Boy · Hebrew · Old Testament

Josiah

joh-SY-uh · from Yoshiyahu · means “The Lord supports, heals”

Josiah is a Hebrew name traditionally understood as "the Lord supports" or "the Lord heals." He became king of Judah at age eight and, as a young man, led one of the greatest religious reforms in the Old Testament after the Book of the Law was rediscovered in the temple.

“Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him who turned to the Lord as he did, with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength.”

The story behind the name

Josiah became king of Judah at just eight years old, after generations of kings who had led the nation into idolatry. Scripture says that even as a boy he began to seek the God of his ancestor David, and by his early twenties he was actively tearing down idols across the land (2 Chronicles 34).

During temple repairs, workers found the Book of the Law, long neglected, and when it was read to Josiah he tore his robes in grief over how far the nation had drifted. He led the people in a great renewal of covenant faithfulness, celebrating a Passover unlike any since the days of the judges (2 Kings 22-23).

Scripture says there was no king like Josiah before or after him, who turned to the Lord with all his heart, soul, and strength (2 Kings 23:25). A boy named Josiah carries a name of God's support and a story of choosing faithfulness young.

Middle names that sing with Josiah

Chosen for rhythm and meanings that speak to each other.

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