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2 KINGS 22

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

 NASB  NKJV  NRSV  TEV   NJB
(MT versing)
Josiah Succeeds Amon Josiah Reigns in Judah The Beginning of the Reign of Josiah King Josiah of Judah Introduction to the Reign of Josiah
(640-609)
22:1-2 22:1-2 22:1-2 22:1-2 22:1-2
Hillkiah Finds the Book of the Law The Repairing of the Temple and Finding the Book of the Law The Book of the Law Is Discovered The Book of the Law Discovered
22:3-7 22:3-7 22:3-7 22:3-7 22:3-7
The Lost Book
22:8-10 22:8-10 22:8-10 22:8-10 22:8-10
Huldah Predicts The Prophetess Huldah Consulted
22:11-13 22:11-13 22:11-13 22:11-13 22:11-13
22:14-20 22:14-20 22:14-20 22:14-20a 22:14-20
22:20b

READING CYCLE THREE (see "Bible Interpretation Seminar")

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT THE PARAGRAPH LEVEL

This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

Read the chapter in one sitting. Identify the subjects. Compare your subject divisions with the five translations above. Paragraphing is not inspired, but it is the key to following the original author's intent, which is the heart of interpretation. Every paragraph has one and only one subject.

  1. First paragraph
  2. Second paragraph
  3. Etc.

CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS

  1. For further information see the parallel passage in 2 Chronicles 34:1-35:19.

  2. This was a time of relative freedom for Judah because the major powers of the Fertile Crescent and the Nile Valley were in decline.

  3. Josiah's reign was from 640 ‒ 609 B.C., Next to David, Josiah has more positive treatment than any other king of Judah.

  4. The prophets Jeremiah and Zephaniah were active at this time. Why the delegation went to Huldah the prophetess and not them is unknown.

    God has always used women leaders!

    SPECIAL TOPIC: WOMEN IN THE BIBLE

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 22:1-2
  1Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem; and his mother's name was Jedidah the daughter of Adaiah of Bozkath. 2He did right in the sight of the Lord and walked in all the way of his father David, nor did he turn aside to the right or to the left.

22:1 "Josiah was eight years old" His name (BDB 78) means "YHWH supports." Apparently he was 13 years old when he married (cf. 2 Kgs. 23:36). His father Amon was only 16 years old when Josiah was born. This young, godly king was surely coached and encouraged by godly servants, teachers, and priests.

▣ "Bozkath" This is a coastal city (cf. Josh. 15:39).

22:2 This description of Josiah's walk with God is very similar to that of Hezekiah.

▣ "walked in all the way" Godly living was illustrated by a straight, clear, smooth, unobstructed path/road/trail (cf. Ps. 119:105; Prov. 6:23). God's will was very clear. His faithful followers are warned not to deviate to the right or left (cf. Deut. 5:32; 9:12,16; 17:11,20; 28:14; Josh. 1:7; 23:6; 2 Chr. 34:2; Prov. 4:27). Stay on the path!

▣ "his father David" This shows the wide semantic field of "father." Here, it denotes ancestor. Note the same phrase used of Jehoshaphat in 2 Chr. 17:3.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 22:3-7
  3Now in the eighteenth year of King Josiah, the king sent Shaphan, the son of Azaliah the son of Meshullam the scribe, to the house of the Lord saying, 4"Go up to Hilkiah the high priest that he may count the money brought in to the house of the Lord which the doorkeepers have gathered from the people. 5Let them deliver it into the hand of the workmen who have the oversight of the house of the Lord, and let them give it to the workmen who are in the house of the Lord to repair the damages of the house, 6to the carpenters and the builders and the masons and for buying timber and hewn stone to repair the house. 7Only no accounting shall be made with them for the money delivered into their hands, for they deal faithfully."

22:3 "in the eighteenth year" The reform apparently started in the eighth year (cf. 2 Chr. 34:3-8), therefore, it had been ongoing for ten years already. The LXX adds "in the eighth month."

▣ "Shaphan" This was the king's faithful servant and fellow reformer. His sons later helped Jeremiah.

  1. Elasah (cf. Jer. 29:3)
  2. Ahikan (cf. Jer. 26:24)

▣ "scribe" See SPECIAL TOPIC: SCRIBE.

22:4 "Hilkiah the high priest" He was a progenitor of Ezra (cf. Ezra 7:1; 1 Esdr. 8:1,2; 2 Esdr. 1:1). He was a very godly man from the line of Zadok.

