2 Chronicles 35:25 Meaning: A Lost Lament for a Good King
Jeremiah lamented for Josiah, and all the singing men and singing women spoke of Josiah in their lamentations to this day; and they made them an ordinance in Israel. Behold, they are written in the lamentations.
And Jeremiah lamented for Josiah: and all the singing men and the singing women spake of Josiah in their lamentations to this day, and made them an ordinance in Israel: and, behold, they are written in the lamentations.
And Jeremiah lamented for Josiah: and all the singing men and singing women spake of Josiah in their lamentations unto this day; and they made them an ordinance in Israel: and, behold, they are written in the lamentations.
and Jeremiah lamenteth for Josiah, and all the singers and the songstresses speak in their lamentations of Josiah unto this day, and set them for a statute on Israel, and lo, they are written beside the lamentations.
And Jeremiah lamented for Josiah; and all the singing men and singing women spoke of Josiah in their lamentations to this day; and they made them an ordinance for Israel. And behold, they are written in the lamentations.
Meaning in one sentence
Does 'the lamentations' refer to the biblical book? No. Most scholars read this as a now-lost collection of dirges.
Context
Second Chronicles tells the story of Judah’s kings from a priestly perspective, written after the exile to encourage returning captives. Chapter 35 is a high point. King Josiah has led a sweeping religious reform and restored the Passover. Then tragedy strikes. He ignores a warning from Egypt’s king and goes into battle at Megiddo, where archers wound him fatally. The whole nation mourns. The prophet Jeremiah composes a lament over Josiah. The verse records that this lament became a lasting tradition: the professional singers sang it as an ordinance, and it was written in a collection of dirges. The Chronicler points readers to a book that has since been lost, underscoring how deeply Josiah’s death affected his people.
Key Words
The Hebrew verb behind “lamented” is qun (קִינֵן), a rare word meaning to chant a dirge. This was not casual tears. It was a formal, poetic composition. Jeremiah did what professional mourners did: he shaped public grief into words that could be passed on.
The noun for “lamentations” is qinah (קִינָה), a dirge or elegy. The same root appears throughout the Old Testament for songs of mourning over kings and cities. These were not private expressions but community property.
The word translated “ordinance” is choq (חֹק), meaning a statute or prescribed decree. Normally such a word refers to laws from God. Here it is used for the annual practice of singing Josiah’s dirge. The people gave grief the weight of a command. They decided that this loss should never be forgotten. That tells us something about how to treat the losses that shape us.
How Christians Read This Verse
Most commentators agree that the collection of lamentations mentioned here is not the biblical Book of Lamentations. The Cambridge Bible notes that nowhere in that book does a dirge for Josiah appear. Gill, Barnes, and Keil and Delitzsch all say the lament is lost. The Targum preserves a tradition that Baruch wrote it down from Jeremiah’s mouth, but that book too is gone. A few readers have wondered if parts of Lamentations 4 refer to Josiah, but most scholars see that chapter as about Zedekiah. Across traditions, there is consensus: what remains is not the poem itself but the powerful fact that the people made it a lasting ordinance. The loss of the words only highlights how much they meant.
A common misunderstanding
Living This Out
This week, you may carry a loss that no one else seems to remember. Perhaps a faithful parent, a mentor, or a friend who shaped your faith is no longer here. This verse suggests that grief can be structured, shared, and passed on. You do not have to mourn alone. You could write down what that person meant. You could speak their name with a small group. You could do something small each year to remember them. The Chronicler records that a whole nation gave mourning the weight of a law. Your loss matters enough to be marked. That is not indulgent. It is truthful.
Main takeaway: Grief for godly leaders deserves a place in community memory, passed down through generations as a lasting tradition.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
When King Josiah died, the people were very sad. The prophet Jeremiah wrote a special sad song about him. The people sang that song every year so they would not forget their good king.
For ages 9, 12
King Josiah was one of the best kings Judah ever had. When he died in battle, the whole nation mourned. Jeremiah wrote a poem of grief called a lament. That poem does not exist anymore, but the verse tells us that the people made it a rule to sing that lament every year. They did not want to forget their king or the lesson that even good leaders face hard times. Sometimes the best way to honor someone is to tell their story over and over again.
Questions People Ask
Did Jeremiah write the biblical Book of Lamentations about Josiah?
Almost certainly not. The Book of Lamentations mourns the fall of Jerusalem and the exile which happened decades after Josiah. No part of that book mentions Josiah by name or fits a funeral song for him. Most scholars believe this verse refers to a separate collection of dirges that has been lost.
Who were the singing men and singing women?
These were professional musicians, often associated with the temple, who performed during both joyful and mournful occasions. Like the mourning women mentioned in Jeremiah 9:17, they were skilled in composing and singing dirges. They helped the community express grief in a structured way.
What does 'they made them an ordinance' mean?
The Hebrew word is 'choq', usually translated as statute or decree. It means the people officially established the singing of Josiah’s lament as a regular practice, likely an annual commemoration. They gave grief a permanent place in the life of the nation.
Why did Josiah die if he was a good king?
Josiah went to battle against Pharaoh Necho despite a warning that God was with Necho. The Bible does not explain exactly why God allowed this. The wider context in 2 Kings suggests Judah’s judgment for earlier sins was coming. Josiah’s death was a tragedy that marked the beginning of the end for the kingdom.
Is the lament for Josiah found anywhere in the Bible?
No. The verse itself says it was written in a book of laments that has been lost. The canonical Book of Lamentations does not contain it. Some ancient traditions claimed it was preserved in a separate scroll, but that scroll no longer exists. We have only this record that the lament existed and was treasured.
For pastors & researchers
Hebrew interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study