- I have found:
- This certainly was a genuine copy of the divine law, and probably the autograph of Moses, as it is said, in the parallel place of Chronicles, to be the book of the law of the Lord by Moses. It is not probable that this was the only copy of the law in the land, or that Josiah had never before seen the book of Moses; but the fact seems to be, that this was the original of the covenant renewed by Moses in the plains of Moab, and now being unexpectedly found, its antiquity, the occasion of its being made, the present circumstances of the people, the imperfect state in which the reformation was as yet, after all that had been done, would all concur to produce the effect here mentioned on the mind of the pious Josiah. "And it came to pass,¹ when Mosesª had made an endª° of writingª°¹ the wordsª of this¹ lawª in¹ a book,ª until¹ they were finished,ª° ... Takeª°¹ this¹ bookª of the law,ª and putª° it in the sideª¹ of the arkª of the covenantª of the LORDª your God,ª that it may be¹ there¹ for a witnessª against thee." {Deu 31:24-26} + "And when they brought outª°¹ the moneyª that was brought intoª° the houseª of the LORD,ª Hilkiahª the priestª foundª°¹ a bookª of the lawª of the LORDª [given] byª Moses.ª" {2Ch 34:14} + "And Hilkiahª answeredª° and saidª° to¹ Shaphanª the scribe,ª° I have foundª° the bookª of the lawª in the houseª of the LORD.ª And Hilkiahª deliveredª°¹ the bookª to¹ Shaphan.ª ... Behold,¹ I will gatherª° thee to¹ thy fathers,ª and thou shalt be gatheredª° to¹ thy graveª in peace,ª neither¹ shall thine eyesª seeª° all¹ the evilª that¹ I¹ will bringª° upon¹ this¹ place,ª and upon¹ the inhabitantsª° of the same. So they broughtª°¹ the kingª wordª again.²°" {2Ch 34:15-28}
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