Bible Strands
2 Kings 22:2
And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD and walked in all the ways of his father David; he did not turn aside to the right or to the left.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The narrator assesses King Josiah shortly after his accession at age eight, just before detailing the eighteenth year of his reign. The passage functions as a formal royal evaluation preceding his temple reforms.
The words — וַ/יַּ֥עַשׂ (va/i.Ya.'as) translates literally as "and he did," while הַ/יָּשָׁ֖ר (hai./ya.Shar) means "the right." These terms establish the baseline for Josiah's conduct as measured against divine approval.
The thread — The phrasing parallels the covenant command in Deuteronomy 5:32 and the conquest mandate in Joshua 1:7, while directly echoing the assessment of Hezekiah in 2 Kings 18:3. The motif of walking in David's ways serves as a recurring benchmark for Judah's monarchy.
Why it lands — The text requires the reader to compare Josiah's actions against the explicit pattern of David's obedience. It demands that leadership fidelity be evaluated by adherence to a fixed standard rather than by political convenience.
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
And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in all the way of David his father, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left.
Cross-references
- Deuteronomy 5:32 So be careful to do as the LORD your God has commanded you; you are not to turn aside to the right or to the left.
- Joshua 1:7 Above all, be strong and very courageous. Be careful to observe all the law that My servant Moses commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may prosper wherever you go.
- 2 Kings 18:3 And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father David had done.
- 1 Kings 3:6 Solomon replied, “You have shown much loving devotion to Your servant, my father David, because he walked before You in faithfulness, righteousness, and uprightness of heart. And You have maintained this loving devotion by giving him a son to sit on his throne this very day.
- 1 Kings 11:38 If you listen to all that I command you, walk in My ways, and do what is right in My sight in order to keep My statutes and commandments as My servant David did, then I will be with you. I will build you a lasting dynasty just as I built for David, and I will give Israel to you.
- 2 Kings 16:2 Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. And unlike David his father, he did not do what was right in the eyes of the LORD his God.
- 2 Chronicles 29:2 And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father David had done.
- Proverbs 4:27 Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your feet away from evil.
- Proverbs 20:11 Even a young man is known by his actions—whether his conduct is pure and upright.
- 1 Kings 15:5 For David had done what was right in the eyes of the LORD and had not turned aside from anything the LORD commanded all the days of his life, except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.