2 Chronicles — Chapter 35

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

2And he set the priests in their charges, and encouraged them to the service of the house of the LORD,

3And 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,

4And 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.

5And stand in the holy place according to the divisions of the families of the fathers of your brethren the people, and after the division of the families of the Levites.

6So kill the passover, and sanctify yourselves, and prepare your brethren, that they may do according to the word of the LORD by the hand of Moses.

7And 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.

8And 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.

9Conaniah 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.

10So the service was prepared, and the priests stood in their place, and the Levites in their courses, according to the king’s commandment.

11And they killed the passover, and the priests sprinkled the blood from their hands, and the Levites flayed them.

12And they removed the burnt offerings, that they might give according to the divisions of the families of the people, to offer unto the LORD, as it is written in the book of Moses. And so did they with the oxen.

13And they roasted the passover with fire according to the ordinance: but the other holy offerings sod they in pots, and in caldrons, and in pans, and divided them speedily among all the people.

14And afterward they made ready for themselves, and for the priests: because the priests the sons of Aaron were busied in offering of burnt offerings and the fat until night; therefore the Levites prepared for themselves, and for the priests the sons of Aaron.

15And 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.

16So all the service of the LORD was prepared the same day, to keep the passover, and to offer burnt offerings upon the altar of the LORD, according to the commandment of king Josiah.

17And the children of Israel that were present kept the passover at that time, and the feast of unleavened bread seven days.

18And 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.

19In the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah was this passover kept.

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

21But he sent ambassadors to him, saying, What have I to do with thee, thou king of Judah? I come not against thee this day, but against the house wherewith I have war: for God commanded me to make haste: forbear thee from meddling with God, who is with me, that he destroy thee not.

22Nevertheless 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.

23And the archers shot at king Josiah; and the king said to his servants, Have me away; for I am sore wounded.

24His 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.

25And Jeremiah lamented for Josiah: and all the singing men and the singing women spake of Josiah in their lamentations to this day, and made them an ordinance in Israel: and, behold, they are written in the lamentations.

26Now the rest of the acts of Josiah, and his goodness, according to that which was written in the law of the LORD,

27And his deeds, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah.

1And Josiah kept a passover unto Jehovah in Jerusalem: and they killed the passover on the fourteenth [day] of the first month.

2And he set the priests in their offices, and encouraged them to the service of the house of Jehovah.

3And he said unto the Levites that taught all Israel, that were holy unto Jehovah, Put the holy ark in the house which Solomon the son of David king of Israel did build; there shall no more be a burden upon your shoulders: now serve Jehovah your God, and his people Israel.

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

5And stand in the holy place according to the divisions of the fathers` houses of your brethren the children of the people, and [let there be for each] a portion of a fathers` house of the Levites.

6And kill the passover, and sanctify yourselves, and prepare for your brethren, to do according to the word of Jehovah by Moses.

7And Josiah gave to the children of the people, of the flock, lambs and kids, all of them for the passover-offerings, unto all that were present, to the number of thirty thousand, and three thousand bullocks: these were of the king`s substance.

8And his princes gave for a freewill-offering unto the people, to the priests, and to the Levites. Hilkiah and Zechariah and Jehiel, the 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.

9Conaniah also, and Shemaiah and Nethanel, his brethren, and Hashabiah and Jeiel and Jozabad, the chiefs of the Levites, gave unto the Levites for the passover-offerings five thousand [small cattle], and five hundred oxen.

10So the service was prepared, and the priests stood in their place, and the Levites by their courses, according to the king`s commandment.

11And they killed the passover, and the priests sprinkled [the blood which they received] of their hand, and the Levites flayed them.

12And they removed the burnt-offerings, that they might give them according to the divisions of the fathers` houses of the children of the people, to offer unto Jehovah, as it is written in the book of Moses. And so did they with the oxen.

