EXPLORE IT - boy-king: Guilty by Association

The story of King Josiah is found in 2 Kings 22-23.  2 Kings was originally one literary work with 1 Kings.  This one volume, called “Kings,” was originally written in Hebrew.  When this work was translated around A.D. 400 into the Greek Septuagint, the translators divided the work into the two books we have today.  This division was made more of necessity, based on the material able to fit on one scroll, than by considering literary form.

The account of King Josiah is found in two places in Scripture, 2 Kings 22-23 and 2 Chronicles 34-35.  The two records of the same events are not exactly the same.  Some of these inconsistencies are minor, like the inclusion or omission of specific phrases, alternate name spellings, and extra details included in the 2 Chronicles account that are not in the 2 Kings record.  Here is a great guide to the parallels of these passages:[1]

a.       2 Kings 22:1-2                             2 Chronicles 34:1-2

b.      -------                                            2 Chronicles 34:3-7

c.       2 Kings 22:2-23:3                       2 Chronicles 34:8-31

d.      2 Kings 23:4-20                          2 Chronicles 34:32-33

e.      -------                                            2 Chronicles 35:1-17

f.        2 Kings 23:21-23                        2 Chronicles 35:18-19

g.       2 Kings 23:24-27                        -------

h.      2 Kings 23:28-30                        2 Chronicles 35:20-27

The unique material to 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles ((e) and (g)) reveal the interests of each of the writers.  Challenges arise in (b) and (h).  We are given a different order of events in each book and the details of the death of the king are different as well.  Scholars disagree why these variances exist.  The authors of these two different books may be working from different traditions.  Before the stories were written down, there was an oral tradition and it is possible the stories were slightly altered as they were passed down.

The important themes of Josiah’s life are the same in both accounts and that is what we must focus on.  Josiah was born in 648 B.C.  He began to reign when he was eight years old.  He found the lawbook in the 18^th year of his reign and in that same year renewed the covenant with the Lord.  There was widespread reform throughout the land.  He died during his 31^st year as King (609 B.C.).

We can celebrate that God’s people, after straying from His Presence, returned and recommitted themselves to Him through the faithfulness of King Josiah!

Blessings,
Pastor Amy

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[1] Hobbs, T. R. Word Biblical Commentary: 2 Kings. Columbia: Word, Incorporated, 1985. (316).