2 Kings 22

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 2 Kings 22

This chapter begins the story of the reign of good king Josiah, whose goodness shines the brighter because it came just after so much wickedness, which he had the honour to reform, and just before so great a destruction, which yet he had not the honour to prevent. Here, after his general character (2 Kgs. 22:1, 2), we have a particular account of the respect he paid I. To God's house, which he repaired, 2 Kgs. 22:3-7 II. To God's book, which he was much affected with the reading of, 2 Kgs.... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 2 Kings 22:1-10

Concerning Josiah we are here told, I. That he was very young when he began to reign (2 Kgs. 22:1), only eight years old. Solomon says, Woe unto thee, O land! when thy king is a child; but happy art thou, O land! when thy king is such a child. Our English Israel had once a king that was such a child, Edward VI. Josiah, being young, had not received any bad impressions from the example of his father and grandfather, but soon saw their errors, and God gave his grace to take warning by them. See... read more

Matthew Henry

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

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Kings 22

INTRODUCTION TO 2 KINGS 22 This chapter begins with the age and character of Josiah king of Judah, 2 Kings 22:1 , relates his orders for repairing the temple, 2 Kings 22:3 , his attention to the book of the law, which was found, and read to him, and the effect it had upon him, 2 Kings 22:8 , the command he gave to certain persons to inquire of the Lord about it, who applied to Huldah the prophetess, 2 Kings 22:12 , who returned an answer by them to the king, foretelling the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Kings 22:1

Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign ,.... And must be born when his father was but sixteen, for Amon lived but twenty four years, 2 Kings 21:19 , and he reigned thirty and one years in Jerusalem ; and so must die at thirty nine years of age: and his mother's name was Jedidah, the daughter of Adaiah of Boscath ; a city of the tribe of Judah; see Gill on Joshua 15:39 . read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Kings 22:2

And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord ,.... In the affair of religious worship especially, as well as in other things: and walked in all the ways of David his father ; in his religious ways, in which he never departed from his God: and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left ; but kept an even, constant, path of worship and duty, according to the law of God. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Kings 22:3

And it came to pass in the eighteenth year of King Josiah ,.... Not of his age, but of his reign, as appears from 2 Chronicles 34:8 nor is what follows the first remarkable act he did in a religious way; for elsewhere we read of what he did in the eighth and twelfth years of his reign, 2 Chronicles 34:3 , that the king sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, the son of Meshullam the scribe, to the house of the Lord ; the king's secretary; the Septuagint version is, the scribe of the house... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Kings 22:4

Go up to Hilkiah the high priest ,.... Who had an apartment in the temple; there was an Hilkiah, a priest, in those times, who was the father of Jeremiah the prophet, Jeremiah 1:1 , whom an Arabic writer F12 Abulpharag. Hist. Dynast. p. 68. takes to be the same with this; but it is not likely: that he may sum the silver which is brought into the house of the Lord which the people voluntarily offered for the repairing of it; this he would have the priest take an account of, that... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Kings 22:5

And let them deliver it into the hand of the doers of the work , that have the oversight of the house of the Lord ,.... That were overseers of the workmen, whose names are mentioned, 2 Chronicles 34:12 into their hands the money was to be delivered by the high priest, when he had taken the account of it, and perhaps along with the king's scribe, see 2 Kings 12:10 , and let them give it to the doers of the work, which is in the house of the Lord, to repair the breaches of the house... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Kings 22:6

Unto carpenters, and builders, and masons ,.... Who were employed, some in mending the woodwork, and others in repairing the stone walls and to buy timber and hewn stone to repair the house ; not only money was to be given them for their workmanship, but to buy timber and stone to work with. read more

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