2 Chronicles 34:6
New International Version
In the towns of Manasseh, Ephraim and Simeon, as far as Naphtali, and in the ruins around them,

New Living Translation
He did the same thing in the towns of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, even as far as Naphtali, and in the regions all around them.

English Standard Version
And in the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, and as far as Naphtali, in their ruins all around,

Berean Standard Bible
Josiah did the same in the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, as far as Naphtali, and in the ruins around them.

King James Bible
And so did he in the cities of Manasseh, and Ephraim, and Simeon, even unto Naphtali, with their mattocks round about.

New King James Version
And so he did in the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, as far as Naphtali and all around, with axes.

New American Standard Bible
In the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, Simeon, and as far as Naphtali, in their surrounding spaces,

NASB 1995
In the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, Simeon, even as far as Naphtali, in their surrounding ruins,

NASB 1977
And in the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, Simeon, even as far as Naphtali, in their surrounding ruins,

Legacy Standard Bible
And in the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, Simeon, even as far as Naphtali, in their surrounding ruins,

Amplified Bible
In the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, Simeon, and as far as Naphtali, in their surrounding ruins,

Christian Standard Bible
He did the same in the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, and as far as Naphtali and on their surrounding mountain shrines.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
He did the same in the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, and as far as Naphtali and on their surrounding mountain shrines.

American Standard Version
And so did he in the cities of Manasseh and Ephraim and Simeon, even unto Naphtali, in their ruins round about.

Contemporary English Version
He did the same things in the towns and ruined villages in the territories of West Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, as far as the border of Naphtali.

English Revised Version
And so did he in the cities of Manasseh and Ephraim and Simeon, even unto Napthali, in their ruins round about.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
In the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, Simeon, and as far as Naphtali, he removed all their temples,

Good News Translation
He did the same thing in the cities and the devastated areas of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, and as far north as Naphtali.

International Standard Version
In the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, Simeon, and as far as Naphtali and their surrounding ruins,

Majority Standard Bible
Josiah did the same in the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, as far as Naphtali, and in the ruins around them.

NET Bible
In the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, as far as Naphtali, and in the ruins around them,

New Heart English Bible
He did this in the cities of Manasseh and Ephraim and Simeon, even to Naphtali, around in their ruins.

Webster's Bible Translation
And so did he in the cities of Manasseh, and Ephraim, and Simeon, even to Naphtali, with their mattocks around.

World English Bible
He did this in the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, even to Naphtali, around in their ruins.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and in the cities of Manasseh, and Ephraim, and Simeon, even to Naphtali, with their tools, all around.

Young's Literal Translation
and in the cities of Manasseh, and Ephraim, and Simeon, even unto Naphtali, with their tools, round about.

Smith's Literal Translation
And in the cities of Manasseh and Ephraim, and Simeon, and even to Naphtali he proved their houses round about.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And in the cities of Manasses, and of Ephraim, and of Simeon, even to Nephtali he demolished all.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Then too, in the cities of Manasseh, and of Ephraim, and of Simeon, even to Naphtali, he overturned everything.

New American Bible
He did likewise in the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, Simeon, and in the ruined villages of the surrounding country as far as Naphtali;

New Revised Standard Version
In the towns of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, and as far as Naphtali, in their ruins all around,
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And so did he in the cities of Manasseh and Ephraim and Simeon and Naphtali, in their streets round about.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And the towns of the house of Manasheh and of the house of Aphreim and of Shimeon and of Naphtali in their streets as circling around.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And so did he in the cities of Manasseh and Ephraim and Simeon, even unto Naphtali, with their axes round about.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And he did so in the cities of Manasse, and Ephraim, and Symeon, and Nephthali, and the places round about them.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Josiah Destroys Idolatry
5Then he burned the bones of the priests on their altars. So he cleansed Judah and Jerusalem. 6Josiah did the same in the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, as far as Naphtali, and in the ruins around them. 7He tore down the altars and Asherah poles, crushed the idols to powder, and cut to pieces all the incense altars throughout the land of Israel. Then he returned to Jerusalem.…

