2 Kings 23

Following the instructions in Deuteronomy (Deuteronomy 31:10–13) and the example of Joshua (Joshua 8:34–35), Josiah called all the people to listen to the reading of the entire Book of the Covenant.

the king … made a covenant: The king … renewed the covenant: God’s people renewed their covenant (their promises with God) at several important times in history (see 2 Kings 11:12, 17; Joshua 24:1–27; 1 Kings 8:1–53).

• remove … all the articles: Josiah removed detestable items related to pagan worship from the temple.

• the fields of Kidron: The fields of the Kidron Valley were close to the Valley of Ben-Hinnom. In that valley, people once carried out ceremonies for the god Molech. These ceremonies involved burning children as sacrifices. Later, the Kidron Valley became a place where ashes and dead bodies were taken (Jeremiah 26:23).

• Taking the ashes to Bethel, where Jeroboam set up one of his cult altars (1 Kings 12:28–29), would defile the site forever.

Josiah removed the priests who led idol worship. He also destroyed the living places of the cult prostitutes. These practices had been allowed by Manasseh and Amon. They continued the prostitution that came from Canaanite religion (see 1 Kings 14:24; 15:12; 22:46). Shockingly, this was practiced inside the temple itself.

The gate of Joshua is not mentioned elsewhere. It might have been used by the city governor. This title refers to a city official in Samaria (1 Kings 22:26; 2 Chronicles 18:25) and to Maaseiah in Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 34:8).

• Topheth was an area in the valley of Ben-Hinnom, southwest of the city of David, leading into the Kidron Valley. People once practiced child sacrifice there.

• Molech is linked to several gods (see 1 Kings 11:5, 7, 33) and is also associated with a sacrifice offered to Baal (Jeremiah 7:31–32; 19:5–6; 32:35).

• In the ancient Near East, people often used the horse in ceremonies that honored the sun. The Assyrian sun-god Shamash and other gods were shown riding in horse-drawn chariots across the sky. Archaeological findings suggest that a solar cult (worship of the sun) existed in Israel as early as the 800s BC. This practice grew more popular during the reigns of Manasseh and Amon, when the royal court supported it (2 Kings 21:3–5, 21–22).

  King Josiah tried to end these practices with his reforms. But after his death, the prophet Ezekiel condemned people again for sun worship. He described them as bowing down to the sun in the inner court of the temple (Ezekiel 8:16).

• an official: This word eunuch (translated official in the Berean Standard Bible) does not always mean a man who was physically made a eunuch. It can also mean a high-ranking court official who served the king.

the upper chamber of Ahaz: People used rooftop altars for star worship (Jeremiah 19:13; Zephaniah 1:5) and Baal rituals (Jeremiah 32:29).

Solomon built the pagan shrines because he had many foreign wives (1 Kings 11:5, 7, 33).

Jeroboam built the altar at Bethel to make it easier for Israelites to worship nearby instead of traveling to Jerusalem (1 Kings 12:26–31). Josiah's destruction of the site followed the law's requirements (Deuteronomy 7:5; 12:3) and fulfilled the earlier prophecy by the man of God who had condemned the altar (1 Kings 13:1–3).

Samaria … high places: Josiah's religious reforms reached the former northern kingdom (see also 2 Chronicles 34:6–7). Josiah's ability to make these changes shows his power and Assyria's decline (see study note on 2 Kings 23:29).

• Hezekiah celebrated the Passover with some changes (2 Chronicles 30:1–4, 13, 23–27). Josiah's Passover followed the law's strict rules (2 Chronicles 35:1–19).

• The eighteenth year was when they found the Book of the Law (2 Kings 22:3, 8).

Josiah's dedication to the law led to changes in Jerusalem and Judah. He worked hard to remove all bad practices and strictly observed Passover. This made him the greatest king in following the laws of Moses.

I will remove Judah: Even though Josiah made strong reforms, Manasseh's wickedness was deeply rooted among the people. Josiah could not change their unfaithful hearts, so they would face the consequences for breaking God's covenant (Deuteronomy 28:15–68).

The end of Josiah's reign includes a historical note about his death by Pharaoh Neco (see also 2 Chronicles 35:20–25).

In 609 BC, Pharaoh Neco was heading to the Euphrates River to assist the Assyrian king against the Babylonians at Haran. Josiah confronted him at Megiddo.

After Assyrian king Ashurbanipal died in 626 BC, Assyrian cities began falling to Nabopolassar, the king of the growing Neo-Babylonian empire.

Nabopolassar captured Nineveh, Assyria's capital, in 612 BC. The Assyrian forces retreated to Haran, where the Babylonians defeated them in 609 BC.

Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon later defeated the remaining Assyrians at Carchemish in 605 BC, the same year he first invaded Judah (see 2 Kings 24:1).

The writer of Chronicles tells how Josiah was greatly honored after his death (2 Chronicles 35:24–25).

• Jehoahaz was originally named Shallum at birth (see study note on 1 Chronicles 3:15). His throne name, Jehoahaz, has been found on seals from the 600s BC. He became king at twenty-three, while his brother Jehoiakim was twenty-five (2 Kings 23:36). There is no explanation for why the younger brother became king.

• Jehoahaz reigned for three months in 609 BC, possibly during the time when Pharaoh Neco was trying to help the Assyrians (2 Kings 23:29).

he did evil in the sight of the LORD: The deep-rooted evil and turning away from faith of the time appeared even in Josiah’s sons (2 Kings 23:32, 37; 24:9, 19). The Lord planned to judge Judah (2 Kings 23:26–27), and this decision was justified and would soon happen.

Riblah was a strong administrative center in Aramean territory, located about sixty miles northeast of Damascus.

Eliakim … Jehoiakim: Neco followed the Assyrian tradition of demanding a loyalty oath and giving a new name to the local leader.

Jehoiakim, Jehoahaz’s older brother (see 2 Kings 23:31), ruled for eleven years from 609 to 598 BC.

did evil: The book of Jeremiah describes Jehoiakim as completely unfaithful (see Jeremiah 22:13–23; 25:1–14; 26:20–23; 36:1–32).