And she said unto them ,.... The king's messengers: thus saith the Lord God of Israel ; being immediately inspired by him, she spake in his name, as prophets did: tell the man that sent you to me ; which may seem somewhat rude and unmannerly to say of a king; but when it is considered she spake not of herself, but representing the King of kings and Lord of lords, it will be seen and judged of in another light. read more
ACCESSION OF JOSIAH . REPAIR OF THE TEMPLE . RECOVERY OF THE BOOK OF THE LAW . read more
A monarch of rare virtue, and a God of retributive justice. "Josiah was eight years old," etc. There are two subjects in this chapter that arrest our attention, and which are fertile with suggestions. I. A MONARCH OF RARE VIRTUE . "Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty and one years in Jerusalem," etc. In this monarch we discover four distinguished merits. 1. Religiousness of action . "He did that which was right in the sight of the... read more
The finding of the Law-book. The finding of the book of the Law by Hilkiah in the temple marks a distinct turning-point in Josiah's reformation It is admitted generally that this Law-book included, if it did not exclusively consist of, the Book of Deuteronomy. As it is further allowed that some of the main narrative documents of our present Pentateuch, and the book of the covenant ( Exodus 21:1-36 .-23.), if not also collections of priestly laws, were then in existence, and had long been,... read more
And she said unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel. Huldah is the only example of a prophetess in Israel, who seems to rank on the same footing with the prophets. Miriam ( Exodus 15:20 ), Deborah ( 4:4 ), Isaiah s wife ( Isaiah 8:2 ), and Anna ( Luke 2:36 ) are called "prophetesses," but in a secondary sense, as holy women, having a certain gift of song or prediction from God. Huldah has the full prophetic afflatus, and delivers God's oracles, just as Isaiah and Jeremiah do.... read more
The prophecy of Huldah . The word of the Lord comes to Huldah with the arrival of the messengers, or perhaps previous to it, and she is at once ready with her reply. It divides itself into two parts. In 2 Kings 22:15-17 the inquiry made is answered—answered affirmatively, "Yes, the fiat is gone forth; it is too late to avert the sentence; the anger of the Lord is kindled, and shall not be quenched ." After this, in 2 Kings 22:18-20 , a special message is sent to the king, granting... read more
2 Kings 22:15-16. Tell the man that sent you She uses no compliments. Even kings, though gods to us, are men to God, and shall be so dealt with: for with him there is no respect of persons. Thus saith the Lord, I will bring evil upon this place, &c. She lets him know, both what judgments God had in store for Judah and Jerusalem, and what mercy was laid up for him. Even all the words According to all the words, of the book All the plagues threatened in Deuteronomy 28:0., and in... read more
Josiah repairs the temple (22:1-20)Included in Josiah’s reformation was a project for extensive repairs to the temple, which had been damaged during the reigns of Manasseh and Amon (22:1-7). By this time Assyrian power had weakened considerably, which enabled Josiah to carry out his reformation program without interference from outside. He even extended his power into the conquered territory of the former northern kingdom (see 23:15,19; 2 Chronicles 34:6-7).During the fifty-seven years when... read more
15-20. she said unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Tell the man that sent you to me—On being consulted, she delivered an oracular response in which judgment was blended with mercy; for it announced the impending calamities that at no distant period were to overtake the city and its inhabitants. But at the same time the king was consoled with an assurance that this season of punishment and sorrow should not be during his lifetime, on account of the faith, penitence, and pious zeal for... read more
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Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 2 Kings 22:11-20
We hear no more of the repairing of the temple: no doubt that good work went on well; but the book of the law that was found in it occupies us now, and well it may. It is not laid up in the king's cabinet as a piece of antiquity, a rarity to be admired, but it is read before the king. Those put the truest honour upon their Bibles that study them and converse with them daily, feed on that bread and walk by that light. Men of honour and business must look upon an acquaintance with God's word to... read more