Cross References
2 Kings 23:4-20
Then the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, the priests second in rank, and the doorkeepers to remove from the temple of the LORD all the articles made for Baal, Asherah, and all the host of heaven. And he burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron and carried their ashes to Bethel. / Josiah also did away with the idolatrous priests ordained by the kings of Judah to burn incense on the high places of the cities of Judah and in the places all around Jerusalem—those who had burned incense to Baal, to the sun and moon, to the constellations, and to all the host of heaven. / He brought the Asherah pole from the house of the LORD to the Kidron Valley outside Jerusalem, and there he burned it, ground it to powder, and threw its dust on the graves of the common people. ...

2 Kings 22:3-7
Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, King Josiah sent the scribe, Shaphan son of Azaliah, the son of Meshullam, to the house of the LORD, saying, / “Go up to Hilkiah the high priest and have him count the money that has been brought into the house of the LORD, which the doorkeepers have collected from the people. / And let them deliver it into the hands of the supervisors of those doing the work on the house of the LORD, who in turn are to give it to the workmen repairing the damages to the house of the LORD— ...

Jeremiah 1:1-3
These are the words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, one of the priests in Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin. / The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah in the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah, / and through the days of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, until the fifth month of the eleventh year of Zedekiah son of Josiah king of Judah, when the people of Jerusalem went into exile.

2 Chronicles 33:15-17
He removed the foreign gods and the idol from the house of the LORD, along with all the altars he had built on the temple mount and in Jerusalem, and he dumped them outside the city. / Then he restored the altar of the LORD and sacrificed peace offerings and thank offerings on it, and he told Judah to serve the LORD, the God of Israel. / Nevertheless, the people still sacrificed at the high places, but only to the LORD their God.

2 Kings 18:4
He removed the high places, shattered the sacred pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles. He also demolished the bronze snake called Nehushtan that Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had burned incense to it.

2 Kings 21:3-7
For he rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had destroyed, and he raised up altars for Baal. He made an Asherah pole, as King Ahab of Israel had done, and he worshiped and served all the host of heaven. / Manasseh also built altars in the house of the LORD, of which the LORD had said, “In Jerusalem I will put My Name.” / In both courtyards of the house of the LORD, he built altars to all the host of heaven. ...

2 Kings 23:24-25
Furthermore, Josiah removed the mediums and spiritists, the household gods and idols, and all the abominations that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem. He did this to carry out the words of the law written in the book that Hilkiah the priest had found in the house of the LORD. / Neither before nor after Josiah was there any king like him, who turned to the LORD with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, according to all the Law of Moses.

2 Chronicles 15:8
When Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Azariah son of Oded the prophet, he took courage and removed the detestable idols from the whole land of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities he had captured in the hill country of Ephraim. He then restored the altar of the LORD that was in front of the portico of the LORD’s temple.

2 Chronicles 31:1
When all this had ended, the Israelites in attendance went out to the cities of Judah and broke up the sacred pillars, chopped down the Asherah poles, and tore down the high places and altars throughout Judah and Benjamin, as well as in Ephraim and Manasseh, until they had utterly destroyed them all. Then all the Israelites returned to their cities, each to his own property.

2 Chronicles 30:14
They proceeded to remove the altars in Jerusalem and to take away the incense altars and throw them into the Kidron Valley.

2 Chronicles 29:16
So the priests went inside the house of the LORD to cleanse it, and they brought out to the courtyard all the unclean things that they found in the temple of the LORD. Then the Levites took these things and carried them out to the Kidron Valley.

2 Chronicles 17:6
And his heart took delight in the ways of the LORD; furthermore, he removed the high places and Asherah poles from Judah.

2 Chronicles 19:3
However, some good is found in you, for you have removed the Asherah poles from the land and have set your heart on seeking God.”

1 Kings 13:2
And he cried out against the altar by the word of the LORD, “O altar, O altar, this is what the LORD says: ‘A son named Josiah will be born to the house of David, and upon you he will sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense upon you, and human bones will be burned upon you.’”

