Huldah

Biblical Account

Huldah appears in 2 Kings 22:14–20 and 2 Chronicles 34:22–28. Scripture calls her a prophetess and identifies her as the wife of Shallum, the keeper of the wardrobe. She lived in the "Second Quarter" of Jerusalem.

In the eighteenth year of King Josiah, while the temple in Jerusalem was being repaired, the high priest Hilkiah found the Book of the Law. When Shaphan the scribe read it before the king, the king tore his clothes. The king sent Hilkiah, Shaphan, Ahikam, and others to inquire of the LORD, and they went to Huldah.

Huldah's message has two parts:

• Because the people had forsaken God and served other gods, the calamities written in the book would come upon this place.
• Because the king's heart was tender and he had humbled himself, he would not see that calamity but would be gathered to his grave in peace.

After hearing this message, Josiah renewed the covenant before the people and carried out a reform that removed idols. He then kept the Passover.

Significance in Scripture

Huldah is one of the few women recorded by name as holding the office of prophet. Among Old Testament figures, she is discussed alongside Miriam and Deborah. Her words served as the catalyst for the king's reform and are read as a prophecy foreseeing the judgment that would fall on Judah and the Babylonian exile. Huldah is not mentioned directly in the New Testament, though the New Testament also features the prophetess Anna (Simeon and Anna) and the daughters of Philip who prophesied (Acts 21:9).

Interpretations and Debates

• The discovered book: Scripture calls it only "the book of the law." Many scholars identify it with Deuteronomy or its core section. This is an interpretation, not something the text states.
• The fulfillment of "in peace": Josiah died at Megiddo while fighting the king of Egypt (2 Kings 23:29–30). Consequently, there is discussion about how the prophecy was fulfilled. It is commonly explained as meaning that the king died without seeing the destruction of Jerusalem.
• Women and church office: Supporters of women's ordination point to Huldah. They emphasize that even at a time when prophets such as Jeremiah were active, the king's envoys sought God's will from Huldah, a woman. Opponents hold that the gift of prophecy differs from the teaching and governing offices of the church. They also point out that Huldah merely delivered a message to those who came to her.
• Later traditions: Stories not found in the biblical text have also been handed down. The Jewish Talmud is reported to count Huldah among seven prophetesses and to include a passage explaining why the king sent to Huldah rather than to Jeremiah. Another tradition connects her with the "Huldah Gates" on the south side of the Temple Mount. The King James Version renders the "Second Quarter" as "the college," and this rendering gave rise to the idea that Huldah was engaged in teaching.

In the Korean Church

In the Korean church, Huldah is mentioned mainly in sermons on Josiah's reform and the discovery of the Book of the Law. Such sermons often take the restoration of the Word and repentance as their theme. She is also cited, together with Deborah, as a biblical example when denominations debate the ordination of women as pastors.