Annotations Upon the Historical Books Part 2, 2 Kings · Chapter 23
CHAP. XXIII.
Verſ. 2. ANd the king went up into the houſe of the Lord, and all the men of Judah, &c.] To wit, to renew ſolemnly their covenant with God, that if it were poſſible, the wrath of the Lord might be appeaſed, and thoſe judgements prevented, which the propheteſſe Huldah had told him were to come upon the land; and becauſe all were concerned in the danger, all were called to this aſſembly, the prieſts, and the prophets, and all the people: where by the prophets may be meant not onelyonly the prophets that at this time prophecyed in the land, as Jeremiah, Zephaniah, and Urijah; but likewiſe alſo thoſe that lived in the ſchools of the prophets, whereof there is often mention made in the Scripture.
Verſ. 3. And the king stood by a pillar, &c.] That is, on the brazen ſcaffold erected by Solomon, which was made with pillars; or on a throne, which was according to the cuſtome erected by a pillar in the Temple for the king to ſtand on; of which ſee the note chap. 11.14. and therefore 2. Chron. 34.31. it is ſaid of Joſiah that he ſtood in his place.
And all the people ſtood to the covenant.] That is, they conſented to renew their covenant with God, and promiſed that they would do according to the covenant.
Verſ. 4. And the king commanded Hilkiah the high prieſt, &c.] Joſiah did begin to purge Judah and Jeruſalem from the high places, and the groves, and the idols which the people had worſhiped in the twelfth yeare of his reigne which was ſix years before the book of the law was found, 2. Chron. 34.3. but upon his hearing of thoſe grievous threatnings in the book of the law againſt idolatry, he now proceeded further and perfected that work of reformation which was then began; and therefore it is that in the Chronicles, the penman of the ſacred hiſtorie, undertaking to relate the reformation that Joſiah wrought in the twelfth yeare of his reigne, he addes alſo what was done afterward when the book of the law was found; and on the other ſide, ſpeaking here how he ſuppreſſed idolatry upon the hearing of the law, he joynes alſo many things which were done of the ſame nature, in the twelfth yeare of his reigne, that all his zealous acts in rooting out idolatry might be related together. As here that he commanded Hilkiah the high prieſt, and the prieſts of the ſecond order, &c. to bring out all the idolatrous traſh that was in the Temple: where by the prieſts of the ſecond order, may be meant the inferiour prieſts; called prieſts of the ſecond order, with reſpect to the high prieſt, or rather the firſt two chief prieſts of the two ſtocks of Eliazer and Ithamar, of whom ſee the note, 2. Sam. 8.17. Some Interpreters underſtand it of the prieſts of the order of Jedaiah, the ſecond of thoſe twenty foure orders of the prieſts appointed by David, 1. Chron. 24.1.7. but it is hard to ſay why they ſhould be employed in purging the Temple, rather then the reſt of the prieſts.
And he burnt them without Jeruſalem in the fields of Kidron, and carried the aſhes of them unto Beth-el.] Therewith to defile the prime ſeat of Jeroboams idolatry, and withall to expreſſe his deteſtation of theſe idols, and that idolatry there firſt erected; from whence the infection had overſpread the whole land, and had been the main cauſe of all the evil that was fallen upon the people of God. By the Law whatever touched the graves of dead men it was unclean; and thus he manifeſted his deteſtation of theſe idolatrous monuments, and that he eſteemed them as moſt filthy things, fi… ▪ onelyonly for ſuch unclean places. Nor need it ſeem ſtrange that Joſiah ſhould have this power in Beth-el, which was a citie of Samaria the kingdome of the ten tribes: for, firſt, Abijah the ſonne of Rehoboam, had long ſince taken Beth-el from Jeroboam, and annexed it to the kingdome of Judah, 2. Chron. 13.19. And Abijah purſued after Jeroboam, and took cities from him, Beth-el with the towns thereof: and ſo perhaps it had ever ſince continued: and ſecondly, it ſeems that the greateſt part of the kingdome of Samaria was at this time under the dominion of Joſiah, whence is that verſ. 19. And all the houſes alſo of the high places that were in the cities of Samaria, which the kings of Iſrael had made to provoke the Lord to anger, Joſiah took away, and did to them according to all the acts that he had done in Beth-el: of which two reaſons probable enough may be ſuppoſed: for, firſt, it may be after the flight and death of Sennacherib, when Merodach oppoſed himſelf againſt Eſar-haddon his ſon, Hezekiah took aduantage of this faction in the North, and laid hold upon ſo much of the kingdome of Iſrael, as he was able to people: or ſecondly, perhaps the ſame reaſon that moved the Babylonian king to ſet Manaſſeh free, when he was his priſoner in Babylon, did alſo perſwade him to give him with his libertie the dominion of the greateſt part of the countrey of Samaria; to wit, that he might defend theſe territories againſt the Egyptian, who begun in theſe times with great power and ſucceſſe, to oppoſe the Babylonians; and indeed the earneſtneſſe of Joſiah in the king of Babels quarrel, notwithſtanding the kings of Judah, had ſo long held great amitie with thoſe of Egypt, 2. Chron. 35.20, 21, 22. doth argue that the compoſition which Manaſſeh had made with that king or his Anceſtour, was upon ſuch friendly terms, as required not onelyonly a faithfull obſervation, but alſo a thankfull requitall.
