2 Kings 23:25
in 2 Kings 23Neither before nor after Josiah was there any king like him, who turned to the LORD with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, according to all the Law of Moses.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And like unto him was there no king before him, that turned to Jehovah with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; neither after him arose there any like him.
KJV
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 with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; neither after him arose there any like him.
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This verse in 2 Kings 23
Commentary
7 notes on this verseA commentator
Ambrose of MilanCONSOLATION ON THE DEATH OF EMPEROR VALENTINIAN 57 · Written before 397.
Nobody must think that anything was detracted to the celerity of death because of one's merits. Enoch was kidnapped, lest malice might spoil his heart, and Josiah, who celebrated the Passover of the Lord in the eighteenth year of his reign in such a manner that he overcame in piousness all the previous kings, did not survive longer through the merits of his faith. No, rather, because grievous destruction threatened the Jewish people, the just king was taken away beforehand.
This site's exposition
like unto him was there no king before him
Scripture says no king before or after matched Josiah's turning to the LORD with all his heart, soul, and might, the same superlative given to Hezekiah at 18:5. Keil and the bench read the two verses as praising different things, Hezekiah's trust in the Assyrian crisis and Josiah's thoroughness in law-keeping reform, and both statements stand rather than being ranked against each other. Barnes cautions against pressing either verse's letter too hard; both kings are counted among the best Judah ever had.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
And like unto him was there no king before him,.... The same is said of Hezekiah, 2Ki 18:5, Hezekiah might excel him in some things, as Josiah might excel Hezekiah in others: that turned to the Lord with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might; with such sincerity, heartiness, zeal, and constancy: according to all the law of Moses; having respect to every commandment, especially relative to worship, with the greatest precision and exactness: neither after him arose there any like him; for all to the captivity were wicked princes.
Notwithstanding this he was cut off by a violent death in the midst of his days, and his kingdom was ruined within a few years after. Consequent upon such a reformation as this, one would have expected nothing but the prosperity and glory both of king and kingdom; but, quite contrary, we find both under a cloud. Even the reformed kingdom continues marked for ruin.
Dead men and dead gods were indeed much alike, and fittest to go together. Beth-el - Probably this city was now under the kingdom of Judah, to which it was added by Abijah long since. And it is probable, since the ten tribes were carried away, many cities had put themselves under the protection of Judah.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
And like unto him ... - See 2Ki 18:5 note. We must not press the letter of either passage, but regard both kings as placed among the very best of the kings of Judah.
Like unto him was there no king - Perhaps not one from the time of David; and, morally considered, including David himself, none ever sat on the Jewish throne, so truly exemplary in his own conduct, and so thoroughly zealous in the work of God. David was a greater but not a better man than Josiah.
The words behind it
22 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְכָמֹהוּ֩ | vekhamohu | and like him | H3644 → | 143 times |
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| הָיָ֨ה | hayah | he had been | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| לְפָנָ֜יו | lefanav | <to> before him | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| מֶ֗לֶךְ | melekh | a king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| שָׁ֤ב | shav | he turned back | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| יְהוָה֙ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| בְּכָל־ | bekhol | with all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| לְבָב֤וֹ | levavo | heart his | H3824 → | 252 times |
| וּבְכָל־ | uvekhol- | and with all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| נַפְשׁוֹ֙ | nafsho | being his | H5315 → | 754 times |
| וּבְכָל־ | uvekhol- | and with all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| מְאֹד֔וֹ | meodo | strength his | H3966 → | 300 times |
| כְּכֹ֖ל | kekhol | according to all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| תּוֹרַ֣ת | torat | [the] law of | H8451 → | 219 times |
| מֹשֶׁ֑ה | mosheh | Moses | H4872 → | 765 times |
| וְאַחֲרָ֖יו | veacharav | and after him | H310 → | 715 times |
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| קָ֥ם | kam | he arose | H6965 → | 628 times |
| כָּמֹֽהוּ׃ | kamohu | like him | H3644 → | 143 times |
וְכָמֹהוּ֩and like him
vekhamohuH3644 →143 times
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
הָיָ֨הhe had been
hayahH1961 →3559 times
לְפָנָ֜יו<to> before him
lefanavH6440 →2123 times
מֶ֗לֶךְa king
melekhH4428 →2525 times
אֲשֶׁר־who
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
שָׁ֤בhe turned back
shavH7725 →1056 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
יְהוָה֙Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
בְּכָל־with all
bekholH3605 →5413 times
לְבָב֤וֹheart his
levavoH3824 →252 times
וּבְכָל־and with all
uvekhol-H3605 →5413 times
נַפְשׁוֹ֙being his
nafshoH5315 →754 times
וּבְכָל־and with all
uvekhol-H3605 →5413 times
מְאֹד֔וֹstrength his
meodoH3966 →300 times
כְּכֹ֖לaccording to all
kekholH3605 →5413 times
תּוֹרַ֣ת[the] law of
toratH8451 →219 times
מֹשֶׁ֑הMoses
moshehH4872 →765 times
וְאַחֲרָ֖יוand after him
veacharavH310 →715 times
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
קָ֥םhe arose
kamH6965 →628 times
כָּמֹֽהוּ׃like him
kamohuH3644 →143 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Deuteronomy 6:5And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
it leads to
- Mark 12:30
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’
- Matthew 22:37
Jesus declared, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’
- Luke 10:27
He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’ and ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
- Deuteronomy 10:12
And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God by walking in all His ways, to love Him, to serve the LORD your…
- Mark 12:30
Through
Jeremiah 29:13You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 4:29–31
But if from there you will seek the LORD your God, you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul.
- Psalms 119:2
Blessed are those who keep His testimonies and seek Him with all their heart.
- Matthew 7:7
Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.
- Psalms 119:10
With all my heart I have sought You; do not let me stray from Your commandments.
- Deuteronomy 4:29–31
Where this verse is studied
About 2 Kings
Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ambrose of Milan, CONSOLATION ON THE DEATH OF EMPEROR VALENTINIAN 57; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Keil, The Books of the Kings and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.