2 Chronicles 34

2 Chronicles 34:3

eighth year] Being then sixteen years old; and before that, the father of Eliakim or Iehojakim, 2 Kings XXIII. 36. and chap. XXII. 1. compared together.

twelfth year] Himself being then twenty.

2 Chronicles 34:6

cities of Manasseh] Remanants then of the Israelites; for the body of the ten tribes were formerly carried away captives, and the Kingdome exterminated.

2 Chronicles 34:8

eighteenth year] This Reformation and Covenant made, and Passeover kept, chap. XXXV. 19. And yet from this, or rather from the twelfth year above mentioned begins that reckoning of the sinne of Iudah, Ezek. IV. 6. For under so good a King yet the people continued obstinately wicked; as appears in Ieremie, who began to prophesie in the thirteenth year of Iosiah’s reigne, Ier. I. 2. and XXV. 3. and ch. III. 6. And Iosiah only caused, and made them outwardly to obey, 2 Chron. XXXIV. 32, 33.

the Houses] The Houses of the Priests, which adjoyned to the Temple; and of the Levites, which adjoyned to the Courts.

2 Chronicles 34:13

Levites Scribes] 1 Chron. XXIV. 6. Ezra VII. 6. 21. Neh. VIII. 9. and chap. XII. 26. and XIII. 13. See the Annotation on 1 Kings IV. 3. More fully, thus; we read in the Old Testament of severall persons that were Scribes; some, Scribes of Kings, or their Secretaries; So David had one; And Solomon two, Ioash one, 2 Kings XII. 10.

Iosiah one, 2 Kings XXII. 3. Of Ionathan Davids Uncle, that he was a Counseller, a wise man, and a Scribe, 1 Chron. XXVII. 32. And of Baruch, that he was Ieremies Scribe. And of families of Scribes, that dwelt at Jabez in the tribe of Iudah, and were of the posterity of Iethro, 1 Chron. II. 55. But why so called, or what their Office was, whether as Publike Notaries, Scriveners, or Transcribers of the Law, or what else, it appears not. Here in Iosiah’s time we finde that in his businesse of repairing the house of the Lord, there were appointed of the Levites Scribes.

And in Nehemiah’s time he made Treasurers over the Treasuries [in the Lords House] Shelemiah the Priest, and Zadok the Scribe. And in his time also was that famous Ezra, a Priest, sonne of the High Priest Serajah slaine by Nebuchadnezzar, and the same a ready Scribe in the Law of Moses, a Scribe of the Law of the God of Heaven, of the words of the Commandments of the Lord, and of his Statutes to Israel; and the same a publick Reader, and Teacher of the Law. In the New Testament we finde them much more mentioned; and to be of more esteeme; and themselves affected Preheminence and precedencies, Mark. XII. 38, 39. Here they are often joyned with the Chief Priests, and Elders, and often with the Pharisees. They pretended to extraordinary holinesse, as the Pharisees did; whence is that, Matth.

V. 20. and Acts XXIII. 9. They were of the Pharisees part against the Sadduces.

Yea he that is called a Scribe, Marke XII. 28. the same is called a Pharisee, and a Lawyer, Matth. XXII. 34, 35. We read not that they were of the Sect of the Sadduces, or Essenes. But we finde them to joyne with all the rest, to question, to pose, and oppose our Saviour, to entangle and insnare him by Questions, to charge his miracles to be done by Belzebub; Himself, with Blasphemy; to apprehend and binde him; to condemne him in the Councel; to deliver him to Pilate; to accuse him before Herod; to prosecute him to death; to mock him upon the Crosse. And we finde that these Scribes sate in Moses-chair, Matth. XXIII. 2. and were Preachers and Teachers of the people, Mat. VII. 29. and XIII. 52. And likely were all of the tribe of Levi.

2 Chronicles 34:19

rent his clothes] See the Annotations on 2 Kings XXII. 8.

2 Chronicles 34:22

Huldah the Prophetesse] See the Observations on Zeph. III. 4. The High Priest Hilkiah is here sent to her; she being an extraordinary Prophetesse, so near at hand.