Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Chronicles 34:8
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.
8 28 (= 2Ki 22:3-20). Repair of the Temple. Discovery of the Book of the Law
8. Shaphan ] According to 2 Kin. he was Scribe. See 1Ch 18:16 (note).
the governor of the city ] Render, a ruler of the city; cp. 2Ch 29:20.
the recorder ] R.V. mg. the chronicler; cp. 1Ch 18:15 (note). Neither Maaseiah nor Joah is mentioned in 2 Kin.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The land and the house; the house of God, called the house by way of eminency.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
8. in the eighteenth year of hisreign . . . he sent Shaphan(See on 2Ki22:3-9).
2Ch34:19-33. AND, CAUSINGTHE LAW TO BEREAD, RENEWSTHE COVENANT BETWEENGOD AND THE PEOPLE.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had purged the land and the house,…. The temple; this was in the twenty sixth year of his age, six years this work had been doing before it was finished:
he sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah: who only is mentioned in
2Ki 22:3 two more are added here, as follow:
and Maaseiah the governor of the city; the city of Jerusalem, a deputy governor under the king, a sort of mayor or provost:
and Joah the son of Joahaz the recorder; who was over the book of memorials, as the Targum; the word may be rendered “the remembrances”; and, according to Jarchi, as every king of Judah had a scribe to write down the memorable things that happened in his reign, good or bad, so the scribe had one by him, to put him in mind of every transaction, from whom he wrote it down:
to repair the house of the Lord his God; that is, to give orders for the doing of it, to prepare for it, provide workmen, and appoint overseers of them: it had not been repaired since the times of Joash, which, according to the Jewish chronology y, was a space of two hundred and eighteen years.
y Seder Olam Rabba, c. 24.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The cleansing and repairing of the temple, and the finding of the book of the law. Cf. 2Ki 22:3-10. – In the eighteenth year of his reign, when he was purging the land and the house (of God), he sent. does not indeed signify “after the purging” (De Wette, with the older expositors), but still less is it a statement of the object, “to purge” (Berth.); for that is decisively disposed of both by its position at the beginning of the sentence, where no statement of the object would stand, but still more by the fact that a statement of the object follows, . used of time denotes “about,” and so with the inf., e.g., Jer 46:13: at (his) coming = when he came. Shaphan was , state secretary, according to 2Ki 22:3. With him the king sent the governor of the city Maaseiah, and the chancellor Joah. These two are not mentioned in 2Ki 22:3, but have not been arbitrarily added by the chronicler, or invented by him, as Then. groundlessly supposes. “To repair the house of Jahve.” What these high royal officials had to do with it we learn from what follows.
2Ch 34:9-12 They, together with the high priest, gave the money which had been received for the repair of the temple to the overseers of the building, who then gave it to workmen to procure building materials and for wages, just as was done when the temple was repaired by Joash, 2Ch 24:11-13. The Keri is a correction resulting from a misinterpretation of the Keth. , “and of the dwellers in Jerusalem.” The enumeration, “from the hand of Manasseh, Ephraim,” etc., is rhetorical. In , 2Ch 34:10, the verb of 2Ch 34:9 is again taken up: they handed it to the overseers of the building, and they to the workmen. is a rare form of the plur. ; see on 1Ch 23:24. The overseers of the building ( – ) are the subject of the second ; and before the following , which stands in 2 Kings, is to be supplied. is a denom. from , and signifies to repair what has been damaged. The statement of 2Ch 34:10 is made more definite by 2Ch 34:11: they gave it, namely, to the workers in stone and wood, and to the builders to buy hewn stones and timber for couplings, and for the beams of the houses ( , to provide with beams; are the various buildings of the temple and its courts), which the kings of Judah had allowed to decay ( , not of designed destroying, but of ruining by neglect). – In 2Ch 34:12 we have still the remark that the people did the work with fidelity, and the money could consequently be given to them without reckoning, cf. 2Ki 22:7; and then the names of the building inspectors follow. Two Levites of the family of Merari, and two of the family of Kohath, were overseers; , i.e., to lead in the building, to preside over it as upper overseers; and besides them, the Levites, all who were skilled in instruments of song (cf. 1Ch 25:6.). As men who by their office and their art occupied a conspicuous place among the Levites, the oversight of the workmen in the temple was committed to them, not “that they might incite and cheer the workmen by music and song” (Berth.).
2Ch 34:13 2Ch 34:13 is probably to be taken, along with 2Ch 34:12, in the signification, “All the Levites who were skilled in music were over the bearers of burdens, and were overseers of all the workmen in reference to every work.” The before appears certainly to go against this interpretation, and Berth. would consequently erase it to connect with the preceding verse, and begin a new sentence with : “and they led all the workmen.” But if we separate from , this mention of the bearers of burdens ( ) comes awkwardly in between the subject and the predicate, or the statement as to the subject. We hold the text to be correct, and make the w before correspond to the before , in the signification, et – et . The Levites, all who were skilled in instruments of song, were both over the bearers of burdens, and overseeing the workmen, or leading the workmen. Besides, of the Levites were, i.e., still other Levites were, scribes and officers and porters, i.e., were busied about the temple in the discharge of these functions.
