John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 1. Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign , etc.] And must be born when his father was but sixteen, for Amon lived but twenty four years, ( 2 Kings 21:19), and he reigned thirty and one years in Jerusalem ; and so must die at thirty nine years of age: and his mother’s name was Jedidah, the daughter of Adaiah of Boscath ; a city of the tribe of Judah, (see Gill on “ Joshua 15:39”).
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-10 - The different event of Josiah's early succession from that of Manasseh must be ascribed to the distinguishing grace of God; yet probably the persons that trained him up were instruments in producing thi difference. His character was most excellent. Had the people joined in the reformation as heartily as he persevered in it, blessed effect would have followed. But they were wicked, and had become fools in idolatry. We do not obtain full knowledge of the state of Judah from the historical records, unless we refer to the writings of the prophet who lived at the time. In repairing the temple, the book of the law wa found, and brought to the king. It seems, this book of the law was los and missing; carelessly mislaid and neglected, as some throw their Bibles into corners, or maliciously concealed by some of the idolaters God's care of the Bible plainly shows his interest in it. Whether thi was the only copy in being or not, the things contained in it were new both to the king and to the high priest. No summaries, extracts, or collections out of the Bible, can convey and preserve the knowledge of God and his will, like the Bible itself. It was no marvel that the people were so corrupt, when the book of the law was so scarce; the that corrupted them, no doubt, used arts to get that book out of their hands. The abundance of Bibles we possess aggravates our national sins for what greater contempt of God can we show, than to refuse to rea his word when put into our hands, or, reading it, not to believe an obey it? By the holy law is the knowledge of sin, and by the blesse gospel is the knowledge of salvation. When the former is understood in its strictness and excellence, the sinner begins to inquire, What mus I do to be saved? And the ministers of the gospel point out to his Jesus Christ, as the end of the law for righteousness to every one tha believeth.
Original Hebrew בן1121 שׁמנה8083 שׁנה8141 יאשׁיהו2977 במלכו4427 ושׁלשׁים7970 ואחת259 שׁנה8141 מלך4427 בירושׁלם3389 ושׁם8034 אמו517 ידידה3040 בת1323 עדיה5718 מבצקת׃1218