▣
NASB, NKJV, NRSV  "count"
TEV  "report on the amount"
NJB, NET  "melt down"
JPSOA  "weigh"
REB  "to pay"
LXX  "seal"
Peshitta  "deliver"

The MT has a VERB (BDB 1070, KB 1752, Hiphil IMPERFECT used in a JUSSIVE sense). It can mean

  1. to complete
  2. to finish
  3. to add up
  4. to make ready

However, in v. 9, it is "to pour out" (BDB 677, KB 732, Hiphil PERFECT), which supports an emendation to "melt down" in v. 4 (JPSOA footnote).

The UBS Text Project, p. 374, gives "complete" a "B" rating (some doubt).

▣ "the money brought in to the house of the Lord" This refers to the ongoing collection of funds to repair the Temple (cf. 2 Kgs. 12:4-19).

22:7 "Only no accounting shall be made with them" These men were highly trusted and no audit was necessary (cf. 2 Chr. 34:12; and earlier in 2 Kgs, 12:11-16).

▣ "they deal faithfully" This is the important NOUN (BDB 53). Their names are given in 2 Chr. 34:12.

SPECIAL TOPIC: BELIEVE, TRUST, FAITH, AND FAITHFULNESS (OT)

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 22:8-13
  8Then Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the scribe, "I have found the book of the law in the house of the Lord." And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan who read it. 9Shaphan the scribe came to the king and brought back word to the king and said, "Your servants have emptied out the money that was found in the house, and have delivered it into the hand of the workmen who have the oversight of the house of the Lord." 10Moreover, Shaphan the scribe told the king saying, "Hilkiah the priest has given me a book." And Shaphan read it in the presence of the king. 11When the king heard the words of the book of the law, he tore his clothes. 12Then the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam the son of Shaphan, Achbor the son of Micaiah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king's servant saying, 13"Go, inquire of the Lord for me and the people and all Judah concerning the words of this book that has been found, for great is the wrath of the Lord that burns against us, because our fathers have not listened to the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us."

22:8 "I have found the book of the law in the house of the Lord" See the parallel in 2 Chr. 34:13 called "The Book of the Law of the Lord given by Moses." I totally reject the presuppositions of Pentateuchial criticism known as the the J, E, D, P theory of source criticism. For a full discussion of the problem see Josh McDowell's Evidence That Demands A Verdict, vol. II.

There has been much discussion as to exactly what "the book of the law" refers. At this point it is uncertain exactly what portion of the Pentateuch was found in the Temple.

SPECIAL TOPIC: PENTATEUCH SOURCE CRITICISM

SPECIAL TOPIC: MOSAIC AUTHORSHIP OF THE PENTATEUCH

22:10 "a book" This is literally "a scroll" (BDB 706, #3). It is called by several names.

  1. the book of the law, 2 Kgs. 22:8,11
  2. "a book," 2 Kgs. 22:10,13; 2 Chr. 34:18
  3. "the book," 2 Kgs. 22:16; 2 Chr. 34:15,16,24
  4. "the book of the law of the Lord given by Moses," 2 Chr. 34:14
  5. "the words of the law," 2 Chr. 34:19,21

See NIDOTTE, vol. 4, pp. 893-899, "Law of God."

22:11 "he tore his clothes" This was a sign of mourning.

SPECIAL TOPIC: GRIEVING RITES

22:12 "Ahikam" This is the father of Gedaliah, the later governor of Judah under Nebuchadnezzar II (cf. Jer. 39:14; 40:7).

22:13 "inquire of the Lord for me" Very early in the history of Israel this phrase refers to consulting the priest to know God's will by means of the use of the Urim and Thummim. But after the time of David, this phrase refers to inquiry of the prophets concerning God's will.

SPECIAL TOPIC: URIM AND THUMMIM

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 22:14-20
  14So Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Achbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe (now she lived in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter); and they spoke to her. 15She said to them, "Thus says the Lord God of Israel, 'Tell the man who sent you to me, 16thus says the Lord, "Behold, I bring evil on this place and on its inhabitants, even all the words of the book which the king of Judah has read. 17Because they have forsaken Me and have burned incense to other gods that they might provoke Me to anger with all the work of their hands, therefore My wrath burns against this place, and it shall not be quenched."' 18But to the king of Judah who sent you to inquire of the Lord thus shall you say to him, 'Thus says the Lord God of Israel, "Regarding the words which you have heard, 19because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard what I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants that they should become a desolation and a curse, and you have torn your clothes and wept before Me, I truly have heard you," declares the Lord. 20"Therefore, behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you will be gathered to your grave in peace, and your eyes will not see all the evil which I will bring on this place."'" So they brought back word to the king.

