New International Version
2 Chronicles 34:3
3In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek the God of his father David. In his twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of high places, Asherah poles and idols.
2 Chronicles 34:3 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David his father: and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images.
- English Standard Version (ESV)For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet a boy, he began to seek the God of David his father, and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the Asherim, and the carved and the metal images.
- New King James Version (NKJV)For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek the God of his father David; and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the wooden images, the carved images, and the molded images.
- New Living Translation (NLT)During the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, Josiah began to seek the God of his ancestor David. Then in the twelfth year he began to purify Judah and Jerusalem, destroying all the pagan shrines, the Asherah poles, and the carved idols and cast images.
Context of 2 Chronicles 34:3
1Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years. 2He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and followed the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left. In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek the God of his father David. In his twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of high places, Asherah poles and idols. 4Under his direction the altars of the Baals were torn down; he cut to pieces the incense altars that were above them, and smashed the Asherah poles and the idols. These he broke to pieces and scattered over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. 5He burned the bones of the priests on their altars, and so he purged Judah and Jerusalem.
Read all of 2 Chronicles 342 Chronicles 34:3 word by word
וּבִשְׁמוֹנֶ֨ה שָׁנִ֜ים לְמָלְכ֗וֹ וְהוּא֙ עוֹדֶ֣נּוּ נַ֔עַר הֵחֵ֕ל לִדְר֕וֹשׁ לֵאלֹהֵ֖י דָּוִ֣יד אָבִ֑יו וּבִשְׁתֵּ֧ים עֶשְׂרֵ֣ה שָׁנָ֗ה הֵחֵל֙ לְטַהֵ֔ר אֶת־יְהוּדָה֙ וִיר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם מִן־הַבָּמוֹת֙ וְהָ֣אֲשֵׁרִ֔ים וְהַפְּסִלִ֖ים וְהַמַּסֵּכֽוֹת׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- For in the eighthשְׁמֹנֶהshemôneh shemôneh shemônâh shemônâh · eightH8083
- yearשָׁנָהshâneh shânâh · yearH8141
- of his reignמָלַךְmâlak · to reignH4427
- while he was yet youngנַ֫עַרna‛ar · youthH5288
- he beganחָלַלchâlal · to profane/begin: beginH2490
- to seekדָּרַשׁdârash · to seekH1875
- after the Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- of Davidדָּוִדdâvid dâvîyd · DavidH1732
- his fatherאָב'âb · fatherH1
- and in the twelfthעָשָׂר‛âώâr · tenH6240
- and in the twelfthשְׁנַ֫יִםshenayim shettayim · twoH8147
- to purgeטָהֵרţâhêr · be pureH2891
- Judahיְהוּדָהyehûdâh · JudahH3063
- and Jerusalemיְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵםyerûshâlaim yerûshâlayim · JerusalemH3389
- from the high placesבָּמָהbâmâh · high placeH1116
- and the grovesאֲשֵׁרָה'ăshêrâh 'ăshêyrâh · AsherahH842
- and the carved imagesפָּסִילpesîyl · idolH6456
- and the molten imagesמַסֵּכָהmassêkâh · molten metalH4541
Cross-references for 2 Chronicles 34:3
- 1 Chronicles 22:5David said, “My son Solomon is young and inexperienced, and the house to be built for the Lord should be of great magnificence and fame and splendor in the sight of all the nations. Therefore I will make preparations for it.” So David made extensive preparations before his death.
- 1 Chronicles 29:1Then King David said to the whole assembly: “My son Solomon, the one whom God has chosen, is young and inexperienced. The task is great, because this palatial structure is not for man but for the Lord God.
- Psalms 119:9How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word.
- Ecclesiastes 12:1Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, “I find no pleasure in them”—
- 2 Timothy 3:15and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
- 2 Chronicles 15:2He went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin. The Lord is with you when you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you.
- 1 Chronicles 28:9“And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever.
- Proverbs 8:17I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me.
- Matthew 6:33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
- 2 Chronicles 33:17The people, however, continued to sacrifice at the high places, but only to the Lord their God.
- Leviticus 26:30I will destroy your high places, cut down your incense altars and pile your dead bodies on the lifeless forms of your idols, and I will abhor you.
- 2 Kings 23:4The king ordered Hilkiah the high priest, the priests next in rank and the doorkeepers to remove from the temple of the Lord all the articles made for Baal and Asherah and all the starry hosts. He burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of the Kidron Valley and took the ashes to Bethel.
- 2 Chronicles 30:14They removed the altars in Jerusalem and cleared away the incense altars and threw them into the Kidron Valley.
- 2 Kings 18:4He removed the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke into pieces the bronze snake Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been burning incense to it. (It was called Nehushtan.)
Commentaries on 2 Chronicles 34:3
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3He began to purge Judah - Jeremiah‘s first prophecies Jeremiah 23 appear to have been coincident with Josiah‘s earlier efforts to uproot idolatry, and must have greatly strengthened his hands.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3When Josiah was sixteen, he started to seek the God of his ancestor David. At twenty, he began his own reforms.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. in the eighth year of his reign--This was the sixteenth year of his age, and, as the kings of Judah were considered minors till they had completed their thirteenth year, it was three years after he had attained majority. He had very early manifested the piety and excellent dispositions of his character. In the twelfth year of his reign, but the twentieth of his age, he began to take a lively interest in the purgation of his kingdom from all the…Read the comment
Topics related to 2 Chronicles 34:3
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 2 Chronicles 34
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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