2 Chronicles 34:1. Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign — The reader will find the principal parts of this chapter explained at large in the notes on 2 Kings 22. and 23., to which he is referred.

2 Chronicles 34:3. While he was yet young — In the sixteenth year of his age; when he was entering into the age of temptation, and had the administration of his kingdom wholly in his own power, and none to restrain him, even then he begins to be religious in good earnest.

2 Chronicles 34:6. Even unto Naphtali — Which was in the utmost borders of the kingdom of Israel. For it must be remembered, that the ten tribes were now gone into captivity; and those who were come in their stead were weak and few, and not able to withstand the power of Josiah.

2 Chronicles 34:8-11. When he had purged the land and the house — The house of God, called the house, by way of eminence. And they returned to Jerusalem — That is, the Levites, who had gone abroad through all Josiah’s kingdom to gather money for this use, and now came with it to Jerusalem to lodge it in the treasuries of the Lord’s house. To floor the houses which the kings of Judah had destroyed — The chambers adjoining to the temple, or within the courts.

2 Chronicles 34:12. All that could skill of instruments of music — All these, here named, were skilful in instruments of music — Which may be here mentioned, to intimate, that as they were skilful, so they were exercised in both employments, and did successively oversee the work, and praise God with their voices and instruments.

2 Chronicles 34:19. When the king had heard the words he rent his clothes — Were the things contained in Scripture new to us, as they were here to Josiah, surely they would make deeper impressions upon us than they commonly do. But they are not the less weighty, and therefore should not be the less regarded, because they are well known.

2 Chronicles 34:32-33. He caused all present to stand to it — He caused them to engage by an oath or covenant, that they would observe the laws of God, as his predecessors had formerly done, and which indeed they were before obliged to do. The inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant, &c. — They complied with God’s and the king’s command, as to the outward acts of God’s worship, though not with an upright and renewed heart, as appears by the history. To serve, even to serve the Lord their God — The repetition shows, that this was the only thing his heart was set upon. He aimed at nothing, in all he did, but to engage them to God and their duty.