2CH 35

2 Chronicles 35:23

WEB

The archers shot at King Josiah; and the king said to his servants, “Take me away, because I am seriously wounded!”

BSB

There the archers shot King Josiah, who said to his servants, “Take me away, for I am badly wounded!”

KJV

And the archers shot at king Josiah; and the king said to his servants, Have me away; for I am sore wounded.

Matthew Henry

Verses 20–27

2 Chronicles 35:20–27

It was thirteen years from Josiah's famous passover to his death. During this time, we may hope, thing went well in his kingdom, that he prospered, and religion flourished; yet we are not entertained with the pleasing account of those years, but they are passed over in silence, because the people, for all this, were not turned from the love of their sins nor God from the fierceness of his anger. The next news therefore we hear of Josiah is that he is cut off in the midst of his days and usefulness, before he is full forty years old. We had this sad story, Kg2 23:29, Kg2 23:30. Here it is somewhat more largely related. That appears here, more than did there, which reflects such blame on Josiah and such praise on the people as one would not have expected.

I. Josiah was a very good prince, yet he was much to be blamed for his rashness and presumption in going out to war against the king of Egypt without cause or call. It was bad enough, as it appeared in the Kings, that he meddled with strife which belonged not to him. But here it looks worse; for, it seems, the king of Egypt sent ambassadors to him, to warn him against this enterprise, Ch2 35:21.

1. The king of Egypt argued with Josiah, (1.) From principles of justice. He professed that he had no desire to do him any hurt, and therefore it was unfair, against common equity and the law of nations, for Josiah to take up arms against him. If even a righteous man engage in an unrighteous cause, let him not expect to prosper. God is no respecter of persons. See Pro 3:30; Pro 25:8. (2.) From principles of religion: "God is with me; nay, He commanded me to make haste, and therefore, if thou retard my motions, thou meddlest with God." It cannot be that the king of Egypt only pretended this (as Sennacherib did in a like case, Kg2 18:25), hoping thereby to make Josiah desist, because he knew he had a veneration for the word of God; for it is said here (Ch2 35:22) that the words of Necho were from the mouth of God. We must therefore suppose that either by a dream, or by a strong impulse upon his spirit which he had reason to think was from God, or by Jeremiah or some other prophet, he had ordered him to make war upon the king of Assyria. (3.) From principles of policy: "That he destroy thee not; it is at thy peril if thou engage against one that has not only a better army and a better cause, but God on his side."

2. It was not in wrath to Josiah, whose heart was upright with the Lord his God, but in wrath to a hypocritical nation, who were unworthy of so good a king, that he was so far infatuated as not to hearken to these fair reasonings and desist from his enterprise. He would not turn his face from him, but went in person and fought the Egyptian army in the valley of Megiddo, Ch2 35:22. If perhaps he could not believe that the king of Egypt had a command from God to do what he did, yet, upon his pleading such a command, he ought to have consulted the oracles of God before he went out against him. His not doing that was his great fault, and of fatal consequence. In this matter he walked not in the ways of David his father; for, had it been his case, he would have enquired of the Lord, Shall I go up? Wilt thou deliver them into my hands? How can we think to prosper in our ways if we do not acknowledge God in them?

II. The people were a very wicked people, yet they were much to be commended for lamenting the death of Josiah as they did. That Jeremiah lamented him I do not wonder; he was the weeping prophet, and plainly foresaw the utter ruin of his country following upon the death of this good king. But it is strange to find that all Judah and Jerusalem, that stupid senseless people, mourned for him (Ch2 35:24), contrived how to have their mourning excited by singing men and singing women, how to have it spread through the kingdom (they made an ordinance in Israel that the mournful ditties penned on this sad occasion should be learned and sung by all sorts of people), and also how to have the remembrance of it perpetuated: these elegies were inserted in the collections of state poems; they are written in the Lamentations. Hereby it appeared, 1. That they had some respect to their good prince, and that, though they did not cordially comply with him in all his good designs, they could not but greatly honour him. Pious useful men will be manifested in the consciences even of those that will not be influenced by their example; and many that will not submit to the rules of serious godliness themselves yet cannot but give it their good word and esteem it in others. Perhaps those lamented Josiah when he was dead that were not thankful to God for him while he lived. The Israelites murmured at Moses and Aaron while they were with them and spoke sometimes of stoning them, and yet, when they died, they mourned for them many days. We are often taught to value mercies by the loss of them which, when we enjoyed them, we did not prize as we ought. 2. That they had some sense of their own danger now that he was gone. Jeremiah told them, it is likely, of the evil they might now expect to come upon them, from which he was taken away; and so far they credited what he said that they lamented the death of him that was their defence. Note, Many will more easily be persuaded to lament the miseries that are coming upon them than to take the proper way by universal reformation to prevent them, will shed tears for their troubles, but will not be prevailed upon to part with their sins. But godly sorrow worketh repentance and that repentance will be to salvation.