Verſ. 5. And he put down the idolatrous priests, whom the kings of Judah had ordained to burn incenſe, &c.] The word in the originall, here tranſlated idolatrous priests, is Chemarim; and becauſe we find them mentioned, Zeph, 1.4. as diſtinct from the prieſts, I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, and the name of the Chemarims with the priests; therefore many Expoſitours hold, that they were certain miniſters of their idolatry different from the prieſts, ſuch as the monks are among the papiſts; or at leaſt, that they were a peculiar ſort of prieſts ſo called, either becauſe they wore black or coloured garments, or becauſe they lived a retired life in cells and cloiſters, or becauſe of their fierie zeal, and fervencie in their Religion, or becauſe they were peculiarly employed in burning incenſe.
Verſ. 6. And he brought out the grove from the houſe of the Lord, &c.] By the grove is meant, either the image or ſimilitude of a grove, which was hanged up in the Temple; or rather a very grove, which idolatours for devotion had planted near unto the Temple, contrary to the commandment of the Lord, Deut. 16.21. Thou ſhalt not plant thee a grove of any trees near unto the altar of the Lord thy God: which therefore Joſiah did now cut down, and removed from the Temple, burning it at the brook Kidron without Jeruſalem, and then caſt the powder thereof upon the graves of the children of the people; to wit, both in contempt of the idols, and in reproch of thoſe that had worſhipped them in their lives, for this is plainly implied, 2. Chron. 34.4.
Verſ. 7. And he brake down the houſes of the ſodomites that were by the houſe of the Lord, &c.] Theſe Sodomites … were kept, and maintained, not onelyonly for the ſatisfying of mens unnaturall luſt, but alſo for the honour of their idol-gods, whom they thought pleaſed with ſuch horrid uncleanneſſe, and therefore were their houſes built cloſe to the Temple, and here the women wove hangings for the grove, with which hangings they compaſſed in many ſeverall places in the groves, as ſo many ſeverall tents and chappels… darker, the fitter for thoſe horrid deeds of darkneſſe which were there done: for there they worſhipped their idols, and defiled themſelves with all kind both of ſpirituall, and bodily uncleanneſſe,
Verſ. 8. And he brought all the prieſts out of the cities of Judah, and defiled the high places, &c.] To wit, by beating down their altars, &c. and turning the places to prophane and unclean uſes; or doing ſomething to them, which in the judgement of thoſe that eſteemed them ſacred, muſt needs render them unfit for any ſacred imployment, as by burning dead mens bones in them, verſ. 14. or any thing of the like nature.
And brake down the high places of the gates that were in the entring of the gate of Joſhuah the governour of the citie, &c.] It is very probably thought by ſome Expoſitours that theſe high places of the gates, were high places built for the worſhip of ſome tutelary gods, whom they eſteemed the Gods that were the guardians and protectours of their citie, which were therefore erected nigh to the gate of Joſhua the governour of the citie, that is, one that was at that time the chief captain, or the chief Magiſtrate of Jeruſalem: now the breaking down of theſe high places, is particularly expreſſed, to ſhew that Joſiah regarded not the greatneſſe of any that had any ſpeciall intereſt in any idolatrous monuments, but ſuppreſſed them all.
