2 Chronicles 35:16 kjv
So all the service of the LORD was prepared the same day, to keep the passover, and to offer burnt offerings upon the altar of the LORD, according to the commandment of king Josiah.
2 Chronicles 35:16 nkjv
So all the service of the LORD was prepared the same day, to keep the Passover and to offer burnt offerings on the altar of the LORD, according to the command of King Josiah.
2 Chronicles 35:16 niv
So at that time the entire service of the LORD was carried out for the celebration of the Passover and the offering of burnt offerings on the altar of the LORD, as King Josiah had ordered.
2 Chronicles 35:16 esv
So all the service of the LORD was prepared that day, to keep the Passover and to offer burnt offerings on the altar of the LORD, according to the command of King Josiah.
2 Chronicles 35:16 nlt
The entire ceremony for the LORD's Passover was completed that day. All the burnt offerings were sacrificed on the altar of the LORD, as King Josiah had commanded.
2 Chronicles 35 16 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Exod 12:24-27 | "And you shall observe this thing... It is the Passover sacrifice of the Lord..." | Origin of Passover command and memorial. |
| Deut 16:1-8 | "Observe the month of Abib and celebrate the Passover... you may not sacrifice the Passover within any of your towns..." | Laws concerning Passover observance and proper location. |
| Lev 1:1-17 | Detailed instructions for burnt offerings, emphasizing complete consumption and atonement. | Laws for proper burnt offerings. |
| Num 28:1-31 | Commands for daily and special sacrifices, including those for the appointed feasts. | Daily and feast sacrifices. |
| Deut 6:4-9 | "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart..." | Foundation for holistic obedience and worship. |
| Josh 1:7-8 | "Only be strong and very courageous, to observe to do according to all the law... that you may prosper wherever you go." | Obedience to God's law leads to prosperity. |
| 1 Kgs 23:21-23 | King Josiah commanded all the people, "Keep the Passover to the Lord your God, as it is written in this Book of the Covenant." | Josiah's specific command for Passover. |
| 2 Chr 34:1-7 | Describes Josiah's early reforms, purging Judah and Jerusalem of idolatry. | Context of Josiah's prior religious zeal. |
| 2 Chr 34:14-21 | Discovery of the Book of the Law in the Temple and Josiah's repentance. | The impetus for Josiah's reform and the Passover. |
| 2 Chr 35:1-19 | Detailed account of Josiah's Passover, emphasizing its scale and adherence to Mosaic law. | Full context of the great Passover celebration. |
| 2 Chr 29:3-36 | Hezekiah's cleansing of the Temple and revival of worship, preparing for a later Passover. | Parallel to previous revival, yet Josiah's greater. |
| 2 Chr 30:1-27 | Hezekiah's Passover, not perfectly pure but heartfelt, shows a king's role in gathering for worship. | Another significant Passover observance. |
| Ezra 6:19-22 | Celebration of Passover after the return from exile, emphasizing adherence to the Law. | Post-exilic adherence to God's commands. |
| Neh 9:13-14 | Confession praising God for giving true statutes and laws, including His Sabbaths and commands. | God's divine commands are for righteous living. |
| Ps 51:17 | "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart..." | True worship involves the heart, not just ritual. |
| Jer 7:22-23 | "For I did not speak to your fathers... concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices. But this command I gave them: 'Obey My voice...'" | Emphasizes obedience over mere ritual without heart. |
| Hos 6:6 | "For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings." | Similar to Jeremiah, stressing internal devotion. |
| Mic 6:8 | "He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?" | True worship tied to righteous conduct. |
| Matt 5:17-18 | "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill." | Christ fulfills the Law, including sacrificial aspects. |
| Rom 12:1-2 | "Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service." | New Testament equivalent of spiritual sacrifice/worship. |
| Heb 9:11-14 | Describes Christ as the high priest offering a superior sacrifice for all sin, replacing old covenant sacrifices. | Christ's fulfillment of old covenant sacrifices. |
| Heb 10:1-10 | "For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins... 'Behold, I have come... to do Your will, O God.'" | Imperfection of animal sacrifices; Christ's perfect obedience. |
| 1 Pet 2:5 | "You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." | Believers offer spiritual sacrifices. |
2 Chronicles 35 verses
2 Chronicles 35 16 Meaning
2 Chronicles 35:16 declares that the entire worship service, meticulously prepared on that specific day, was fully executed. This included the sacred observance of the Passover and the proper presentation of burnt offerings upon the altar of the Lord, all in strict accordance with the instructions given by King Josiah. This verse highlights the thoroughness and obedience that characterized Judah's religious revival under Josiah, presenting it as an ideal restoration of Israel's covenant worship.
2 Chronicles 35 16 Context
2 Chronicles 35:16 occurs at the climax of King Josiah's reign, a period hailed as one of Judah's most significant spiritual revivals before its eventual fall to Babylon. The preceding chapters detail Josiah's thorough campaign to purify Judah and Jerusalem of idolatry, restoring true worship to the Lord (2 Chr 34). The discovery of the Book of the Law (likely Deuteronomy) spurred profound repentance in Josiah and led to a covenant renewal, committing the nation to follow God's commands. Chapter 35 specifically chronicles Josiah's unprecedented Passover celebration, which verse 16 encapsulates as a testament to the comprehensive preparation and strict adherence to God's command. This Passover was so meticulously observed that the Chronicler states no Passover like it had been kept in Israel since the days of the prophet Samuel, nor by any of the kings of Israel (2 Chr 35:18), emphasizing its exceptional nature in contrast to past spiritual failures.
