What is the meaning of 2 Chronicles 34:6? Josiah did the same “Josiah did the same” points back to verses 3–5, where the king zealously purged Judah of idolatry. • Just as in Jerusalem and Judah, he smashed altars, cut down Asherah poles, and burned the bones of pagan priests (2 Kings 23:4-6). • The phrase underscores consistency—Josiah’s faith wasn’t confined to his hometown but overflowed into wider obedience (Deuteronomy 12:2-3). in the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon These territories lay to the north and south of Judah. • Manasseh and Ephraim belonged to the former northern kingdom, showing Josiah’s reach into lands that had fallen to Assyria (2 Kings 17:6). • Simeon’s towns were scattered within Judah’s borders (Joshua 19:1-9), reminding us that apostasy can spring up even close to home. • By entering these places, Josiah modeled godly leadership that refuses to leave any pocket of compromise untouched (2 Chronicles 15:8). as far as Naphtali Naphtali lay in the far north by the Sea of Galilee. • Traveling “as far as Naphtali” pictures a nationwide sweep—hundreds of miles from Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 30:5). • It echoes the call to remove sin “to the ends of the land” (Isaiah 11:9) and foreshadows Christ’s later ministry in Galilee of the Gentiles (Matthew 4:13-16). and in the ruins around them Even deserted sites still housed idolatrous remnants. • Josiah did not overlook the “high places in the desolate cities” (Ezekiel 6:3-6). • By cleansing the ruins, he ensured future generations would not stumble over the discarded symbols of false worship (Exodus 23:24). • His thoroughness reflects God’s desire for holiness in every hidden corner of life (Psalm 139:23-24). summary 2 Chronicles 34:6 celebrates Josiah’s wholehearted, border-to-border campaign against idolatry. He tackled sin wherever it lurked—north or south, populated or ruined—demonstrating that genuine devotion to the LORD demands complete, uncompromising obedience. |
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