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And the king sent, and they gathered unto him all the elders of Judah and of Jerusalem.
2 Kings 23:1 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB The king sent, and they gathered to him all the elders of Judah and of Jerusalem.
  • BSB Then the king summoned all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem.
  • NKJV Now the king sent them to gather all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem to him.
  • NASB Then the king sent messengers, and they gathered to him all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem.
  • NLT Then the king summoned all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem.

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

Josiah summons all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem to hear God's Word. Reform begins with gathering God's people around Scripture.

Overview

Having heard Huldah's word, Josiah does not keep the rediscovered Law private but assembles the leaders of the nation. This act of public, corporate attention to God's Word sets the pattern for covenant renewal. It anticipates the gathered church receiving and submitting to the Word, the foundation of all true reformation.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 5

  • 2 Chr 34:29–33Then the king sent and gathered together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem.
  • Deut 31:28Gather unto me all the elders of your tribes, and your officers, that I may speak these words in their ears, and call heaven and earth to record against them.
  • 2 Chr 30:2For the king had taken counsel, and his princes, and all the congregation in Jerusalem, to keep the passover in the second month.
  • 2 Chr 29:20Then Hezekiah the king rose early, and gathered the rulers of the city, and went up to the house of the LORD.
  • 2 Sam 6:1Again, David gathered together all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (2)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — 2 Kings videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on 2 Kings 23:1YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on 2 KingsMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Amid the long decline toward exile, the promise to David's house refuses to die; the flickering lamp kept burning anticipates the coming King who will not fail or be cut off.

How 2 Kings 23:1 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

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.