14 B. 2 Chron. 33. (Continued.) him; and he was intreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD he was God. Now after this he built an outer wall to the city of David, on the west side of Gihon, in the valley, even to the entering in at the fish gate; and he compassed about Ophel, and raised it up a very great height: and he put valiant captains in all the fenced 15 cities of Judah. And he took away the strange gods, and the idol out of the house of the LORD, and all the altars that he had built in the mount of the house of the LORD, and in Jerusalem, and cast them out of the city. 16 And he built up the altar of the LORD, and offered thereon sacrifices of peace offerings and of thanksgiving, and commanded Judah to serve the LORD, the 17 God of Israel. Nevertheless the people did sacrifice still in the high places, but only unto the LORD their God.] • The word ' is only found in Kings and the later historical books and in Ezekiel. f It is clear in this case that the secular chronicles to which A. refers would contain full accounts of the captivity of Manasseh and of his buildings. B. refers to the Acts of the Kings of Israel (by which as in other cases he probably meant Judah, which in those days represented the whole body of Israel); but he also refers to the history or Acts of Hozai, which would include the prophetic utterance which A. still retains. In B. where we read 'the words of the seers' (D' '727), and in ver. 19 'the History of Hozai' (7), the LXX has 'the words of the seers.' 19 A. 2 Kings 21. (Continuous.) Amon was twenty and two years old when he began to reign; and he reigned two years in Jerusalem: [and his mother's name was Meshullemeth the daughter of Haruz of Jotbah.] 20 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, as did 21 Manasseh his father. And he walked in all the way that his father walked in, and served the idols that his father served, and worshipped them: 22 and he forsook the LORD, the God of his fathers, and walked not in the way of the LORD. 23 And the servants [of Amon] conspired against him, and put the king to death in his own house. 24 But the people of the land slew all them that had conspired against king Amon; and the people of the land made Josiah 25 his son king in his stead. [Now the rest of the acts of Amon which he did, are they not written in the book of the chroni26 cles of the kings of Judah? And he was buried in his sepulchre in the garden of Uzza: and Josiah his son reigned in his stead.] A. 2 Kings 22. (Continuous.) (§ 49.) Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign; and he reigned thirty and one years in Jerusalem: [and his mother's name was Jedidah the daughter 2 of Adaiah of Bozkath.] And he did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, and walked in [all] the way of David his father, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left. Shaphan the son of Azaliah, [and Maaseiah the governor of the city, and Joah the son of Joahaz the recorder,] to [repair] the house of the LORD [his God]. 9 And they came to Hilkiah the high priest, and delivered the money that was brought into the house of God, which [the Levites,] the keepers of the door, had gathered of. [the hand of Manasseh and Ephraim, and of all the remnant of Israel, and of all Judah and Benjamin, and of the inhabitants of Jerusalem.] 10 And they delivered it into the hand of the workmen that had the oversight of the house of the LORD; and the workmen that wrought in the house of the LORD gave it to [amend and] repair the 11 house; even to the carpenters and to the builders [gave they it], to buy hewn stone and timber [for couplings, and to make beams for the houses which the kings of Judah had destroyed.] 49.- A. retains the direct narrative, but B. prefers the indirect, whilst introducing new matter. A. 2 Kings 22. (Continued.) that was delivered into their hand ;] for they dealt faithfully. 8 And Hilkiah [the high priest] said to Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of the LORD. And Hilkiah delivered the book to Shaphan, [and he 9 read it.] And Shaphan [the scribe] came to the king, and brought the king word again, and said, Thy servants have emptied out the money that was found in the house, and have delivered it into the hand of the workmen that have the oversight [of the house of the 10 LORD]. And Shaphan the scribe told the king, saying, Hilkiah the priest hath delivered me a book. And Shaphan read it before the king. 11 And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the [book of the] law, that he rent 12 his clothes. And the king commanded Hilkiah [the priest], and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Achbor the son of Micaiah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah 13 the king's servant, saying, Go ye, 21 the king's servant, saying, Go ye, b Lit.' by the hand of Moses.' The LXX retains the two texts. עבדן בן-מיכה .B .עכבור בן-מיכיה .A • 14 15 A. 2 Kings 22. (Continued.) inquire of the LORD for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that is found: for great is the wrath of the LORD that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not hearkened unto the words of this book, to do according unto all that [which] is written concerning us. So Hilkiah [the priest,] and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asaiah, went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah d, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe; (now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the second-quarter;) and they communed with her. And she said unto them, Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel: Tell ye the man that sent you 16 unto me, Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, even all the words of the book which the king of Judah 17 hath read: because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods', that they might provoke me to anger with all the work of their hands; therefore my wrath shall be kindled against this place, and 18 it shall not be quenched. But 22 23 and So Hilkiah, they whom the king had commanded, went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tokhath, the son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe; (now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the second-quarter;) and they spake to her to that effect. And she said unto them, Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel : Tell ye the man that sent you 24 unto me, Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, even all the curses [that are written] in the book which they have read before the 25 king of Judah: because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands; therefore is my wrath poured out upon this place, and 26 it shall not be quenched. But .תוקחת בן־חסרה .B .תקוה בן-חרחם .d A In each name there is a transposition of the letters, possibly for the sake of euphony. Achbor is named in Jer. 26. 22. The word (D) which the Revisers have translated 'second quarter' is found also in the writings of Zephaniah a contemporary authority (Zeph. 1. 10). • Compare Deut. 29. 20, 21. f Compare Jer. 1. 16, 17; 19. 4. It is noteworthy that the sin of burning incense to false gods is not referred to in the great prophetic chapters of the Pentateuch (see Lev. 26; Deut. 27-30), but cases frequently occur in the historical books and in the prophets. The relationship between this prophecy and the words of Jeremiah (see above) is obvious. The warnings uttered by Moses in his old age had been deposited with the ark (Deut. 31. 9) laid up before the Lord like other sacred charges (1 Sam. 10. 25). The kings, prophets and others, however, had copies of them, or had access to the originals, and so we find David quoting them (1 Kings 2. 3) and Amaziah acting on them (2 Kings 14. 6). When we consider the circumstances of the time we shall see nothing astonishing either in their neglect or in their recovery. |