2 Reis 23
Bob Utley · You Can Understand the Bible
2 Reis 23
NJB (MT versing) Josiah's Covenant Josiah Restores True Worship The Reforms and Death of Josiah Josiah Does Away with Pagan Worship The Solemn Reading of the Law and Renewal of the Covenant 23:1-3 23:1-2 23:1-3 23:1-3 23:1-3 Reforms Under Josiah 23:3-14 Religious Reforms in Judah 23:4-14 23:4-14 23:4-9 23:4-7 23:8-14 23:10-14 The Reform Is Extended to the Former Northern Kingdom 23:15-20 23:15-20 23:15-20 23:15-17a 23:15 23:16-18 23:17b 23:18 23:19-20 23:19-20 Passover Reinstituted Josiah Celebrates the Passover The Passover 23:21-23 23:21-25 23:21-23 23:21-23 23:21-23 Other Changes Made by Josiah Final Comments on the Religious Reform 23:24-25 Impending Judgment on Judah 23:24-25 23:24-25 23:24-25 23:26-27 23:26-27 23:26-27 23:26-27 23:26-27 Jehoahaz Succeeds Josiah Josiah Dies in Battle The End of Josiah's Reign The End of the Reign of Josiah 23:28-30 23:28-30 23:28-30 23:28-30a 23:28 23:29-30 23:30b The Reign and Captivity of Jehoahaz The Reign of Jehoahaz King Jehoahaz of Judah The Reign of Jehoahaz in Judah (609) 23:31-33 23:31-34 23:31-35 23:31-34 23:31-32 Jehoiakim Made King by Pharaoh 23:33-34 23:34-35 Jehoiakim Reigns in Judah King Jehoiakim of Judah (23:35-24:7) The Reign of Jehoiakim in Judah (609-598) 23:35-37 The Beginning of the Reign of Jehoiakim 23:35 23:35-36 23:36-37 23:36-37 23:36-37 23:37 Etc. CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS Because of the conditions existing in the world, Judah found herself relatively independent during the reign of Josiah. This was due primarily to debilitating battles between Egypt and Babylon, which reduced both of their armies. This resurgence in nationalism and the discovery of part of the Law of Moses in the Temple (2 Kings 22) is the setting of chapter 23. There was a general tendency over all the Mediterranean world to try to return to "the good old days" and Judah was a part of this general move. 2 Kings 22 and 23 form a literary unit; please read the parallel in 2 Chronicles 34:1-35:19. This chapter contains several allusions to different idols and cultic sites. of Canaan Ba'al, vv. 4,5 Asherah, vv. 4,6,7 gold calves, vv. 4,15,17 ancient high places Ashtoreth, v. 13 SPECIAL TOPIC: FERTILITY WORSHIP OF THE ANE SPECIAL TOPIC: ISRAEL'S MANDATED RESPONSE TO CANAANITE FERTILITY WORSHIP of Babylon host of heaven, vv. 4,5,12 sun, vv. 5,11 moon, v. 5 constellations, v. 5 SPECIAL TOPIC: Lord OF HOSTS SPECIAL TOPIC: MOON WORSHIP names of foreign gods Ashtoreth of Sidonians, v. 13 Chemosh of Moab, v. 13 Milcom of Ammon, v. 13 Molech of Phoenicia, v. 10 SPECIAL TOPIC: MOLECH Notice the types of priests that were removed. idolatrous priests, v. 5 Ba'al, v. 5 Asherah, v. 6 male cult prostitutes, v. 7 priests from "high places," vv. 8,9,15,20 mediums, v. 24 spiritists, v. 24 teraphim, v. 24 the idols with their priests, v. 24 See full note at 2 Kgs. 21:6 and Deut. 18:9-13 online.
