In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek the God of his forefather David, and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the shrines, the sacred posts,bsacred posts See note at 14.2. the idols, and the molten images.
At his bidding, they demolished the altars of the Baals, and he had the incense stands above them cut down; he smashed the sacred posts, the idols, and the images, ground them into dust, and strewed it onto the graves of those who had sacrificed to them.
he demolished the altars and the sacred posts and smashed the idols and ground them into dust; and he hewed down all the incense stands throughout the land of Israel. Then he returned to Jerusalem.
In the eighteenth year of his reign, after purging the land and the House, he commissioned Shaphan son of Azaliah, Maaseiah the governor of the city, and Joah son of Joahaz the recorder to repair the House of the ETERNAL his God.
They came to the high priest Hilkiah and delivered to him the silver brought to the House of God, which the Levites, the guards of the threshold, had collected from Manasseh and Ephraim and from all the remnant of Israel and from all Judah and Benjamin and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.cthe inhabitants of Jerusalem With kethib and ancient versions; qere, “they returned to Jerusalem.”
They delivered it into the custody of the overseers who were in charge at the House of GOD, and the overseers who worked in the House of GOD spent it on examining and repairing the House.
They paid it out to the artisans and the masons to buy quarried stone and wood for the couplings and for making roof-beams for the buildings that the kings of Judah had allowed to fall into ruin.
Those involved did the work honestly; over them were appointed the Levites Jahath and Obadiah, of the sons of Merari, and Zechariah and Meshullam, of the sons of Kohath, to supervise; while other Levites, all the master musicians,
“Go, inquire of GOD on my behalf and on behalf of those who remain in Israel and Judah concerning the words of the scroll that has been found, for great indeed must be GOD’s wrath that has been poured down upon us because our ancestors did not obey the word of GOD and do all that is written in this scroll.”
Hilkiah and those whom the king [had ordered] went to the prophetess Huldah, wife of Shallum son of Tokhath son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe, who was living in Jerusalem in the Mishneh,dMishneh A quarter in Jerusalem; cf. Zeph. 1.10. and spoke to her accordingly.
Word-by-Word Analysis
וילך
66
חלקיהו
159
ואשר
507
המלך
95
אלחלדה
78
הנביאה
73
אשת
701
שלם
370
בןתקהת
957
תוקהת
911
בןחסרה
325
שומר
546
הבגדים
64
והיא
22
יושבת
718
בירושלם
588
במשנה
397
וידברו
228
אליה
46
כזאת
428
II Chronicles 34:23
Gematria: 3590
ותאמרלהםכהאמריהוהאלהיישראלאמרולאישאשרשלחאתכםאליס
She responded to them: “Thus said the ETERNAL God of Israel: Say to the one who sent you to Me,
‘Thus said GOD: I am going to bring disaster upon this place and its inhabitants—all the curses that are written in the scroll that was read to the king of Judah—
because they forsook Me and made offerings to other gods in order to vex Me with all the works of their hands; My wrath shall be poured out against this place and not be quenched.’
since your heart was softened and you humbled yourself before God when you heard MyeMy Heb. 3rd person. words concerning this place and its inhabitants, and you humbled yourself before Me and tore your clothes and wept before Me, I for My part have listened, declares GOD.
Assuredly, I will gather you to your ancestors, and you will be laid in your grave in peace; your eyes shall see nothing of the disaster that I will bring upon this place and its inhabitants.’” They reported this back to the king.
Word-by-Word Analysis
הנני
115
אספך
161
אלאבתיך
464
ונאספת
597
אלקברותיך
769
בשלום
378
ולאתראינה
703
עיניך
160
בכל
52
הרעה
280
אשר
501
אני
61
מביא
53
עלהמקום
291
הזה
17
ועלישביו
434
וישיבו
334
אתהמלך
496
דברס
266
II Chronicles 34:29
Gematria: 1846
וישלחהמלךויאסףאתכלזקנייהודהוירושלם
Then the king sent word and assembled all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem.
The king went up to the House of GOD with the entire citizenry of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the priests and the Levites—all the people, young and old—and he read to them the entire text of the covenant scroll that was found in the House of GOD.
The king stood in his place and solemnized the covenant before GOD: to follow GOD and to observe God’s commandments, injunctions, and laws with all his heart and soul, to fulfill all the terms of the covenant written in this scroll.
He obligated all the people of Jerusalem and Benjamin who were present; and the inhabitants of Jerusalem acted in accord with the Covenant of God, God of their ancestors.
Josiah removed all the abominations from the whole territory of the Israelites and obliged all who were in Israel to worship the ETERNAL their God. Throughout his reign they did not deviate from following the ETERNAL God of their ancestors.