2 Kings 23

“And the king sent, and they gathered unto him all the elders of Judah and of Jerusalem.” Naming Jerusalem and Judah keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“And the king went up into the house of the LORD , and all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with…” The promise, blessing, or covenant language needs its named recipient and scope. Those details prevent a personal word in the story from becoming a promise detached from context.

“And the king stood by a pillar, and made a covenant before the LORD , to walk after the LORD , and to keep his…” The promise, blessing, or covenant language needs its named recipient and scope. Those details prevent a personal word in the story from becoming a promise detached from context.

“And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, and the priests of the second order, and the keepers of the door, to…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“And he put down the idolatrous priests, whom the kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense in the high places in the…” Naming Judah and Baal keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“And he brought out the grove from the house of the LORD , without Jerusalem, unto the brook Kidron, and burned it at…” Naming Kidron and Jerusalem keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“And he brake down the houses of the sodomites, that were by the house of the LORD , where the women wove hangings for…” The line’s distinctive content terms include brake, grove, hangings. Its relationship to verses 6 and 8 shows what work it does in this passage.

“And he brought all the priests out of the cities of Judah, and defiled the high places where the priests had burned…” Naming Beer and Geba keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“Nevertheless the priests of the high places came not up to the altar of the LORD in Jerusalem, but they did eat of the…” Naming Jerusalem and Nevertheless keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“And he defiled Topheth, which is in the valley of the children of Hinnom, that no man might make his son or his…” Naming Hinnom and Molech keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“And he took away the horses that the kings of Judah had given to the sun, at the entering in of the house of the LORD…” Naming Judah and Nathan keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“And the altars that were on the top of the upper chamber of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made, and the altars…” The number two makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.

“And the high places that were before Jerusalem, which were on the right hand of the mount of corruption, which Solomon…” Naming Ammon and Ashtoreth keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“And he brake in pieces the images, and cut down the groves, and filled their places with the bones of men.” The line’s distinctive content terms include bones, brake, filled. Its relationship to verses 13 and 15 shows what work it does in this passage.

“Moreover the altar that was at Beth-el, and the high place which Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin…” Naming Beth and Israel keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“And as Josiah turned himself, he spied the sepulchres that were there in the mount, and sent, and took the bones out…” Naming Josiah keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“Then he said, What title is that that I see? And the men of the city told him, It is the sepulchre of the man of God…” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.

“And he said, Let him alone; let no man move his bones. So they let his bones alone, with the bones of the prophet that…” Naming Samaria keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“And all the houses also of the high places that were in the cities of Samaria, which the kings of Israel had made to…” Naming Beth and Israel keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“And he slew all the priests of the high places that were there upon the altars, and burned men’s bones upon them, and…” Naming Jerusalem keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“And the king commanded all the people, saying, Keep the passover unto the LORD your God, as it is written in the book…” The promise, blessing, or covenant language needs its named recipient and scope. Those details prevent a personal word in the story from becoming a promise detached from context.

“Surely there was not holden such a passover from the days of the judges that judged Israel, nor in all the days of the…” Naming Israel and Judah keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“But in the eighteenth year of king Josiah, wherein this passover was holden to the LORD in Jerusalem.” Naming Jerusalem and Josiah keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“Moreover the workers with familiar spirits, and the wizards, and the images, and the idols, and all the abominations…” Naming Hilkiah and Jerusalem keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“And like unto him was there no king before him, that turned to the LORD with all his heart, and with all his soul, and…” Naming Moses keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“Notwithstanding the LORD turned not from the fierceness of his great wrath, wherewith his anger was kindled against…” Naming Judah and Manasseh keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“And the LORD said, I will remove Judah also out of my sight, as I have removed Israel, and will cast off this city…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“Now the rest of the acts of Josiah, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the…” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.

“In his days Pharaoh-nechoh king of Egypt went up against the king of Assyria to the river Euphrates: and king Josiah…” Naming Assyria and Egypt keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“And his servants carried him in a chariot dead from Megiddo, and brought him to Jerusalem, and buried him in his own…” Naming Jehoahaz and Jerusalem keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“Jehoahaz was twenty and three years old when he began to reign; and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. And his…” The number twenty makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.

“And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD , according to all that his fathers had done.” The line’s distinctive content terms include evil, fathers, LORD. Its relationship to verses 31 shows what work it does in this passage.

“And Pharaoh-nechoh put him in bands at Riblah in the land of Hamath, that he might not reign in Jerusalem; and put the…” The number hundred makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.

“And Pharaoh-nechoh made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in the room of Josiah his father, and turned his name to…” Naming Josiah and Egypt keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“And Jehoiakim gave the silver and the gold to Pharaoh; but he taxed the land to give the money according to the…” The number one makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.

“Jehoiakim was twenty and five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And his…” The number twenty makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.

“And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD , according to all that his fathers had done.” The line’s distinctive content terms include evil, fathers, LORD. Its relationship to verses 36 shows what work it does in this passage.