Table of Contents
2 Kings 22
2 Kings 22
1 Josiah was 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 Boscath.
2 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.
3 And it came to pass in the eighteenth year of king Josiah, that 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 sum 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, that have the oversight of the house of the Lord: 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,
6 Unto carpenters, and builders, and masons, and to buy timber and hewn stone to repair the house.
7 Howbeit 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 unto Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of the Lord. 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, 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.
10 And Shaphan the scribe shewed the king, saying, Hilkiah the priest hath delivered me a book. And Shaphan read it before the king.
11 And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the book of the law, that he rent his clothes.
12 And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Achbor the son of Michaiah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asahiah a servant of the king's, saying,
13 Go 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 concerning us.
14 So Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asahiah, went unto Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe; (now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the college;) and they communed with her.
15 And she said unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Tell the man that sent you to me,
16 Thus saith 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 hath read:
17 Because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto 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 enquire of the Lord, thus shall ye say to him, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, As touching the words which thou hast heard;
19 Because 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.
20 Behold therefore, I will gather thee unto thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered into thy grave in peace; and thine eyes shall not see all the evil which I will bring upon this place. And they brought the king word again.
Notes
Cross Reference
Commentary
Rashi
Verse 8
<html><b>I have found the Torah Scroll.</b> It was hidden under a layer of stones where they had concealed it when Achaz burned the Torah.1<i class=“footnote”>According to II Divrei Hayomim 34:14, this was the original Torah Scroll written by Moshe. God had commanded Moshe to write this Scroll at the end of his life. See Devarim 31:24-26.</i></html>
Verse 13
<html><b>Inquire of Adonoy on my behalf.</b> He saw written, “Adonoy will lead you and your king.”2<i class=“footnote”>Devarim 28:36.</i> 3<i class=“footnote”>When they opened the Torah Scroll it was found rolled to this section. This section deals with the exile of Shomron and Yehudah with its king. Chilkiyoh gave the Torah Scroll to Shofon to read to the king with the hope that perhaps he would come up with a suggestion to alleviate the dreadful situation.—Radak</i></html>
Verse 14
<html><b>To Chuldoh.</b> Our Rabbis said that because a woman is more merciful than a man,4<i class=“footnote”>They therefore hoped she would beseech God for mercy, that He change the evil decree to a favorable one.—Maharsha in Maseches Megillah 12b</i> he, therefore, did not send to Yirmiyohu [to inquire]. Others say that Yirmiyohu was not there because he went to bring back the ten tribes.5<i class=“footnote”>See Maseches Megillah 14b and Rashi there.</i> <b>In the study house.</b> [Targum Yonoson rendered,] in the study6<i class=“footnote”>שנה[=study]</i> house. There is a gate in the Temple courtyard, named “the Gate of Chuldoh” [as stated] in Maseches Midos.7<i class=“footnote”>1:3; according to that Mishnah the two Gates of Chuldoh led to the Temple Mount.</i> Others interpret “במשנה” as “outside the wall/' [i.e.,] between the two walls, which are double8<i class=“footnote”>משנה [=double] as in “a double portion [=משנה] of food” in Shemos 16:22.</i> [around] the city. (במשנה [i.e.,] she was teaching the Oral Law to the elders of the generation, i.e., the Mishnah. An annotation of Rabbi Akiva.) <b>In the study house.</b> (From, “These are the words,”9<i class=“footnote”>Devarim1:1.</i> until “before the eyes of all Yisroel,”10<i class=“footnote”>Ibid. 33-12.</i> 11<i class=“footnote”>She expounded on Chumash Devarim which is known as Mishnah Torah [=משנה תורה] because many topics from other Chumashim are repeated in it.</i> i.e., the Book of Devarim, also known as Misheh Torah, and likewise all the things that are repeated in the Torah, she expounded on in public, and she revealed the punishments and the exiles which were doubled for those who transgress the secrets and the allusions of the Torah. The Secret of Righteousness.)</html>
Verse 20
<html><b>And you will be gathered into your grave in peace.</b> And what is the peace?12<i class=“footnote”>Although Yoshiyahu was killed in a battle with Paro Necho, he is considered as having died in peace because he died while the Bnei Yisroel were living in peace, before the destruction began.—Radak</i> “Your eyes will not see,” the destruction of the Beis [Hamikdosh].13<i class=“footnote”>See Maseches Moed Katan 28b.</i></html>