1Josiah's good reign. 3He provideth for the repair of the temple. 8Hilkiah having found a book of the law, it is read before the king; who is alarmed, and sendeth to the prophetess Huldah to enquire of the Lord. 15Huldah prophesieth the destruction of Jerusalem, but not to take place till after Josiah's death.
1JOSIAH wasa eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty and one years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jedidah, the daughter of Adaiah of 1Boscath.
a 2 Chron. 34:1.
1 The name of a city situated in the tribe of Judah, Joshua 15:39.
2And he did that which was 2right in the sight of the LORD, and 3walked in all the way of David his father, and 4turned not aside to the right hand or to the left.
2 See 1 Kings 11 on verse 33.
3 See 1 Kings 15 on verse 26.
4 See Deut. 5 on verse 32.
3¶And it came to pass in the 5eighteenth year of king Josiah, that the king sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, the son of Meshullam, the 6scribe, to the house of the LORD, saying,
5 Namely, of his kingdom, not of his age, 2 Chron. 34:8. As for his age, he was now 26 years old: Now what he, being king, did in the preceding years of his life, see 2 Chron. 34:3, 4, etc.
6 That is, the king’s secretary or clerk. See 2 Kings 12 on verse 10.
4Go up to Hilkiah the 7high priest, that he may sum 8the silver which is brought into the house of the LORD, which the 9keepers of the 10door have gathered of the people:
7 Hebr. the great priest. Also likewise verse 8.
8 Hebr. may finish the money, etc. Other, may take up the sum of the money, or, the gathering of the money, or lay it out to the full. The meaning is: that he should take up the full sum of the money gathered by the collectors, and lay it out toward the repairing and building of the temple again. Compare 2 Kings 12:5, 9, 10, 11.
9 These were Levites. See 2 Kings 12:9, 10; 2 Chron. 8:14; 34:9.
10 Namely, of the house of the Lord, or of the temple. Other, of the vessels.
5And let them deliver it into the hand of the 11doers of the work, that have the oversight of the house of the LORD: and let them give it to the 12doers of the work 13which is in the house of the LORD, to repair the breaches of the house,
11 These were Levites, as appears 2 Chron. 34:12.
12 Indeed in the Hebrew there is the same word, which immediately before in this verse was translated doers, who had the oversight of the whole work of repairs; but here it signifies those who did the work themselves, or labored in it, as appears by the following verse, where these workmen or laborers are distinctly expressed.
13 Other, that are in the house of the LORD.
6Unto carpenters, and builders, and 14masons, and to buy timber and 15hewn stone to repair the house.
14 See 2 Kings 12 on verse 12.
15 That is, which were hewn out of the mountains, and were again to be hewn and squared by the stonecutters for the work of building. Compare 2 Chron. 34:11.
7Howbeit there was 16no reckoning made with them of the money that was delivered into their hand, because they dealt 17faithfully.
16 Namely, of the costs and the expenditure of the money.
17 Hebr. in truth, or, faithfulness. Also 2 Kings 12:15. See the annotation.
8¶And Hilkiah the high priest said unto Shaphan the scribe, I have found the 18book of the law in the house of the LORD. And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it.
18 Understand the original book of the law, which Moses himself had written, and was laid on the side of the ark of the covenant. See Deut. 31:24, 26.
9And Shaphan the scribe came to the king, and brought the king word again, and said, 19Thy servants have gathered the money that was found in the 20house, and have 21delivered it into the hand of them that do the work, that have the oversight of the house of the LORD.
19 Namely, Hilkiah, and I.
20 Namely, of the Lord; that is, in the temple.
21 Hebr. cast, or melted.
10And Shaphan the scribe shewed the king, saying, Hilkiah the priest hath delivered me a 22book. And Shaphan read it before the king.
22 Namely, the book of the law; whereof mention is made verses 8, 11.
11And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the book of the law, that he rent 23his clothes.
23 As an evidence and witness, both of his grief and sorrow for the sins of the whole land, committed against the law of God, and of the fear of the judgments which were threatened in the book of the law. See of the renting of garments in sad and sorrowful cases, in the annotation at Gen. 37 on verse 29.
12And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and 24Achbor the son of Michaiah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asahiah 25a servant of the king's, saying,
24 Otherwise called Abdon, 2 Chron. 34:20.
25 That is, who, before all others, stood at his service in important or special matters and, as it were, ready at hand. Also Mat. 8:9.
13Go ye, enquire of the LORD for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, 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 hearkened unto the words of this book, to do according unto all that which is written 26concerning us.
26 That is, for our instruction and admonition.
14So Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Sha-phan, and Asahiah, went unto Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of 27Tikvah, the son of Harhas, 28keeper of the wardrobe; (now she dwelt in Jerusalem 29in the college;) and they communed with her.
27 Or, the son of Tokhat, the son of Hasrah.
28 Understand the keeper of the holy garments, which were used in the service of God.
29 Or, in the second part. Namely, of the city. See 2 Kings 20 on verse 4. Some understand this place of a college, or house of teaching, in which the prophets and their disciples or scholars did meet to discourse about God’s Word.
15¶And she said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Tell the man that sent you to me,
16Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will bring 30evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, even all the words of the book which the king of Judah hath read:
30 Namely, evil of punishment. See Gen. 19 on verse 19.
17Because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto 31other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all 32the works of their hands; therefore my wrath shall be kindled against this place, and shall not be quenched.
31 See Gen. 35 on verse 2.
32 Understand the idols and images, which are so called by way of contempt, Deut. 31:29; Psalm 115:4; 135:15; Isa. 2:8; Jer. 1:16; Micah 5:12.
18But to the king of Judah which sent you to enquire of the LORD, thus shall ye say to him, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, As touching 33the words which thou hast heard;
33 Namely, which he had heard read out of the book of the law by Shaphan the scribe, verse 10, containing most grievous threats, which God had announced therein against the transgressors of His law, and breakers of His covenant.
19Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the LORD, when thou heardest what I spake against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and hast rent thy clothes, and wept before me; I also have heard thee, saith the LORD.
20Behold therefore, I will 34gather thee unto thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered into thy 35grave in 36peace; and thine eyes shall not see all the evil which I will bring upon this place. And 37they brought the king word again.
34 See Gen. 25 on verse 8.
35 Hebr. graves. Also 2 Chron. 16:14; 35:24. That is, in one of your graves. Thus it is left uncertain, which of his graves was this grave. Compare Judges 12:7.
36 Understand this in respect of the general calamities, which would come upon the entire kingdom by the Chaldeans, which Josiah lived not to see.
37 Namely, the men sent out by Josiah, and named in verse 14.