2 Kings 22

Ver. 3. — stood by a pillar.] To which his throne was adjoining; see chap. xi. 14.

— and made a covenant before the Lord.] He that found himself exempted from vengeance by his repentance and deep humiliation, would fain find the same way for the deliverance of his people. The same words of the law, therefore, which had wrought on his heart, are by him caused to be publickly read in the ears of Judah and Jerusalem. The assembly is universal, of priests, Prophets, people, both small and great. Because the sin was such, the danger was such; that no man may complain that he has wanted information, the law of God sounds in every ear. The people want not an example, as of sorrow, so of amendment. Good Josiah stands by the pillar and renews his solemn covenant with God: the people cannot for shame refuse to second him. Even they who expect destruction do not withdraw their obedience. God’s children may not be sullen under His corrections; but, whether they expect or feel correction, must be no other than dutiful to His awful hand. Bp. Hall.

2 Kings 22:6

6. — brought out the grove] That is, the image of the ten in this book. And all the people stood to the covenant.

2 Kings 22:7

7. — there was no reckoning made] They were men of such approved honesty, that there was no need to call them to any account as to their method of laying out the money. Bp. Patrick.

8. — the women wove hangings] To hide probably the unnatural and abominable ceremonies of their idolatrous worship. Univ. Hist.

2 Kings 22:8

8. — I have found the book of the law] Meaning, an authentick copy of the law written by Moses, as is expressed at 2 Chron. xxxiv. 14; that copy probably which by God’s command was laid up in the most holy place, Deut. xxxi. 24, &c. Bp. Patrick. We are not to conclude that the people had at this time no copies of the law among them; they probably had several, though some imperfect and corrupt: and the high priest rejoiced on finding the original, because by it all the other copies might be corrected; and the more, because he had found it at a time when the king was about to make a reformation in religion, and when therefore he could not but look upon it as a remarkable providence. Stackhouse. It is probable, from the circumstances of the history, that, at this time of finding the book of the law by Hilkiah, copies of the law were very scarce; and that this, to his surprise, was an authentick and original copy. Dr. S. Clarke. The ignorance of the law, which seems now to have prevailed, may be sufficiently accounted for from the history of the preceding reigns; for Manasseh had been an idolatrous king for a long series of years, and he wanted neither power nor inclination to destroy the copies of the law, had they been secreted by the servants of the true God. The law, after being so long concealed, would be unknown to very many of the Jews; and thus the solemn reading of it by Josiah would awaken his own and the people’s earnest attention. The copy produced was probably the original, written by Moses, which would excite still greater veneration. The distance of time was not such as to make it incredible that the copy now found was that written by Moses himself: for there was certainly not a greater interval from the death of Moses to the death of Josiah than 950 years; and we have manu-

scripts existing among us at the present day of greater age than this. Dr. Kessicott.

8. And he brought all the priests out of the cities] So great and general had been the apostasy and falling away from the true religion in the preceding reigns, that the very priests had joined in the corruption of the times, and not only burnt incense in the high places, contrary to the law of Moses, but even officiated in the most impious rites of idolatry; and so, instead of ministers of the most high God, made themselves the ministers of devils. These Josiah did not put to death, but (as it is said) “brought them out of the cities of Judah.” He took them as it were captive, and brought them to Jerusalem. Then it is added, ver. 9, “They came not up to the altar” that was there; that is, they were not admitted to the honour, nor restored to the

b Chap. 21. 7.

2 Kings 22:11

11. — had heard the words of the book] It is generally agreed that the part which Shaphan read to the king was taken out of the book of Deuteronomy; and it is supposed, not without probability, that chapters xxviii, xxix, and xxx, were those which he turned to on this occasion; for therein is contained a renewal of the covenant which Moses, as mediator, had made between God and the people of Israel at mount Horeb: and there are those terrible threats against the transgressors of the law, whether prince or people, which affected Josiah so much. Calmet.

