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Ver. 13. And the high places that were before Jerusalem.] There they had boldly set up their abominable idols in mount Olivet, even in the sight of the Lord; so that he never looked out of the sanctuary but he saw that vile hill, which, therefore, he here calleth not Har Hammisha, the mount of annointing, but Har Hammaschith, the mount of corruption. Est tacita paranomasia; item allusio, item detorsio. Of the mount of corruption.] So called, because the people had there corrupted themselves, as Deuteronomy 32:5; and yet afterwards it became our Saviour’s oratory, or usual place of prayer, This showeth, that places which have been abused to idolatry, may yet afterwards be used for God’s service. As for that which we read, Deuteronomy 12:2,3, “Ye shall utterly destroy all the places,” &c., divines answer, that that was a temporary ordinance, and a part of Moses’s polity, now abrogated. Which Solomon had builded.] But, after his repentance, had demolished, likely; though, by the idolatrous princes that came after him, they were rebuilded, and called still by his name. Of Mashach. Of Shacah.
Ver. 14. And he brake in pieces the images.] He made no spare of any of those idols and monuments of idolatry, though there wanted not some about him, doubtless, that could have wished it otherwise, and moved him to spare those goodly horses and chariots of the sun, &c. But he was resolved to make a hand with them all. We may give peace to buy truth, but we may not give truth to buy peace.
Ver. 15. Moreover the altar that was at Bethel.] It is probable that the king of Babylon, when he sent home Manasseh, gave him also dominion of the greatest part of the country of Samaria, indenting with him to defend the same against the Egyptian. Howsoever, good Josiah faileth not to root out idolatry in all those parts also, (2 Kings 23:19) it being an abandoned country, which, in a manner, had no lord at all.
Ver. 16. He sent and took the bones.] That had been foreseen and foretold three hundred years at least before. (1 Kings 13:2) Intervention ofttimes breaks no square in the divine decrees. Our blind eyes see nothing but that which toucheth their lids: the quick sight of God’s prescience sees that as present which is a world afar off.
Ver. 17. What title is that that I see?] This was not the name Jehovah, or the sign of the cross, as some have doted; but either some pillar, orelse gravestone, with a superscription showing who lay there buried: such as was that on Scaliger’s tomb, Scaligeri quod reliquum est, &c. And the men of the citytold him.] Historiae fidae monitrices: monumenta quasi mentem monentia. But the greatest wonder is, saith one, that these Bethelites, so well knowing what they here do relate to Josiah, were not moved to relinquish their idolatrous worship. But most probably they believed not till they saw it fulfilled.
Ver. 19. And did to them according.] See on 2 Kings 23:15.
Ver. 20. And burnt men’s bones.] Hence Papists would prove the lawfulness of unburying dead heretics, as they call us, and burning their bones; as they dealt here by Grosthead, bishop of Lincoln, Paulus Phagius, Bucer’s wife, &c. But Josiah’s act is justified by the prophecy, whereby he was appointed so to do; and the Lord would have it so done, to show the abomination wherein he had idolaters, and for a demonstration of their damnation in hell.
Ver. 21. Keep the passover.] 2 Chronicles 35:1. If the passover had been neglected, the law, the sacrifices had been in vain. No true Israelite might want whether this monument of their deliverance past, or this type of the Messiah to come. Rather than fail, Josiah’s bounty shall supply to Judah lambs for their paschal devotion. No alms is so acceptable as that whereby the soul is furthered. Dr Hall.
Ver. 22. Surely there was not holden such a passover,] viz., For concourse of people, and solemnity of the service. Tremellius rendereth it thus: Although there was not holden such a passover as this, viz., with such preparation, devotion, and reformation of religion; yet, (2 Kings 23:26) “God turned not away from his wrath,” &c., as being implacably bent and unchangeably resolved upon their utter ruin.
Ver. 23. But in the eighteenth year,] viz., Of his reign, but in the twenty-sixth of his age.
Ver. 24. Moreover the workers with familiar spirits,] q.d., Josiah did all that might be done to prevent that utter devastation of his country foretold by the prophets; but the decree was even “ready to bring forth,” and there was no reversing or impeding it. (Zephaniah 2:2) See 2 Kings 21:10-15. And the images.] Heb., Teraphim; these were properly their household gods, saith Vatablus. That were spied in the land of Judah and Jerusalem.] Here he narrowly spied out everything that was amiss, to reform it, as being his own proper dominion, and his chief charge. Latini videndum dicunt, “ Aedibus in propriis quae recta aut prava gerantur. ”
Ver. 25. And like unto him was there no king, &c.] He was a matchless man, a peerless prince, the world’s paragon, “ Hic regum decus et iuvenum flos, spesque bonorum. Deliciae saecli et gloria gentis erat.” As Cardan singeth of our Edward VI, a second Josiah, as all good men acknowledged. See 2 Kings 18:5. And with all his might.] Heb., With his utmost vehemency, strength, and diligence; he did all that he could do.
