Annotations upon the remaining historicall part of the Old Testament. The second part. to wit, the books of Joshua, Judges, the two books of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles, and the books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther : wherein first, all such passages in the text are explained as were thought likely to be questioned by any reader of ordinary capacity : secondly, in many clauses those things are discovered which are needfull and usefull to be known ... and thirdly, many places that might at first seem to contradict one another are reconciled ... / by Arthur Jackson.

CHAP. XXXV.

Vers. 3. ANd said unto the Levites that taught all Israel, which were holy un∣to the Lord, Put the holy ark in the house, which Solomon the sonne of David king of Israel did build.] It seems that in his father Ammons reigne, ei∣ther the ark had been put out of the most holy place, that some idol might be set up in the place thereof, and so was set aside in some other place of the Temple; or perhaps quite removed out of the Temple; or else it had been purposely carried out by the priests, that it might not stand there amongst those heathenish idols that were brought into the Temple: and therefore now Josiah calls upon the Levites to restore the ark to its own place again in the Temple, where formerly it stood. Indeed the Levites might not enter the holy place; but they might bring it to the entrance of the Temple, and there the priests might receive it of them: and perhaps by the Le∣vites here are meant all the tribe of Levi, both priests and Levites.

It shall not be a burden upon your shoulders.] That is, the ark the testimony of Gods presence must abide in the Temple his dwelling place, and must not be carried from one place to another upon your shoulder, as it was before the Temple was built.

Vers. 5. And stand in the holy place according to the divisions of the families of the fathers of your brethren the people, &c.] It seems the severall families of the Levites were severally appointed to attend upon the sacrifices and offerings of the se∣verall families of each tribe; some to be employed in that holy service for such and such families, and other for others: and hence it is that they are here appointed to stand in the holy place, that is, to attend the service that was to be done, accor∣ding to the divisions of the families of the people, and after the division of their own families.

Vers. 11. And they killed the passeover, and the priests sprinkled the bloud, &c.] See chap. 30.17.

Vers. 12. And they removed the burnt offerings, that they might give accor∣ding to the divisions of the families of the people, &c.] That is, of those cattell that were given both for sacrifices of all kinds and for the passeover, they set apart such cattell as should be for burnt offerings, which were wholly to be offered upon the altar, that so then of the rest they might give unto the people, partly for paschall lambs, partly for peace offerings, whereof both priests and people had their share;

or else it may be meant of removing from the peace offerings, the fat, the kidnies, &c. that were to be burnt upon the altars.

Vers. 13. But the other holy offerings sod they in pots, &c.] To wit, so much of the peace offerings, as was to be prepared for the offerers to eat before the Lord.

Vers. 18. And there was no passeover like to that, &c.] See 2. Kings 23.22. where are also many other notes for the following part of this chapter.

Vers. 25. And all the singing-men and the singing-women spake of Josiah in their lamentations to this day, and made them an ordinance in Israel, &c.] The meaning of this may be, that it grew to a custome which they observed as a law; or else that it was indeed established for an ordinance, that in all the mournfull ditties which were sung upon occasion of any publick calamitie, they should still mention the mourning that was at the death of Josiah, which accordingly the singing-men and the singing-women did upon all such occasions constantly observe. As for that following clause, And behold they are written in the Lamentations, thereby may be meant some volume of mournefull ditties extant in those times, wherein it was evident how this was practised amongst the people; or else it may be referred to Je∣remiahs Lamentations for the death of Josiah.