2 Chronicles 34 · Verse 1

2 Chronicles 34:1

Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem one and thirty years.
2 Chronicles 34:1, King James Version

2 Chronicles 34:1 in other translations

BSBJosiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years.
WEBJosiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem.
ASVJosiah was eight years old when he began to reign; and he reigned thirty and one years in Jerusalem.
YLTA son of eight years is Josiah in his reigning, and thirty and one years he hath reigned in Jerusalem,
DARBYJosiah was eight years old when he began to reign; and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem.
BBEJosiah was eight years old when he became king; he was ruling in Jerusalem for thirty-one years.
WebsterJosiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem one and thirty years.

What does 2 Chronicles 34:1 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
2Ch 34:1, 2. Josiah's Good Reign. 1. Josiah was eight years old--(See on 2Ki 22:1). The testimony borne to the undeviating steadfastness of his adherence to the cause of true religion places his character and reign in honorable contrast with those of many of his royal predecessors. 2Ch 34:3-7. He Destroys Idolatry.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Introduction

Josiah reigns thirty-one years; destroys idolatry in Judah, as also in Manasseh, Ephraim, Simeon, and even to Naphtali, 2Chr 34:1-7. He begins to repair the temple, and collects money for the purpose, and employs workmen, 2Chr 34:8-13. Hilkiah the priest finds the book of the law in the temple, which is read by Shaphan before the king, 2Chr 34:14-19. He is greatly troubled, and consults Huldah the prophetess, 2Chr 34:20-22. Her exhortation, and message to the king, 2Chr 34:23-28. He causes it to be read to the elders of Judah, and they make a covenant with God, 2Chr 34:29, 2Chr 34:32. Josiah reforms every abomination, and the people serve God all his days, 2Chr 34:33.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
Josiah's good reign in Judah. --As the years of infancy cannot be useful to our fellow-creatures, our earliest youth should be dedicated to God, that we may not waste any of the remaining short space of life. Happy and wise are those who seek the Lord and prepare for usefulness at an early age, when others are pursuing sinful pleasures, contracting bad habits, and forming ruinous connexions. Who can express the anguish prevented by early piety, and its blessed effects? Diligent self-examination and watchfulness will convince us of the deceitfulness and wickedness of our own hearts, and the sinfulness of our lives. We are here encouraged to humble ourselves before God, and to seek unto him, as Josiah did. And believers are here taught, not to fear death, but to welcome it, when it takes them away from the evil to come. Nothing hastens the ruin of a people, nor ripens them for it, more than their disregard of the attempts made for their reformation. Be not deceived, God is not mocked. The current and tide of affections only turns at the command of Him who raises up those that are dead in trespasses and sins. We behold peculiar loveliness, in the grace the Lord bestows on those, who in tender years seek to know and to love the Saviour. Hath Jesus, the Day-spring from on high, visited you? Can you trace your knowledge of this light and life of man, like Josiah, from your youth? Oh the unspeakable happiness of becoming acquainted with Jesus from our earliest years!

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

2 Chronicles 34:1 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

בֶּן\־ben-[was] a son ofH1121
שְׁמוֹנֶ֥הshe.mo.NeheightH8083
שָׁנִ֖יםsha.NimyearsH8141
יֹאשִׁיָּ֣הוּyo.shi.Ya.huJosiahH2977
בְמָלְכ֑וֹve.ma.le.Khowhen became king heH4427
וּשְׁלֹשִׁ֤יםu.she.lo.Shimand thirtyH7970
וְאַחַת֙ve.'a.Chatand oneH259
שָׁנָ֔הsha.Nahyear[s]H8141
מָלַ֖ךְma.Lakhhe reignedH4427
בִּירוּשָׁלִָֽם\׃bi.ru.sha.Limin JerusalemH3389

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 2 Chronicles 34:1

  • Zephaniah 1:1

    The word of the Lord which came unto Zephaniah the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hizkiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah.

  • Jeremiah 1:2

    To whom the word of the Lord came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign.

  • 1 Chronicles 3:14-15

    Amon his son, Josiah his son. And the sons of Josiah were, the firstborn Johanan, the second Jehoiakim, the third Zedekiah, the fourth Shallum.

  • 2 Chronicles 24:1

    Joash was seven years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name also was Zibiah of Beer–sheba.

  • 2 Chronicles 33:25

    But the people of the land slew all them that had conspired against king Amon; and the people of the land made Josiah his son king in his stead.

  • 2 Chronicles 26:1

    Then all the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in the room of his father Amaziah.

  • 2 Kings 22:1-20

    Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty and one years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Jedidah, the daughter of Adaiah of Boscath. And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in all the way of David his father, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left. And it came to pass in the eighteenth year of king Josiah, that the king sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, the son of Meshullam, the scribe, to the house of the Lord, saying, Go up to Hilkiah the high priest, that he may sum the silver which is brought into the house of the Lord, which the keepers of the door have gathered of the people: …

  • 1 Kings 3:7-9

    And now, O Lord my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in. And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude. Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?

  • Ecclesiastes 4:13

    Better is a poor and a wise child than an old and foolish king, who will no more be admonished.

  • 1 Kings 13:2

    And he cried against the altar in the word of the Lord, and said, O altar, altar, thus saith the Lord; Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men’s bones shall be burnt upon thee.

  • 2 Chronicles 33:1

    Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem:

  • 1 Samuel 2:18

    But Samuel ministered before the Lord, being a child, girded with a linen ephod.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
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, 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.

A.M. 3363-3394. B.C. 641-610. Josiah.
33:25; 1Ki 13:2; 2Ki 22:1-20; 1Ch 3:14,15; Jer 1:2; Zep 1:1
Mt 1:10,11
Josias. eight years.
24:1; 26:1; 33:1; 1Sa 2:18,26; 1Ki 3:7-9; Ec 4:13

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 2 Chronicles 34:1

    Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem one and thirty years.

  • 2 Chronicles 34:2

    And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the ways of David his father, and declined neither to the right hand, nor to the left.

Read all of 2 Chronicles 34

2 Chronicles 34:1 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		DE OCHO años era Josías cuando comenzó á reinar, y treinta y un años reinó en Jerusalem.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		*Josias était âgé de huit ans lorsqu’il commença de régner; et il régna 31 ans à Jérusalem.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Acht Jahre war Josia alt, als er König wurde, und er regierte 31 Jahre zu Jerusalem.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Octo annorum erat Josias cum regnare cœpisset, et triginta et uno anno regnavit in Jerusalem.