2 Chronicles 34

2 Chronicles · Chapter 34

2 Chronicles 34:20

1Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem one and thirty years.2And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the ways of David his father, and declined neither to the right hand, nor to the left.3For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David his father: and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images.4And they brake down the altars of Baalim in his presence; and the images, that were on high above them, he cut down; and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images, he brake in pieces, and made dust of them, and strowed it upon the graves of them that had sacrificed unto them.5And he burnt the bones of the priests upon their altars, and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem.6And so did he in the cities of Manasseh, and Ephraim, and Simeon, even unto Naphtali, with their mattocks round about.7And when he had broken down the altars and the groves, and had beaten the graven images into powder, and cut down all the idols throughout all the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem.8Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had purged the land, and the house, he sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, and Maaseiah the governor of the city, and Joah the son of Joahaz the recorder, to repair the house of the LORD his God.9And when they came to Hilkiah the high priest, they delivered the money that was brought into the house of God, which the Levites that kept the doors had gathered of the hand of Manasseh and Ephraim, and of all the remnant of Israel, and of all Judah and Benjamin; and they returned to Jerusalem.10And they put it in the hand of the workmen that had the oversight of the house of the LORD, and they gave it to the workmen that wrought in the house of the LORD, to repair and amend the house:11Even to the artificers and builders gave they it, to buy hewn stone, and timber for couplings, and to floor the houses which the kings of Judah had destroyed.12And the men did the work faithfully: and the overseers of them were Jahath and Obadiah, the Levites, of the sons of Merari; and Zechariah and Meshullam, of the sons of the Kohathites, to set it forward; and other of the Levites, all that could skill of instruments of musick.13Also they were over the bearers of burdens, and were overseers of all that wrought the work in any manner of service: and of the Levites there were scribes, and officers, and porters.14And when they brought out the money that was brought into the house of the LORD, Hilkiah the priest found a book of the law of the LORD given by Moses.15And Hilkiah answered and said to Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of the LORD. And Hilkiah delivered the book to Shaphan.16And Shaphan carried the book to the king, and brought the king word back again, saying, All that was committed to thy servants, they do it.17And they have gathered together the money that was found in the house of the LORD, and have delivered it into the hand of the overseers, and to the hand of the workmen.18Then Shaphan the scribe told the king, saying, Hilkiah the priest hath given me a book. And Shaphan read it before the king.19And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the law, that he rent his clothes.20And the king commanded Hilkiah, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Abdon the son of Micah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah a servant of the king’s, saying,21Go, enquire of the LORD for me, and for them that are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book that is found: for great is the wrath of the LORD that is poured out upon us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the LORD, to do after all that is written in this book.22And Hilkiah, and they that the king had appointed, went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvath, the son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe; (now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the college:) and they spake to her to that effect.23And she answered them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Tell ye the man that sent you to me,24Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, even all the curses that are written in the book which they have read before the king of Judah:25Because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands; therefore my wrath shall be poured out upon this place, and shall not be quenched.26And as for the king of Judah, who sent you to enquire of the LORD, so shall ye say unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel concerning the words which thou hast heard;27Because thine heart was tender, and thou didst humble thyself before God, when thou heardest his words against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, and humbledst thyself before me, and didst rend thy clothes, and weep before me; I have even heard thee also, saith the LORD.28Behold, I will gather thee to thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered to thy grave in peace, neither shall thine eyes see all the evil that I will bring upon this place, and upon the inhabitants of the same. So they brought the king word again.29Then the king sent and gathered together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem.30And the king went up into the house of the LORD, and all the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the priests, and the Levites, and all the people, great and small: and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant that was found in the house of the LORD.31And the king stood in his place, and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD, and to keep his commandments, and his testimonies, and his statutes, with all his heart, and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant which are written in this book.32And he caused all that were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand to it. And the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers.33And Josiah took away all the abominations out of all the countries that pertained to the children of Israel, and made all that were present in Israel to serve, even to serve the LORD their God. And all his days they departed not from following the LORD, the God of their fathers.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
20And the king commanded Hilkiah, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Abdon the son of Micah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah a servant of the king’s, saying,and commanded Hilkiah, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Abdon son of Micah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the servant of the king:And the king commanded Hilkiah, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Abdon the son of Micah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king’s servant, saying,

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
and he commandedוַיְצַ֣וvay-TZAVH6680
to command

צָוָה (tsa.vah) 1) to command, charge, give orders, lay charge, give charge to, order 1a)(Piel) 1a1) to lay charge upon 1a2) to give charge to, give command to 1a3) to give charge unto 1a4) to give charge over, appoint 1a5) to give charge, command 1a6) to charge, command 1a7) to charge, commission 1a8) to command, appoint, ordain (of divine act) 1b) (Pual) to be commanded

the kingהַמֶּ֡לֶךְha-ME-lekhH4428G
king

מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) 1) king Aramaic equivalent: me.lekh (מֶ֫לֶךְ "king" H4430)

