2 Kings 22

ass through the fire to Moloch, in the valley of the son of | sacred history. thorns, and bound him in chains. The sacred book of Moses, which shortly had been placed by his good father, but did not | Manasseh alive to complete in the former part of his reign, did all they could in his repentance: at his death, therefore, Amon restored the | this we have no proof; yet, admitting that this might be the out the kingdom. Nor does it appear among any of the sins of the idolaters, in these early times, that they took the trouble to collect or to destroy any of the sacred writings. They cared nothing about the worship of Jehovah: their great object was to mingle their idolatries with it, or to associate Baal, or Moloch, or Astarte, with the great Eternal.

One thing, however, must be admitted, that copies of the law and of the other scriptures were become scarce, through the neglect and contempt with which they were generally treated. It is also highly probable that the copy now found was either the original autograph of Moses, which had been deposited in the most sacred place, or at least an authentic and attested copy. (See (Exodus 25:16-21); (1 Kings 8:9).) (See note, verse 8.) It farther appears, that, in consequence of this scarcity of the scriptures, and a general indifference towards them, both priests and princes were very ignorant of their contents, and much surprised at the dreadful penalties they had incurred. Not knowing what step to take, Josiah sends to consult Huldah the venerable prophetess—a mother in Israel, and probably considered as especially conversant with the holy writings.

She informed them, without hesitation, that the judgments denounced in that book should certainly be executed; yet, in consequence of the penitence evinced by the king, the princes, and the priests, they should be deferred, and not executed on that generation.

Notes on the verses

Chap. XXII. Ver. 1. Josiah.—{This prince was one of the best, if not the Edward VI. of England, greatly resembled Josiah. He indeed would have done well, had he attained the age at which Josiah died.]—Bagster. ver. 4. Sum the silver.—[Ten years seems to have elapsed since the people had the formation of them, nor were they applied to the purpose for which they were given.]—B.. Ver. 8, I have found the book.—[This certainly was a genuine copy of the divine law: and probably the autograph of Moses, as it is said, in the parallel, it was the original of the covenant renewed by Moses in the plains of Moab, and the present circumstances of the people, the imperfect state in which the re- Ver. 14. Huldah the prophetess.—Jeremiah had now probably begun to prophesy, but he lived at Anathoth, in the tribe of Benjamin, and was very young.

—In the college.—Dr. Boothroyd, more exact perhaps as to the sense, reads, “*In the suburbs.”. Ver. 20. Unto thy grave in peace.—This has no reference to the death he should die; but means, that he should be taken from the evils about to come upon the country, and be honourably buried in his own sepulchre, which came to pass accordingly. 2 Ch. xxxiv. 23.; xxxv. 24, 25. [During thy life, none of these calamities shall fall upon thee nor thy seed; no adversary shall be permitted to disturb the peace of Judea; and thou shalt at last “be gathered into thy grave in peace.” Now, though it is stated that Pharaoh-Nechoh slew him at Megiddo, yet the Assyrians and the Jews were at peace; and — Josiah to feel it his duty to oppose the Egyptian king’s going against his friendly ally, and that in his endeavours to — him, he was mortally wounded at Megiddo, yet certainly he was not killed here, but was brought to Jerusalem, where he died in peace. }— Bagster.;