Matthew Henry's Complete Bible Commentary

2 Kings 23

We have here, I. The happy continuance of the goodness of Josiah’s reign, and the progress of the reformation he began, reading the law (2 Kings 23:1, 23:2), renewing the covenant (2 Kings 23:3), cleansing the temple (2 Kings 23:4), and rooting out idols and idolatry, with all the relics thereof, in all places, as far as his power reached (2 Kings 23:5-23:20), keeping a solemn passover (2 Kings 23:21-23:23), and clearing the country of witches (2 Kings 23:24); and in all this acting with extraordinary vigour, 2 Kings 23:25 II. The unhappy conclusion of it in his untimely death, as a token of the continuance of God’s wrath against Jerusalem, 2 Kings 23:26-23:30 III. The more unhappy consequences of his death, in the bad reigns of his two sons Jehoahaz and Jehoiakim, that came after him, 2 Kings 23:31-23:37 MHBCC 337.1