The Meaning of 2 Kings 23:25 Explained

2 Kings 23:25

KJV: And like unto him was there no king before him, that turned to the LORD with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; neither after him arose there any like him.

YLT: And like him there hath not been before him a king who turned back unto Jehovah with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses, and after him there hath none risen like him.

Darby: And before him there had been no king like him that turned to Jehovah with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; neither after him arose there his like.

ASV: And like unto him was there no king before him, that turned to Jehovah with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; neither after him arose there any like him.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And like unto him was there no king  before  him, that turned  to the LORD  with all his heart,  and with all his soul,  and with all his might,  according to all the law  of Moses;  neither after  him arose  there [any] like him. 

What does 2 Kings 23:25 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Kings 23:15-25 - Proving His Whole-Heartedness
Josiah carried his drastic reforms even to Samaria, thus fulfilling a prophecy uttered 350 years before. See 1 Kings 13:2-3. The old leaven having now been cleared out, the Passover could be celebrated. We cannot keep the feast of joy and worship till the work of self-purgation has been undertaken. See 1 Corinthians 5:7. In that great feast some of the ten tribes also joined. There was therefore an affirmation of the spiritual unity of the entire nation, though, like the professing Church of today, it was outwardly in fragments. We must never let go of our belief in the Holy Universal Church, however distracted and divided to outward seeming it may be.
Though these reforms were carried through by the king's strong hand, the generality of the nation remained idolatrous and corrupt, and yielded a feigned rather than a felt repentance. See Jeremiah 3:10; Jeremiah 4:3-4; Jeremiah 4:14; Jeremiah 5:1-3, etc. Therefore judgment could not be averted. External reformation is not enough to secure the permanence of national life. We must rend our hearts rather than our garments, Joel 2:13. There is a sorrow that needs not to be repented of, and a sorrow which "worketh death," 2 Corinthians 7:10. [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Kings 23

1  Josiah causes the book to be read in a solemn assembly
3  He renews the covenant of the Lord
4  He destroys idolatry
15  He burns dead men's bones upon the altar of Bethel, as was prophesied
21  He keeps a most solemn Passover
24  He puts away witches and all abomination
26  God's final wrath against Judah
29  Josiah, provoking Pharaoh Neco, is slain at Megiddo
31  Jehoahaz, succeeding him,
33  is imprisoned by Pharaoh Neco, who makes Jehoiakim king
36  Jehoiakim's wicked reign

What do the individual words in 2 Kings 23:25 mean?

And like him no there was before him king who turned to Yahweh with all his heart and with all his soul his might according to all the Law of Moses and after him nor did arise any] like him
וְכָמֹהוּ֩ לֹֽא־ הָיָ֨ה לְפָנָ֜יו מֶ֗לֶךְ אֲשֶׁר־ שָׁ֤ב אֶל־ יְהוָה֙ בְּכָל־ לְבָב֤וֹ וּבְכָל־ נַפְשׁוֹ֙ מְאֹד֔וֹ כְּכֹ֖ל תּוֹרַ֣ת מֹשֶׁ֑ה וְאַחֲרָ֖יו לֹֽא־ קָ֥ם כָּמֹֽהוּ

וְכָמֹהוּ֩  And  like  him 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: כְּמֹו  
Sense: like, as, the like of which conj.
לֹֽא־  no 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
הָיָ֨ה  there  was 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
לְפָנָ֜יו  before  him 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
מֶ֗לֶךְ  king 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
שָׁ֤ב  turned 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
יְהוָה֙  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
בְּכָל־  with  all 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
לְבָב֤וֹ  his  heart 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: לֵבָב  
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, soul, understanding.
וּבְכָל־  and  with  all 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
נַפְשׁוֹ֙  his  soul 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
מְאֹד֔וֹ  his  might 
Parse: Adverb, third person masculine singular
Root: מְאֹד  
Sense: exceedingly, much subst.
כְּכֹ֖ל  according  to  all 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
תּוֹרַ֣ת  the  Law 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: תֹּורָה  
Sense: law, direction, instruction.
מֹשֶׁ֑ה  of  Moses 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֹשֶׁה  
Sense: the prophet and lawgiver, leader of the exodus.
וְאַחֲרָ֖יו  and  after  him 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: אַחַר 
Sense: after the following part, behind (of place), hinder, afterwards (of time).
לֹֽא־  nor 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
קָ֥ם  did  arise 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קוּם 
Sense: to rise, arise, stand, rise up, stand up.
כָּמֹֽהוּ  any]  like  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: כְּמֹו  
Sense: like, as, the like of which conj.