2 Reis 23:1-3
23:1 "the elders" This usually refers to the tribal leaders or local older leaders. SPECIAL TOPIC: ELDERS 23:2 "the priests and prophets" These are two of the three sources of revelation. The other source of revelation in the OT is the wisdom teachers or sages (cf. Jer. 18:18). In the parallel passage in 2 Chr. 34:30, it has "Levites" instead of "prophets." Notice the reading of the Law of Moses was for all the people, not just the leaders! Also notice YHWH's word caused an immediate spiritual action (cf. Isa. 55:9-11). SPECIAL TOPIC: LEVITICAL PRIESTS SPECIAL TOPIC: PROPHECY (OT) ▣ "he read in their hearing" Public reading of the law was not a new thing (cf. Exodus 20; Deuteronomy 5; 31:10-13; Nehemiah 8). ▣ " the book of the covenant which was found in the house of the Lord" Most scholars assume this was some portion of the book of Deuteronomy (cf. 2 Kgs. 22:8-13), but we still just do not know how much of the Pentateuch was involved. 23:3 "The king stood by the pillar" This seems to be a prominent and special raised place of honor (i.e., a platform, cf. Targums) for the king (cf. 2 Kgs. 11:14; 16:18; 2 Chr. 23:13; Neh. 8:4), but we just do not know how much of the Pentateuch was involved. ▣ "to keep" This was a covenant renewal ceremony (cf. Joshua 24; 1 Samuel 12; Josephus, Antiq. 10.4.3) to an ancient covenant that had been somehow lost, forgotten, or ignored! Obedience is crucial! SPECIAL TOPIC: KEEP SPECIAL TOPIC: COVENANT ▣ "His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes" See SPECIAL TOPIC: TERMS FOR GOD'S REVELATION and SPECIAL TOPIC: LAW IN THE ANE. ▣ "with all his heart and all his soul" The new king made a total commitment to walk in the ways of YHWH. The people followed, at least outwardly, the king's commitment. SPECIAL TOPIC: HEART ▣ "soul" This is the Hebrew word nephesh (BDB 659). See full note online at Gen. 35:18 and Lev. 17:11. The phrasing of this verse reflects Deut. 6:5. SPECIAL TOPIC: NEPHESH ▣ "covenant" See SPECIAL TOPIC: COVENANT.
2 Reis 23:4-14
23:4 "the priests of the second order" In context, this refers to leaders of the priesthood just below the High Priest. ▣ NASB, NKJV, NRSV, NJB, JPSOA, LXX, Peshitta "fields" "on the slope" "open country" KB, LXX B , NIDOTTE "terraces" The MT has the FEMININE NOUN (BDB 995; NIDOTTE, vol. 4, pp. 50-51), meaning "fields" (cf. Jer. 31:40; Hab. 3:17). Deuteronomy 32:32 has it parallel to "vineyard" (cf. Isa. 16:8). ▣ "Baal" This was the male fertility god of the Canaanite pantheon. Most probably Tyranian Ba'al. His symbol was an uplifted stone, probably a male phallic symbol. ▣ "Asherah" This was the female consort of Ba'al in the Canaanite pantheon (also called Anat). She was symbolized by a carved wooden pole or a live tree (symbolizing the Tree of Life) located on the raised platform of local high places. SPECIAL TOPIC: FERTILITY WORSHIP OF THE ANE ▣ "all the host of heaven" This seems to refer to Babylonian astral worship. SPECIAL TOPIC: LORD OF HOSTS ▣ "and he burned them outside of Jerusalem" This follows the stipulations of Deut. 7:25. SPECIAL TOPIC: ISRAEL'S MANDATED RESPONSE TO CANAANITE FERTILITY WORSHIP ▣ "and carried their ashes to Bethel" Bethel was the location of one of the two golden calf worship sites set up by Jeroboam I as a rival to the cultic center of Jerusalem. It was just north of Jerusalem. 23:5 "He did away with the idolatrous priests" In this verse, and v. 20, it seems the king ordered the slaughter of these pagan priests. They were priests of the fertility idols in both Judah and Israel (BDB 485, cf. Hos. 10:5; Zeph. 1:4). This term may be a Hebrew word play on "snare" (BDB 485). The priests of vv. 5, 20 are different from the Judean priests of vv. 8-9. These were probably non-Levitical (Josephus, Antiq. 