2 Chronicles 35 16 Word analysis
- So: This transitional word emphasizes the direct result of all the prior preparations mentioned in 2 Chronicles 35. It connects the meticulous organization of Levites, priests, and the people to the actual execution of the service.
- all: The Hebrew word, כָּל (kol), signifies completeness, totality, and inclusivity. It stresses that no part of the required worship was omitted or neglected. This speaks to a holistic adherence to the divine command.
- the service: The Hebrew עֲבֹדָה ('avodah), refers broadly to work, labor, or service, particularly cultic or liturgical service in a sacred context. Here, it denotes the entire prescribed worship routine—sacrifices, rites, offerings, and Levitical duties. It highlights the divine and ordered nature of the activities.
- of the Lord: Refers directly to Yahweh, the God of Israel. It underlines that the entire act of worship was consecrated to Him, performed under His authority, and for His glory, not for human spectacle or other deities.
- was prepared: The Hebrew הוּכַן (hûkhan), a form of כּוּן (kun), means "to be established, made ready, firm, prepared." It conveys that the worship was not spontaneous or haphazard, but intentionally and thoroughly organized and made ready. This points to foresight, diligence, and obedience in action.
- on that day: בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא (bayyōm hahū') refers to the specific day of the Passover celebration. It imparts a sense of unique importance and focus, signaling a particular historical moment where everything culminated in a synchronized act of worship.
- to keep: The infinitive form of לַעֲשׂוֹת (la'asôt), meaning "to do, to make, to perform." It denotes the purpose and action of carrying out the divine commandment of the Passover. This is an active, performative adherence.
- the Passover: הַפֶּסַח (hapesakh), referring to the central annual Israelite feast commemorating the Exodus from Egypt and the sparing of the firstborn. Its observance was foundational to Israel's identity and covenant relationship with God.
- and to offer: This is וְהַעֲלוֹת (v'ha'alôt), an infinitive indicating the act of bringing up or presenting sacrifices. It shows that the Passover feast was integrated with other essential acts of worship required by the Law.
- burnt offerings: עֹלוֹת ('ōlôt), referring to offerings that were completely consumed by fire on the altar, symbolizing complete dedication and atonement to God. Their inclusion underscores a full and proper sacrificial worship according to the Torah.
- on the altar of the Lord: עַל־מִזְבַּח יְהוָה ('al-mizbeaḥ YHWH). This specifies the authorized, singular location for sacrifices: the legitimate altar in Jerusalem's Temple. It signifies adherence to the Deuteronomic centralization of worship and rejection of unauthorized altars or high places.
- according to the command: כְּמִצְוַת (kimitzvat), "according to the command of" or "as commanded by." This highlights the principle of submission to authority. It is not arbitrary, but rather precise obedience.
- of King Josiah: יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ (Yo'shiyyahu), King Josiah, whose command for this Passover stemmed directly from the rediscovery and diligent study of the Law of the Lord. His authority was used to enforce God's directives, making him a model of a king who shepherds his people in true worship. His command reflects God's command.
2 Chronicles 35 16 Bonus section
The Chronicler's intense focus on the Passover in 2 Chronicles 35, particularly emphasizing its scale and adherence "as it is written in the Book of Moses," serves to underscore key theological themes. It not only showcases Josiah as a paradigmatic Davidic king who faithfully led his people in covenant renewal but also indirectly critiques the nation's consistent failure to uphold such standards in the past. This unparalleled Passover, observed with great detail, reflects the Chronicler's post-exilic concerns about proper worship, the centralized cult, and the vital role of the Levites and priests. Despite this profound moment of obedience, Judah's subsequent history revealed that this external conformity was not sustained by a deep, widespread internal change of heart in the general populace, leading to the tragic exile just a few years later. The Chronicler uses this glorious but ultimately unsustainable peak of piety to highlight both the ideal God requires and humanity's propensity to drift from it.
2 Chronicles 35 16 Commentary
2 Chronicles 35:16 succinctly summarizes the successful and unprecedented Passover observance under King Josiah, illustrating a peak of covenant faithfulness in Judah. The meticulous "preparation" and complete "service of the Lord" highlight the thoroughness with which every aspect of worship was conducted, extending beyond mere ritual to full, obedient execution. The inclusion of "burnt offerings" alongside the Passover signifies a holistic adherence to the Mosaic Law, emphasizing atonement and complete dedication to God. This obedience, carried out "on the altar of the Lord" in the proper, centralized place, strongly contrasts with previous generations' apostasy and decentralized, corrupted worship. Critically, it was "according to the command of King Josiah," who himself was acting in faithful response to the recently rediscovered Book of the Law. Thus, this verse presents a model of zealous kingship and national compliance, marking an ideal, if fleeting, return to the divine covenant stipulations. It was a singular moment of unified, biblically-guided worship.