Josiah The whole solemnity was performed with great exactness according to the law, and upon this account there was none like it since Samuel's time; for even in Hezekiah's passover there were several irregularities. Bp. Patrick observes, that in this also it exceeded the other passovers which preceding things had kept, that though Josiah was by no means so rich as David, or Solomon, of Jehoshaphat, yet he furnished the congregation with beasts for sacrifice, both paschal and eucharistical, at his own proper cost and charge, which was more than any king ever did before.

2 Chronicles 30:1-27 And Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh...

2 Kings 23:21-23 And the king commanded all the people, saying, Keep the passover to the LORD your God, as it is written in the book of this covenant...

the fourteenth

Exodus 12:6 And you shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month...

Numbers 9:3 In the fourteenth day of this month, at even, you shall keep it in his appointed season: according to all the rites of it...

Deuteronomy 16:1-8 Observe the month of Abib, and keep the passover to the LORD your God...

Ezra 6:19 And the children of the captivity kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the first month.

Ezekiel 45:21 In the first month, in the fourteenth day of the month, you shall have the passover, a feast of seven days...

Josiah's solemnization of the passover, which is merely alluded to at

2 Kings 23:21 And the king commanded all the people, saying, Keep the passover to the LORD your God, as it is written in the book of this covenant.

is very particularly related her, while the destruction of idolatry is largely related in the Kings, and here only touched upon. The feasts of the Lord God, appointed by the ceremonial law, were very numerous; but the passover was the chief. It was the first which was solemnized in the night wherein Israel came out of Egypt, and ushered in those which were afterwards instituted: and it was the last great feast which was held in the night wherein Christ was betrayed, before the vail of the temple was rent in twain. Be means of this feast, both Josiah and Hezekiah revived religion in their day.