2 Kings 22:14

_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._ Ahikam - a friend of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 26:24). ACHBOR - or Abdon (2 Chronicles 34:20), a man of influence at court (Jeremiah 26:22). The occasion was urgent, and therefore they were sent, not to Zephaniah (Zephaniah 1:1), who was perhaps young, nor to Jeremiah, who was probably absent at his house in Anathoth, but to one who wa

11-20 The book of the law is read before the king. Those best honour their Bibles, who study them; daily feed on that bread, and walk by that light. Convictions of sin and wrath should put us upon this inquiry, What shall we do to be saved? Also, what we may expect, and must provide for. Those who are truly apprehensive of the weight of God's wrath, cannot but be very anxious how they may be saved. Huldah let Josiah know what judgments God had in store for Judah and Jerusalem. The generality of the people were hardened, and their hearts unhumbled, but Josiah's heart was tender. This is tenderness of heart, and thus he humbled himself before the Lord. Those who most fear God's wrath, are least likely to feel it. Though Josiah was mortally wounded in battle, yet he died in peace with God, and went to glory. Whatever such persons suffer or witness, they are gathered to the grave in peace, a...

Verse 2 Kings 22:14. _WENT UNTO HULDAH THE PROPHETESS_] This is a most singular circumstance: At this time _Jeremiah_ was certainly a prophet in Israel, but it is likely he now dwelt at _Anathoth_. and could not be readily consulted; _Zephaniah_ also prophesied under this reign, but probably he had not yet _begun; Hilkiah_ was _high_ _priest_, and the priest's lips should retain knowledge. _Shaphan_ was _scribe_, and must have been conversant in sacred affairs to have been at all fit for his office; and yet _Huldah_, a prophetess, of whom we know nothing but by this circumstance, is consulted on the meaning of the book of the law; for the secret of the Lord was neither with _Hilkiah_ the high priest, _Shaphan_ the scribe, nor any other of the _servants_ of the _king_, or _ministers_ of the _temple!_ We find fr...

WENT UNTO HULDAH - It might have been expected that the royal commissioners would have gone to Jeremiah, on whom the prophetic spirit had descended in Josiah’s 13th year Jeremiah 1:2, or five years previous to the finding of the Law. Perhaps he was at some distance from Jerusalem at the time; or his office may not yet have been fully recognized. THE PROPHETESS - Compare the cases of Miriam Exodus 15:20; Numbers 12:2 and Deborah Judges 4:4. KEEPER OF THE WARDROBE - literally, “of the robes.” Shallum had the superintendence, either of t

EXPOSITION 2 KINGS 22:1 ACCESSION OF JOSIAH. REPAIR OF THE TEMPLE. RECOVERY OF THE BOOK OF THE LAW. 2 KINGS 22:1 GENERAL CHARACTER OF JOSIAH'S REIGN. _His repair of the temple_._ _The writer begins his account of Josiah's reign with the usual brief summary, giving his age at his accession, the length of his reign, his mother's name and birthplace ...

SO HILKIAH THE PRIEST, AND AHIKAM, AND ACHBOR, AND SHAPHAN, AND ASAHIAH, WENT DOWN TO HULDAH THE PROPHETESS,.... Such as were Miriam and Deborah; in imitation of those Satan had very early his women prophetesses, the Sibyls, so called from their being the council and oracle of God, and consulted as such on occasion, as Huldah now was; and the first of the Sibyls, according to Suidas n, was a Chaldean or a Persian; and some say an Hebrew; and Pausanias expressly says o, that with the Hebrews above Palestine was a woman prophetess, whose name was Sabba, whom some called the Babylonian, others the Egyptian Sibyl. Aelian relates p that one of them was a Jewess: THE WIFE OF SHALLUM, THE SON OF TIKVAH, THE SON OF HARHAS, KEEPER OF THE WARDROBE; but whether the king's wardrobe in the palace, or the priest's in the temple, is not certain; he is called Hasrah, 2 Chronicles

V. THE REIGN OF JOSIAH 1. The Revival CHAPTER 22 _ 1. Josiah begins to reign (2 Kings 22:1; 2 Chronicles 34:1)_ 2. The temple repaired (2 Kings 22:3; 2 Chronicles 34:8) 3. The law discovered (2 Kings 22:8; 2 Chronicles 34:14) 4. The reading of the law and its results (2 Kings 22:10) 5. The

2 KINGS 22:1 TO 2 KINGS 23:30_ A_. THE REIGN AND REFORMS OF JOSIAH. The fifty-seven years of the reigns of Manasseh and Amon were, according to Kings (not Chronicles), a period of apostasy, which probably continued for the first ten years of Josiah. The prophetic party had consequently remained out of power since the persecution of Manasseh (2 Kings 21:16). They regained their influence by the discovery of the Book of the Law (2 Kings 22:8). The prophetess Huldah, on being consulted, foretold that all the calamities predicted in the book would come true, but that Josiah should go to his grave in peace and not witness the ruin of hi

HULDAH THE PROPHETESS— This is the only mention that we have of this prophetess; and certainly it tends much to her honour that she was consulted upon this important occasion, when both Jeremiah and Zephaniah were at that time prophets in Judah. But Zephaniah, perhaps, at that time might not have commenced a prophet, because, though we are told that he prophesied in the days of Josiah, Zephaniah 1:1 yet we are nowhere informed in what part of his reign he entered upon the prophetic office. Jeremiah too might at that time be absent from Jerusalem, at his house at Anathoth, or some more remote part of the kingdom; so that, considering Josiah's haste and impatience, there might be no other proper person to apply to than this prophetess; well assured of whose fidelity in delivering the mind and counsel of God, the king, and the ministers who went from him to inquire, concluded rightly, that...

D. THE PROPHETIC WORD OF HULDAH 22:14-20 TRANSLATION (14) And Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Achbor, Shaphan, and Asahiah went onto Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah the son of Harhas, the one who kept the garments (now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the second city); and they spoke unto her. (15) And she said unto them, Thus says the LORD God of Israel, Say to the man who sent you unto me, (16) Thus says the LORD: Behold I am about to bring evil against this place and against its inhabitants, all the words of the book which the king of Judah has read, (17) because they have forsaken Me, and have made offerings to other gods in order to provoke Me with all the deeds of their hands. And My wrath is kindled against this place, and it shall not be extinguished. (18) But to the king of Judah who has sent you to inquire of the LORD, Thus you shall say unto him: Thus says t...