13And they roasted the passover with fire according to the ordinance: and the holy offerings boiled they in pots, and in caldrons, and in pans, and carried them quickly to all the children of the people.

14And afterward they prepared for themselves, and for the priests, because the priests the sons of Aaron [were busied] in offering the burnt-offerings and the fat until night: therefore the Levites prepared for themselves, and for the priests the sons of Aaron.

15And 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 were at every gate: they needed not to depart from their service; for their brethren the Levites prepared for them.

16So all the service of Jehovah was prepared the same day, to keep the passover, and to offer burnt-offerings upon the altar of Jehovah, according to the commandment of king Josiah.

17And the children of Israel that were present kept the passover at that time, and the feast of unleavened bread seven days.

18And there was no passover like to that kept in Israel from the days of Samuel the prophet; neither did any of 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.

19In the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah was this passover kept.

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

21But he sent ambassadors to him, saying, What have I to do with thee, thou king of Judah? [I come] not against thee this day, but against the house wherewith I have war; and God hath commanded me to make haste: forbear thee from [meddling with] God, who is with me, that he destroy thee not.

22Nevertheless Josiah would not turn his face from him, but disguised himself, that he might fight with him, and hearkened not unto the words of Neco from the mouth of God, and came to fight in the valley of Megiddo.

23And the archers shot at king Josiah; and the king said to his servants, Have me away; for I am sore wounded.

24So his servants took him out of the chariot, and put him in the second chariot that he had, and brought him to Jerusalem; and he died, and was buried in the sepulchres of his fathers. And all Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah.

25And Jeremiah lamented for Josiah: and all the singing men and singing women spake of Josiah in their lamentations unto this day; and they made them an ordinance in Israel: and, behold, they are written in the lamentations.

26Now the rest of the acts of Josiah, and his good deeds, according to that which is written in the law of Jehovah,

27and his acts, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah.

1Josiah observed a Passover festival for the Lord in Jerusalem. They slaughtered the Passover lambs on the fourteenth day of the first month.

2He appointed the priests to fulfill their duties and encouraged them to carry out their service in the Lord’s temple.

3He told the Levites, who instructed all Israel about things consecrated to the Lord, “Place the holy ark in the temple which King Solomon son of David of Israel built. Don’t carry it on your shoulders. Now serve the Lord your God and his people Israel!

4Prepare yourselves by your families according to your divisions, as instructed in writing by King David of Israel and his son Solomon.

5Stand in the sanctuary and, together with the Levites, represent the family divisions of your countrymen.

6Slaughter the Passover lambs, consecrate yourselves, and make preparations for your countrymen to celebrate according to the Lord’s message which came through Moses.”

7From his own royal flocks and herds, Josiah supplied the people with 30,000 lambs and goats for the Passover sacrifice, as well as 3,000 cattle.

8His officials also willingly contributed to the people, priests, and Levites. Hilkiah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, the leaders of God’s temple, gave the priests 2,600 Passover sacrifices and 300 cattle.

9Konaniah and his brothers Shemaiah and Nethanel, along with Hashabiah, Jeiel, and Jozabad, the officials of the Levites, supplied the Levites with 5,000 Passover sacrifices and 500 cattle.

10Preparations were made, and the priests stood at their posts and the Levites in their divisions as prescribed by the king.

11They slaughtered the Passover lambs and the priests splashed the blood, while the Levites skinned the animals.

12They reserved the burnt offerings and the cattle for the family divisions of the people to present to the Lord, as prescribed in the scroll of Moses.

13They cooked the Passover sacrifices over the open fire as prescribed and cooked the consecrated offerings in pots, kettles, and pans. They quickly served them to all the people.

14Afterward they made preparations for themselves and for the priests, because the priests, the descendants of Aaron, were offering burnt sacrifices and fat portions until evening. The Levites made preparations for themselves and for the priests, the descendants of Aaron.

