Bible Commentaries
2 Chronicles 35

Verses 1-19

Second Kings - Chapter 23 (cont’d.) AND Second Chronicles - Chapters 35,36

Josiah Sponsors Passover , 2 Chronicles 35:1-19

Josiah’s revival and attempted reformation went all the way. He prepared to keep the Passover as it had never been kept before, since the times of the judges. He was a stickler for doing all according to the law which had been forgotten so long. He planned the celebration of the Passover at the proper time in the fourteenth day of the first month. He began with the command to the priests to re-arrange the furniture of the temple as Moses had designated by command of the Lord. So the ark, which seems to have been removed from the holy of holies and possibly conveyed around the country, was taken back to its rightful place, and was not to be carried about anymore. They were to regroup themselves according to their Levitical orders and duties appointed them in the time of David and Solomon.

When these had prepared themselves they were to proceed with the observance of the Passover. They were to prepare themselves and their own houses and then to officiate for the people. For the Passover Josiah himself contributed thirty thousand lambs and kids and three thousand young bulls. A Iamb or a kid was to be offered for the Passover feast, while the bullock served as a sin offering for the priests and others of Israel’s leaders. The princes of Judah also made contribution of twenty-six hundred lambs and kids and three hundred oxen. The Levites contributed through their chieftains five thousand small cattle (sheep and goats) and five hundred oxen. So when the Passover date arrived these all stood in their places prepared to begin killing and preparing the Passover.

The priests took the blood and sprinkled it at the altar as the law required. The Levites took the carcasses and flayed (or skinned) them. It seems that the Passover lamb was roasted at the temple, taking precedence over the burnt offering. The other offerings were sod (or boiled) in pots, caldrons, and pans, and divided to the people. When the people had all been attended they turned to their own houses. The priests were occupied with the offerings of the people until late that night, burning the fat of their offerings on the altar in accord with the law’s requirement. Therefore the Levites prepared the lamb for themselves and for their brethren, the priests. Thus they did also for the singers and the porters who could not leave their positions in the choir and at the gates where they served in the office for which the Lord intended they should.

Thus the Passover was kept on its official day in strict aocord with the law they had neglected so long. All this was according to the commandment of the king. Once again it is notable that there is not the spontaneous enthusiasm among the people as had appeared in the time of Hezekiah. It seems obvious that people conformed because it was the command of the king. They did keep the Passover and feast of unleavened bread, which followed for seven days, in unprecedented manner since the times of Samuel the prophet, more than four hundred years before. Josiah’s observance outstripped those of David and Solomon, and that of Hezekiah, in magnitude, but evidently not in genuine spirituality.

Verses 20-27

see note on: 2 Kings 23:24