22:14 "Huldah the prophetess" The Talmud says that Huldah is a descendant of Joshua and Rahab, therefore, related to Jeremiah. The Talmud also asserts that there are seven prophetesses: Sarah. Mariam, Deborah, Hanna, Abigail, Huldah, and Esther.

The word "prophetess" is used of several people in the OT.

  1. Exodus 15:20, Mariam
  2. Judges 4:4, Deborah
  3. 2 Kings 22:14; 2 Chr. 24:22, Huldah
  4. Nehemiah 6:14, Noadiah
  5. Isaiah 8:3, Isaiah's wife.

It is used in a negative sense in Ezek. 13:17-19.

There are also prophetesses listed in the NT. Anna, Luke 2:36; Philip's four daughters, Acts 21:9; and others spoken of in 1 Cor. 11:5-10.

SPECIAL TOPIC: WOMEN IN THE BIBLE

▣ "the Second Quarter" This (BDB 1041) refers to the lower, newer part of Jerusalem. ABD, vol. 5, p. 1065, mentions that the term "second" can mean "expansion" (cf. Zeph. 1:10).

22:15 "the Lord God of Israel" This is the full title of Israel's Deity.

  1. Lord ‒ YHWH
  2. God ‒ Eloah (SINGULAR of Elohim)
  3. Israel

SPECIAL TOPIC: NAMES FOR DEITY, C. and D.

SPECIAL TOPIC: ISRAEL (THE NAME)

▣ "Tell the man" This was Huldah's way of asserting that she knew it was Josiah who sent the delegation to confirm the authenticity of the newly found scrolls.

22:16 "Behold, I bring evil on this place and on its inhabitants" Jerusalem will fall, the Temple will be destroyed, and Judea will go into exile (cf. Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 28; 2 Kings 21:12-15).

22:17 "they have forsaken Me" This is a powerful covenant VERB (BDB 736 II, KB 806, Qal PERFECT). It is used in several covenant phrases (both promise and curse).

  1. the covenant people forsake YHWH
    1. Deut. 28:20; 31:16
    2. 1 Sam. 8:8
    3. 2 Kgs. 21:22
    4. 2 Chr. 12:5; 21:10; 24:20,24; 28:6; 29:6
  2. they forsook the covenant
    1. Deut. 29:25
    2. 1 Kgs. 19:10,14
    3. 2 Chr. 12:1; 24:18
  3. YHWH will never forsake His covenant people
    1. Deut. 31:6,8
    2. Josh. 1:5
    3. 1 Kgs. 6:13; 8:57
    4. 2 Chr. 24:20
  4. because of their idolatry, YHWH will forsake His covenant people
    1. Deut. 31:17
    2. Josh. 24:16,20
    3. Jdgs. 2:12,13; 10:6,10,13
    4. 1 Sam. 12:10
    5. 1 Kgs. 9:9; 11:33; 18:18
    6. 2 Kgs. 17:16,17
    7. 2 Chr. 34:25
  5. warning to leaders
    1. 1 Chr. 28:9
    2. 2 Chr. 7:19,22
    3. 2 Chr. 13:10,11; 15:2

The Mosaic Covenant was a conditional covenant (cf. Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 28).

▣ "it shall not be quenched" YHWH will judge Judah but because of repentance, it is delayed.

  1. Ahab ‒ 1 Kgs. 21:27-29
  2. Hezekeiah ‒ 2 Kgs. 20:2-6
  3. Josiah ‒ 2 Kgs. 22:19-26

Repentance affects prophecies!

SPECIAL TOPIC: REPENTANCE

22:20 "you will be gathered to your grave in peace" This seems to contradict 2 Kgs. 23:29, where Josiah was killed by Pharaoh Neco II at Megiddo in a freak accident by one Egyptian archer's random shot.

The term "peace" (shalom) refers to the nation and not to Josiah individually.

SPECIAL TOPIC: PEACE (OT)

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

This is a study guide commentary which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought-provoking, not definitive.

  1. Outline in your own words the political/historical situation of the world powers of Josiah's day.
  2. How could the covenant people lose the law of Moses?
  3. Exactly to what part of the law of Moses does v. 8 refer?
  4. Why does the Bible seem so contradictory on the place of women? What is the implication of a prophetess?

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