R4 D 22:1. Introduction. Accession.
E p 22:2. Event. Personal well-doing.
q 22:3-23:24. Josiah's reformation.
E p 23:25. Event. Personal well-doing.
q 23:26,27. Manasseh's provocation.
D 23:2830. Conclusion.531 to 500 B.C.
2 Kings 21)
1 Josiah [was] eight years old when he began to reign (Manasseh began at 12, bred under godly Hezekiah. Josiah began at 8, bred by ungodly Amon. Contrast the two characters), and he reigned thirty and one years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name [was] Jedidah, the daughter of Adaiah of Boscath (in Judah. Cp. Josh.15:39).
2 And he did [that which was] right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in all the way[s] of David his father, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left (Josiah is the only king of whom this is said).
q F r¹ 22:3-7. Repairs of Temple.
s¹ 22:8. Book found.
r² 22:9. Repairs of Temple.
s² 22:10,11. Book found.
G t¹ 22:12,13. Command. Inquiry.
u¹ 22:14. Obedience. Inquiry.
t² 22:15-17. Threatening Judah. Answer.
u² 22:18-20. Consolation. Josiah. Answer.
F r³ 23:1,2-. Assemblage of people.
s³ 23:-2. Book read.
G t³ 23:3. Josiah's well-doing.
u³ 23:4-20. Evil removed.
t4 23:21-23. Josiah's well-doing.
u4 23:24. Evil removed.513 B.C.
3 And it came to pass in the eighteenth year of king Josiah (marks the completion of the work [23:23]. Begun in the 12th year [2 Chron. 34:3,8]. Jeremiah was called in Josiah's 13th year [Jer. 1:2; 25:3], and was to Josiah what Isaiah was to Hezekiah), [that] the king sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah (= coney. 8 relatives mentioned in 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles: (1) His grandfather, Meshullum; (2) his father, Azaliah; (3) his son, Ahikam [v.12]; (4) his son Gemariah [Jer.36:10]; (5) his son, Elasah [Jer.29:3]; (6) his son, Jaazaniah [Ezek.8:11]; (7) his grandson Michaiah [Jer. 36:11,13]; (8) his gandson, Gedaliah [Jer. 39-43]), the son of Meshullam, the scribe, to the house of the Lord, saying,
4 “Go up to Hilkiah the high priest (= God is my portion. The son of Shallum and father of Azariah [1 Chron.6:13]), that he may pour out (or pay away) the silver which is brought into the house of the Lord, which the keepers of the door have gathered of the People:
5 And let them deliver it into the hand of the doers of the work (these are the overseers), that have the oversight of the house of the Lord: and let them give it to the doers (these are the laborers) of the work which [is] in the house of the Lord, to repair the breaches of the house,
6 To carpenters, and builders, and masons, and to buy timber and hewn stone to repair the house.” (some codices read, "the breaches of the house" as in v.5)
7 However there was no reckoning made with them of the money that was delivered into their hand, because they dealt faithfully.
8 And Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the scribe, “I have found the book of the law in the house of the Lord.” (i.e. the original copy of the Pentateuch, laid up by the side of the Ark [Deut. 31:24-26]. Probably secreted during the reigns of Manasseh [21:16] and Amon [21:21]. See Ex. 17:14) And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it.
9 And Shaphan the scribe came to the king, and brought the king word again, and said, “Your servants have gathered the money that was found in the house, and have delivered it into the hand of them that do the work, that have the oversight of the house of the Lord.”
10 And Shaphan the scribe showed the king, saying, “Hilkiah the priest has delivered me a book.” And Shaphan read it before the king (especially those parts applicable to the then circumstances, such as Lev. 26. Deut. 28, &c.).
11 And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the book of the law, that he tore his clothes (not necessarily on account of his surprise, but on account of the solemnity of the words).
12 And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan (= a brother who raises up. The friend of Jeremiah [Jer. 26:24] and father of Gedaliah [cp. 25:22. Jer. 39:14; 40:5), and Achbor the son of Michaiah (= mouse. not the same person as Abdon, in 2 Chron. 34:20. The two Books are independent), and Shaphan the scribe, and Asahiah (Yehovah has made) a servant of the king's, saying,
13 “Go you all, inquire of the Lord for me, and for the people, and for all Judah (some codices read, "and for the remnant in Israel and in Judah". Cp. 2 Chron. 34:21), concerning the words of this book that is found: for great [is] the wrath of the Lord that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not listened to the words of this book, to do according to all that which is written concerning us.”
14 So Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asahiah, went to Huldah (= weasel [for its gliding motion]) the prophetess (others mentioned are Miriam [Ex. 15:20. Mic.6:4]; Deborah [Judg. 4:4]; Noadiah [Neh. 6:14]; Isaiah's wife [Isa. 8:3]; Anna [Luke 2:36]; and Philip's daughters [Acts 21:9]), the wife of Shallum (cp. the usage [Judg. 4:4]. The employment of a woman as a prophet shows the degeneracy of the times, deplored by Isaiah [9:15], denounced by Jeremiah [5:7,8; 14:14; 23:14-30; 37:19. Lam. 2:14], and by Ezekiel [13:2-23]. Inferred also by Huldah's words [vv.15-18], and Jer. 5:31) the son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe (i.e. vestry, or vestments); {now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the college (Heb. in the second. Some supply "part", or "city". Probably = "second gate [of the city]". Cp. 2 Chron. 34:22 and Zeph. 1:10);} and they communed with her.
15 And she said to them, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel, ‘Tell the man that sent you to me,
16 ‘Thus says the Lord, ‘Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, [even] all the words of the book which the king of Judah has read:
17 Because they have forsaken Me (Huldah adopts the words of Deut. 29:25-27), and have burned incense to other gods, that they might provoke Me to anger with all the works of their hands; therefore My wrath shall be kindled against this place, and shall not be quenched.’ ’
18 But to the king of Judah which sent you to inquire of the Lord, thus shall you all say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord God of Israel, ‘[As touching] the words which you have heard (supply Ellipsis thus: "Thus says the Lord God: the words which you have listened to [shall surely come to pass]. In that your heart was tender.....I have also heard you");
19 In order that your heart was tender, and you have humbled yourself before the Lord, when you listened to what I spoke against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, that they should become a desolation and a curse (these words are from Deut. 11:26; 28:15-19; 29:19; 30:1. Cp. Jer. 44:22), and have torn your clothes, and wept before Me; I also have heard [you],’ says the Lord.
20 ‘Behold therefore, I will gather you to your fathers (see Gen. 49:33), and you shall be gathered into your grave (Heb. keber [not Sheol]. In 21:26 rendered sepulcher) in peace (Josiah died in war [23:29]; but why not "in peace" of mind and heart as well? Cp. Isa. 57:2); and Your eyes shall not see all the evil which I will bring upon this place.’ ” ” And they brought the king word again.