Verſ. 9. The prieſts of the high places came not up to the altar of the Lord in Jeruſalem, but they did eat of the unleavened bread, &c.] Theſe prieſts were ſuch as were of the linage of Aaron, that yet had defiled themſelves with the idolatry of the high places, where they worſhipped the true God in a falſe manner: now though theſe were depoſed from their offices, nor were ever ſuffered more to ſerve at Gods altar, yet they were allowed to eat of the unleavened bread, that is, of the proviſion allowed for the maintenance, and nouriſhment of the prieſts.
Verſ. 10. And he defiled Tophet, &c.] This Tophet was a high place on the eaſt ſide of Jeruſalem, in a very pleaſant valley, called the valley of the children of Hinnom; or as it is Joſh. 15.8. the valley of the ſonne of Hinnom, where the ſacrificed their children to Molech, and it was called Tophet, as it is generally held, from an Hebrew word that ſignifies a drum, or a timbrel, either becauſe of the muſick and dances which they uſed at the time of thoſe ſacrifices, or rather becauſe by the noiſe of drummes and tabrels they ſought at thoſe times to defen… the eares of the parents, that they might not heare the ſhreekes and cryes of their children; and hence it was that the prophet Jeremy threatned, that in that very valley there ſhould be a mighty ſlaughter of the people, ſo that it ſhould be no more called Tophet, nor the valley of the ſonne of Hinnom, but the valley of ſlaughter, Jer. 7.31, 32. yea and the prophet Iſaiah as in alluſion to the ſhreekes or torments of thoſe that were ſlain here, calls hell Tophet, Iſaiah 30.33. for Tophet is ordained of old, yea for the king it is prepared; he hath made it deep and large, the pile thereof is fire and much wood, the breath of the Lord like a ſtream of brimstone doth kindle it: and ſo the Evangeliſt calls hell Gehenna, as Mat. 5.22. and ſo in divers other places as in relation to the Hebrew word Gehinnom; that is, the valley of the ſonne of Hinnom.
Verſ. 11. And he took away the horſes that the kings of Judah had given to the ſunne, &c.] By theſe horſes of the ſunne, ſome conceive is meant onelyonly a carved ſtatue, or repreſentation of the ſunne ſitting in a chariot drawn with fiery horſes: but why is it then diſtinctly ſaid, that he took away the horſes, and burnt the chariots, and that theſe horſes were kept in the ſuburbs of the citie? others conceive that they were horſes kept to be offered in ſacrifice to the ſunne, as judging the horſe for his ſwiftneſſe, a fit ſacrifice for the ſunne that runnes ſo ſwiftly about the earth: but for what uſe then were the chariots? more probable therefore it is, that they were horſes conſecrated to the ſunne, wherewith in chariots either the princes were wont to ride forth, when they went to worſhip the riſing ſunne; or elſe the image of the ſunne was carried about the citie at ſome certain times, for which onelyonly uſe, they were ſtill kept at the charge of the kings of Judah in the ſuburbs of Jeruſalem.
Verſ. 12. And the altars that were on the top of the upper chamber of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made.] For on the roofs of their houſes they uſed to ſacrifice to ſunne, moon, and ſtarres, as we ſee, Jer. 19.13. And the houſes of Jeruſalem, and the houſes of the kings of Judah ſhall be defiled as the place of Tophet, becauſe of all the houſes upon whoſe roofs they have burnt incenſe unto all the hoſt of heaven, &c. Zeph. 1.4, 5. I will alſo ſtretch out my hand against Judah, and upon the inhabitants of Jeruſalem, and will cut of the remnant of Baal from this place, and the name of the Chemarims, with the prieſts, and them that worſhip the hoſt of heaven upon the houſe tops, &c.
And the altars which Manaſſeh had made in the two courts of the houſe of the Lord, &c.] It is expreſſely ſaid, 2. Chron. 33.15. that Manaſſeh repenting him of his former wickedneſſe, took away all the altars which he had built in the mount of the houſe of the Lord, and in Jeruſalem; and caſt them out of the city: but though he caſt them out of the city, yet his ſonne Amon, after his death reſtored them, it ſeems, to their former places; or if they were demoliſhed and ruined, yet at leaſt he built others in their room; and yet theſe which Joſiah now did beat to duſt, are called Manaſſehs altars; becauſe he firſt ſet them up in the two courts of the Temple.