10.4.3; 1 Kgs. 12:31,33; 2 Kgs. 17:32). ▣ "to the sun and to the moon and to the constellations and to all the host of heaven" This is a listing of the elements of the Babylonian astral worship. It involved the sun (NIDOTTE, vol. 4, pp. 185-189) the moon the five major planets known in that day the signs of the zodiac (cf. Job 38:32) SPECIAL TOPIC: MOON WORSHIP 23:6 "the Asherah from the house of the Lord" This female fertility object was possibly a carved stake a live tree symbolizing the tree of life. It had been put there by Manasseh (cf. 2 Kgs. 21:7). ▣ "burned it. . .ground it to dust. . .threw its dust" This is similar to the destruction of Aaron's golden calf (cf. Exod. 32:20, which is repeated in Deut. 9:21). SPECIAL TOPIC: ISRAEL'S MANDATED RESPONSE TO CANAANITE FERTILITY WORSHIP ▣ "and threw its dust on the graves of the common people" This refers to: The common people had participated in the idolatrous practices and this was a sign of their spiritual condition. The Jews considered that the graveyards were already ceremonially unclean and the depositing of the ashes there would pollute symbolically these graves even more (cf. Jer. 26:23). 23:7 "He also broke down the houses of the male cult prostitutes which were in the house of the Lord" This is literally "sacred" (BDB 873 II). Because of the pointing of the Masoretic Hebrew, this may refer to sodomites or male prostitutes (BDB 873 I, cf. Deut. 23:18; 1 Kgs. 14:24; 15:12; 22:46; NIDOTTE, vol. 4, p. 1209). ▣ "the women were weaving hangings for the Asherah" This refers to the female counterparts of the male cult prostitutes. They were weaving for themselves sensuous clothing for their varied fertility rites curtains for the temples clothing for the images (cf. Jer. 10:9; Ezek. 16:16) headbands used by Babylonian prostitutes All involved pagan worship practices in YHWH's temple area! 23:8 "he brought all the priests from the cities of Judah, and defiled the high places" This is an attempt of Josiah to centralize the worship at the central sanctuary in Jerusalem only (cf. vv. 21-23) and thereby abandon the local high places. ▣ "from Geba to Beersheba" As earlier the limits of united Israel were "Dan to Beersheba," now Josiah's reconquered kingdom was characterized by the new designation. The location of "Geba" is uncertain. The MacMillan Bible Atlas lists four possible locations. ▣ NASB, NRSV, NJB, JPSOA "of the gates" "at the gates" "goat demons" "of the demons" "the house of the gates" "the gate of salvation" The MT has "high places of the gates." The UBS Text Project, p. 375, gives this a "B" rating (some doubt). of the gates ‒ השׁערים of the demons ‒ השׂערים It refers to some type of high place located at the central gate of the city. For "goat-demons" see notes online at Lev. 17:7 and 2 Chr. 11:15 (NIDOTTE, vol. 3, p. 1260). 23:9 The priests of the local Judean high places were not allowed to sacrifice at the Temple but they were allowed to eat with the other priests (cf. Ezek. 44:10-14). Apparently they served at YHWH's shrines, not Ba'al shrines. The priests at the Temple accepted them but not without reservations and restrictions. 