1 a Because he sawe the great plagues of God that were threatned, he knewe, he knewe no more spedie waye to auoide them, then to turne to God by repentance, which can not come but of faith, and faith by hearing of the worde of God.
3 ! He maketh a couenant with the Lord .
3 c As Joshua did, {Jos. 24,22}
4 d Meaning them which were next in dignitie to the hie Priest.
4 ! He putteth downe the idoles, after he had killed their priests.
5 f Meaning the priests of Baal, which were called Chemirims, ether because thei ware blacke garments, or els were smoked with burning incense to idoles.
6 g He remoued that groue which idolaters for deuotion had planted nere vnto the Temple, contrarie to the commandement of the Lord, {Deu 6,20} or as some read, the similitude of a groue which was hanged in the Temple.
9 i Because that those that had forsaken the Lord to serue idoles, were not mete to minister in the seruice of the Lord, for the instruction of others.
10 k Which was a valley nere to Jerusalem, & signifieth a tabret, because they smote on the tabret while their children were burning that their crye shulde not be heard where after Josiah commanded carions to be cast.
11 l The idolatrous Kings had dedicate horses & charets to the sunne ether to carie the image thereof about as the heathen did, or els to sacrifice them, as a sacrifice most agreable.
18 p Meaning the Prophet which came after him, and caused him to eat contrary to the commandement of the Lord, which were bothe two buryed in one graue, {1 King 13,31}
22 q For the multitude & zeale of the people with the great preparation.
29 s Because he passed through, his countrey, he feared lest he wolde haue done him harme, and therefore wolde haue staied him yet he consulted not with the Lord, & therefore was slain.
33 / Or, that he shulde not reigne.
33 ! After he was taken, his sonne Jehoiakim was made King.