Verse 6
6. Cities of Manasseh, and Ephraim, and Simeon, even unto Naphtali The northern kingdom having been long since broken up, and the new colonists from the East having no power or special care to hinder him, Josiah probably met with no great opposition in overthrowing “all the idols throughout all the land of Israel.” 2 Chronicles 34:7.
With their mattocks Margin, with their mauls; others, with their swords. Furst connects the phrase with “burnt the bones” in the preceding verse, and then renders the phrase “in their palatial resting-places,” that is, their princely graves or mausoleums. Gesenius adopts the Kethib, and renders “he proved their houses,” that is, examined the houses of the idolaters. But we incline to the view of Bertheau, who adopts the Keri, and points it thus בהרבתיהם : the meaning then is, as the same word is translated in Psalms 109:10, in their desolate places, or, in their ruins. Josiah overthrew idolatry in the cities named, which were many of them in ruins, and all of them, perhaps, might have been spoken of as desolate places. But notwithstanding their ruin, many signs of their old idolatry remained.
The remainder of the chapter (2 Chronicles 34:8-33) is substantially identical with 2 Kings 22:3-20; 2 Kings 23:1-3, where see notes.
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