2 Chronicles 35 · a question people ask
Huldah gave the LORD's word that Josiah would be "gathered to your grave in peace" (34:28). How does that sit beside his death here?
Both are in the text, and 2 Chronicles doesn't set them side by side. The word Huldah gave: "you will be gathered to your grave in peace. Your eyes won’t see all the evil that I will bring on this place and on its inhabitants" (34:28). This chapter: "The archers shot at King Josiah" (35:23), and "he died, and was buried in the tombs of his fathers" (35:24). God's house was burned in the next chapter (36:19), after his death. Chapter 34's honest question on "in peace" sets out the main ways Christians read the two, each resting on its verses, as 2 Kings 22's does; these notes point back to it and don't add another answer or choose between them.
The verses
““Behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you will be gathered to your grave in peace. Your eyes won’t see all the evil that I will bring on this place and on its inhabitants.”’” They brought back this message to the king.”
“The archers shot at King Josiah; and the king said to his servants, “Take me away, because I am seriously wounded!” So his servants took him out of the chariot, and put him in the second chariot that he had, and brought him to Jerusalem; and he died, and was buried in the tombs of his fathers. All Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah.”
“They burned God’s house, broke down the wall of Jerusalem, burned all its palaces with fire, and destroyed all of its valuable vessels.”
“‘Therefore behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you will be gathered to your grave in peace. Your eyes will not see all the evil which I will bring on this place.’”’” So they brought this message back to the king.”