And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the law, that he rent his clothes.
Parallel translations
- WEB When the king had heard the words of the law, he tore his clothes.
- BSB When the king heard the words of the Law, he tore his clothes
- NKJV Thus it happened, when the king heard the words of the Law, that he tore his clothes.
- NASB When the king heard the words of the Law, he tore his clothes.
- NLT When the king heard what was written in the Law, he tore his clothes in despair.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
When Josiah hears the words of the law, he tears his clothes in grief. He responds to Scripture with deep conviction and humility.
Overview
Tearing one's garments was a sign of profound distress and repentance (cf. Genesis 37:34). Confronted by the law's warnings, Josiah grieves over Judah's long disobedience. His tender, contrite reaction models the right response to God's convicting Word and stands in contrast to hardened hearts.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- Josh 7:6And Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the LORD until the eventide, he and the elders of Israel, and put dust upon their heads.
- Gal 2:19For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.
- 2 Kgs 22:19Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the LORD, when thou heardest what I spake against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and hast rent thy clothes, and wept before me; I also have heard thee, saith the LORD.
- Rom 3:20Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
- Jer 36:22–24Now the king sat in the winterhouse in the ninth month: and there was a fire on the hearth burning before him.
- 2 Kgs 19:1And it came to pass, when king Hezekiah heard it, that he rent his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the LORD.
- Rom 7:7–11What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.
- Gal 3:10–13For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.
- 2 Kgs 22:11And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the book of the law, that he rent his clothes.
- Joel 2:13And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.
- Deut 28:3–68Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field.
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Christ at the center
Temple, priesthood, and the repeated need for a faithful king who seeks the LORD all point past every imperfect reign to the King and Temple who finally and fully dwell with God's people.
How 2 Chronicles 34:19 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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