2 Chronicles 34:33

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!

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

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.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

(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 chronicler’s.

All his days they departed not.—The king’s 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.)

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

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.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

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).

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

In Israel, who had fled into his dominions. See v. 6. C. --- They. Sept. "he," &c. Josias worshipped God with all his heart: but all Israel paid him, at least, an external adoration. H.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

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.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The parallel (2Ki_23:4-20) gives some succinct account of Josiah"s removal of abominations, here glanced at so briefly.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Even to serve - The repetition shews, that this was the only thing his heart was set upon. He aimed at nothing in all he did, but to engage them to God and their duty.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

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 (Ch2 34:32), are the remnant of the ten tribes in their land, where Josiah, according to Ch2 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. לעבד ויּעבד, 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. Ch2 11:1, Ch2 13:1, Ch2 25:1, etc.

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

Josiah took away all

Josiah would have commanded his workers to do this. AT: "Josiah commanded his workers to take away all" (See: Metonymy)

the disgusting things

These are the idols that were repulsive to God. AT: "the disgusting idols" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

For all of his days

Josiah's life is represented by his "days." AT: "For all of his life" or "As long as Josiah was alive" (See: Synecdoche)

translationWords

Josiah

people group

kingdom of Israel

worship

turn

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.