# 2 Chronicles 35 đź“–: Josiah's Passover and Death
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> [!info] Table of Contents
> [[#đź“ś Scripture Text (NET)]]
> [[#đź“– Verse-by-Verse Commentary]]
> [[#🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights]]
> [[#🧠Chapter Summary]]
> [[#✝️ Christ in This Chapter]]
> [[#🔎 Key Principles / 🛟 Life Application]]
> [[#đź’¬ Discussion Questions]]
> [[#✍️ Key Verses to Remember]]
> [[#đź”— Related Passages/Cross Reference]]
> [[#🙏 Devotional Reflection]]
> [[#đź“‚ Internal Notes]]
## đź“ś Scripture Text (NET)
(The NET Bible: New English Translation. Biblical Studies Press, 2005)
### Josiah Observes the Passover
[[#Verse 01.]] Josiah observed a Passover festival for the Lord in Jerusalem. They slaughtered the Passover lambs on the fourteenth day of the first month.
[[#Verse 02.]] He appointed the priests to fulfill their duties and encouraged them to carry out their service in the Lord’s temple.
[[#Verse 03.]] He 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!Â
[[#Verse 04.]]Â Prepare yourselves by your families according to your divisions, as instructed in writing by King David of Israel and his son Solomon.Â
[[#Verse 05.]]Â Stand in the sanctuary and, together with the Levites, represent the family divisions of your countrymen.Â
[[#Verse 06.]] Slaughter the Passover lambs, consecrate yourselves, and make preparations for your countrymen to celebrate according to the Lord’s message which came through Moses.”
[[#Verse 07.]]Â From 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.Â
[[#Verse 08.]] His 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.Â
[[#Verse 09.]]Â Konaniah 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.Â
[[#Verse 10.]] Preparations were made, and the priests stood at their posts and the Levites in their divisions as prescribed by the king.Â
[[#Verse 11.]] They slaughtered the Passover lambs and the priests splashed the blood, while the Levites skinned the animals.Â
[[#Verse 12.]] They 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.Â
[[#Verse 13.]]Â They 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.Â
[[#Verse 14.]]Â Afterward 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.Â
[[#Verse 15.]] The 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.Â
[[#Verse 16.]] So 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.Â
[[#Verse 17.]]Â So the Israelites who were present observed the Passover at that time, as well as the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days.Â
[[#Verse 18.]]Â A 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.Â
[[#Verse 19.]] This Passover was observed in the eighteenth year of Josiah’s reign.
### Josiah’s Reign Ends
[[#Verse 20.]] After 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.Â
[[#Verse 21.]] Necho 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.”Â
[[#Verse 22.]] But Josiah did not turn back from him; he disguised himself for battle. He did not take seriously the words of Necho which he had received from God; he went to fight him in the Plain of Megiddo.Â
[[#Verse 23.]] Archers shot King Josiah; the king ordered his servants, “Take me out of this chariot, for I am seriously wounded.”Â
[[#Verse 24.]]Â So 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;Â all the people of Judah and Jerusalem mourned Josiah.Â
[[#Verse 25.]]Â Jeremiah 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.
[[#Verse 26.]] The 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 LordÂ
[[#Verse 27.]] and his accomplishments, from start to finish, are recorded in the Scroll of the Kings of Israel and Judah.
## đź“– Verse-by-Verse Commentary
###### Overall.
###### Verse 01.
###### Verse 02.
###### Verse 03.
###### Verse 04.
###### Verse 05.
###### Verse 06.
###### Verse 07.
###### Verse 08.
###### Verse 09.
###### Verse 10.
###### Verse 11.
###### Verse 12.
###### Verse 13.
###### Verse 14.
###### Verse 15.
###### Verse 16.
###### Verse 17.
###### Verse 18.
###### Verse 19.
###### Verse 20.
###### Verse 21.
###### Verse 22.
###### Verse 23.
###### Verse 24.
###### Verse 25.
###### Verse 26.
###### Verse 27.
## 🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights
1. Josiah's Passover was held in his eighteenth year (35:19), the same year the Book of the Law was found (34:8).
2. Josiah gave 30,000 lambs and young goats and 3,000 cattle for the people's Passover offerings (35:7).
3. Josiah's instruction about the ark (35:3) is the last mention of the ark of the covenant in Chronicles.
4. Josiah died in battle at Megiddo in 609 BC.
5. Pharaoh Neco II was marching north to help Assyria against the rising power of Babylon (2 Kings 23:29).
6. Josiah disguised himself for battle (35:22), just as Ahab had done before he was killed (18:29).
7. Megiddo guarded a key pass on the main trade route. The name "Armageddon" (Revelation 16:16) likely means "Mount Megiddo."
8. Babylon defeated Egypt at Carchemish (35:20) a few years later in 605 BC (Jeremiah 46:2).
9. Jeremiah composed laments for Josiah (35:25). These are not the book of Lamentations, which mourns the fall of Jerusalem.
10. Zechariah 12:11 later compares great mourning to the mourning in the plain of Megiddo.
## 🧠Chapter Summary
> [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way.
## ✝️ Christ in This Chapter
Christ is the pierced King for whom His people will mourn. Judah grieved bitterly for Josiah, who fell at Megiddo (35:24-25), and Zechariah compares that mourning to the grief over the One they pierced (Zechariah 12:10-11; John 19:37).
## 🔎 Key Principles / 🛟 Life Application
> [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way.
## đź’¬ Discussion Questions
1. Josiah gave generously from his own flocks so the people could celebrate the Passover (35:7). How does generous leadership shape a community?
2. Every person had a role at the Passover, and no one had to leave his post (35:15). How does serving in your role help others worship?
3. Josiah ignored God's warning because it came from an unexpected source (35:22). How can we stay open to God's correction?
## ✍️ Key Verses to Remember
- đź“– verse 3: The ark is placed in the temple, and the Levites are freed to serve the Lord and His people.
- đź“– verse 18: No Passover like this had been celebrated since the days of Samuel the prophet.
- đź“– verse 22: Josiah does not listen to Neco's warning from God and goes into battle.
## đź”— Related Passages/Cross Reference
- đź”— [[2 Kings 23#Verse 21.|2 Kings 23:21-30]] - The parallel account of Josiah's Passover and death.
- đź”— [[Exodus 12#Verse 01.|Exodus 12:1-14]] - The first Passover.
- đź”— [[Zechariah 12#Verse 10.|Zechariah 12:10-11]] - Mourning for the One they pierced.
- đź”— [[John 19#Verse 37.|John 19:37]] - They will look on the One they have pierced.
- đź”— [[Revelation 16#Verse 16.|Revelation 16:16]] - The place called Armageddon.
## 🙏 Devotional Reflection
đź“ť SOAP: [[2 Chronicles 35 - SOAP|Be a Doer Not Just a Sayer]]
## đź“‚ Internal Notes