Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Chronicles 34:33
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.
33. And Josiah took away ] Cp. 2Ch 34:3-7.
made all that were found to serve ] i.e. made the remnant of the Northern tribes his subjects.
even to serve ] Render, that they might serve.
all his days ] The case was altered under his son Jehoiakim.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
All his days they departed not – This must be understood in the letter rather than in the spirit. There was no open idolatry in the reign of Josiah, but the reformation was seeming rather than real, superficial rather than searching and complete (compare the marginal reference).
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
And Josiah took away all the abominations out of all the countries that [pertained] to the children of Israel,…. All their idols, as related in 2Ki 23:4, c.
and made all that were present in Israel to serve, even to serve the Lord their God by his edicts, and by his example:
and all his days they departed not from following the Lord God of their fathers; not publicly and universally; otherwise there were great declensions and corruptions among them, as the prophecies of Jeremiah and Zephaniah show.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
But not only his own subjects did Josiah induce to act towards God in accordance with the covenant; in all the districts of the sons of Israel he removed the idolatrous abominations, and compelled every one in Israel to serve Jahve. The “sons of Israel,” as distinguished from the inhabitants of Jerusalem and Benjamin (2Ch 34:32), are the remnant of the ten tribes in their land, where Josiah, according to 2Ch 34:6., had also destroyed the idolatrous places of worship and the images. The statement in our verse, with which the account of Josiah’s cultus reform is concluded, refers to that. , he made to serve, compelled them to serve. By the abolition of idolatry he compelled them to worship Jahve. The last words of the verse are accordingly to be interpreted as signifying that Josiah, so long as he lived, allowed no open idolatry, but externally maintained the worship of Jahve. These measures could not effect a real, heartfelt conversion to God, and so the people fell again into open idolatry immediately after Josiah’s death; and Jeremiah continually complains of the defection and corruption of Judah and Israel: cf. 2Ch 11:1, 2Ch 13:1, 2Ch 25:1, etc.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
(33) And Josiah took away all the abominations.Of idolatry.
Out of all the countries . . . Israel.Out of the territories of the Ten Tribes. The statement glances back to 2Ch. 34:6, and summarises the account of the abolition of heathenish worships, which follows here in 2Ki. 23:4-20.
And made . . . to serve, even to serve.And made to serve . . . so as to serve; a unique phrase. The style of the verse is the chroniclers.
All his days they departed not.The kings will secured an outward conformity to the legitimate cultus, and open idolatry was for the time being a peril too serious to be thought of. But the unreality of these reformations by royal mandate is proved by the relapse which immediately followed upon the death of Josiah. The moral corruption which at this epoch was preying upon the vitals of the nation, and hurrying it swiftly to destruction, is revealed in the pathetic pages of the prophet Jeremiah. (See Jer. 11:1-23; Jer. 13:27; Jer. 16:20; Jer. 17:1-2, &c.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
33. All his days they departed not from the Lord He succeeded in keeping down all open idolatry, but he did not root its evil leaven out of the hearts of all the people. See the note at 2Ki 23:25.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
REFLECTIONS
READER! let our improvement of this chapter, under the Spirit’s teaching, be to remark from the early call of Josiah to the knowledge of the Lord God of his fathers, the blessedness of those who are brought betimes to a saving view of the Lord Jesus Christ, and redemption in his blood. It is an unspeakable mercy, no doubt, and a miracle of grace, at any period, and at any time, when souls are truly converted to Jesus. The laborers in the vineyard at the sixth, and ninth, and eleventh hour, which were called and equally recompensed in the close of the day, give us a rich representation of the free, sovereign grace of our most compassionate and gracious Father. Surely it is a very glorious proof of the sovereignty of God’s love and mercy, when we behold men in the meridian of life, and in the midst of all their pursuits of business, or of worldly pleasure, taken aside by the kind hand of the Lord, and brought to the knowledge and love of Jesus. And surely the grace of God is magnified in the conversion of old sinners, who are grown old in sin as well as years, And yet the long current and tide of their affections is made to turn at the command of his voice, who raiseth the dead in trespasses and sins. But we behold with peculiar loveliness the grace the Lord bestows on those whose tender years are seasoned with the love of Jesus. Reader! how doth your experience correspond with either? Hath Jesus, the morning star, risen upon your soul? Hath Jesus the day spring from on high visited you? Can you trace your knowledge of this light and life of man, like Josiah, from your youth? Oh! the unspeakable felicity of knowing him from a child, and becoming acquainted with Jesus from our earliest years? What can equal that joy of the soul arising out of the Lord’s manifestation, when speaking to a believer, as he did to Josiah; Because thine heart was tender and thou didst humble thyself before me, I have heard thee also, saith the Lord.
Blessed Jesus! let it please thee to make continued manifestations of thyself to all thy people. Visit our souls in thy word, in thine ordinances, in all thy means of grace, by providences, in blessings, in mercies, in all thy sovereign appointments. And as thou hast given us to see thy beauty, thy loveliness; thy grace, thy suitableness and all-sufficiency; and won our affections to thy love in the moment of conversion; so, Lord Jesus, let us day by day have renewed discoveries of thy love, until at length, after the various manifestations and the sweet visits which thou makest us, we are growing up into an increasing knowledge of thee, an increasing desire after thee, an increasing confidence in thee, and an increasing longing for thee and thy glory, thou wilt take us home to thyself to behold thy fair beauties, and to dwell with thee forever. Amen.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
2Ch 34:33 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.
Ver. 33. And made all that were present. ] He constrained them by royal power and authority, saith Diodate, to forsake idolatry, and serve God according to the exterior form by him appointed, &c. Tantam adhibuit severitatem disciplinae, saith Junius. That of Lavater also here is very good: Good God, saith he, how great need have we of another Josiah at this time, when so many errors and enormities abound amongst us!
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
took away. Compare 1Ki 23:4-8.
children = sons.
serve, even to serve. Figure of speech Epizeuxis.
all his days. Significant words, showing that in their hearts the people were still inclined to worship other gods, as Jeremiah testifies (Jer 25:3. See also Jeremiah 11 and Jeremiah 13.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
took away: 2Ch 34:3-7, 2Ki 23:4-20
the abominations: 1Ki 11:5-7
all his days: Jos 24:31, Jer 3:10, Hos 6:4
from following: Heb. from after
Reciprocal: Jos 22:18 – following 2Ki 23:3 – And all 2Ki 23:7 – the sodomites 2Ch 14:4 – commanded
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
34:33 And Josiah took away all the abominations out of all the countries that [pertained] to the children of Israel, and made all {t} 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.
(t) Because he had charge over all, and must answer for everyone that perished: he thought it his duty to see that all should make profession to receive the word of God.