1 Kings 15:12-13
He banished the male shrine prostitutes from the land and removed all the idols that his fathers had made. / He also removed his grandmother Maacah from her position as queen mother because she had made a detestable Asherah pole. Asa chopped down the pole and burned it in the Kidron Valley.


Treasury of Scripture

And so did he in the cities of Manasseh, and Ephraim, and Simeon, even to Naphtali, with their mattocks round about.

in

2 Chronicles 30:1,10,11
And Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, to keep the passover unto the LORD God of Israel…

2 Chronicles 31:1
Now when all this was finished, all Israel that were present went out to the cities of Judah, and brake the images in pieces, and cut down the groves, and threw down the high places and the altars out of all Judah and Benjamin, in Ephraim also and Manasseh, until they had utterly destroyed them all. Then all the children of Israel returned, every man to his possession, into their own cities.

2 Kings 23:15-20
Moreover the altar that was at Bethel, and the high place which Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, had made, both that altar and the high place he brake down, and burned the high place, and stamped it small to powder, and burned the grove…

mattocks.

1 Samuel 13:20,21
But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, to sharpen every man his share, and his coulter, and his axe, and his mattock…

Proverbs 25:18
A man that beareth false witness against his neighbour is a maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow.

Isaiah 7:25
And on all hills that shall be digged with the mattock, there shall not come thither the fear of briers and thorns: but it shall be for the sending forth of oxen, and for the treading of lesser cattle.

Jump to Previous
Axes Cities Ephraim E'phraim Far Houses Manasseh Manas'seh Mattocks Naphtali Naph'tali Round Ruins Simeon Surrounding Tools Towns Waste
Jump to Next
Axes Cities Ephraim E'phraim Far Houses Manasseh Manas'seh Mattocks Naphtali Naph'tali Round Ruins Simeon Surrounding Tools Towns Waste
2 Chronicles 34
1. Josiah's good reign
3. He destroys idolatry
8. He takes order for the repair of the temple
14. Hilkiah, having found a book of the law,
21. Josiah sends to Huldah to enquire of the Lord
23. Huldah prophesies the destruction of Jerusalem, but respite thereof in Josiah's time
29. Josiah, causing it to be read in a solemn assembly, renews the covenant with God














Josiah did the same in the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon
Josiah's reforms extended beyond Judah into the northern territories, indicating a desire to unify the worship of Yahweh across all Israel. Manasseh and Ephraim were part of the Northern Kingdom, which had been conquered by Assyria in 722 BC. This action by Josiah suggests a reclaiming of spiritual authority over these lands, reflecting the Davidic ideal of a united Israel. Simeon, although geographically within Judah, had been somewhat isolated, and its inclusion here emphasizes the comprehensive nature of Josiah's reforms. This effort to purify worship aligns with the Deuteronomic law, which Josiah was committed to following after the discovery of the Book of the Law in the temple (2 Kings 22:8-13).

as far as Naphtali
Naphtali was one of the northernmost tribes, indicating the extensive reach of Josiah's reforms. This area had been heavily influenced by Assyrian culture and pagan practices due to its proximity to foreign nations. Josiah's actions here demonstrate a commitment to eradicating idolatry and restoring the worship of Yahweh even in regions that had been under foreign control for a significant time. This can be seen as a fulfillment of the prophetic vision of a restored Israel, as mentioned in passages like Isaiah 9:1-2, which speaks of a great light shining in Galilee, the region of Naphtali.

and in the ruins around them
The mention of "ruins" suggests the desolation left by Assyrian conquest and the subsequent neglect of these areas. Josiah's reforms included not only the destruction of idolatrous altars but also the restoration of proper worship practices. This phrase highlights the physical and spiritual renewal Josiah sought to bring about. The ruins symbolize the broken state of Israel, both physically and spiritually, and Josiah's efforts can be seen as a type of Christ, who comes to restore and rebuild what is broken (Isaiah 61:1-4).

Persons / Places / Events
1. Manasseh
One of the tribes of Israel, named after Joseph's firstborn son. This tribe was located on both sides of the Jordan River, with a significant portion in the northern kingdom of Israel.

