Bible Strands
2 Chronicles 34:8
Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, in order to cleanse the land and the temple, Josiah sent Shaphan son of Azaliah, Maaseiah the governor of the city, and Joah son of Joahaz, the recorder, to repair the house of the LORD his God.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Josiah directs three officials to oversee structural restoration during the eighteenth year of his rule, immediately following his campaign to dismantle altars and idols across Judah and Jerusalem.
The words — The verb שָׁלַח (Sha.lach) records the official dispatch of the delegation, while the infinitive לְ/טַהֵ֥ר (le./ta.Her) defines the explicit goal of cleansing the land and the house.
The thread — This administrative action runs parallel to the account in 2 Kings 22:3 and aligns with the established royal office of the recorder mentioned in 2 Samuel 8:16 and 2 Samuel 20:24.
Why it lands — The text documents a concrete royal order to rebuild worship infrastructure after widespread idolatry, requiring the reader to observe the specific personnel and chronological markers used to reverse spiritual decay.
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
Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had purged the land, and the house, he sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, and Maaseiah the governor of the city, and Joah the son of Joahaz the recorder, to repair the house of the Lord his God.
Cross-references
- 2 Samuel 8:16 Joab son of Zeruiah was over the army; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the recorder;
- 2 Samuel 20:24 Adoram was in charge of the forced labor; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the recorder;
- 2 Kings 22:3 Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, King Josiah sent the scribe, Shaphan son of Azaliah, the son of Meshullam, to the house of the LORD, saying,
- 1 Chronicles 18:15 Joab son of Zeruiah was over the army; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the recorder;
- 2 Chronicles 18:25 And the king of Israel declared, “Take Micaiah and return him to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king’s son,
- Jeremiah 1:2 The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah in the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah,
- Jeremiah 21:1 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD when King Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur son of Malchijah and the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah. They said,
- Jeremiah 26:24 Nevertheless, Ahikam son of Shaphan supported Jeremiah, so he was not handed over to the people to be put to death.
- Jeremiah 29:3 The letter was entrusted to Elasah son of Shaphan and Gemariah son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to King Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon. It stated:
- Jeremiah 29:21 This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says about Ahab son of Kolaiah and Zedekiah son of Maaseiah, who are prophesying to you lies in My name: “I will deliver them to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will kill them before your very eyes.