and the Levites flayed them; the passover-lambs, took
off their skins.
Ver. 12. And they removed the burnt-offerings, &c.]
Either such of the lambs and kids as were designed for
burnt-ott'erings for the people; these they separated
from those that were for the passover; or they re-
moved from them what was to be burnt, the fat of
the inwards, of the kidneys, and the caul on the liver:
that they mightgive; the rest for the passover: accord-
ing to the divisions of the families of the people, to offer
unto the Lord; according to the number of them: as
it is written in the book of Moses; see Lev. iii. 3, 4, 5.
and so did theywith the oxen; such of them as were
appointed for burnt-offerings were set apart by them-
selves, and such as were for peace-offerings; what of
them were to be burnt, as those before mentioned,
were taken from them.
Ver. 13. And they roasted the passover v'ith fire, ac-
cording to the ordinance, &c.] Of the Lord by Moses,
Exod. xii. 8. but the other holy offerings; which were
the peace-offerings: sod they in pots, and in cauldrons,
and pans; which was forbid to be done with the pass-
overdamb, but might with the other sacrifices, which
were to be eaten, Exod. xii. 9. and divided them speedily
among all the people; the parts which belonged to the
offerer, who was the king; but he gave his part to the
people, and therefore the Levites del.ivered them to
them as soon as they could.
Ver. 14. And afterwards they made ready for them-
selves, and for the priests, &c.] The passover-lambs,
and such parts of the peace-offerings that belonged to
them: because the priests the sons of Aaron were busied
in offering burnt-offerings; such as are before said to
be removed or separated for that purpose: and the fat;
of the peace-offerings that was to be burnt: and this
employed them until night; so that they could not
prepare the passover for themselves: and therefore the
Levites prepared, not only for themselves, but and also
for the priests the sons of Aaron; who were otherwise
engaged in the service of the day.
Vet. 15. And the singers the sons of Asaph were in
their place, &c.] In the court of the priests, singing and
playing on their instruments whilst the sacrifices were
offering: accorch'ng to the commandment of David, and
Asaph, and Heman, and Jeduthun the king's seer; the
same with Ethan; and every one were seers, as Jarchi in-
terprets it, that is, the three last: and the porters waited
at every gate; such of the Levites as were in, that post
and office: they might not depart from their service; to
let people in and out, that came for their passover-
lamb, and share in their other offerings: for their bre-
thren the Levites prepared for them; because they were
not at leisure to prepare for themselves.
Vet. 16. So all the seroice of the Lord was prepared
the same day, &c.] With every sacrifice, and for all
sorts of persons: to Iceep the passover, and to offer
burnt-offerings upon the altar of the Lord; which were
required to be done on that day: according to the eom-
mandment of King JOsiah; which was, that every
thing be provided, prepared, and done, as the law
required.
Ver. 17. And the children of Israel that were present
kept the passover at that time, &c.] In its proper time,
on the 14th day of Nisan: and the feast of unleavened
bread seven days; the seven days following the pass-
over, as the Lord by Moses appointed.
Ver. 18. And there was no passover like to that kept
in Israel, &c.] So exactly according to the law, so
universally by Israel and Judah, and with such libe-
rality shewn by the king, and the chief of the priests
and Levites; of this, and the following verse, see the
notes on 2 Kings xxiii. 22, 23.
Ver. 20. After all this, when Josiah had prepared the
temple, &c.] Purified it, and cleansed it from the filfit
in it, and from all idolatry, and had repaired it, and put
the service of it in good order, and on a good footing,
after which great prosperity in church and state might
have been expected: Necho king of Egypt came up to
fight against Carchemish by Euphrates; now called
Querquisia, supposed by some to be the same with the
Cadytis of Iterodotus, which that historian calls a
great city of Syria, whither he says Necho went after
the battle with the Syrians {x}; of which see the note
on Isa. x. 9. and of this king of Egypt, see the note on
2 Kings xxiii. 29. and Jer. xlvi. 2. and Josiah went out
against him; or to meet him, and stop him from going
through his land, which lay between Egypt and Syria;
Egypt being on the south of Israel, and Euphrates on
the north of it, as Jarchi observes.
Ver. 21. But he sent ambassadors to him, &c.] That
is, Necho sent to Josiah: saying, what have I to do with
thee, thou king of Judah ? signifying he had no quarrel
with him, he did not come to fight with him, and he
had no business to intermeddle between him and
another prince: I come not against thee this day; in
an hostile manner: but against the house wherewith I
have war; the king of Assyria: .for God commanded
me to make haste; and oppose his enemy: according
to the Targum, it was his idol; and which is the
sense of other Jewish writers {y}; but the true God
might have appeared to him in a' dream, or sent a pro-
phet to hitn; or at least he might pretend this, that it
might have the greater effect on Josiah; and indeed it
secms to be real from the following verse:forbear
thee from meddling with ú God, who is with me, that he
destroy thee not; he concluded God was with him, and
would succeed him, because he had put him upon
this enterprise, and hastened him to it.; therefore
Josiah, in opposing him, might expect to be resisted by
him, and fall.
Ver..22. Nevertheless, Josiah would not turn his face
from him, &c.] Or withdraw his forces, and go back:
but disguised himselfø that he might fight with him;
without being personally known, and aimed at, see
1 Kings xxii. 30. and hearkened not unto the words of
Necho from the mouth of God: not believing that
what he said came from the Lord, though it might; and
his intirmity was, that he did not inquire of the Lord
about it: and came to fight in the valley of Megiddo ;
which was in the tribe of Manasseh, thought to be
the Magdolum of Herodotus, where he says Necho
fought the bat. tle {z}; see the note on 2 Kings xxiii..o9.


{x} Euterpe, sive, l. 2. c. 159. & Galei not. in ib.
{y} T. Bab. Taanith, fol. 22. 2.
{z} Gale in Herodot. ut supra.