Verſ. 13. And the high places that were before Jeruſalem, which were on the right hand of the mount of corruption, &c.] This mount whereon Solomons high places ſtood, was the mount Olivet near unto Jeruſalem, 1 Kings 11.7. called here, the mount of corruption; becauſe it was ſo full of idols, wherewith the people had corrupted themſelves, according to that expreſſion, Deut. 32.5. they have corrupted themſelves; yet it is but a weak conceit to think that Solomons high places erected to theſe heathen gods, had continued to this day as ſome men hold, ſeeking hence to inferre, that Solomon did never repent and turne unto the Lord: for what likelyhood is there, that neither Aſa, nor Jehoſhaphat, nor Hezekiah did meddle with defacing theſe idolatrous monuments, which were doubtleſſe in moſt eſteem amongſt the people; queſtionleſſe, Aſa that would not ſpare his grandmothers idol, and Hezekiah that brake in pieces the brazen ſerpent would not ſuffer theſe execrable high places to ſtand undemoliſhed, in the very face of the Temple; but what theſe good princes pulled down, the idolatrous kings that ſucceeded in the throne of Jupah, did ſoon ſet up again; and becauſe they were erected as in the room of thoſe which Solomon did at firſt ſet up, therefore they were ſtill called the high places which Solomon built.
Verſ. 15. Moreover the altar that was at Beth-el, &c.] See the notes above upon verſ. 4.
Verſ. 16. And ſent, and took the bones out of the Sepulchres, and burnt them upon the altar, &c.] That is the bones of the prieſts that were there buried out of a ſuperſtitious reſpect to the holineſſe of the place, 2. Chron. 34.5. And he burnt the bones of the prieſts upon their altar: above three hundred years it was now ſince a Prophet ſent from God had foretold, that the bones of the prieſts ſhould be burnt upon Jeroboams altar, 1. Kings 13.1, 2. which was now accordingly accompliſhed.
Verſ. 17. Then he ſaid, What title is that that I ſee?] Becauſe the man of God ſent to prophecy againſt Jeroboams altar, had foretold that the bones of the prieſts ſhould be burnt upon the altar, the old prophet that ſeduced him both buried him in the ſepulchre provided for himſelf, and gave order to his ſonnes to bury him there alſo, and withall took order to erect a ſtatue or pillar in the ſepulchre whereon was engraven, that there the man of God was buried, that had prophecyed againſt the altar, and was afterwards torn with a lion, that ſo when the time came, of which the man of God had prophecyed, his ſepulchre might hereby be known from the reſt, and ſo his bones with the bones of that man of God, might lie at reſt; this was the title or inſcription which Joſiah now eſpied, and being ſatisfied what it was, he accordingly gave order to let their bones alone, and ſo the old prophet had his deſire. See 1. Kings 13.31, 32.
Verſ. 18. So they let his bones alone, with the bones of the prophet that came out of Samaria.] See the note, 1 Kings 13.11.
Verſ. 19. And all the houſes alſo of the high places that were in the cities of Samaria, &c.] See the note above, verſ. 4.
Verſ. 20. And he ſlew all the prieſts of the high places that were there, upon the altars, &c.] Though upon the prieſts the ſonnes of Aaron that had worſhipped the true God in a falſe manner, in the high places, he laid no other puniſhment but this, that they ſhould be for ever diſabled from coming up to the altar of the Lord in Jeruſalem, verſ. 8, 9. yet theſe he ſlew as not being the Lords prieſts, but made prieſts after the order and inſtitution of Jeroboam, 1 Kings 12.31. and ſuch as ſacrificed to falſe gods, and perhaps obſtinately oppoſed Joſiah in this reformation; yea, he ſlew them upon the altars, and therein fulfilled what was long ſince prophecyed of him, 1. Kings 13.1, 2. and hereby it appears, that even after the ten tribes were carried away captive into Aſſyria; yet there were ſome both of the prieſts and people, that either were left behind, or returned again into the land of Samaria.
Verſ. 22. Surely there was not holden ſuch a Paſſeover, from the dayes of the Judges, &c.] In 2. Chron. 35.18. it is from the dayes of Samuel the prophet, &c. doubtleſſe there could not be ſo great a concourſe of the people to eat the Paſſeover now, when ten of the twelve tribes were carried captive into Aſſyria, as there had been in former ages when all the tribes of Iſrael lived under the government of Saul and David, and Solomon ſucceſſively; but this is ſpoken with reſpect to the multitude of ſacrifices that were offered at this paſſeover, given bountifully by the king and princes to the people; but eſpecially with reſpect to the exceeding joy of the good people, becauſe religion was reſtored again in its purity amongſt them, and the ſolemnity of all the ſervice that was then performed in the houſe of God: Joſiah gave then to the people for the paſſeover offering, thirty thouſand lambs and kids, and three thouſand bullocks, and his princes and the chief of the Levites, gave proportionably many thouſands more, as is largely ſet down, 2. Chron. 35.7, 8, 9. and all the ſervice of the feaſt was performed with very great ſolemnity.
