View source for King Josiah

When [[King Josiah]]  became king of Judah at eight years old<Ref>2 Chronicles 34:1  Josiah [was] eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem one and thirty years.</Ref> He had to rely on others for guidance and support. 

It is said that King Josiah repaired the Temple with the labor of sabbalim ([[Corvee|"corvée workers"]]). 

In verse 13 of [[2 Chronicles 34]] we see the word ''cabbal'' סֹבֶל<Ref name="cabbal">{{05449}}</Ref> suggesting that there were some, ''bearers of burdens'', that were apart of a [[corvee]].<Ref>[[2 Chronicles 34]]: 13  "Also [they were] over the bearers of burdens[[05449]], and [were] overseers of all that wrought the work in any manner of service: and of the Levites [there were] scribes, and officers, and porters."</Ref> It does appears [[King Josiah]] repaired the Temple with some of the ''labor of sabbalim'' ("corvée workers"). It is also clear that many of the ''workmen, artificers, and builders'' in context of verse 10 were actually paid for their labor<Ref>[[2 Chronicles 34]]: 10  And they put [it] in the hand of the workmen that had the oversight of the house of the LORD, and they gave it to the workmen that wrought in the house of the LORD, to repair and amend the house: 11  Even to the artificers and builders gave they [it], to buy hewn stone, and timber for couplings, and to floor the houses which the kings of Judah had destroyed. 12  And the men did the work faithfully: and the overseers of them [were] Jahath and Obadiah, the [[Levites]], of the sons of Merari; and Zechariah and Meshullam, of the sons of the Kohathites, to set [it] forward; and [other of] the Levites, all that could skill of instruments of musick."</Ref> with money they freely received from Hilkiah the high priest.<Ref>[[2 Chronicles 34]]:9  "And when they came to Hilkiah the high priest, they delivered the money that was brought into the house of God, which the Levites that kept the doors had gathered of the hand of Manasseh and Ephraim, and of all the remnant of Israel, and of all Judah and Benjamin; and they returned to Jerusalem."</Ref>


We are also told he followed the way of David and by the time he was 16  he "purged" Judea from ''groves'' and ''images''.<Ref>2 Chronicles 34:3  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.</Ref> 

This resulted in the ''brake down'' of the altars of [[Baalim]]<Ref name="2Chronicles3404">[[2 Chronicles 34]]:4  "And they brake down<05422> the altars of [[Baalim]] in his presence; and the images, that [were] on high above them, he cut down; and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images, he brake in pieces, and made dust [of them], and strowed [it] upon the graves of them that had sacrificed unto them.</Ref>.


The translation tells us that they burnt the bones of their priests.<Ref>[[2 Chronicles 34]]:5  And he burnt the bones of the priests upon their altars, and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem.</Ref> And did the same in other cities.<Ref>[[2 Chronicles 34]]:6  And [so did he] in the cities of Manasseh, and Ephraim, and Simeon, even unto Naphtali, with their mattocks round about.</Ref>

After all this apparent violent destruction and chaos he returned to Jerusalem.<Ref>2 Chronicles 34:7  And when he had broken down the altars and the groves, and had beaten the graven images into powder, and cut down all the [[idols]] throughout all the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem.</Ref>

Some believe the ruthless nature of King Josiah's actions because of the directives in Exodus 34:
<blockquote>
"But ye shall destroy<Ref name="nathats">{{05422}}</Ref> their [[altars]] <04196>, break(שָׁבַר)<Ref name="shabar">{{07665}}</Ref>  their images <04676>, and cut down <03772> their groves <0842>: [[Exodus 34]]:13  </blockquote> 

In this command to "''destroy'' their altars" the word ''destroy'' is the same word we see in Hebrew phrase "''brake down'' the altars"<Ref name="2Chronicles3404"></Ref> which is ‎ nathats (NunTavTzadik(נָתַץ))<Ref name="nathats">{{05422}}</Ref>. But in Exodus the word translated ''break'' is ''shabar'' (ShinBeitReish(שָׁבַר)).<Ref name="shabar">{{07665}}</Ref>‎ 
The letters ShinBeitReish(שָׁבַר)also means "hope"<Ref name="sheber64">{{07664}}</Ref> but also "to inspect, examine, wait" <Ref name="sabar63">{{07663}}</Ref>.

The Hebrew letters ShinBeitReish(שָׁבַר)<Ref name="shabar66">{{07666}}</Ref> meaning "to buy or purchase" or what is call "victuals" meaning "food stuffs" as we see in [[Nehemiah 10]]:31  "And [if] the people of the land bring ware or any ''victuals'' <07668><Ref name="sheber68">{{07668}}</Ref> on the [[sabbath]] day to sell, [that] we would not buy it of them on the [[sabbath]], or on the holy day: and [that] we would leave the seventh year, and the exaction of every debt."
 
When he was 18 after he "purged the land, and the house" he det about to ''strengthen'' ((חָזַק)ChetZyanKuf)<Ref name="chazaq">{{02388}}</Ref> the house of the LORD.<Ref>2 Chronicles 34:8 ¶  Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had purged the land, and the house, he sent 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.</Ref>




Nehemiah 4:10 And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens <05449> is decayed, and [there is] much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall.

[[Category:Bible people]]