Bible Commentaries
2 Chronicles 35

Verses 1-27

2 Chronicles 35:1 Moreover Josiah kept a passover unto the LORD in Jerusalem: and they killed the passover on the fourteenth day of the first month.

2 Chronicles 35:1 Comments - The keeping of the Passover took place in the eighteenth year of Josiah’s reign, approximately 622 B.C. (see 2 Chronicles 35:19). This was in accordance to the commandment of Moses, in the month Abib, which corresponds to April/May.

2 Chronicles 35:19, “In the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah was this passover kept.”

Leviticus 23:5, “In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the LORD'S passover.”

Numbers 9:5, “And they kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the first month at even in the wilderness of Sinai: according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so did the children of Israel.”

Numbers 28:16, “And in the fourteenth day of the first month is the passover of the LORD.”

Deuteronomy 16:1, “Observe the month of Abib, and keep the passover unto the LORD thy God: for in the month of Abib the LORD thy God brought thee forth out of Egypt by night.”

2 Chronicles 35:3 And said unto the Levites that taught all Israel, which were holy unto the LORD, Put the holy ark in the house which Solomon the son of David king of Israel did build; it shall not be a burden upon your shoulders: serve now the LORD your God, and his people Israel,

2 Chronicles 35:3 Comments - Note similar words of King David, which interpret this passage to mean that the children of Israel were entering into rest so that they no longer needed to carry the vessels of the Tabernacle (1 Chronicles 23:25-26).

1 Chronicles 23:25-26, “For David said, The LORD God of Israel hath given rest unto his people, that they may dwell in Jerusalem for ever: And also unto the Levites; they shall no more carry the tabernacle, nor any vessels of it for the service thereof.”

Some scholars say that 2 Chronicles 35:3 implies that the Ark of the Covenant was taken and hidden during the times of evil kings.

2 Chronicles 35:4 And prepare yourselves by the houses of your fathers, after your courses, according to the writing of David king of Israel, and according to the writing of Solomon his son.

2 Chronicles 35:4 Comments - The division for the Levites into courses by King David, which included the porters and musicians, is found in 1 Chronicles 23-26. The commandments to the Levites from Solomon are referred to in 2 Chronicles 8:14:

2 Chronicles 8:14, “And he appointed, according to the order of David his father, the courses of the priests to their service, and the Levites to their charges, to praise and minister before the priests, as the duty of every day required: the porters also by their courses at every gate: for so had David the man of God commanded.”

2 Chronicles 35:4-6 Comments The Organization of the Service of the Temple - The Lord gave King David and King Solomon the wisdom to set in order the work of the Temple (2 Chronicles 35:4). Each Levite was given a task (2 Chronicles 35:5). So it is in the Kingdom of God. He has prepared a particular task for each believer to serve in the ministry. As each believer in the body of Christ submits to the Lord, the Holy Spirit will direct him into his unique place of service in the Body of Christ. Only then will be able to effectively prepare others for the work of the ministry (2 Chronicles 35:6).

2 Chronicles 35:15 And the singers the sons of Asaph were in their place, according to the commandment of David, and Asaph, and Heman, and Jeduthun the king's seer; and the porters waited at every gate; they might not depart from their service; for their brethren the Levites prepared for them.

2 Chronicles 35:15 “and Asaph, and Heman, and Jeduthun the king's seer” - Comments - Twelve psalms are credited to Asaph (Psalms 50, 73-83). One psalm is credited to Heman (Psalms 88:0). Three psalms are dedicated to Jeduthun (Psalms 39, 62, 77). Jeduthun prophesied with musical instruments (1 Chronicles 25:1). These three men were worship leaders in the Tabernacle (1 Chronicles 25:6, 2 Chronicles 5:12).

1 Chronicles 25:1, “Moreover David and the captains of the host separated to the service of the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who should prophesy with harps, with psalteries, and with cymbals : and the number of the workmen according to their service was:”

1 Chronicles 25:6, “All these were under the hands of their father for song in the house of the LORD, with cymbals, psalteries, and harps, for the service of the house of God, according to the king's order to Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman .”

2 Chronicles 5:12, “Also the Levites which were the singers, all of them of Asaph, of Heman, of Jeduthun , with their sons and their brethren, being arrayed in white linen, having cymbals and psalteries and harps, stood at the east end of the altar, and with them an hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets:)”

2 Chronicles 35:18 And there was no passover like to that kept in Israel from the days of Samuel the prophet; neither did all the kings of Israel keep such a passover as Josiah kept, and the priests, and the Levites, and all Judah and Israel that were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

2 Chronicles 35:18 Comments - Note the parallel passage in 2 Kings 23:22, which does not say “from the days of Samuel the prophet,” but rather “from the days of the judges.” We know from Scriptures that Samuel was the last judge over Israel (1 Samuel 7:15), so there appears to be no discrepancy between these two verses.

2 Kings 23:22, “Surely there was not holden such a passover from the days of the judges that judged Israel, nor in all the days of the kings of Israel, nor of the kings of Judah;”

1 Samuel 7:15, “And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life.”

2 Chronicles 35:19 In the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah was this passover kept.

2 Chronicles 35:19 Comments - The eighteenth year of Josiah’s reign was approximately 622 B.C.

2 Chronicles 35:20 After all this, when Josiah had prepared the temple, Necho king of Egypt came up to fight against Carchemish by Euphrates: and Josiah went out against him.

2 Chronicles 35:20 Comments - Scholars date the famous battle of Carchemish in 609 B.C. This would make Josiah about 39 years of age.