Verſ. 25. And like unto him was there no king before him, &c.] See the note, chap. 18.5.
Verſ. 26. His anger was kindled againſt Judah, becauſe of all the provocations that Manaſſeh had provoked him withall.] So it is ſaid Jer. 15.4. And I will cauſe them to be removed into all the kingdomes of the earth, becauſe of Manaſſeh. It is evident that Manaſſeh repented him of his ſinnes, 2. Chron. 33.12— 19. and therefore as ſure it is that the Lord did fully pardon him all his ſinnes, Iſa. 1.16, 17, 18. Waſh ye, make you clean, put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes, ceaſe to do evil, learn to do well, relieve the oppreſſed, judge the fatherleſſe, plead for the widow; come now and let us reaſon together ſaith the Lord, though your ſinnes were as ſcarlet, they ſhall be made as white as ſnow: yet here the wrath of God againſt Judah is aſcribed to the ſinnes of Manaſſeh; which is becauſe the Lord doth many times correct his ſervants for their ſinnes, though he hath fully perdoned them, and that not onelyonly in their own perſons, but in their poſterity too. Secondly, becauſe thoſe ſinnes of Manaſſeh were ſtill ſecretly harboured amongſt the people, though they yielded to Joſiahs reformation for fear; yet in their hearts, and many of them ſecretly in their practiſes too, they did ſtill uphold Manaſſehs wicked wayes; as was indeed moſt remarkably evident in that ſo ſoon as ever Joſiah was dead, even all his children with the people did ſoon return to Manaſſehs idolatry again: whence it was that the Lord complained of Judah, Jer. 3.10. that they had not turned to him with their whole hearts but fainedly; and it was in the dayes of Joſiah the king, verſ. 6.
Verſ. 29. In his dayes Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt went up against the king of Aſſyria, &c.] To wit in the laſt yeare of Joſiahs reigne, which was thirteen years after he kept that ſolemn paſſeover, and perfectly ſuppreſſed idolatry both in Judah, and in a great part of Samaria: it is hard to ſay who this king of Aſſyria was againſt whom the king of Egypt went up. Some conceive it was Eſar-haddon the ſon of Sennacherib, and that it was the revolt of the Medes and the Babylonians from him that invited the king of Egypt at this time to invade his countrey, but others farre more probably hold that it was Nebulaſſer the ſonne of Ben-meradach king of Babylon: for the Babylonians had now gotten the empire from the Aſſyrians, and therefore it is no wonder that he ſhould be here called the king of Aſſyria.
And king Joſiah went againſt him.] To wit, to hinder him from paſſing thorough his countrey: Pharoah ſent Embaſſadours to him to deſire him that he might quietly paſſe thorough his countrey, proteſting that he directed himſelf againſt the Aſſyrians onelyonly, without any harmfull purpoſe againſt Joſiah, but all ſuffered not to prevail with him, 2. Chron. 35.21, 22. which makes it moſt probable that he did it not ſo much out of a fear of ſuffering ſo great an army to enter his countrey, as becauſe he thought himſelf bound in faith and honour to hinder him in his enterpriſe againſt the Babylonians, to whom he was obliged, either by covenant made at the enlargement of Manaſſeh, or by gift of ſuch part as he held in the kingdome of the ten tribes: but the ſucceſſe was, that Pharoah ſlew Joſiah, he ſlew him at Megiddo, when he had ſeen him: that is, at the firſt encounter when he had fought with him, according to that phraſe, chap. 14.8. Come let us look one another in the face; of which ſee the note there: and thus God puniſhed the wickedneſſe of the people by taking their good king from them.
Verſ. 30. And his ſervants carried him in a chariot dead from Megiddo, &c.] They took him out of the chariot wherein he was wounded, and put him in his ſecond chariot, and ſo went preſently to Jeruſalem with him, but being mortally wounded, he dyed by the way: hence it is ſaid here that they carried him dead from Megiddo, and yet in 2. Chron. 35.29. that they brought him to Jeruſalem, and he died, and was buried, &c. what great mourning there was for his death, we may ſee 2. Chron. 35.24. And Jeremiah lamented for Joſiah, and all the ſinging men, and ſinging women ſpake of Joſiah in their lamentations unto this day, and made them an ordinance in Iſrael, and behold they are written in the Lamentations, whence is that, Zach. 12.11. In that day ſhall there be great mourning in Jeruſalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddo.
