John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 7. And when he had broken down the altars and the groves , etc.] The statues or images in them: and had beaten the graven images into powder ; and strewed it on the graves of the idolaters: and cut down all the idols throughout all the land of Israel ; the sun images as in ( 2 Chronicles 34:4), he returned to Jerusalem ; this tour of his throughout the whole land, and the things done by him, which are represented as done before the repairs of the temple were made, and the book of the law found and read, and the covenant he and his people made with the Lord, are spoken of in ( Kings 23:4-20), as if done after.
Matthew Henry Commentary
- Josiah's good reign in Judah.
--As the years of infancy cannot be useful to our fellow-creatures, ou earliest youth should be dedicated to God, that we may not waste any of the remaining short space of life. Happy and wise are those who see the Lord and prepare for usefulness at an early age, when others ar pursuing sinful pleasures, contracting bad habits, and forming ruinou connexions. Who can express the anguish prevented by early piety, an its blessed effects? Diligent self-examination and watchfulness wil convince us of the deceitfulness and wickedness of our own hearts, an the sinfulness of our lives. We are here encouraged to humble ourselve before God, and to seek unto him, as Josiah did. And believers are her taught, not to fear death, but to welcome it, when it takes them awa from the evil to come. Nothing hastens the ruin of a people, nor ripen them for it, more than their disregard of the attempts made for their reformation. Be not deceived, God is not mocked. The current and tid of affections only turns at the command of Him who raises up those tha are dead in trespasses and sins. We behold peculiar loveliness, in the grace the Lord bestows on those, who in tender years seek to know an to love the Saviour. Hath Jesus, the Day-spring from on high, visite you? Can you trace your knowledge of this light and life of man, lik Josiah, from your youth? Oh the unspeakable happiness of becomin acquainted with Jesus from our earliest years _________________________________________________
Original Hebrew וינתץ5422 את853 המזבחות4196 ואת853 האשׁרים842 והפסלים6456 כתת3807 להדק1854 וכל3605 החמנים2553 גדע1438 בכל3605 ארץ776 ישׂראל3478 וישׁב7725 לירושׁלם׃3389