23:10 "He also defiled Topheth, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, that no man might make his son or his daughter pass through the fire for Molech" Topheth (BDB 1075) is the place where sacrifices to Molech (i.e., the Phoenician fire god to which infant children were sacrificed) occurred to insure fertility, were made. This was done right outside the city of Jerusalem in the Valley of the Sons of Hinnom. This was a despicable act and the Jews later made this place the garbage dump of Jerusalem. This is the imagery that Jesus used to describe the hell (i.e., Gehenna). "Topheth" means "place of burning." SPECIAL TOPIC: MOLECH SPECIAL TOPIC: WHERE ARE THE DEAD? 23:11 "He did away with the horses which the kings of Judah had given to the sun. . .and he burned the chariots of the sun with fire" This is another aspect of the worship of the Assyrian god, Ashur. Apparently the chariots and horses were a symbol of the sun moving across the heavens (i.e., Ps. 19:1-6). They may have been real or possibly statues. ▣ NASB, NRSV, NJB, JPSOA, LXX "precincts" NKJV, NIV "court" "courtyard" "colonnade" "in the suburbs" The MT has the PLURAL NOUN (BDB 826, KB 962) which occurs only here and possibly 1 Chr. 26:18. It was connected to the central structure to the Temple. This root is not Semitic. Some speculate it is Persian for "vestibule." The DSS, "Temple Scroll," translated it as "colonnade" (NIDOTTE, vol. 3, p. 673). 23:12 "The altars which were on the roof" These roof top worship sites for Babylonian astral deities are mentioned in 2 Kgs. 21:3-5 and possibly 2 Kgs. 20:8-11. ▣ "and he smashed them there" "and pulverized there" NRSV, NJB "and broke in pieces" "he pounded them to dust" "removed them quickly from there" "and pulled down from there" "and broke them down from there" The MT has "ran from there" (BDB 930, KB 1207, Qal IMPERFECT with waw). JPSOA suggests an emendation to "smashed them there" (BDB 954). The NET Bible suggests an emendation of stems (i.e., Qal to Hiphil) to "he removed them quickly" (p. 628). 23:13 "The high places. . .which Solomon the king of Israel had built" The list of foreign gods in v. 13 reflects the altars that Solomon built for his foreign wives (cf. 1 Kings 11). See Contextual Insights, E. #3. ▣ "the mount of destruction" NKJV, Peshitta "the Mount of Corruption" NRSV, LXX "the Mount of Destruction" TEV, NJB, REB "the Mount of Olives" "the Mount of the Destroyer" The MT has CONSTRUCT BDB 249 and BDB 1008, "mount of ruin or destruction." The author of Kings is defiantly referring to the Mount of Olives. he cannot bring himself to name it a word play between משׁחה ‒ BDB 602, KB 644, meaning "anoint" משׁחיה ‒ BDB 1008, meaning "destruction" ▣ "Ashtoreth" This refers to the male god Ashtar (BDB 800, cf. 1 Kgs. 11:5,33). Normally this form is FEMALE but in these two places it is MASCULINE. ▣ "Chemosh" This (BDB 484; NIDOTTE, vol. 2, pp. 660-661) is the male war god of Moab. ▣ "Milcom" This is apparently a corruption of the Hebrew term for king, Meleck (BDB 575). We do not know anything about this god of Ammon. His name could be Milcom, Malcam, or Molech. 23:14 "He broke in pieces" This VERB (BDB 990, KB 1402, Piel PERFECT) in the Piel stem, is often used of the complete destruction of idols (cf. 2 Kgs. 11:18; 18:4; 23:14; 2 Chr. 14:3; 34:4; Isa. 21:9; Jer. 43:13).
2 Reis 23:15-20
23:15 "the altar that was at Bethel" This refers to one of the golden calf worship sites set up by Jereboam I. We learn from 2 Chr. 34:6-7 that Josiah's reforms in Judah even impacted the area of the northern ten tribes. ▣ "he demolished its stones" NKJV, NRSV "he burned the high place" "broke its stones" NJB, REB "breaking up its stones" "He burned down the shrine" "he smashed its stones" "he burned the high place" The MT has "and he burned" (BDB 976, 1358, Qal IMPERFECT with waw). The UBS Text Project, p. 377, gives this a "D" rating (highly doubtful). It seems that "stones" could not be burned easily but they could be broken to pieces. burn ‒ שׂרף (BDB 976) break ‒ שׁבר (BDB 990) 23:16-20 This is a very unusual account; it is taking place somewhere in the area of the northern ten tribes. Apparently the prophet referred to is the one mentioned in 1 Kings 13. The LXX has a longer and fuller account (see NEB). 23:18 From the account in 1 Kings 13, the disobedient prophet from Judah who was killed by lions for eating with a prophet from Israel, was buried in the same grave as the prophet from Israel (cf. 1 Kgs. 13:29-31; Josephus, Antiq. 10.4.4). 23:19 "the Lord" The MT does not have an OBJECT to the VERB "had made provoking" (BDB 494, KB 491, Hiphil INFINITIVE CONSTRUCT). Most ancient versions add "the Lord" (i.e., LXX, Peshitta, Vulgate). The VERB is often used of YHWH's response to idolatry (cf. 1 Kgs. 16:13,26,33; 22:54; 2 Kgs. 17:11; 21:6). YHWH's anger is an anthropomorphic idiom. SPECIAL TOPIC: ANTHROPOMORPHIC LANGUAGE USED TO DESCRIBE GOD
2 Reis 23:21-23
23:21-23 This celebration of the Passover was an attempt to reunify the worship of YHWH at Jerusalem. For a much fuller account see 2 Chronicles 35 and NIDOTTE, vol. 4, pp. 1043-1045. 23:22 The Passover celebrated by Hezekiah in 2 Chr. 30:13-27 was attended only by Judah (cf. 2 Chr. 30:10). Josiah's Passover would include the northern remnant of Israel. The last recorded Passover celebrated by all the tribes was Joshua 5:10-11. It was originally a family event, not a national event (cf. Exodus 12). SPECIAL TOPIC: THE FEASTS OF ISRAEL SPECIAL TOPIC: PASSOVER
2 Reis 23:24-25
23:24 "mediums" This is literally "a bottle" (BDB 15, KB 393, cf. 2 Kgs. 21:6 and NIDOTTE, vol. 1, p. 303). It refers to the strange sounds that wind makes when passing over a bottle. In the Septuagint this word is translated "ventriloquist," which implies one who can control voices or noises (cf. Lev. 19:31; 20:27; Deut. 18:11). ▣ "the spiritists" Literally this is "the knowing ones" (BDB 396; see full note at 2 Kgs. 21:6). The terms "mediums" and "spiritists" are always mentioned in the OT together. ▣ "teraphim" This refers to household or family gods (cf. Gen. 31:19; Jdgs. 17:5; 1 Sam. 19:13). SPECIAL TOPIC: Teraphim 23:25 The praise of Josiah's devotion to YHWH is taken from the great prayer (shema) of Deut. 6:4-5, esp. v. 5. Josiah read/studied the Law of Moses and devoted himself to worshiping and obeying the God who was revealed in it. SPECIAL TOPIC: INSPIRATION
2 Reis 23:26-27
23:26-27 "However, the Lord did not turn from the fierceness of His great wrath with which His anger burned against Judah" Apparently Judah had passed the point of no return during the wicked reign of Manasseh (cf. 2 Kgs. 21:14; 24:4). The people's hearts were only outwardly touched and not inwardly changed by the reforms of Josiah (i.e., Jeremiah 5). This VERB (BDB 996, KB 1427, Qal PERFECT; NIDOTTE, vol. 4, pp. 55-59) is often used of "turning from" in the theological sense of repentance. Judah would not "turn" from idolatry so YHWH did not turn from judgment. SPECIAL TOPIC: REPENTANCE (OT) 23:27 What a shocking rejection of Judah, YHWH's special place for His name to dwell would be destroyed and exiled! The nation, the city, and the temple will be judged! This was because of Manasseh's idolatry (cf. 2 Kgs. 24:1-4, 20; 2 Chr. 36:15-21; Jer. 52:3). The Mosaic covenant was conditional! SPECIAL TOPIC: "THE NAME" OF YHWH (OT) SPECIAL TOPIC: MORIAH, SALEM, JEBUS, ZION, JERUSALEM
2 Reis 23:28-30
