The Meaning of 2 Chronicles 34:8 Explained

2 Chronicles 34:8

KJV: 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.

YLT: And in the eighteenth year of his reign, to purify the land and the house he hath sent Shaphan son of Azaliah, and Maaseiah head of the city, and Joah son of Johaz the remembrancer, to strengthen the house of Jehovah his God.

Darby: And in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he 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 chronicler, to repair the house of Jehovah his God.

ASV: 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 Jehovah his God.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does 2 Chronicles 34:8 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Chronicles 34:1-11 - A Toting King's Noble Leadership
Josiah was as much better than his father Amon, as Manasseh had been worse than Hezekiah. How strange to find such a pure young soul in the heart of Amon's court! What led the boy to such moral and religious attainments? Perhaps his grandfather, Manasseh, unable to change his son, focused his prayers and influence on his grandson. It is probable, also, that considerable influence for good resulted from the discovery that he had been the subject of prophecy. See 1 Kings 13:2. He felt encouraged to apprehend that for which he had been apprehended years before. Though no prophet's voice has predicted the program and attainments of our lives, they are well known in heaven, and we are summoned to realize God's great ideals for us.
The call of Jeremiah, also so nearly coincides with the commencement of Josiah's reforms that we can scarcely regard the two facts as unconnected. At any rate the king's earlier efforts seem to have been coincident with the first appearance of the prophet-statesman in the king's court at Jerusalem. [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Chronicles 34

1  Josiah's good reign
3  He destroys idolatry
8  He takes order for the repair of the temple
14  Hilkiah, having found a book of the law,
21  Josiah sends to Huldah to enquire of the Lord
23  Huldah prophesies the destruction of Jerusalem, but respite thereof in Josiah's time
29  Josiah, causing it to be read in a solemn assembly, renews the covenant with God

What do the individual words in 2 Chronicles 34:8 mean?

And in the year eight [and] ten of his reign when he had purged the land and the house he sent - Shaphan son of Azaliah and Maaseiah the governor of the city and Joah of Joahaz the recorder to repair the temple of Yahweh his God
וּבִשְׁנַ֨ת שְׁמוֹנֶ֤ה עֶשְׂרֵה֙ לְמָלְכ֔וֹ לְטַהֵ֥ר הָאָ֖רֶץ וְהַבָּ֑יִת שָׁ֠לַח אֶת־ שָׁפָ֨ן בֶּן־ אֲצַלְיָ֜הוּ וְאֶת־ מַעֲשֵׂיָ֣הוּ שַׂר־ הָעִ֗יר וְ֠אֵת יוֹאָ֤ח יֽוֹאָחָז֙ הַמַּזְכִּ֔יר לְחַזֵּ֕ק בֵּ֖ית יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהָֽיו

וּבִשְׁנַ֨ת  And  in  the  year 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: שָׁנָה  
Sense: year.
שְׁמוֹנֶ֤ה  eight 
Parse: Number, feminine singular
Root: שְׁמֹנֶה  
Sense: eight, eighth.
עֶשְׂרֵה֙  [and]  ten 
Parse: Number, feminine singular
Root: עָשָׂר 
Sense: ten, -teen (in combination with other numbers).
לְמָלְכ֔וֹ  of  his  reign 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, third person masculine singular
Root: מָלַךְ 
Sense: to be or become king or queen, reign.
לְטַהֵ֥ר  when  he  had  purged 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct
Root: טָהֵר  
Sense: to be clean, be pure.
הָאָ֖רֶץ  the  land 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
וְהַבָּ֑יִת  and  the  house 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
שָׁ֠לַח  he  sent 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
שָׁפָ֨ן  Shaphan 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׁפָן 
Sense: rock badger, coney, the hyrax.
בֶּן־  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
אֲצַלְיָ֜הוּ  of  Azaliah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲצַלְיָהוּ  
Sense: the father of Shaphan the scribe.
מַעֲשֵׂיָ֣הוּ  Maaseiah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מַעֲשֵׂיָה 
Sense: a descendant of Jeshua who had taken a foreign wife in the time of Ezra.
שַׂר־  the  governor 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: סָרַר 
Sense: prince, ruler, leader, chief, chieftain, official, captain.
הָעִ֗יר  of  the  city 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
יוֹאָ֤ח  Joah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄואָח  
Sense: son of Asaph and chronicler to Hezekiah.
יֽוֹאָחָז֙  of  Joahaz 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄואָחָז  
Sense: the father of Joah, Josiah’s chronicler.
הַמַּזְכִּ֔יר  the  recorder 
Parse: Article, Verb, Hifil, Participle, masculine singular
Root: זָכַר 
Sense: to remember, recall, call to mind.
לְחַזֵּ֕ק  to  repair 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct
Root: חָזַק  
Sense: to strengthen, prevail, harden, be strong, become strong, be courageous, be firm, grow firm, be resolute, be sore.
בֵּ֖ית  the  temple 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
יְהוָ֥ה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֱלֹהָֽיו  his  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).