2 Kings 22:11-13 NIV

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Kings 22:11

And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the book of the Law, that he rent his clothes. To Josiah the book was evidently, as to Hilkiah, in some sort a discovery. It was not, however, a wholly new thing; rather, he accepted it as the recovery of a thing that was known to have been lost, and was now happily found. And in accepting it he regarded it as authoritative. It was not to him "a book of Law" (Ewald), but "the book of the Law." We can well imagine that, although the... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Kings 22:12

And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan. "Ahikam the son of Shaphan" is almost certainly Jeremiah's protector at the court of Jehoiakim ( Jeremiah 26:24 ), the father of the Godaliah who wan made governor of Judaea on Nebuchadnezzar's final conquest ( Jeremiah 39:14 ; Jeremiah 40:7 ). "Shaphan;' his father, is no doubt "Shaphan the scribe." And Achbor the son of Michaiah. The parallel passage of Chronicles ( 2 Chronicles 34:20 ) has "Abdon the son... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Kings 22:13

Go ye, inquire of the Lord for me. Inquiry of the Lord, which from the time of Moses to that of David was ordinarily "by Urim and Thummim," was after David's time always made by the consultation of a prophet (see 1 Kings 22:5-8 ; 2 Kings 3:11 ; 2 Kings 8:8 ; Jeremiah 21:2 ; Jeremiah 37:7 ; Ezekiel 14:7 ; Ezekiel 20:1 , etc.). The officers, therefore, understood the king to mean that they were to seek out a prophet (see 2 Kings 22:14 ), and so make the inquiry. And for the... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - 2 Kings 22:11

He rent his clothes - Partly grief and horror, like Reuben Genesis 37:29 and Job Job 1:20, partly in repentance, like Ahab 1 Kings 21:27. read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - 2 Kings 22:13

Enquire of the Lord - As inquiry by Urim and Thummim had ceased - apparently because superseded by prophecy - this order was equivalent to an injunction to seek the presence of a prophet (compare 2 Kings 3:11; 1 Kings 22:5).Because our fathers have not hearkened - Josiah, it will be observed, assumes that preceding generations had had full opportunity of hearing and knowing the Law. He thus regards the loss as comparatively recent (compare 2 Kings 22:8 note). read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - 2 Kings 22:10-11

2 Kings 22:10-11. And Shaphan read it before the king That is, some part of it, for it cannot be supposed that he read all of it, especially at one time. When the king heard the words of the book The dreadful comminations contained in it against them for the sins still reigning among them; he rent his clothes Being very deeply affected with a sense of the greatness of their guilt, and an apprehension that dreadful judgments hung over them, and were ready to fall upon them. It appears... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - 2 Kings 22:12-13

2 Kings 22:12-13. Asahiah, a servant of the king’s Who most constantly waited upon the king’s person; otherwise all of those here mentioned were the king’s servants. Go ye, inquire of the Lord for me, and for the people, &c. What we shall do to appease his wrath, and whether the curses here threatened must come upon us without remedy, or whether there be hope in Israel concerning the prevention of them. For great is the wrath of the Lord, because our fathers, &c. In the glass of... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - 2 Kings 22:1-20

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

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - 2 Kings 22:11

he rent his clothes. Not necessarily on account of his surprise, but on account of the solemnity of the words. read more