And the people of the land took Jehoahaz the ſonne of Joſiah, and anointed him, &c.] We read of foure ſonnes that Joſiah had, 1. Chron. 3.15. Johanan, Joakim, Zedekiah, and Shallum; of Johanan, we find no where elſe any mention: either Jehoahaz muſt therefore be the ſame that is called there Johanan, and Shallum, Jer. 22.11. and then it were no wonder though the people made him king being the firſt born: or elſe rather we muſt hold, that happely Johanan the firſt born dyed before his father, and ſo was never king, and that this Jehoahaz was the ſame that is called Shallum, 1. Chron. 3.15. and was anointed king by the people, though he was not the eldeſt of Joſiahs ſonnes, of which ſee the note verſ. 36. either perhaps becauſe he was beſt affected to the king of Babel, or becauſe he was moſt warlike and valiant, and the moſt likely therefore to defend them againſt Necho king of Egypt.
Verſ. 32. And he did that which was evil in the ſight of the Lord, &c.] He preſently ſet up again the idolatry which his father Joſiah had ſuppreſſed, and moſt grievouſly oppreſſed the people, perhaps the faithfull that diſliked this alteration; and in regard of this, he is compared to a young lion that devoured men, Ezekiel 19.2, 3, 4.
Verſ. 33. And Pharaoh Necho put him in bands at Riblath, &c.] Pharaoh Necho returning with victorie from Charchemiſh where he had vanquiſhed the Babylonian, was willing to revenge the oppoſition that was made againſt him at his going forth by Joſiah and his people, who ſought to ſtop him in his paſſage through Judea: and ſo making uſe of the diſſention betwixt Jehoahaz the ſonne of Joſiah by his wife Hamutall and Eliakim the ſonne of Joſiah by his wife Zebudah, who being the elder (of which ſee the note, verſ. 36.) is probably thought to have ſtormed that his younger brother ſhould get the kingdome from him: he ſoon got Jehoahaz or Shallum into his power, and the rather to teſtifie that the kingdome was now at his diſpoſing, he depoſed him, giving away his kingdome to Eliakim his elder brother, to whom of right it did belong; onelyonly impoſing a tribute upon him and the people, and ſo carried away Jehoahaz or Shallum priſoner into Egypt, where he died, according to the prophecy of Jeremiah, Jer. 22.10, 11. Thus ſaith the Lord, touching Shallum the ſonne of Joſiah king of Judah, which reigned inſtead of Joſiah his father, which went forth out of this place, He ſhall not return thither any more.
Verſ. 36. Jehoiakim was twenty and five years old when he began to reigne.] Hereby it is gathered, that Eliakim called by Pharaoh Jehoiakim, was the elder brother; becauſe Jehoahaz when he was made king by the people three moneths before this, was but twenty three years old: indeed they that hold that Jehoahaz was the elder brother, as being the ſame that is called Johanan the firſt born, 1. Chro. 3.15. they ſay that the beginning of Jehoiakims reigne, is accounted from the death of Jehoahaz in Egypt, becauſe till he was dead he governed but as a viceroy in ſtead of his brother; but becauſe he was by Pharaoh made abſolute king, more probable it is that he was the elder brother.
Verſ. 37. And he did that which was evil in the ſight of the Lord, &c.] As being an idolatour and a cruell oppreſſour of the people; the rather happely in revenge, becauſe they had formerly preferred his younger brother before him, which is largely expreſſed, Jer. 22.13—19. and Ezek. 19.5, 6, 7. but herein was his impiety chiefly diſcovered, becauſe when the prophets denounced judgements againſt him and his people for their evil wayes, he would not endure it, but perſecuted them for it; one remarkable inſtance whereof, which happened in the beginning of his reigne, we have, Jer. 26.20.23. There was alſo a man that prophecyed in the name of the Lord, Ʋrijah the ſonne of Shemaiah of Kiriath-jearim, who prophecyed againſt this city, and againſt this land, according to all the words of Jeremiah. And they fet forth Ʋrijah out of Egypt, and brought him unto Jehoiakim the king, who ſlew him with the ſword, and caſt his dead body into the graves of the common people.