— that he rent his clothes.] Being alarmed when he heard the dreadful threatenings against the transgressors of the law. Bp. Patrick. By the behaviour of the king, as also of the high priest, on this occasion, it might be thought to appear that neither of them had seen a copy of the law before, which shews into how corrupt a state the church of the Jews was then sunk, till this good king reformed it. For although Hexekiah kept scribes on purpose to collect and write out copies of the Holy Scriptures, yet, through the iniquity of the times that afterwards followed in the reigns of Manasseh and Amon, they had either been so destroyed, or else so neglected and lost, that there were none left in the land, unless in a few private hands, where they were kept and concealed, till this copy was found in the temple. Dean Prideaux. Or perhaps we may conclude, that it was the great reverence which Josiah bore to the original copy of the law written by Moses, as well as the seasonable and remarkable finding of it at this time, that awakened and quickened him to a more attentive consideration of all the passages contained in it than he had ever bestowed before, either in reading or hearing the ordinary copies of the law. Stackhouse. As soon as the good king hears the words of the book of the law, and especially those dreadful threats of judgment denounced against the idolatries of his Judah, he rends his clothes, to shew his heart rent with sorrow and fearful expectation of those plagues, and washes his bosom with tears. He

Huldah prophesieth the destruction of Jerusalem after Josiah’s death. Before CHRIST 634.

kiah 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,

2 Kings 22:14

14. — unto Huldah the prophetess.] This is the only mention we have of this prophetess. It certainly contributes much to her renown that she was consulted on this weighty occasion, when both Jeremiah and Zephaniah were Prophets alive at the same time in Judah. Or perhaps these Prophets did not happen to be at hand so as to be applied to with sufficient despatch. Stackhouse.

— in the college;] The word which we translate “college,” is in the margin of the Bible rendered “the second part.” For there were three walls about Jerusalem; within the first lived artificers and common people; within the second, persons of better sort, wise men, Prophets, &c.; and within the third was the mountain of the Lord. It is thought then that the sacred writer speaks of the middle part as the residence of Huldah. Bp. Patrick.

2 Kings 22:16

16. — I will bring evil upon this place.] In how bad a case men may be, and yet think themselves not only safe but happy! These Jews had forgotten their old revolts; and now, having framed themselves to holy courses, promised themselves nothing but peace, when the prophetess foresees and foretells their approaching ruin. Bp. Hall.

2 Kings 22:19

19. Because thine heart was tender, &c.] Some observe, that here are four tokens mentioned of a true repentance and conversion to God: first, softness of heart, which is opposed to the hardness arising from disbelief of God’s threatenings; secondly, great humility, arising

the words of the book which the king of Judah hath read:

2 Kings 22:20

20. — thou shalt be gathered into thy grave in peace.] The phrase of “going to the grave in peace,” is of some latitude, admitting of more constructions than one. Josiah died in peace during the publick tranquillity, before the troubles of his nation came on; he lived not “to see the evil brought on this place.” He was taken away from the evil to come, was peaceably interred, and left his nation in a peaceable condition. So much Huldah the prophetess intended and signified; and so much was actually fulfilled. Dr. Waterland. Though he was slain in battle, chap. xxiii. 29, yet he went to his grave in peace, because, as the following words explain, he did not live to see the calamities of the nation, but left it in a peaceable condition. Bp. Patrick. This answer of the prophetess is deserving of particular attention. She informed the king, that the iniquities of the Jews were come to such a height that the Divine threatenings would soon be put in execution, and that, before they were so, God would remove him from life. This affords us these two lessons: the one is, that when the wickedness of men is past remedy, neither the endeavours nor the prayers of the righteous can prevent the judgments of God from taking their course; the other is, that death is not always a mark of God’s displeasure, and that He sometimes shortens the lives of those He most loves, that they may not be involved in the judgments He intends to pour down on the heads of the wicked. Ostereeld. What a gracious mixture was here of mercy with severity; severity to Judah, mercy to Josiah! Judah will be plagued, and become a desolation and a curse; Josiah will be quietly housed in his grave before this storm fall upon Judah.

Josiah reneweth the covenant of the Lord. place. And they brought the king word again. # CHAP. XXIII.