15The musicians, the descendants of Asaph, manned their posts, as prescribed by David, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun the king’s prophet. The guards at the various gates did not need to leave their posts, for their fellow Levites made preparations for them.

16So all the preparations for the Lord’s service were made that day, as the Passover was observed and the burnt sacrifices were offered on the altar of the Lord, as prescribed by King Josiah.

17So the Israelites who were present observed the Passover at that time, as well as the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days.

18A Passover like this had not been observed in Israel since the days of Samuel the prophet. None of the kings of Israel had observed a Passover like the one celebrated by Josiah, the priests, the Levites, all the people of Judah and Israel who were there, and the residents of Jerusalem.

19This Passover was observed in the eighteenth year of Josiah’s reign.

20After Josiah had done all this for the temple, King Necho of Egypt marched up to do battle at Carchemish on the Euphrates River. Josiah marched out to oppose him.

21Necho sent messengers to him, saying, “Why are you opposing me, O king of Judah? I am not attacking you today, but the kingdom with which I am at war. God told me to hurry. Stop opposing God, who is with me, or else he will destroy you.”

22But Josiah did not turn back from him; he disguised himself for battle. He did not take seriously the words of Necho that he had received from God; he went to fight him in the Plain of Megiddo.

23Archers shot King Josiah; the king ordered his servants, “Take me out of this chariot, for I am seriously wounded.”

24So his servants took him out of the chariot, put him in another chariot that he owned, and brought him to Jerusalem, where he died. He was buried in the tombs of his ancestors; all the people of Judah and Jerusalem mourned Josiah.

25Jeremiah composed laments for Josiah which all the male and female singers use to mourn Josiah to this very day. It has become customary in Israel to sing these; they are recorded in the Book of Laments.

26The rest of the events of Josiah’s reign, including the faithful acts he did in obedience to what is written in the law of the Lord

27and his accomplishments, from start to finish, are recorded in the Scroll of the Kings of Israel and Judah.

1Josiah kept a Passover to Yahweh in Jerusalem. They killed the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month.

2He set the priests in their offices, and encouraged them in the service of Yahweh’s house.

3He said to the Levites who taught all Israel, who were holy to Yahweh, “Put the holy ark in the house which Solomon the son of David king of Israel built. It will no longer be a burden on your shoulders. Now serve Yahweh your God, and his people Israel.

4Prepare yourselves after your fathers’ houses by your divisions, according to the writing of David king of Israel, and according to the writing of Solomon his son.

5Stand in the holy place according to the divisions of the fathers’ houses of your brothers the children of the people, and let there be for each a portion of a fathers’ house of the Levites.

6Kill the Passover, sanctify yourselves, and prepare for your brothers, to do according to Yahweh’s word by Moses.”

7Josiah gave to the children of the people, of the flock, lambs and young goats, all of them for the Passover offerings, to all who were present, to the number of thirty thousand, and three thousand bulls. These were of the king’s substance.

8His princes gave for a freewill offering to the people, to the priests, and to the Levites. Hilkiah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, the rulers of God’s house, gave to the priests for the Passover offerings two thousand six hundred small livestock, and three hundred head of cattle.

9Conaniah also, and Shemaiah and Nethanel, his brothers, and Hashabiah, Jeiel, and Jozabad, the chiefs of the Levites, gave to the Levites for the Passover offerings five thousand small livestock and five hundred head of cattle.

10So the service was prepared, and the priests stood in their place, and the Levites by their divisions, according to the king’s commandment.

11They killed the Passover, and the priests sprinkled the blood which they received of their hand, and the Levites flayed them.

12They removed the burnt offerings, that they might give them according to the divisions of the fathers’ houses of the children of the people, to offer to Yahweh, as it is written in the book of Moses. They did the same with the cattle.

13They roasted the Passover with fire according to the ordinance. They boiled the holy offerings in pots, in cauldrons, and in pans, and carried them quickly to all the children of the people.

14Afterward they prepared for themselves and for the priests, because the priests the sons of Aaron were busy with offering the burnt offerings and the fat until night. Therefore the Levites prepared for themselves and for the priests the sons of Aaron.

15The singers the sons of Asaph were in their place, according to the commandment of David, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun the king’s seer; and the gatekeepers were at every gate. They didn’t need to depart from their service, because their brothers the Levites prepared for them.

16So all the service of Yahweh was prepared the same day, to keep the Passover, and to offer burnt offerings on Yahweh’s altar, according to the commandment of king Josiah.

17The children of Israel who were present kept the Passover at that time, and the feast of unleavened bread seven days.

18There was no Passover like that kept in Israel from the days of Samuel the prophet, nor did any of the kings of Israel keep such a Passover as Josiah kept, with the priests, the Levites, and all Judah and Israel who were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

19This passover was kept in the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah.

20After all this, when Josiah had prepared the temple, Neco king of Egypt went up to fight against Carchemish by the Euphrates, and Josiah went out against him.

21But he sent ambassadors to him, saying, “What have I to do with you, you king of Judah? I come not against you today, but against the house with which I have war. God has commanded me to make haste. Beware that it is God who is with me, that he not destroy you.”

22Nevertheless Josiah would not turn his face from him, but disguised himself, that he might fight with him, and didn’t listen to the words of Neco from the mouth of God, and came to fight in the valley of Megiddo.

23The archers shot at king Josiah; and the king said to his servants, “Take me away, because I am seriously wounded!”

24So his servants took him out of the chariot, and put him in the second chariot that he had, and brought him to Jerusalem; and he died, and was buried in the tombs of his fathers. All Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah.

25Jeremiah lamented for Josiah, and all the singing men and singing women spoke of Josiah in their lamentations to this day; and they made them an ordinance in Israel. Behold, they are written in the lamentations.

26Now the rest of the acts of Josiah, and his good deeds, according to that which is written in Yahweh’s law,

27and his acts, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah.

Summary
Authorship & Background
Map & Geography
Commentary
Videos
Reflection

Summary

Josiah celebrates the greatest Passover since Samuel's time, with meticulous preparation according to the Law of Moses. However, he unwisely opposes Pharaoh Neco at Megiddo and is killed in battle, and all Judah mourns this righteous king.

Authorship & Background

Author: Traditionally attributed to Ezra the scribe. Originally one book with 1 Chronicles. Written post-exile (approximately 450-400 BC). 2 Chronicles covers Solomon's reign through the Babylonian exile and Cyrus's decree of return (approximately 970-538 BC). The Chronicler focuses exclusively on Judah (ignoring the northern kingdom) and emphasizes Temple worship, reform movements, and the principle of 2 Chronicles 7:14: "If my people... shall humble themselves, and pray... then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."
Historical Context: Chapter 35 presents the crown jewel of Josiah's reformation — a Passover celebration that surpassed anything since Samuel's time (v.18). The Chronicler devotes extensive attention to the liturgical details (vv.1-17), demonstrating that this was not merely a large gathering but a meticulously organized worship event conducted precisely "according to the word of the LORD by the hand of Moses" (v.6) and "the writing of David king of Israel, and... Solomon his son" (v.4). Every element was scripturally grounded — the discovery of the Law in chapter 34 bore immediate fruit in chapter 35's proper worship.
The scale was extraordinary: Josiah personally contributed 30,000 lambs and kids plus 3,000 bulls (v.7); his officials added another 7,600 lambs and 800 bulls (vv.8-9). The total — nearly 38,000 animals — indicates a massive national gathering. The priests, the Levites, the singers, and the gatekeepers all served in their appointed roles simultaneously (vv.10-15), creating a comprehensive worship event where every person had a function and every function was filled.
The chapter's dramatic shift at verse 20 — "After all this" — introduces Josiah's tragic death. Pharaoh Necho II of Egypt was marching north to support the weakening Assyrian empire against the rising Babylonians at Carchemish (605 BC). Josiah intercepted him at Megiddo, likely to prevent Egyptian-Assyrian alliance or to maintain Judean independence. Remarkably, the Chronicler states that Necho's warning was "from the mouth of God" (v.22) — divine communication came through a pagan king, and Josiah, for the first time in his recorded life, failed to listen. He disguised himself (recalling Ahab's fatal strategy in 2 Chronicles 18:29) and was mortally wounded by archers.
The death of Josiah at Megiddo in 609 BC was a watershed moment. Jeremiah composed lamentations for him (v.25), and the entire nation mourned. With Josiah gone, Judah's last spiritual restraint was removed, and the nation plunged toward the Babylonian exile within 23 years. For the post-exilic community, this chapter taught both the glory of proper Passover celebration (a model for their own observance) and the sobering lesson that even the greatest saints can fail to discern God's voice in unexpected circumstances.

Map & Geography

  • Parallels 1-2 Kings but focuses exclusively on Judah (the southern kingdom). Jerusalem and the Temple are the theological center throughout.
  • Key locations include various battle sites, reform locations, and high places destroyed or rebuilt by successive kings.
  • The book ends with exile to Babylon (586 BC) and Cyrus's decree permitting return — the geographic arc moves from Jerusalem to Babylon and back.

Commentary

  • Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Guzik emphasizes the extraordinary scale and meticulous order of Josiah's Passover, noting that rediscovering Scripture naturally produced faithful observance. He highlights the tragedy of Josiah's death — a man who listened to God his entire life failed to recognize God's voice through Pharaoh Necho, demonstrating that discernment must extend to unexpected messengers.
  • Charles Spurgeon: "There was no passover like it from the days of Samuel — what made it so? Not merely the numbers of victims slain, nor the multitude assembled, but the heart behind it. Josiah had found the Book of the Law, wept over national sin, renewed the covenant, and now worshiped with the freshness of a heart newly gripped by Scripture. Yet this same king, who heard God's Word with tears, would not hear God's Word through Necho. How strange a thing is the human heart — faithful in the temple, foolish on the battlefield. Let us learn: obedience must extend beyond our preferred channels. God may speak through prophets or through Pharaohs, and the humble ear must hear Him in both."

Reflection

  • 1. Proper worship flows from rediscovered Scripture (vv.1-6). Josiah's Passover was the direct fruit of finding the Law in chapter 34. When you genuinely engage with God's Word, proper worship follows naturally. If your worship feels hollow, return to deep engagement with Scripture — let the Word reshape your approach to God.
  • 2. Generous leadership enables corporate worship (v.7). Josiah gave 30,000 animals from his own resources so that everyone could participate. Leaders who give generously remove barriers to worship. In your sphere of influence, consider what you can contribute — financially, practically, emotionally — to enable others to encounter God.
  • 3. God may speak through unexpected and unwelcome sources (v.22). Josiah recognized God's voice through prophets and Scripture but failed to hear it through Pharaoh Necho. God is not limited to your preferred channels of communication. Be willing to recognize divine truth regardless of its source — from a child, a critic, a stranger, or even an adversary. The issue is not the messenger's credentials but the message's truthfulness.
  • 4. Past faithfulness does not guarantee present discernment (vv.20-22). Josiah's lifetime of faithful obedience did not prevent this fatal error. Spiritual maturity does not make you infallible. Stay humble, seek counsel, and maintain the posture of listening — especially when your course seems obvious. The moment you stop consulting God is the moment you are most vulnerable to error.
  • 5. A godly person's departure leaves lasting impact (vv.24-25). All Judah mourned; Jeremiah lamented; the grief became institutionalized. The loss of a righteous leader is felt for generations. Live so that your absence creates a void that only God can fill. The greatest legacy is not what you built but the God-directed trajectory you established in others' lives.