2 Kings 22

JOsiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty and one years in Jerusalem: and his mothers name was Jedidah the daughter of Adajah of Boscath.

And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in all the way of David his father, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left.

¶ And it came to pass in the eighteenth year Not of his Life, but of his reign, as it is expressed, 2 Chron. 34. 3, 8. What he did before this time, see 2 Chr. 34. 3, &c. of king Josiah, that the king sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, the son of Meshullam the scribe The Kings Secretary., to the house of the LORD, saying,

Go up to Hilkiah the high priest, that he may sum the silver i. e. Take an exact account how much it is, and then dispose it in manner following. which is brought into the house of the LORD, which the keepers of the door Who were Priests or Levites, as appears from chap. 12. 9. 2 Chron. 8. 14. and 23. 4. and 34. 9. have gathered of the people.

And let them deliver it into the hand of the doers of the work, that have the oversight of the house of the LORD i. e. The care and oversight of the workmen; which also were Levites, 2 Chron. 34. 12.: and let them give it to the doers of the work, which is in the house of the LORD, to repair the breaches of the house.

Unto carpenters, and builders, and masons, and to buy timber, and hewen stone Either, hewed or cut out of the Quarries; or, to be hewed and fitted to the Building., to repair the house.

Howbeit, there was no reckoning made with them of the money that was delivered into their hand, because they dealt faithfully i. e. Because it was found by experience that they dealt faithfully. Verbs signifying the being of a thing, are oft put for the manifestation of it.

¶ And Hilkiah the high priest said unto Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law That Original book of the law of the Lord, given or written by the hand of Moses, as it is expressed, 2 Chr. 34. 14. which by Gods Command was put beside the Ark, Deut. 31. 26. and probably taken from thence and hid, by the care of some godly Priest, when some of the Idolatrous Kings of Iudah persecuted the True Religion, and defaced the Temple, and (which the Iewish Writers affirm) burnt all the Copies of Gods Law which they could find, and now found among the Rubbish, or in some secret place. in the house of the LORD: and Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it.

And Shaphan the scribe came to the king, and brought the king word again, and said, Thy 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.

And Shaphan the scribe showed the king, saying, Hilkiah the priest has delivered me a book: and Shaphan read it before the king.

And it came to pass when the king had heard the words of the book of the law i. e. The dreadful Comminations against them for the sins still reigning among the people. Quest. Did Iosiah never see and read a Copy of this Book before this time? If he did not, how could he do so much towards the Reformation of Religion, as he did before? If he did, why was he not sooner convinced and humbled by it? Ans If Iosiah had not yet seen a Copy of this Book (which is not impossible) yet there was so much of the Law left in the minds and memories of many of the people, as might easily persuade and direct him to all that he did till this time: or, if Iosiah had seen and read it before, which seems more probable, yet the great Reverence which he justly bare to the Original Book, and the strange, and remarkable, and seasonable finding of it, had very much awakened and quickened him to a more serious and diligent reading, and attentive consideration of all the passages contained in it, than he used before., that he rent his clothes.

And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Achbor the son of Micaiah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asahiah a servant of the kings Who most constantly waited upon the Kings Person: otherwise all of them were the Kings Servants., saying,

Go ye, enquire of the LORD Either, what he intends to do with us: or, what we shall do to him to appease his wrath. for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book Whether the Curses here threatned must come upon us without remedy, or whether there be hope in Israel concerning the prevention of them. 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 concerning us.

So Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asahiah went unto Huldah the prophetess For we read of Women Prophetesses, both in the Old and New Testament, as Miriam, Exod. 15. 20. Deborah, Iudg. 4. 4. Hamah, 1 Sam. 2. Elizabeth, and the Blessed Virgin, Luk. 1. and Philip's Daughters, Act. 21. 9. Quest. But why did he send to this Woman, and not rather to Zephaniah, or Ieremiah, who were Prophets in Iosiah's days? Ans. Either, First, Because the Kings earnest affection in this business required great haste; and she was in Ierusalem, which is therefore noted in the following part of the Verse, when Ieremiah might at this time be at Anathoth, or in some more remote part of the Kingdom; and the like may be said of Zephaniah, who also might not be a Prophet at this time, though he was afterward, in the days of Iosiah, which is all that is affirmed of him, Zeph. 1. 10. Or, 2. Because the King or his Courtiers had longer and greater experience of the eminency of her Prophetical Gifts, than of Ieremiah's, who began not to Prophecy till the thirteenth Year of Iosiah, Ier. 1. 2. and being well assured of her Fidelity in delivering the Mind and Counsel of God to those that enquired of her, they rightly concluded, that it was much more considerable what Message God sent, than by whom it was conveyed to them., the wife of Shallum, the son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe, (now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the colledge Where the Sons of the Prophets, or others, who devoted themselves to the study of God's Word, used to meet and discourse of the things of God, and receive the Instructions of their Teachers. Others both Ancient and Modern render it, in another or the second part, to wit, of the City, i. e. in the Suburbs, which also were Fortified and Walled about by Hezekiah, 2 Chron. 32. 5.) and they communed with her.

¶ And she said unto them, Thus says the LORD God of Israel, Tell the man that sent you to me

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.

Because they have forsaken me, and have burnt incense unto other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands Gods made with hands. This she adds to aggravate their folly and contempt of God, in preferring such vain and idle things before him.: therefore my wrath shall be kindled against this place, and shall not be quenched.

But to the king of Judah, which sent you to enquire of the LORD, thus shall ye say to him, Thus says the LORD God of Israel, As touching the words which thou hast heard;

Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thy self before the LORD, when thou heardst 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, says the LORD.

Behold therefore, I will gather thee unto thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered into thy grave in peace i. e. In a time of publick Peace, and the Tranquility of thy Kingdom; or so as thou shalt not see all the evil which I will bring upon this place, as the following words explain it: for otherwise he died in Batttel, chap. 23. 29. Besides, he died in Peace with God, and was by death translated to everlasting Peace., and thine eyes shall not see all the evil which I will bring upon this place. And they brought the king word again.