The Reign of Josiah

221 A son of eight years 'is' Josiah in his reigning, and thirty and one years he hath reigned in Jerusalem, and the name of his mother 'is' Jedidah daughter of Adaiah of Boskath, 2 and he doth that which is right in the eyes of Jehovah, and walketh in all the way of David his father, and hath not turned aside—right or left.

The Book of the Law Discovered

3 And it cometh to pass, in the eighteenth year of king Josiah, the king hath sent Shaphan son of Azaliah, son of Meshullam, the scribe, to the house of Jehovah, saying, 4 'Go up unto Hilkiah the high priest, and he doth complete the silver that is brought into the house of Jehovah, that the keepers of the threshold have gathered from the people, 5 and they give it into the hand of the doers of the work, the overseers, in the house of Jehovah, and they give it to the doers of the work that 'is' in the house of Jehovah, to strengthen the breach of the house, 6 to artificers, and to builders, and 'to repairers of' the wall, and to buy wood and hewn stones to strengthen the house; 7 only, the silver that is given into their hand is not reckoned with them, for in faithfulness they are dealing. 8 And Hilkiah the high priest saith unto Shaphan the scribe, 'A book of the law I have found in the house of Jehovah;' and Hilkiah giveth the book unto Shaphan, and he readeth it. 9 And Shaphan the scribe cometh in unto the king, and bringeth the king back word, and saith, 'Thy servants have poured out the silver that hath been found in the house, and give it into the hand of the doers of the work, the inspectors, in the house of Jehovah.' 10 And Shaphan the scribe declareth to the king, saying, 'A book hath Hilkiah the priest given to me;' and Shaphan readeth it before the king.

11 And it cometh to pass, at the king's hearing the words of the book of the law, that he rendeth his garments, 12 and the king commandeth Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam son of Shaphan, and Achbor son of Michaiah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asahiah servant of the king, saying, 13 'Go, seek Jehovah for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that is found, for great 'is' the fury of Jehovah that is kindled against us, because that our fathers have not hearkened unto the words of this book, to do according to all that is written for us.' 14 And Hilkiah the priest goeth, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asahiah, unto Huldah the prophetess, wife of Shallum, son of Tikvah, son of Harhas, keeper of the garments, and she is dwelling in Jerusalem in the second, and they speak unto her. 15 And she saith unto them, 'Thus said Jehovah, God of Israel, Say to the man who hath sent you unto me: 16 Thus said Jehovah, Lo, I am bringing in evil unto this place and on its inhabitants, all the words of the book that the king of Judah hath read, 17 because that they have forsaken Me, and make perfume to other gods, so as to provoke Me to anger with every work of their hands, and My wrath hath been kindled against this place, and it is not quenched. 18 'And unto the king of Judah, who is sending you to seek Jehovah, thus do ye say unto him, Thus said Jehovah, God of Israel, The words that thou hast heard— 19 because thy heart 'is' tender, and thou art humbled because of Jehovah, in thy hearing that which I have spoken against this place, and against its inhabitants, to be for a desolation, and for a reviling, and dost rend thy garments, and weep before Me—I also have heard—the affirmation of Jehovah— 20 therefore, lo, I am gathering thee unto thy fathers, and thou hast been gathered unto thy grave in peace, and thine eyes do not look on any of the evil that I am bringing in on this place;' and they bring the king back word.

231 And the king sendeth, and they gather unto him all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem, 2 and the king goeth up to the house of Jehovah, and every man of Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, with him, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the people, from small unto great, and he readeth in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant that is found in the house of Jehovah. 3 And the king standeth by the pillar, and maketh the covenant before Jehovah, to walk after Jehovah, and to keep His commands, and His testimonies, and His statutes, with all the heart, and with all the soul, to establish the words of this covenant that are written on this book, and all the people stand in the covenant.