Cross-references: 2Kgs 23:29 · 2Kgs 23:30 · 2Chr 35:21 · Prov 3:30 · Prov 25:8 · 2Kgs 18:25 · 2Chr 35:22 · 2Chr 35:24

Hebrew interlinear

H3384

יָרָהyârâh/yaw-raw'/

v — flow, lay, throw, shoot, point, aiming, teach

Derivation: or (2 Chronicles 26:15) יָרָא; a primitive root;

properly, to flow as water (i.e. to rain); transitively, to lay or throw (especially an arrow, i.e. to shoot); figuratively, to point out (as if by aiming the finger), to teach

KJV: ( ) archer, cast, direct, inform, instruct, lay, shew, shoot, teach(-er,-ing), through.

יָרָא

vb — shoot

[יָרָא] vb. shoot, pour

Qal shoot with arrows

Hiph. and they shot at; Pt. pl. the shooters, archers

Hoph. he that watereth shall himself also be watered

יָרָה

vb — throw

יָרָה vb. throw, shoot

Qal

1. throw, cast

2. cast (= lay, set), corner-stone; pillar

3. shoot arrows

4. throw water, rain

Niph. shot through (with arrows)

Hiph.

1. throw, cast

2. shoot (arrows)

3. throw water, rain

4. point out, shew

5. direct, teach, instruct

H4428

מֶלֶךְmelek/meh'-lek/

n-m — king

Derivation: from 4427;

a king

KJV: king, royal.

מֶ֫לֶךְ

n.m — king

מֶ֫לֶךְ 2513 n.m. king

H2977

יֹאשִׁיָּהYôʼshîyâh/yo-shee-yaw'/

n-pr-m — Joshijah

Derivation: or יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ; from the same root as 803 and 3050; founded of Jah;

Joshijah, the name of two Israelites

KJV: Josiah.

יֹאשִׁיָּ֫הוּ

n.pr.m — Josiah

יֹאשִׁיָּ֫הוּ, יֹאשִׁיָּה n.pr.m. (י׳ supporteth)

1. king of Judah, son of Amon

2. a returned exile

H559

אָמַרʼâmar/aw-mar'/

v — say

Derivation: a primitive root;

to say (used with great latitude)

KJV: answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, × desire, determine, × expressly, × indeed, × intend, name, × plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), × still, × suppose, talk, tell, term, × that is, × think, use (speech), utter, × verily, × yet.

אָמַר

vb — utter

אָמַר 5287 vb. utter, say

Qal

1. Say

2. Say in the heart (= think)

3. Promise

4. Command (esp. late)

Niph. be said, told

Hiph. avow, avouch (lit. cause to declare)

Hithp. act proudly, boast

H5650

עֶבֶדʻebed/eh'-bed/

n-m — servant

Derivation: from 5647;

a servant

KJV: × bondage, bondman, (bond-) servant, (man-) servant.

עֶ֫בֶד

n.m — slave

עֶ֫בֶד 799 n.m. slave, servant

1. slave, servant of household

2. Subjects, of chief

3. Servants, worshippers of God

4. Servant of י׳, in a special sense

5. Israel as a people is servant of י׳

6. In polite address of equals or superiors the Hebrews used עַבְדְּךָ thy servant = 1 pers. sing., I

7. Phrases

H5674

עָבַרʻâbar/aw-bar'/

v — cross, transition, cover

Derivation: a primitive root;

to cross over; used very widely of any transition (literal or figurative; transitive, intransitive, intensive, causative); specifically, to cover (in copulation)

KJV: alienate, alter, × at all, beyond, bring (over, through), carry over, (over-) come (on, over), conduct (over), convey over, current, deliver, do away, enter, escape, fail, gender, get over, (make) go (away, beyond, by, forth, his way, in, on, over, through), have away (more), lay, meddle, overrun, make partition, (cause to, give, make to, over) pass(-age, along, away, beyond, by, -enger, on, out, over, through), (cause to, make) proclaim(-amation), perish, provoke to anger, put away, rage, raiser of taxes, remove, send over, set apart, shave, cause to (make) sound, × speedily, × sweet smelling, take (away), (make to) transgress(-or), translate, turn away, (way-) faring man, be wrath.

