Bible Strands
2 Chronicles 34:21
“Go and inquire of the LORD for me and for those remaining in Israel and Judah concerning the words in the book that has been found. For great is the wrath of the LORD that has been poured out on us because our fathers have not kept the word of the LORD by doing all that is written in this book.”
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — King Josiah addresses his appointed officials (Hilkiah, Ahikam, Abdon, Shaphan, and Asaiah) immediately after the temple workers discover the book of the Law. He commissions them to deliver a royal inquiry to a prophetess regarding the newly found scroll.
The words — The directive opens with לְכוּ (le.Khu), literally "go," and דִרְשׁוּ (dir.Shu), meaning "inquire" or "consult." These verbs establish a formal command to seek Yahweh’s judgment concerning the text that has been found.
The thread — Jeremiah 21:2 records officials asking the LORD to inquire on their behalf during a Babylonian siege. Ezekiel 14:1 shows elders sitting before the prophet to seek divine direction. 2 Chronicles 28:6 attributes national defeat to the people forsaking the LORD.
Why it lands — The text demands acknowledgment that covenant failure produces divine wrath, not merely ritual neglect. It requires readers to align their conduct with every written command rather than treating Scripture as a passive record.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
Go, enquire of the Lord for me, and for them that are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book that is found: for great is the wrath of the Lord that is poured out upon us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the Lord, to do after all that is written in this book.
Cross-references
- 2 Chronicles 28:6 For in one day Pekah son of Remaliah killed 120,000 valiant men in Judah. This happened because they had forsaken the LORD, the God of their fathers.
- Jeremiah 21:2 “Please inquire of the LORD on our behalf, since Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is waging war against us. Perhaps the LORD will perform for us something like all His past wonders, so that Nebuchadnezzar will withdraw from us.”
- Ezekiel 14:1 Then some of the elders of Israel came and sat down before me.
- Exodus 18:15 “Because the people come to me to inquire of God,” Moses replied.
- Leviticus 26:14 If, however, you fail to obey Me and to carry out all these commandments,
- Deuteronomy 28:15 If, however, you do not obey the LORD your God by carefully following all His commandments and statutes I am giving you today, all these curses will come upon you and overtake you:
- Deuteronomy 29:18 Make sure there is no man or woman, clan or tribe among you today whose heart turns away from the LORD our God to go and worship the gods of those nations. Make sure there is no root among you that bears such poisonous and bitter fruit,
- Deuteronomy 30:17 But if your heart turns away and you do not listen, but are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them,
- Deuteronomy 31:16 And the LORD said to Moses, “You will soon rest with your fathers, and these people will rise up and prostitute themselves with the foreign gods of the land they are entering. They will forsake Me and break the covenant I have made with them.
- Deuteronomy 32:15 But Jeshurun grew fat and kicked—becoming fat, bloated, and gorged. He abandoned the God who made him and scorned the Rock of his salvation.