Ver. 26. Notwithstanding the Lord, &c.] See on 2 Kings 23:22. Because of all the provocations that Manasseh had provoked him withal.] His sin was pardoned upon his repentance, but his reproach was not altogether wiped away, as Proverbs 6:33. The stain of it was like iron mould, which nothing can fetch out. His posterity also, yea, and the generality of the people, persisting in Manasseh’s sins, were justly punishable for the same. The Corinthians were accessory to the sin of the incestuous person, because they bewailed it not; (1 Corinthians 5:2) and shall not we of this age smart for those bloody Marian days, if we lament not, and so disclaim them?
Ver. 27. I will remove Judah also out of my sight.] Who was now grown worse than Israel, (Jeremiah 3:11) and was therefore worse, because she should have been better warned by the others’ harms.
Ver. 28. Now the rest of the acts, &c.] See 1 Kings 15:23.
Ver. 29. In his days Pharaohnechoh,] i.e., Claudus Pharaoh, the club-foot, so called for distinction. Tamerlane was likewise lame of one foot. Went up against the king of Assyria.] Nabopolassar, king of Babylon, who had subdued the Assyrians, and gloried in that noble title, king of Assyria. See 2 Kings 20:12. To the river Euphrates,] i.e., To the city Carchemish bordering thereupon. And king Josiah went against him.] This was rashly done. The soldier’s motto is, Nec temere nec timide. Josiah fearing more to be counted timorous than temerarious, rushed upon his own death; not so much as advising with that famous prophet Jeremiah, or Zephaniah, or Urijah, the prophets then living; besides a whole college of seers. Sometimes both grace and wit are asleep in the holiest and wariest breasts. Perhaps he feared lest the Egyptian, aliud agens, should seize upon his country; or lest it lying between these two mighty monarchs, should be made the field or seat of their war, and so should be ground to powder, as grain between two millstones. In this respect Abulenais excuseth Josiah from all blame; but that cannot be. See 2 Chronicles 35:22. God had a holy hand in it, howsoever, for the just punishment of that sinful nation, way being now made by the death of this good prince for God’s judgments to rush in upon them with full force. And he slew him.] That is, He, by his archers, gave him his deathly wound at Megiddo, forty-four miles from Jerusalem, whither he was by his servants bright, but died by the way, and was greatly lamented. (2 Chronicles 35:24 Zechariah 12:11) So was that thrice noble king of Sweden slain in Germany, yet not without the victory; which made one say, “Upon this place the great Gustavus died, Whilst Victory lay bleeding by his side.” When he had seen him,] i.e., At the first encounter, as 2 Kings 14:8, priusquam inter se acies concurrerent, saith Sulpitius; before the battle began. Whilst he was setting the battle in array, riding from one wing to another, and giving instructions, saith Josephus, an Egyptian archer slew him, and together with him all the felicity of that state, which was thenceforth known, as Thebes was after the death of Epaminondas, by their calamities only.
Ver. 30. And his servants carried him in a chariot dead.] Mortuum, i.e., Moribundum, a dying man. See on 2 Kings 23:29. And the people of the land took Jehoahaz.] Lest Pharaoh at his return finding no king, should seize upon the kingdom; but this greatly provoked the conqueror, to whom they should rather have sought for peace and liberty to make them a new king.
Ver. 31. Jehoahaz was twenty and three years old.] He was younger than his brother Jehoiakim, (2 Kings 23:36) got the kingdom from him by a popular faction, likely, and it proved accordingly. Some think him to have been called Shallum at first, (Jeremiah 22:11) and that the people changed his name Melioris ominis causa; because Shallum king of Israel had reigned but one month only ere he was slain by Menahem. (2 Kings 15:13)
Ver. 32. And he did evil.] See Ezekiel 19:2-9.
Ver. 33. That he might not reign.] He deposed him; to show that he had now the disposal of the kingdom. Or, Because he reigned, sc., without his good leave and liking.
Ver. 34. Made Eliakim.] That is, God shall arise: so his good father Josiah named him, but he proved a degenerate plant; his father trembled and humbled himself at the hearing of the law, but he cut in pieces the prophecy of Jeremiah, and sought for him and Baruch to the shambles; but the Lord hid them. And turned his name.] Memoriae causa, saith one interpreter; to show his sovereignty, saith another. And died there.] According to the prophecy of Jeremiah, (Jeremiah 22:11,12) who taxeth him there for covetousneas, ambition, and other vices, hastening the consummation or consumption of all, according to the signification of his other name, Shallum. Ut Iehovae victoriam acceptam se referre testaretur, &c. -Ussher.
Ver. 35. He exacted.] Though he received, likely, from his subjects no less sums of curses than of coin.
Ver. 36. Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old.] See on 2 Kings 23:31.
Ver. 37. And he did that which was evil.] To all his former evils he added this, that he slew Urijah the prophet. (Jeremiah 26:20,23)