35:1 Moreover Josiah kept a passover unto the LORD in Jerusalem:
and they killed the a passover on the fourteenth [day] of
the first month.
(a) The scripture in various places calls the lamb the
"passover" even though it is only the sign of the
passover for in all sacraments the signs have the names
of the things signified.
35:3 And said unto the Levites that b 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 c burden upon [your] shoulders:
serve now the LORD your God, and his people Israel,
(b) So that the Levites charge was not only to minister in
the temple, but also to instruct the people in the word
of God.
(c) As it was before the temple was built: therefore your
office is to teach the people and to praise God.
35:6 So kill the passover, and sanctify yourselves, and d
prepare your brethren, that [they] may do according to the
word of the LORD by the hand of Moses.
(d) Exhort everyone to examine themselves to ensure that
they are not unfit to eat the passover.
35:9e 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.
(e) So that every one and of all sorts gave of what they
had, a liberal portion to the service of God.
35:11 And they killed the passover, and the priests f
sprinkled [the blood] from their hands, and the Levites
flayed [them].
(f) Meaning, of the lamb, which was called the passover,
for only the priests could sprinkle, and in necessity
the Levites could kill the sacrifice.
35:12 And they removed the g 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.
(g) They reserved for the people that which was not
expedient to be offered, that every man might offer
peace offerings, and so have his portion.
35:15 And 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 h seer; and the porters
[waited] at every gate; they might not depart from their
service; for their brethren the Levites prepared for them.
h Meaning, by this his prophet, because he appointed the
psalms and prophecies which were to be sung.
35:19 In i the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah was this
passover kept.
(i) Which was in his 26th year.
35:20 After all this, when Josiah had prepared the temple, Necho
king of Egypt came up to fight against k Carchemish by
Euphrates: and Josiah went out against him.
(k) Which was a city of the Assyrians and Josiah fearing
lest in passing through Judah he would have taken his
kingdom, made war against him and did not consult the
Lord.
35:22 Nevertheless Josiah would not turn his face from him, but
l 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.
(l) That is, armed or disguised himself so that he would
not be recognized.
35:24 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 m mourned for Josiah.
(m) The people so lamented the loss of this good king that
after when there was any great lamentation this was
spoken of as a proverb, (Zec 12:11).
35:25 And 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 n
lamentations.
(n) Which some think Jeremiah wrote, in which he laments
the state of the church after this king's death.
