Meaning of the Name Josiah
Josiah is commonly explained from the Hebrew form Yo'shiyyahu. Many interpreters connect it with the sense "YHWH supports" or "YHWH heals," though the exact etymological analysis remains somewhat debated. For that reason it is more honest to speak in terms of strong possibilities rather than absolute certainty.
Origin
The name Josiah is of Hebrew origin.
Who is Josiah in the Bible?
Josiah is one of Judah's reforming kings. After the book of the law is found in the temple, he leads a broad renewal movement, removes idols, and oversees a notable Passover celebration. Although others bear the name, the best-known figure is Josiah king of Judah.
The story of Josiah in the Bible
Josiah became king of Judah at the age of eight and went on to lead one of the kingdom's most sweeping religious renewals. In the eighteenth year of his reign he ordered repairs to the temple, and during the work the high priest Hilkiah found the Book of the Law. When the scribe Shaphan read it to the king, Josiah tore his clothes, realizing how far the people had drifted from its words. After consulting the prophetess Huldah he gathered all the people, had the words of the book read to them, and renewed the covenant before the LORD. He then purged the land of idols, pagan altars, and everything tied to them, a cleansing that reached as far as the altar at Bethel, and he held a Passover unlike any since the days of the judges. 2 Kings says of him that no king before or after turned to the LORD with all his heart as he did. Josiah died in battle at Megiddo against Pharaoh Neco of Egypt.
Is Josiah mentioned in the Quran?
The name Josiah does not appear in the Quran; he is known from 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles in the Old Testament as the reformer king who, after the Book of the Law was found, turned the people back to the LORD.
Verses where Josiah appears
- 2 Kings 22:1 —
Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign; and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem: and his mother’s name was Jedidah the daughter of Adaiah of Bozkath.
- 2 Kings 23:25 —
Like him was there no king before him, who turned to Yahweh 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.
- 2 Chronicles 35:1 —
Josiah kept a Passover to Yahweh in Jerusalem: and they killed the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month.