Josiah's Reforms

4 And the king commandeth Hilkiah the high priest, and the priests of the second order, and the keepers of the threshold, to bring out from the temple of Jehovah all the vessels that are made for Baal, and for the shrine, and for all the host of the heavens, and he burneth them at the outside of Jerusalem, in the fields of Kidron, and hath borne their ashes to Beth-El. 5 And he hath caused to cease the idolatrous priests whom the kings of Judah have appointed, (and they make perfume in high places, in cities of Judah and suburbs of Jerusalem,) and those making perfume to Baal, to the sun, and to the moon, and to the planets, and to all the host of the heavens. 6 And he bringeth out the shrine from the house of Jehovah to the outside of Jerusalem, unto the brook Kidron, and burneth it at the brook Kidron, and beateth it small to dust, and casteth its dust on the grave of the sons of the people. 7 And he breaketh down the houses of the whoremongers that 'are' in the house of Jehovah, where the women are weaving houses for the shrine. 8 And he bringeth in all the priests out of the cities of Judah, and defileth the high places where the priests have made perfume, from Geba unto Beer-Sheba, and hath broken down the high places of the gates that 'are' at the opening of the gate of Joshua, head of the city, that 'is' on a man's left hand at the gate of the city; 9 only, the priests of the high places come not up unto the altar of Jehovah in Jerusalem, but they have eaten unleavened things in the midst of their brethren. 10 And he hath defiled Topheth, that 'is' in the valley of the son of Hinnom, so that no man doth cause his son and his daughter to pass over through fire to Molech. 11 And he causeth to cease the horses that the kings of Judah have given to the sun from the entering in of the house of Jehovah, by the chamber of Nathan-Melech the eunuch, that 'is' in the suburbs, and the chariots of the sun he hath burnt with fire. 12 And the altars that 'are' on the top of the upper chamber of Ahaz, that the kings of Judah made, and the altars that Manasseh made in the two courts of the house of Jehovah, hath the king broken down, and removeth thence, and hath cast their dust unto the brook Kidron. 13 And the high places that 'are' on the front of Jerusalem, that 'are' on the right of the mount of corruption, that Solomon king of Israel had built to Ashtoreth abomination of the Zidonians, and Chemosh abomination of Moab, and to Milcom abomination of the sons of Ammon, hath the king defiled. 14 And he hath broken in pieces the standing-pillars, and cutteth down the shrines, and filleth their place with bones of men; 15 and also the altar that 'is' in Beth-El, the high place that Jeroboam son of Nebat made, by which he made Israel sin, both that altar and the high place he hath broken down, and doth burn the high place—he hath beat it small to dust, and hath burnt the shrine. 16 And Josiah turneth, and seeth the graves that 'are' there in the mount, and sendeth and taketh the bones out of the graves, and burneth 'them' on the altar, and defileth it, according to the word of Jehovah that the man of God proclaimed, who proclaimed these things. 17 And he saith, 'What 'is' this sign that I see?' and the men of the city say unto him, 'The grave of the man of God who hath come from Judah, and proclaimeth these things that thou hast done concerning the altar of Beth-El.' 18 And he saith, 'Let him alone, let no man touch his bones;' and they let his bones escape, with the bones of the prophet who came out of Samaria. 19 And also all the houses of the high places that 'are' in the cities of Samaria, that the kings of Israel made to provoke to anger, hath Josiah turned aside, and doth to them according to all the deeds that he did in Beth-El. 20 And he slayeth all the priests of the high places who 'are' there by the altars, and burneth the bones of man upon them, and turneth back to Jerusalem.

The Passover Kept

21 And the king commandeth the whole of the people, saying, 'Make ye a passover to Jehovah your God, as it is written on this book of the covenant.' 22 Surely there hath not been made like this passover from the days of the judges who judged Israel, even all the days of the kings of Israel, and of the kings of Judah; 23 but in the eighteenth year of king Josiah, hath this passover been made to Jehovah in Jerusalem.

The LORD's Persistent Anger against Judah

24 And also, those having familiar spirits, and the wizards, and the teraphim, and the idols, and all the abominations that were seen in the land of Judah, and in Jerusalem, hath Josiah put away, in order to establish the words of the law that are written on the book that Hilkiah the priest hath found in the house of Jehovah.

25 And like him there hath not been before him a king who turned back unto Jehovah with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses, and after him there hath none risen like him. 26 Only, Jehovah hath not turned back from the fierceness of His great anger with which His anger burned against Judah, because of all the provocations with which Manasseh provoked him, 27 and Jehovah saith, 'Also Judah I turn aside from my presence, as I turned Israel aside, and I have rejected this city that I have chosen—Jerusalem, and the house of which I said, My name is there.'

The Death of Josiah

28 And the rest of the matters of Josiah, and all that he did, are they not written on the book of the Chronicles of the kings of Judah? 29 In his days hath Pharaoh-Nechoh king of Egypt come up against the king of Asshur, by the river Phrat, and king Josiah goeth out to meet him, and he putteth him to death in Megiddo, when he seeth him. 30 And his servants cause him to ride dying from Megiddo, and bring him in to Jerusalem, and bury him in his own grave, and the people of the land take Jehoahaz son of Josiah, and anoint him, and cause him to reign instead of his father.

The Reign and Dethronement of Jehoahaz

31 A son of twenty and three years 'is' Jehoahaz in his reigning, and three months he hath reigned in Jerusalem, and the name of his mother 'is' Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah, 32 and he doth the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah, according to all that his fathers did, 33 and Pharaoh-Nechoh bindeth him in Riblah, in the land of Hamath, from reigning in Jerusalem, and he putteth a fine on the land—a hundred talents of silver, and a talent of gold. 34 And Pharaoh-Nechoh causeth Eliakim son of Josiah to reign instead of Josiah his father, and turneth his name to Jehoiakim, and Jehoahaz he hath taken away, and he cometh in to Egypt, and dieth there. 35 And the silver and the gold hath Jehoiakim given to Pharaoh; only he valued the land to give the silver by the command of Pharaoh; from each, according to his valuation, he exacted the silver and the gold, from the people of the land, to give to Pharaoh-Nechoh.

The Reign of Jehoiakim

36 A son of twenty and five years 'is' Jehoiakim in his reigning, and eleven years he hath reigned in Jerusalem, and the name of his mother 'is' Zebudah daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah, 37 and he doth the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah, according to all that his fathers did.

31 And in the meanwhile his disciples were asking him, saying, 'Rabbi, eat;' 32 and he said to them, 'I have food to eat that ye have not known.' 33 The disciples then said one to another, 'Did any one bring him anything to eat?' 34 Jesus saith to them, 'My food is, that I may do the will of Him who sent me, and may finish His work; 35 do not say that it is yet four months, and the harvest cometh; lo, I say to you, Lift up your eyes, and see the fields, that they are white unto harvest already. 36 'And he who is reaping doth receive a reward, and doth gather fruit to life age-during, that both he who is sowing and he who is reaping may rejoice together; 37 for in this the saying is the true one, that one is the sower and another the reaper. 38 I sent you to reap that on which ye have not laboured; others laboured, and ye into their labour have entered. 39 And from that city many believed in him, of the Samaritans, because of the word of the woman testifying,—'He told me all things—as many as I did.' 40 When, then, the Samaritans came unto him, they were asking him to remain with them, and he remained there two days; 41 and many more did believe because of his word, 42 and said to the woman—'No more because of thy speaking do we believe; for we ourselves have heard and known that this is truly the Saviour of the world—the Christ.'

Jesus Heals a Nobleman's Son

43 And after the two days he went forth thence, and went away to Galilee, 44 for Jesus himself testified that a prophet in his own country shall not have honour; 45 when then, he came to Galilee, the Galileans received him, having seen all things that he did in Jerusalem in the feast—for they also went to the feast. 46 Jesus came, therefore, again to Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine, and there was a certain courtier, whose son was ailing in Capernaum, 47 he, having heard that Jesus is come out of Judea to Galilee, went away unto him, and was asking him that he may come down and may heal his son, for he was about to die. 48 Jesus then said unto him, 'If signs and wonders ye may not see, ye will not believe.' 49 The courtier saith unto him, 'Sir, come down before my child die;' 50 Jesus saith to him, 'Be going on; thy son doth live.' And the man believed the word that Jesus said to him, and was going on, 51 and he now going down, his servants met him, and told, saying—'Thy child doth live;' 52 he inquired then of them the hour in which he became better, and they said to him—'Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him;' 53 then the father knew that 'it was' in that hour in which Jesus said to him—'Thy son doth live,' and he himself believed, and his whole house; 54 this again a second sign did Jesus, having come out of Judea to Galilee.

Matthew Henry's Commentary on John 4:31-54

Commentary on John 4:27-42

(Read John 4:27-42)

The disciples wondered that Christ talked thus with a Samaritan. Yet they knew it was for some good reason, and for some good end. Thus when particular difficulties occur in the word and providence of God, it is good to satisfy ourselves that all is well that Jesus Christ says and does. Two things affected the woman. The extent of his knowledge. Christ knows all the thoughts, words, and actions, of all the children of men. And the power of his word. He told her secret sins with power. She fastened upon that part of Christ's discourse, many would think she would have been most shy of repeating; but the knowledge of Christ, into which we are led by conviction of sin, is most likely to be sound and saving. They came to him: those who would know Christ, must meet him where he records his name. Our Master has left us an example, that we may learn to do the will of God as he did; with diligence, as those that make a business of it; with delight and pleasure in it. Christ compares his work to harvest-work. The harvest is appointed and looked for before it comes; so was the gospel. Harvest-time is busy time; all must be then at work. Harvest-time is a short time, and harvest-work must be done then, or not at all; so the time of the gospel is a season, which if once past, cannot be recalled. God sometimes uses very weak and unlikely instruments for beginning and carrying on a good work. Our Saviour, by teaching one poor woman, spread knowledge to a whole town. Blessed are those who are not offended at Christ. Those taught of God, are truly desirous to learn more. It adds much to the praise of our love to Christ and his word, if it conquers prejudices. Their faith grew. In the matter of it: they believed him to be the Saviour, not only of the Jews but of the world. In the certainty of it: we know that this is indeed the Christ. And in the ground of it, for we have heard him ourselves.

Commentary on John 4:43-54

(Read John 4:43-54)

The father was a nobleman, yet the son was sick. Honours and titles are no security from sickness and death. The greatest men must go themselves to God, must become beggars. The nobleman did not stop from his request till he prevailed. But at first he discovered the weakness of his faith in the power of Christ. It is hard to persuade ourselves that distance of time and place, are no hinderance to the knowledge, mercy, and power of our Lord Jesus. Christ gave an answer of peace. Christ's saying that the soul lives, makes it alive. The father went his way, which showed the sincerity of his faith. Being satisfied, he did not hurry home that night, but returned as one easy in his own mind. His servants met him with the news of the child's recovery. Good news will meet those that hope in God's word. Diligent comparing the works of Jesus with his word, will confirm our faith. And the bringing the cure to the family brought salvation to it. Thus an experience of the power of one word of Christ, may settle the authority of Christ in the soul. The whole family believed likewise. The miracle made Jesus dear to them. The knowledge of Christ still spreads through families, and men find health and salvation to their souls.