24; Jer 36:1-32 -which cast a flood of light on these last days, when the sands in the time-glass of repentance were running out.
It is extraordinary that, notwithstanding the earnest expostulations of Jeremiah and others, and the awful example furnished by the fate of the ten tribes, the kings of Judah and their people should be so persistent in wrong-doing. But their hearts were fully set upon evil. In our own time the history of the drink traffic furnishes a parallel. Its evils stand confessed, as they touch individuals and nations, and yet neither individuals nor nations seem able to cast off the coils of this serpent. The Hebrew race had to pass through terrible fixes to become fitted for their mission to the world, and surely the present anguish of conflict is our parallel!
Notwithstanding: 2Ki 21:11-13, 2Ki 22:16, 2Ki 22:17, 2Ki 24:2, 2Ki 24:4, 2Ch 36:16, Jer 3:7-10, Jer 15:1-4
provocations: Heb. angers
Reciprocal: Exo 20:5 – visiting Num 35:33 – it defileth 1Ki 14:9 – to provoke 2Ki 24:3 – remove them 2Ch 29:10 – that his fierce 2Ch 30:8 – the fierceness 2Ch 33:9 – made Judah 2Ch 34:24 – I will bring Isa 24:5 – because Jer 15:4 – because Eze 18:19 – Why Zep 2:2 – the decree Zec 1:2 – Lord
2Ki 23:26. Notwithstanding, the Lord turned not, &c. Because, though the king was most hearty in his repentance, and acceptable to God, and therefore the judgment was delayed for his time; yet the people were in general corrupt, and secretly averse from Josiahs pious reformation, as appears from the complaints of the prophets, especially Jeremiah and Zephaniah, against them; and by the following history, wherein we see, that as soon as ever Josiah was gone, his children, and the princes, and the people, suddenly and greedily returned to their former abominations. Because of all the provocations, &c. The sins of Manasseh, and of the men of his generation, who concurred with him in his idolatrous and cruel practices, are justly punished in this generation: because of Gods sovereign right of punishing sinners when he sees fit; because of that public declaration of God, that he would visit the iniquity of the fathers upon the children; and principally, because these men had never sincerely repented of their own nor of their fathers sins.
23:26 Notwithstanding the LORD turned not from the {r} fierceness of his great wrath, wherewith his anger was kindled against Judah, because of all the provocations that Manasseh had provoked him withal.
(r) Because of the wicked heart of the people, who would not turn to him by repentance.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: F.B. Meyer’s Through the Bible Commentary
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes