Bible Commentaries

Moreover Josiah kept a passover unto the LORD in Jerusalem: and they killed the ^a passover on the fourteenth [day] of the first month.

(a) The scripture in various places calls the lamb the "passover" even though it is only the sign of the passover for in all sacraments the signs have the names of the things signified.

And said unto the Levites that ^b taught all Israel, which were holy unto the LORD, Put the holy ark in the house which Solomon the son of David king of Israel did build; [it shall] not [be] a ^c burden upon [your] shoulders: serve now the LORD your God, and his people Israel,

(b) So that the Levites charge was not only to minister in the temple, but also to instruct the people in the word of God.

(c) As it was before the temple was built: therefore your office is to teach the people and to praise God.

So kill the passover, and sanctify yourselves, and ^d prepare your brethren, that [they] may do according to the word of the LORD by the hand of Moses.

(d) Exhort everyone to examine themselves to ensure that they are not unfit to eat the passover.

^e Conaniah also, and Shemaiah and Nethaneel, his brethren, and Hashabiah and Jeiel and Jozabad, chief of the Levites, gave unto the Levites for passover offerings five thousand [small cattle], and five hundred oxen.

(e) So that every one and of all sorts gave of what they had, a liberal portion to the service of God.

And they killed the passover, and the priests ^f sprinkled [the blood] from their hands, and the Levites flayed [them].

(f) Meaning, of the lamb, which was called the passover, for only the priests could sprinkle, and in necessity the Levites could kill the sacrifice.

And they removed the ^g burnt offerings, that they might give according to the divisions of the families of the people, to offer unto the LORD, as [it is] written in the book of Moses. And so [did they] with the oxen.

(g) They reserved for the people that which was not expedient to be offered, that every man might offer peace offerings, and so have his portion.

And the singers the sons of Asaph [were] in their place, according to the commandment of David, and Asaph, and Heman, and Jeduthun the king's ^h seer; and the porters [waited] at every gate; they might not depart from their service; for their brethren the Levites prepared for them.

(h) Meaning, by this his prophet, because he appointed the psalms and prophecies which were to be sung.

In ⁱ the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah was this passover kept.

(i) Which was in his 26th year.

After all this, when Josiah had prepared the temple, Necho king of Egypt came up to fight against ^k Carchemish by Euphrates: and Josiah went out against him.

(k) Which was a city of the Assyrians and Josiah fearing lest in passing through Judah he would have taken his kingdom, made war against him and did not consult the Lord.

Nevertheless Josiah would not turn his face from him, but ^l disguised himself, that he might fight with him, and hearkened not unto the words of Necho from the mouth of God, and came to fight in the valley of Megiddo.

(l) That is, armed or disguised himself so that he would not be recognized.

His servants therefore took him out of that chariot, and put him in the second chariot that he had; and they brought him to Jerusalem, and he died, and was buried in [one of] the sepulchres of his fathers. And all Judah and Jerusalem ^m mourned for Josiah.

(m) The people so lamented the loss of this good king that after when there was any great lamentation this was spoken of as a proverb, (Zechariah 12:11).

And Jeremiah lamented for Josiah: and all the singing men and the singing women spake of Josiah in their lamentations to this day, and made them an ordinance in Israel: and, behold, they [are] written in the ⁿ lamentations.

(n) Which some think Jeremiah wrote, in which he laments the state of the church after this king's death.