23:29 "Pharaoh Neco of Egypt" This is a reference to Pharaoh Neco II, son of Psammetichus, also known as Psamtik II (595 B.C. ‒ 589 B.C.. For many years the Egyptian Pharaohs had been dominated by Assyria, but as Assyria's power waned, Egypt had become a strong independent world power again. SPECIAL TOPIC: KINGS OF EGYPT ▣ NASB, NRSV "went up to" "went to the aid of" TEV, REB "to help" "was advancing to meet" "marched against" "went up against" "went to meet" The MT has the Qal INFINITIVE CONSTRUCT "to meet" or "to encounter" (BDB 896, KB 1131). In this context Egypt is trying to help the remnant of the Assyrian army at Hamath after the fall of Nineveh in 612 B.C. Egypt wanted a buffer zone between themselves and the advancing Neo-Babylonian army under Nebuchadnezzar II. Josiah was a supporter of Neo-Babylon and tried to stop Necho II from moving up the Shephelah (i.e., coastal plain) to support the remaining Assyrian army at Hamath (i.e., 609 B.C., cf. Jeremiah 46). ▣ "King Josiah went to meet him" Apparently as the Assyrian Empire was dying and the Empires of Babylon and Media were on the rise, Egypt decided it was in her best interest to keep a buffer state between herself and Babylon, therefore, she tried to go the aid of the remaining retreating Assyrian army in the area of northern Syria at the head waters of the Euphrates. King Josiah possibly had an arrangement with the Babylonians, as his father Hezekiah had, and tried to stop Pharaoh's army from aiding the weak Assyrian army, however, a "fluke" arrow killed him in 609 B.C. The account in 2 Chr. 35:23-24 is different. These may be understood as different historical documents behind Kings and Chronicles. A new book that has helped me cope with this type of discrepancy is John H. Walton and D. Brent Sandy, The Lost World of Scripture, IVP, which deals with how ancient oral cultures passed on their traditions. Israel and Judah had both written documents and oral traditions. 23:30 "chariot" See SPECIAL TOPIC: CHARIOTS. ▣ "anointed him" AB, p. 291, makes an interesting comment that only a few kings were "anointed" in 1 and 2 Kings. All of them were not the "expected" choice (i.e., oldest son). Solomon ‒ 1 Kgs. 1:45 Jehoash ‒ 2 Kgs. 11:12 Jehoahaz ‒ here
2 Reis 23:31-33
23:31 "Jehoahaz. . .reigned three months in Jerusalem" This was Josiah's brother and successor of Josiah (Jeremiah calls him "Shallum," cf. Jer. 22:11), but when Pharaoh Neco II was unsuccessful in helping the Assyrian army, he returned through Palestine to besiege Jerusalem to depose this king after three months to ransack the temple of its treasures to put a puppet king named Jehoiakim on the throne then return home to Egypt 23:33 NASB, JPSOA "imprisoned him" "put him in prison" "confined him" "took him prisoner" "put him in chains" REB, LXX "removed him" "put him in bands" The MT has "put him in bonds" (BDB 63, KB 75, Qal IMPERFECT with waw). The UBS Text Project, p. 378, gives this a "B" rating (some doubt). The other possibility is "deposed him" (BDB 693, KB 747, Hiphil IMPERFECT with waw). "and he fettered him" ‒ ויאסרהו "and he removed him" ‒ ויסירהו ▣ "Riblah" This was an administrative city near Kadesh on the Orontes River in Syria, about 20 miles south of Hamath (IVP Bible Background Commentary, p. 410). ▣ NASB, NKJV, NRSV, LXX "he might not reign" "his reign ended" "to prevent his reigning" "to keep him from reigning" The MT has "when he reigned" but the Masoretic scholars suggested "from reigning" (Qere). The UBS Text Project, p. 378, gives the Qere a "C" rating (considerable doubt), but it adds "the Qere reading is more probable than the Ketiv reading and should, therefore, be preferred." Notice the rapid replacement of Judean kings. Jehoahaz (Shallum) ‒ 2 Kgs. 23:31-35 Jehoiakim (Eliakim) ‒ 2 Kgs. 23:35-24:6 Jehoiachin ‒ 2 Kgs. 24:8-17; 25:27-30 Zedekiah (Mattaniah) ‒ 2 Kgs. 24:18-20 Gedaliah (Babylonian governor) ‒ 2 Kgs. 25:22-26
2 Reis 23:34-35
23:34 "Pharaoh Neco made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in the place of Josiah his father, and changed his name to Jehoiakim" "Eliakim" (BDB 45) means "God sets up"; Jehoiakim (BDB 220) means "YHWH sets up."