עָבַר

vb — pass over

עָבַר 648 vb. pass over, through, by, pass on

Qal

1. pass over

2. Pass beyond

3. Pass through, traverse

4.

a. pass along by

b. pass by

c. sweep by, of scourge

d. be past, over, of time

e. pass along (from hand to hand)

5. Pass on, go on

6. Pass away

Niph. Impf. a stream which cannot be forded

Pi.

1. his bull impregnateth

a. cause one to cross river

b. cause something to pass over

c. make over to

d. devote children to (לְ) heathen god

e. pass along (from hand to hand)

2.

a. cause to pass through

b. let pass through

3.

a. cause to pass by

b. let pass by

c. cause arrow to pass beyond

d. cause to pass under rod, for counting

4. cause to pass away, take away

Hiph.

1. cause to pass over, bring over

2. he made to pass across with chains of gold

עָבַר

vb. denom — be arrogant

[עָבַר] vb. denom. Hithp. be arrogant, infuriate oneself

H3588

כִּיkîy/kee/

conj — relative conjunction

Derivation: a primitive particle (the full form of the prepositional prefix) indicating causal relations of all kinds, antecedent or consequent;

(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed

KJV: and, (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), but, certainly, doubtless, else, even, except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, (al-) though, till, truly, until, when, whether, while, whom, yea, yet.

כִּי

conj — that

כִּי conj. that, for, when

1. that

2.

a. Of time, when, of the past

b. elsewhere כִּי has a force approximating to if, though it usu. represents a case as more likely to occur than אִם

c. when or if, with a concessive force, i.e. though

3. Because, since

כִּי אם־

relative conjunction

כִּי אם־

1. each part. retaining its independent force, and relating to a different clause:

a. that if

b. for if

2. (About 140 t.) the two particles being closely conjoined, and relating to the same clause—

a. limiting the prec. clause, except

b. the if being neglected, and treated as pleonastic, so that the clause is no longer a limitation of the preceding clause but a contradiction of it: but rather, but

c. after an oath, surely

כִּי עַל כֵּן

forasmuch as

כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as

H2470

חָלָהchâlâh/khaw-law'/

v — be rubbed, worn, be weak, sick, afflicted, grieve, make sick, stroke, entreat

Derivation: a primitive root (compare 2342, 2470, 2490);

properly, to be rubbed or worn; hence (figuratively) to be weak, sick, afflicted; or (causatively) to grieve, make sick; also to stroke (in flattering), entreat

KJV: beseech, (be) diseased, (put to) grief, be grieved, (be) grievous, infirmity, intreat, lay to, put to pain, × pray, make prayer, be (fall, make) sick, sore, be sorry, make suit (× supplication), woman in travail, be (become) weak, be wounded.

חָלָה

vb — be weak

חָלָה vb. be weak, sick

Qal

1. be or become weak

2. become sick, ill

Niph.

1. make oneself sick, fig. for strain oneself

2. be made sick

Pi. make sick

Pu. be made weak

Hithp. make oneself sick

Hiph.

1. make (sick, i.e.) sore thy smiting

2. make sick

3. shew (signs of) sickness, become sick

Hoph. make sick = wounded

חָלָה

vb — mollify

[חָלָה] vb. only Pi. mollify, appease, entreat the favour of

H3966

מְאֹדmᵉʼôd/meh-ode'/

a — vehemence, vehemently, wholly, speedily

Derivation: from the same as 181;

properly, vehemence, i.e. (with or without preposition) vehemently; by implication, wholly, speedily, etc. (often with other words as an intensive or superlative; especially when repeated)

KJV: diligently, especially, exceeding(-ly), far, fast, good, great(-ly), × louder and louder, might(-ily, -y), (so) much, quickly, (so) sore, utterly, very ( much, sore), well.

מְאֹד

n.m — muchness

מְאֹד n.m. muchness, force, abundance, exceedingly

1. force, might

2. in diff. idioms (298 t.) to express the idea of exceedingly, greatly, very (whether of magnitude or degree)

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