וַיַּעַשׂ יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ בִירוּשָׁלִַם פֶּסַח לַיהוָה וַיִּשְׁחֲטוּ הַפֶּסַח בְּאַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר לַחֹדֶשׁ הָרִאשׁוֹן׃ 35:1
2Chr. 35:1 And Josiah made a Passover in Jerusalem to the Lord, and they slaughtered the Pascal lamb on the first month's fourteenth.
This verse and the next eighteen (to v. 35:19) describe the Passover that is mentioned in 2Kin. 23:21 to 23:23. Most of this description is missing from 2Kings.
וַיַּעֲמֵד הַכֹּהֲנִים עַל־מִשְׁמְרוֹתָם וַיְחַזְּקֵם לַעֲבוֹדַת בֵּית יְהוָה׃ 35:2
2Chr. 35:2 And he appointed the priests concerning their functions and restored their capacity for the service of the house of the Lord.
וַיֹּאמֶר לַלְוִיִּם (הַמְּבוּנִים) [הַמְּבִינִים] לְכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵל הַקְּדֹושִׁים לַיהוָה תְּנוּ אֶת־אֲרֹון־הַקֹּדֶשׁ בַּבַּיִת 35:3
אֲשֶׁר בָּנָה שְׁלֹמֹה בֶן־דָּוִיד מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֵין־לָכֶם מַשָּׂא בַּכָּתֵף עַתָּה עִבְדוּ אֶת־יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם וְאֵת עַמֹּו
יִשְׂרָאֵל׃
2Chr. 35:3 And he said to the Levites, the teachers for all Israel, who were holy to the Lord, “Put the holy ark in the house that Solomon son of David, king of Israel, had built. It will not be a burden on the shoulder for you. Now serve the Lord, your God, and His people, Israel.”
The word in the parentheses, meaning the teachers, is misspelled. The correction in the brackets replaces the vav with a yad. There’s a second problem in this verse: Where did the holy ark come from? Hadn’t it been lost or destroyed? From where could it have come at this late time in Israel’s history? I am a bit bewildered.
וְהִכֹּונוּ) [וְהָכִינוּ] לְבֵית־אֲבֹותֵיכֶם כְּמַחְלְקֹותֵיכֶם בִּכְתָב דָּוִיד מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל וּבְמִכְתַּב שְׁלֹמֹה בְנֹו׃ 35:4
2Chr. 35:4 “And be prepared according to the house of your fathers according to your courses in the document of David, king of Israel, and in the writing of Solomon, his son.”
I believe the word before the left parenthesis, translated as and be prepared, is not in error. The word in the brackets can be translated as and prepare. Both words are imperative verbs, and either word would be correct, so the “correction” is unnecessary.
וְעִמְדוּ בַקֹּדֶשׁ לִפְלֻגּוֹת בֵּית הָאָבוֹת לַאֲחֵיכֶם בְּנֵי הָעָם וַחֲלֻקַּת בֵּית־אָב לַלְוִיִּם׃ 35:5
2Chr. 35:5 “And remain in the holy place for the divisions of the house of the fathers, for your brethren, the children of the people, and a portion of the Levites' house of the father.”
וְשַׁחֲטוּ הַפָּסַח וְהִתְקַדְּשׁוּ וְהָכִינוּ לַאֲחֵיכֶם לַעֲשׂוֹת כִּדְבַר־יְהוָה בְּיַד־מֹשֶׁה׃ 35:6
2Chr. 35:6 “And slaughter the Pascal lamb, and sanctify yourselves, and be ready, for your brethren, to do according to the word of the Lord by the hand of Moses.”
וַיָּרֶם יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ לִבְנֵי הָעָם צֹאן כְּבָשִׂים וּבְנֵי־עִזִּים הַכֹּל לַפְּסָחִים לְכָל־הַנִּמְצָא לְמִסְפַּר שְׁלֹשִׁים אֶלֶף 35:7
וּבָקָר שְׁלֹשֶׁת אֲלָפִים אֵלֶּה מֵרְכוּשׁ הַמֶּלֶךְ׃
2Chr. 35:7 And Josiah contributed sheep, young rams, and kids, for the children of the people entirely for Passover sacrifices for everyone present, numbering thirty thousand, and oxen three thousand; these were from the property of the king.