Hilkiahחִלְקִיָּ֡הוּchil-ki-YA-huH2518H
Hilkiah

חִלְקִיָּהוּ (chil.qiy.yah) A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 2Ki.22.4; son of: Shallum (H7967L); father of: Azariah (H5838L) and Gemariah (H1587) § Hilkiah = "my portion is Jehovah" 1) father of Eliakim, an officer of Hezekiah 2) high priest in the reign of Josiah 3) a Merarite Levite, son of Amzi 4) another Merarite Levite, 2nd son of Hosah 5) one of those who stood on the right of Ezra when he read the law and probably a Levite and a priest 6) a priest of Anathoth, father of the prophet Jeremiah 7) father of Gemariah who was one of Zedekiah's envoys to Babylon

Ahikamאֲחִיקָ֣ם'a-chi-KAMH0296
Ahikam

אֲחִיקָם (a.chi.qam) A man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 2Ki.22.12; son of: Shaphan (H8227B); brother of: Elasah (H0501J) and Gemariah (H1587H); father of: Gedaliah (H1436B) § Ahikam = "my brother has risen (arisen)" 1) son of Shaphan, an officer in Josiah's reign 2) protector of Jeremiah 3) father of Gedaliah

[the] son ofבֶּן־be-no-SHA-H1121A
son: child

בֵּן (ben) : child/son

Shaphanשָׁ֠פָןSHA-fanH8227B
Shaphan

שָׁפָן (sha.phan) A man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 2Ki.22.3; son of: Azaliah (H0683); father of: Ahikam (H0296), Elasah (H0501J), Gemariah (H1587H) § Shaphan = "coney" 1) secretary or scribe of king Josiah of Judah 2) father of Ahikam in the time of king Josiah of Judah 2a) improbably the same as 2 3) father of Elasah in the time of the prophet Jeremiah 3a) perhaps the same as 3 4) a scribe and father of Gemariah 4a) perhaps the same as 2 5) father of Jaazaniah in the time of Ezekiel 5a) perhaps the same as 2

Abdonעַבְדּ֨וֹןav-DONH5658K
Abdon

עַבְדּוֹן (av.don) Abdon = "servile" a city in Asher allotted to the Gershonite Levites; located 10 miles (16 km) north of Accho; modern 'Abdeh' Also named: ev.ron (עֶבְרֹן "Ebron" H5683)

[the] son ofבֶּן־ben-H1121A
son: child

בֵּן (ben) : child/son

Micahמִיכָ֜הmi-KHAHH4318M
Micah

מִיכָה (mi.khah) A man living before Israel's Monarchy, first mentioned at Jdg.17.1 Also named: mi.kha.ye.hu (מִיכָֽיְהוּ "Micah" H4321I) § Micah or Micaiah or Michah = "who is like God" 1) the 6th in order of the minor prophets; a native of Moresheth, he prophesied during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah of Judah, and was contemporary with the prophets Hosea, Amos, and Isaiah 2) an Ephraimite during the period of the judges 3) a descendant of Joel the Reubenite 4) son of Meribbaal and grandson of Jonathan 5) a Kohathite Levite, the eldest son of Uzziel the brother of Amram …

Shaphanשָׁפָ֣ןsha-FANH8227B
Shaphan

שָׁפָן (sha.phan) A man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 2Ki.22.3; son of: Azaliah (H0683); father of: Ahikam (H0296), Elasah (H0501J), Gemariah (H1587H) § Shaphan = "coney" 1) secretary or scribe of king Josiah of Judah 2) father of Ahikam in the time of king Josiah of Judah 2a) improbably the same as 2 3) father of Elasah in the time of the prophet Jeremiah 3a) perhaps the same as 3 4) a scribe and father of Gemariah 4a) perhaps the same as 2 5) father of Jaazaniah in the time of Ezekiel 5a) perhaps the same as 2

the scribeהַסּוֹפֵ֗רha-so-FERH5608B
secretary

סֹפֵר (so.pher) 1) enumerator, muster-officer, secretary, scribe 1a) enumerator, muster-officer, secretary 1b) learned man, scribe Aramaic equivalent: sa.pher (סָפִר "scribe" H5613)

Asaiahעֲשָׂיָ֥ה'a-sa-YAHH6222G
Asaiah

עֲשָׂיָה (a.sa.yah) A man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 2Ki.22.12; also called in KJV: Asahiah; § Asaiah or Asahiah = "made by Jehovah" 1) a prince of the tribe of Simeon in the time of king Hezekiah of Judah 2) a servant of king Josiah of Judah 3) a Merarite Levite, chief of his family, in the time of David

[the] servant ofעֶֽבֶד־'e-ved-H5650
servant/slave

עֲבַד (a.vad) servant, slave Aramaic of e.ved (עֶ֫בֶד "servant/slave" H5650)

the kingהַמֶּ֖לֶךְha-ME-lekhH4428G
king

מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) 1) king Aramaic equivalent: me.lekh (מֶ֫לֶךְ "king" H4430)

to sayingלֵאמֹֽר׃le-MORH0559
to say

אָמַר (a.mar) 1) to say, speak, utter 1a) (Qal) to say, to answer, to say in one's heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend 1b) (Niphal) to be told, to be said, to be called 1c) (Hithpael) to boast, to act proudly 1d) (Hiphil) to avow, to avouch Aramaic equivalent: a.mar (אֲמַר "to say" H0560)

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.