2. Ephraim
Another tribe of Israel, named after Joseph's second son. Ephraim was a leading tribe in the northern kingdom and often represented the entire northern kingdom in biblical texts.

3. Simeon
A tribe of Israel that was originally allocated land within the territory of Judah. Over time, Simeon's identity became less distinct, often being absorbed into Judah.

4. Naphtali
A northern tribe of Israel, known for its location in the fertile region near the Sea of Galilee. It was one of the first areas to fall during the Assyrian conquest.

5. Josiah's Reforms
King Josiah of Judah initiated religious reforms to purify worship practices, including the destruction of idolatrous sites throughout the land, as described in this passage.
Teaching Points
Commitment to Purity in Worship
Josiah's actions demonstrate a commitment to purifying worship practices. Believers today are called to examine their own lives and remove anything that detracts from true worship of God.

Courage in Leadership
Josiah's reforms required courage and determination. Christian leaders are encouraged to stand firm in their convictions, even when it involves challenging established norms.

The Importance of Obedience
Josiah's reforms were in direct obedience to God's commands. Believers are reminded of the importance of aligning their actions with God's Word.

Influence Beyond Borders
Josiah's reforms extended beyond Judah into the northern territories. Christians are encouraged to consider how their faith and actions can impact those beyond their immediate community.

Legacy of Faithfulness
Josiah's legacy is one of faithfulness to God. Believers are challenged to consider the legacy they are leaving for future generations.(6) And so did he in the cities . . . unto Naphtali.--Sec 2Kings 23:15; 2Kings 23:19, according to which Josiah destroyed the sanctuary of Bethel, and the high places "in the cities of Samaria," i.e., the northern kingdom.

Simeon is again mentioned somewhat strangely, as in 2Chronicles 15:9, no doubt because Beersheba, a famous sanctuary within its territory, was a place of pilgrimage for the northern tribes.

Manasseh and Ephraim, i.e., the northern kingdom, as in 2Chronicles 31:1; Isaiah 9:21. . . .

Verse 6. - In the cities of Manasseh,... Ephraim,... Simeon, even unto Naphtali. Manasseh and Ephraim lay very nearly in the centre of the whole land, while Simeon and Naphtali were respectively at the southern and northern extremities. With their mattocks. This rendering may be correct, and cannot be said to be foreign to the sense and connection of the passage, the Hebrew word in that ease being the feminine plural of חֶרֶב Perhaps, however, the word is one with that found in Psalm 109:10, and may be rendered "in their ruined," i.e. semi-ruined, "condition." Note Keri also, which favours the latter reading; the Septuagint shows simply words which may best translate, and in their neighbourhoods respectively.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
[Josiah] did the same in the cities
וּבְעָרֵ֨י (ū·ḇə·‘ā·rê)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - feminine plural construct
Strong's 5892: Excitement

of Manasseh,
מְנַשֶּׁ֧ה (mə·naš·šeh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 4519: Manasseh -- 'causing to forget', a son of Joseph, also a king of Judah, also two Israelites

Ephraim,
וְאֶפְרַ֛יִם (wə·’ep̄·ra·yim)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 669: Ephraim -- a son of Joseph, also his descendants and their territory

and Simeon,
וְשִׁמְע֖וֹן (wə·šim·‘ō·wn)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 8095: Simeon -- a son of Jacob, also his tribe, also an Israelite with a foreign wife

as
וְעַד־ (wə·‘aḏ-)
Conjunctive waw | Preposition
Strong's 5704: As far as, even to, up to, until, while

far as Naphtali,
נַפְתָּלִ֑י (nap̄·tā·lî)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 5321: Naphtali -- a son of Jacob, also his descendants and the district settled by them

and on their surrounding
סָבִֽיב׃ (sā·ḇîḇ)
Adverb
Strong's 5439: A circle, neighbour, environs, around

ruins.
בְּחַרְבֹתֵיהֶ֖ם (bə·ḥar·ḇō·ṯê·hem)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 1004: A house


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OT History: 2 Chronicles 34:6 So did he in the cities (2 Chron. 2Ch iiCh ii ch 2 chr 2chr)
2 Chronicles 34:5
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