2Ch 34:14-18 In bringing out the money that had been brought into the house of the Lord, the high priest found the book of Moses’ law. It is not clearly implied in the words, that he found it in the place where the money was laid up. The book of the law which was found is merely characterized as the book of the Mosaic law by the words , not necessarily as Moses’ autograph. The communication of this discovery by the high priest to the state secretary Shaphan, and by him to the king, is narrated in 2Ch 34:15-18, just as in 2Ki 22:8-10. The statement, 2Ch 34:16, “And Shaphan brought the book to the king,” instead of the words, “and Shaphan the came (went) to the king,” involves no difference as to the facts; it rather makes the matter clear. For since in 2Ki 22:10, immediately after the statement that Hilkiah gave him the book, it is said that Shaphan read from it to the king, he must have brought it to the king. With this elucidation, both the omission of (2Ki 22:8), and the insertion of after , 2Ch 34:16, is connected. The main thing, that which it concerned the author of the Chronicle to notice, was the fact that the book of the law which had been discovered was immediately brought and read to the king; while the circumstance that Shaphan, when the book was given him, also opened it and read in it, is omitted, as it had no further results. But since Shaphan did not go to the king merely to bring him the book, but rather, in the first place, to report upon the performance of the commission entrusted to him in respect of the money, this report required to be brought prominently forward by the : He brought the book to the king, and besides, made his report to the king. All that has been committed to thy servants ( ), that they do; they have poured out the money, etc. The are not Shaphan and the others mentioned in 2Ch 34:8, but in general those who were entrusted with the oversight of the repair of the temple, among whom, indeed, the chief royal officials were not included. After this report there follows in 2Ch 34:18 an account of the book which Shaphan had brought, and which, as we were informed in 2Ch 34:16, in anticipation of the event, he gave to the king.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
8 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 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 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 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 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 music. 13 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.
Here, 1. Orders are given by the king for the repair of the temple, v. 8. When he had purged the house of the corruptions of it he began to fit it up for the services that were to be performed in it. Thus we must do by the spiritual temple of the heart, get it cleansed from the pollutions of sin, and then renewed, so as to be transformed into the image of God. Josiah, in this order, calls God the Lord his God. Those that truly love God will love the habitation of his house. 2. Care is taken about it, effectual care. The Levites went about the country and gathered money towards it, which was returned to the three trustees mentioned, v. 8. They brought it to Hilkiah the high priest (v. 9), and he and they put it into the hands of workmen, both overseers and labourers, who undertook to do it by the great, as we say, or in the gross,2Ch 34:10; 2Ch 34:11. It is observed that the workmen were industrious and honest: They did the work faithfully (v. 12); and workmen are not completely faithful if they are not both careful and diligent, for a confidence is reposed in them that they will be so. It is also intimated that the overseers were ingenious; for it is said that all those were employed to inspect this work who were skilful in instruments of music; not that their skill in music could be of any use in architecture, but it was an evidence that they were men of sense and ingenuity, and particularly that their genius lay towards the mathematics, which qualified them very much for this trust. Witty men are then wise men when they employ their wit in doing good, in helping their friends, and, as they have opportunity, in serving the public. Observe, in this work, how God dispenses his gifts variously; here were some that were bearers of burdens, cut out for bodily labour and fit to work. Here were others (made meliori luto–of finer materials) that had skill in music, and they were overseers of those that laboured, and scribes and officers. The former were the hands: these were the heads. They had need of one another, and the work needed both. Let not the overseers of the work despise the bearers of burdens, nor let those that work in the service grudge at those whose office it is to direct; but let each esteem and serve the other in love, and let God have the glory and the church the benefit of the different gifts and dispositions of both.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
See note on 2Ki 22:1
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(8-13) The cleansing and repair of the Temple. (Comp. 2Ki. 22:3-7; and the similar account of the restoration by Joash in 2Ch. 24:11-13).
When he had purged.Omit had. (Ltahr is apparently co-ordinate with lmolk, in the eighteenth year to his reigning, to purging the land ; as if the work of purification had been co-extensive with the reign. The LXX., however, has, in order to purge the land, which may be right.)
He sent Shaphan.Who was secretary of state (2Ki. 22:3, the scribe).
Maaseiah . . . Joah.Kings mentions Shaphan only.
The governor of the city.Sar har; praefectus urois. (Conp. 1Ch. 11:6.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
I admire the expression, the Lord his God. As if it meant to say, that young as Josiah was, he had now acquired a knowledge of his own personal interest in the covenant of the Lord. And what was this but the covenant of redemption in Jesus? Gen 12:3 . The Holy Ghost hath expressly shown this, when he saith by his servant the apostle, that the gospel was then preached unto Abraham when he said, in thee (that is) in thy seed, and which seed is Christ, shall all nations be blessed. Gal 2:16Gal 2:16 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
2Ch 34:8 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.
