Overview of 2 Chronicles 34:1–35:27
The Josiah account begins with “While he was yet a boy, he began to seek the God of David his father” (2 Chron. 34:3) and ends with his reign being characterized by “his good deeds according to what is written in the Law of the Lord” (35:26). The narratives in Kings and Chronicles are of similar length and cover similar topics but vary greatly in detail, reflecting the different contexts of their early audiences. The closest similarities are seen in the narrating of the discovery of the “Book of the Law” during temple repairs (34:8–28; 2 Kings 22:3–20). For Kings, this becomes the key focus and leads to reforms that move in widening circles from temple, to city, to Judah, and to the whole land. Reform is an outworking of keeping God’s commandments as revealed in his law. Chronicles, however, begins with reforms in the land, moves to the temple, and culminates in a great Passover celebration. Chronicles includes more detail on the involvement of priests and Levites (e.g., 2 Chron. 34:12–13, 30; 35:2–15), and with stylistic variation the Chronicler repeatedly affirms the inclusiveness of all the people and all the land (34:6, 7, 9, 21, 33; 35:17–18). Reform leads to united celebration in the temple.
Chronicles, like Kings, does not mention the decline of Assyrian power beginning in the final years of Assurbanipal (d. 631 BC, the eighth year of Josiah’s reign; cf. comment on 35:20–27). There is no suggestion that the reforms had a nationalistic motivation, although the Assyrian decline did enable extension of Josiah’s control in the north (34:1–7, 33). Focus is not on geopolitical matters but on actions that exemplify worship of the Lord alone.
TABLE 3.22: Comparison of 2 Chronicles 34–35 and 2 Kings
| 2 Chronicles | 2 Kings | |
|---|---|---|
| Introduction: Josiah eight years old | 34:1–2 | 22:1–2 |
| Eighth year of reign: “began to seek God” | 34:3a | — |
| Twelfth year: began to purge high places in Judah and Israel | 34:3b–7 | — |
| Eighteenth year: orders to repair temple; money supplied | 34:8–11 | 22:3–7 |
| Levites involved | 34:12–13 | — |
| Finding of ‘Book of the Law’ and reading to the king; sending to Huldah; her message | 34:14–28 | 22:8–20 |
| Covenant renewal ceremony | 34:29–32 | 23:1–3 |
| Removal of idols from Israel | 34:33 | 23:4–20 |
| Celebration of Passover in eighteenth year | 35:1–19 | 23:21–23 |
| Removal of mediums, etc. | — | 23:24 |
| Commendatory summary, yet judgment not averted | — | 23:25–27 |
| Death in battle (despite warning) and burial | 35:20–24 | 23:29–30 |
| Jeremiah’s lament | 35:25 | — |
| Concluding formula | 35:26–27 | 23:28 |
Josiah is another example of faithfulness expressed in temple worship cleansed of idolatry and performed in accordance with the laws of Moses and the prescriptions of David (35:4, 6, 12, 15). He can be compared with Joash (24:1–27): both became king as a child, collected funds for temple renovations, and led in covenant renewal, but, unlike Joash, Josiah remained faithful “all his days” (34:33).1 A closer association is with Hezekiah (29:1–32:33): in Chronicles only these two kings are said to be like David in doing “what was right in the eyes of the Lord” (29:2; 34:2), with their reigns characterized by “good deeds” (32:32; 35:26; a form of Hb. hesed, “loyalty, kindness, steadfast love”); and both narratives focus on temple renovation leading to Passover celebration involving people from the whole land. Both kings showed some flaw late in their reign: Hezekiah’s led to his “humbl[ing] himself” and the averting of wrath (32:25–26), but Josiah’s led to his death, which through consequent Egyptian control was the beginning of the road to exile (35:20–24).2 For Kings, Josiah is the greatest king (2 Kings 23:25), while for Chronicles the Passover celebration is the pinnacle, “kept by Josiah, and the priests and the Levites, and all Judah and Israel who were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem” (2 Chron. 35:18).