Bible Chapter Summary
2 Chronicles 35 Summary
Josiah's Passover and Death in Battle
Josiah keeps a great Passover unto the LORD, instructing the Levites to put the holy ark in the house and the priests to sanctify themselves for service. He gives lavishly from his own substance and his princes contribute willingly, providing thirty thousand lambs and kids and three thousand bullocks for Passover offerings. The service is prepared with the priests standing in their place and Levites in their courses, the Passover roasted with fire, and offerings divided speedily among the people. No Passover like it has been kept since the days of Samuel the prophet. After this, when Necho king of Egypt comes to fight at Carchemish, Josiah chooses to engage him in battle though Necho sends word that God is with him. Josiah disguises himself and fights in the valley of Megiddo, where he is grievously wounded by archers. He is brought to Jerusalem and dies; all Judah and Jerusalem mourn, and Jeremiah laments for him with songs of lamentation that become an ordinance in Israel.
Key themes
Key verses
2 Chronicles 35:1-2
“Moreover Josiah kept a passover unto the LORD in Jerusalem: and they killed the passover on the fourteenth day of the first month. And he set the priests in their charges, and encouraged them to the service of the house of the LORD,”
2 Chronicles 35:7-9
“And Josiah gave to the people, of the flock, lambs and kids, all for the passover offerings, for all that were present, to the number of thirty thousand, and three thousand bullocks: these were of the king's substance. And his princes gave willingly unto the people, to the priests, and to the Levites: Hilkiah and Zechariah and Jehiel, rulers of the house of God, gave unto the priests for the passover offerings two thousand and six hundred small cattle, and three hundred oxen. Conaniah also, and Shemaiah and Nethaneel, his brethren, and Hashabiah and Jeiel and Jozabad, chief of the Levites, gave unto the Levites for passover offerings five thousand small cattle, and five hundred oxen.”
2 Chronicles 35:22-24
“Nevertheless Josiah would not turn his face from him, but disguised himself, that he might fight with him, and hearkened not unto the words of Necho from the mouth of God, and came to fight in the valley of Megiddo. And the archers shot at king Josiah; and the king said to his servants, Have me away; for I am sore wounded. His servants therefore took him out of that chariot, and put him in the second chariot that he had; and they brought him to Jerusalem, and he died, and was buried in one of the sepulchres of his fathers. And all Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah.”
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