וְשָׂרָיו לִנְדָבָה לָעָם לַכֹּהֲנִים וְלַלְוִיִּם הֵרִימוּ חִלְקִיָּה וּזְכַרְיָהוּ וִיחִיאֵל נְגִידֵי בֵּית הָאֱלֹהִים לַכֹּהֲנִים נָתְנוּ 35:8
לַפְּסָחִים אַלְפַּיִם וְשֵׁשׁ מֵאוֹת וּבָקָר שְׁלֹשׁ מֵאוֹת׃
2Chr. 35:8 And his princes contributed for a free-will offering for the people, for the priests, and for the Levites. Hilkiah and Zechariah and Jehiel, the leaders of the house of God, gave to the priests for Passover two thousand and six hundred offerings, and three hundred oxen,
וְכָונַנְיָהוּ) [וְכָנַנְיָהוּ] וּשְׁמַעְיָהוּ וּנְתַנְאֵל אֶחָיו וַחֲשַׁבְיָהוּ וִיעִיאֵל וְיֹוזָבָד שָׂרֵי הַלְוִיִּם הֵרִימוּ לַלְוִיִּם 35:9
לַפְּסָחִים חֲמֵשֶׁת אֲלָפִים וּבָקָר חֲמֵשׁ מֵאֹות׃
2Chr. 35:9 and Conaniah, and Shemaiah and Nethanel, his brethren, and Hashabiah and Jeiel and Jozabad, the leaders of the Levites, contributed to the Levites five thousand offerings for Passover, and five hundred oxen.
Once more we have a questionable error that is flagged. The word before the left parenthesis is the name Conaniah. A name similar to it appears in 1Chr. 15:22, and it is spelled the same as the “correction” in the brackets, but it is of a different person. If there is an “error,” it is not in the spelling but in the vowel points beneath the caph, and above the second vav, and I don’t indicate such as errors, because the vowel points were added centuries after these books were written and canonized. [Return to 2Chr. 31:12]
וַתִּכּוֹן הָעֲבוֹדָה וַיַּעַמְדוּ הַכֹּהֲנִים עַל־עָמְדָם וְהַלְוִיִּם עַל־מַחְלְקוֹתָם כְּמִצְוַת הַמֶּלֶךְ׃ 35:10
2Chr. 35:10 Then the service was prepared and the priests and the Levites stood at their place according to their courses after the commandment of the king.
וַיִּשְׁחֲטוּ הַפָּסַח וַיִּזְרְקוּ הַכֹּהֲנִים מִיָּדָם וְהַלְוִיִּם מַפְשִׁיטִים׃ 35:11
2Chr. 35:11 And they slaughtered the Pascal lamb, and the priests sprinkled from their hand, and the Levites were flaying.
What is this? The Passover requirement is for the pascal lamb to be slaughtered in the home (tent?), not by the priests and/or the Levites in the Temple. The slaughtered remains are not to be removed from the home and nothing should be left over. It seems like they didn’t read or understand all of Exodus Chapter 12.
וַיָּסִירוּ הָעֹלָה לְתִתָּם לְמִפְלַגּוֹת לְבֵית־אָבוֹת לִבְנֵי הָעָם לְהַקְרִיב לַיהוָה כַּכָּתוּב בְּסֵפֶר מֹשֶׁה וְכֵן 35:12
לַבָּקָר׃
2Chr. 35:12 And they put aside parts of the burnt offering to give them to the divisions for a house of the fathers for the children of the people to bring near to the Lord as written in the scroll of Moses; and it was so for the oxen.
וַיְבַשְּׁלוּ הַפֶּסַח בָּאֵשׁ כַּמִּשְׁפָּט וְהַקֳּדָשִׁים בִּשְּׁלוּ בַּסִּירוֹת וּבַדְּוָדִים וּבַצֵּלָחוֹת וַיָּרִיצוּ לְכָל־בְּנֵי הָעָם׃ 35:13
2Chr. 35:13 And they roasted the Pascal lamb in fire according to ordinance and the soaked holy offerings in pots and in kettles and in pans that they took quickly to all the children of the people.
וְאַחַר הֵכִינוּ לָהֶם וְלַכֹּהֲנִים כִּי הַכֹּהֲנִים בְּנֵי אַהֲרֹן בְּהַעֲלוֹת הָעוֹלָה וְהַחֲלָבִים עַד־לָיְלָה וְהַלְוִיִּם 35:14
הֵכִינוּ לָהֶם וְלַכֹּהֲנִים בְּנֵי אַהֲרֹן׃
2Chr. 35:14 And afterward they prepared for themselves, and for the priests because the priests, the sons of Aaron, were in the midst of offering the burnt offering and the pieces of fat until the night, so the Levites prepared for themselves and for the priests, the sons of Aaron.
וְהַמְשֹׁרֲרִים בְּנֵי־אָסָף עַל־מַעֲמָדָם כְּמִצְוַת דָּוִיד וְאָסָף וְהֵימָן וִידֻתוּן חֹוזֵה הַמֶּלֶךְ וְהַשֹּׁעֲרִים לְשַׁעַר 35:15
וָשָׁעַר אֵין לָהֶם לָסוּר מֵעַל עֲבֹדָתָם כִּי־אֲחֵיהֶם הַלְוִיִּם הֵכִינוּ לָהֶם׃
2Chr. 35:15 And the singers, the sons of Asaph, were into their function according to the commandment of David, with Asaph and Heman and Jeduthun, the seer of the king, and the gatekeepers were at every gate. It was not necessary for them to depart from their service, for their brethren, the Levites, prepared for them.
וַתִּכּוֹן כָּל־עֲבוֹדַת יְהוָה בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא לַעֲשׂוֹת הַפֶּסַח וְהַעֲלוֹת עֹלוֹת עַל מִזְבַּח יְהוָה כְּמִצְוַת הַמֶּלֶךְ 35:16
יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ׃
2Chr. 35:16 So the entire service of the Lord was prepared on that day to celebrate the Passover and to offer burnt offerings on the altar of the Lord, according to the commandment of the king, Josiah.
וַיַּעֲשׂוּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל הַנִּמְצְאִים אֶת־הַפֶּסַח בָּעֵת הַהִיא וְאֶת־חַג הַמַּצּוֹת שִׁבְעַת יָמִים׃ 35:17
2Chr. 35:17 And the children of Israel who were present celebrated the Passover, the feast of unleavened bread, at that time seven days.
וְלֹא־נַעֲשָׂה פֶסַח כָּמֹהוּ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל מִימֵי שְׁמוּאֵל הַנָּבִיא וְכָל־מַלְכֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא־עָשׂוּ כַּפֶּסַח 35:18
אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂה יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ וְהַכֹּהֲנִים וְהַלְוִיִּם וְכָל־יְהוּדָה וְיִשְׂרָאֵל הַנִּמְצָא וְיוֹשְׁבֵי יְרוּשָׁלִָם׃
2Chr. 35:18 And no Passover like that had been observed in Israel since the days of Samuel, the prophet; nor had all the kings of Israel observed such a Passover that Josiah observed, with the priests and the Levites and everyone of Judah and Israel who was present and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
בִּשְׁמוֹנֶה עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה לְמַלְכוּת יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ נַעֲשָׂה הַפֶּסַח הַזֶּה׃ 35:19
2Chr. 35:19 This Passover was observed in the eighteenth year into the reign of Josiah.
אַחֲרֵי כָל־זֹאת אֲשֶׁר הֵכִין יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ אֶת־הַבַּיִת עָלָה נְכוֹ מֶלֶךְ־מִצְרַיִם לְהִלָּחֵם בְּכַרְכְּמִישׁ עַל־פְּרָת 35:20
וַיֵּצֵא לִקְרָאתוֹ יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ׃
2Chr. 35:20 After all this when Josiah had prepared the house, Neco, king of Egypt, came up to fight with Carchemish beside the Euphrates, and Josiah went forth to meet him.
This verse and the next three bear some similarity to 2Kin. 23:29.
וַיִּשְׁלַח אֵלָיו מַלְאָכִים לֵאמֹר מַה־לִּי וָלָךְ מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה לֹא־עָלֶיךָ אַתָּה הַיּוֹם כִּי אֶל־בֵּית מִלְחַמְתִּי 35:21
וֵאלֹהִים אָמַר לְבַהֲלֵנִי חֲדַל־לְךָ מֵאֱלֹהִים אֲשֶׁר־עִמִּי וְאַל־יַשְׁחִיתֶךָ׃
2Chr. 35:21 And he sent messengers to him to say, “What is concerning me and you, king of Judah? I am not against you today, but I make battle against a house that God has said to hurry me; leave God Who is with me alone, or He will destroy you.”
וְלֹא־הֵסֵב יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ פָנָיו מִמֶּנּוּ כִּי לְהִלָּחֵם־בּוֹ הִתְחַפֵּשׂ וְלֹא שָׁמַע אֶל־דִּבְרֵי נְכוֹ מִפִּי אֱלֹהִים 35:22
וַיָּבֹא לְהִלָּחֵם בְּבִקְעַת מְגִדּוֹ׃
2Chr. 35:22 But Josiah did not turn his face from him, but he disguised himself to battle with him, and did not listen to the words of Neco from the mouth of God and came to battle on the plain of Megiddo.
וַיֹּרוּ הַיֹּרִים לַמֶּלֶךְ יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ לַעֲבָדָיו הַעֲבִירוּנִי כִּי הָחֳלֵיתִי מְאֹד׃ 35:23
2Chr. 35:23 And the archers shot toward king Josiah. And the king said to his servants, “Take me away, for I am greatly wounded.”
וַיַּעֲבִירֻהוּ עֲבָדָיו מִן־הַמֶּרְכָּבָה וַיַּרְכִּיבֻהוּ עַל רֶכֶב הַמִּשְׁנֶה אֲשֶׁר־לוֹ וַיּוֹלִיכֻהוּ יְרוּשָׁלִַם וַיָּמָת 35:24
וַיִּקָּבֵר בְּקִבְרוֹת אֲבֹתָיו וְכָל־יְהוּדָה וִירוּשָׁלִַם מִתְאַבְּלִים עַל־יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ׃
2Chr. 35:24 So his servants took him away from the chariot and put him into a second chariot that was his and brought him to Jerusalem, and he died. And he was buried among the sepulchers of his forefathers, and all Judah and Jerusalem were mourning over Josiah.
Another version of this verse appears in 2Kin. 23:30.
וַיְקוֹנֵן יִרְמְיָהוּ עַל־יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ וַיֹּאמְרוּ כָל־הַשָּׁרִים וְהַשָּׁרוֹת בְּקִינוֹתֵיהֶם עַל־יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ עַד־הַיּוֹם וַיִּתְּנוּם 35:25
לְחֹק עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵל וְהִנָּם כְּתוּבִים עַל־הַקִּינוֹת׃
2Chr. 35:25 And Jeremiah lamented over Josiah, and all the male singers and female singers have spoken in their lamentations about Josiah until today, and they set for themselves an ordinance concerning Israel, and behold, they have been written into the lamentations.
וְיֶתֶר דִּבְרֵי יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ וַחֲסָדָיו כַּכָּתוּב בְּתוֹרַת יְהוָה׃ 35:26
2Chr. 35:26 And the rest of the acts of Josiah and his good deeds according to the writing in the Torah of the Lord,
וּדְבָרָיו הָרִאשֹׁנִים וְהָאַחֲרֹנִים הִנָּם כְּתוּבִים עַל־סֵפֶר מַלְכֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל וִיהוּדָה׃ 35:27
2Chr. 35:27 and his acts, the first as well as the last, behold, they have been written on the scroll of the kings of Israel and Judah.
Much of the information in these last two verses, 35:26 and 27, is found in 2Kin. 23:28., except the kings of Israel are not mentioned there.
[Return to 2Chronicles Chapters] [Prev.: 2Chr. 34] [Next: 2Chr. 36]