Ver. 8. Now in the eighteenth year. ] See on 2Ki 22:3 .
To repair the house of the Lord. he sent. This is supplementary to 2Ki 22:3.
to repair. This had been done before by Joash (2Ki 12:4-15).
2Ch 34:8-13
2Ch 34:8-13
JOSIAH ORDERS THE REPAIR OF THE TEMPLE
“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 Jehovah his God. And they came to Hilkiah the High Priest, and delivered the money that was brought into the house of God, which the Levites, the keepers of the threshold, had gathered of the hand of Manasseh and Ephraim, and of all the remnant of Israel, and of all Judah and Benjamin, and of the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And they delivered it into the hand of the workmen that had the oversight of the house of Jehovah; and the workmen that wrought in the house of Jehovah gave it to mend and repair the house: even to the carpenters and the builders gave they it, to buy stone, and couplings, and to make beams for the houses which the kings of Judah had destroyed. 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 Meshullum, of the sons of the Kohathites, to set it forward; and others of the Levites, all that were skillful with instruments of music. Also they were over the bearers of burdens, and set forward all that did the work in every manner of service: and of the Levites there were scribes, and officers, and porters.”
E.M. Zerr:
2Ch 34:8. All buildings without exception are subject to decay, and especially if neglected through interest in outside matters. Having completed his purge of the land, and taken the idolatrous images out of the temple, Josiah next turned his attention to repairing the temple. This was in the 18th year of his reign, which shows that he spent 6 years in the purging of the country. All of the men he called upon to see after the repair work were important ones. Shaphan was a scribe (2Ki 22:3), Maaseiah was governor (about the same in rank as our mayors) of the city, and Joah was a recorder, a position about the same as a secretary.
2Ch 34:9. The work that Josiah commanded to be done required money, so the men named in the preceding verse went to a lawful place for it. The Levites had been receiving money from various sources and out of various communities as they kept the entrances to the temple. Acting under orders from the king, these men went to the Levites and got the money, then went to the high priest, which was in order to make a proper accounting within their responsibility.
2Ch 34:10. After they had made their proper report, and under the supervision of the high priest, the highest official over the temple, they put out the money to pay for the labor of the repair work. It was all done in a businesslike manner, contacting first those who were overseers or foremen, who in turn would expend it on the men who wrought or worked on the repairs.
2Ch 34:11. An artificer was “a fabricator of any material” according to the definition in the lexicon. When used in connection with a building, it would refer to the man having general oversight of the formation of its structure. The builders were the men who actually did the bodily work according to the directions of the artificers. These two classes of men would know what kinds of material were needed for the repairs, so the money was supplied to them to go out and buy them. Couplings were braces or brackets, placed in the angles or corners of the building to support it. To floor is translated “to rafter” in the margin. The lexicon will admit the definition, but it also would retain the translation in the text. It is defined, “to impose timbers (for roof or floor)” So it means any heavy pieces of wood necessary to repair the building. Houses is in the plural because there were the temple and palace, and both had been neglected by the preceding kings and had fallen into disrepair.
2Ch 34:12. This verse gets nearer to the working forces of the great project set in motion by Josiah. A former verse named the more superior men, this names the men actually doing the work. Did the work faithfully would include the fact that they obeyed their foremen as to how the work should be done, also that they worked and did not shirk. Not only was the building needing repairs, but the musical instruments that David had introduced had been somewhat tossed aside and had to be repaired or replaced. And since they were used in connection with the worship, and since that was always in the hands of the Levites, it was in order that the matter of those instruments be attended to by other of the Levites.
2Ch 34:13. There were tasks in connection with the repair work that could properly be performed by persons from any of the tribes, but the major portion of them came from the tribe of Levi. That was especially true of such tasks as clerical services, and the responsibility for guarding the gates, which was done by the porters.
am 3380, bc 624
the eighteenth: Jer 1:2, Jer 1:3
sent Shaphan: 2Ki 22:3, 2Ki 22:12, 2Ki 22:14, Jer 26:24, Jer 29:3, Jer 36:10, Jer 39:14, Jer 40:11, Eze 8:11
Maaseiah: Jer 21:1, Jer 29:21, Jer 29:25
recorder: 2Sa 8:16, 2Sa 20:24, 1Ch 18:15
Reciprocal: 2Ki 18:18 – the recorder 2Ch 24:5 – gather of all Israel 2Ch 34:17 – And they Jer 25:3 – thirteenth
2Ch 34:8-11. When he had purged the land and the house The house of God, called the house, by way of eminence. And they returned to Jerusalem That is, the Levites, who had gone abroad through all Josiahs kingdom to gather money for this use, and now came with it to Jerusalem to lodge it in the treasuries of the Lords house. To floor the houses which the kings of Judah had destroyed The chambers adjoining to the temple, or within the courts.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments