2 Kings 22

2 Kings 22 is the first part of the account of Josiah's reign and reforms in chapters 22–23. The preceding chapter, 2 Kings 21, records the wicked reigns of Manasseh and Amon; in this chapter the eight-year-old Josiah succeeds them on the throne.

Outline

• Verses 1–2 Josiah becomes king at the age of eight and reigns thirty-one years in Jerusalem. He walks in the way of his forefather David.
• Verses 3–7 In the eighteenth year of his reign, King Josiah sends Shaphan the scribe to the temple. The silver brought by the people is to be counted and entrusted to the overseers for the repair of the temple. Because the overseers deal faithfully, no accounting is required of them.
• Verses 8–10 The high priest Hilkiah finds the book of the law in the temple and gives it to Shaphan, who reads it before the king.
• Verses 11–14 The king tears his clothes and sends his officials to inquire of the LORD. The officials go to the prophetess Huldah.
• Verses 15–20 Huldah declares that the calamities written in the book will come upon this place. Yet because Josiah humbled himself, he will not see that calamity and will be gathered to his grave in peace.

Key Verses

• 2 Kings 22:8 "I have found the book of the law in the house of the LORD." — Josiah's reform begins with this discovery.
• 2 Kings 22:19 "Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the LORD … and hast rent thy clothes, and wept before me" — God responds to a king who repented before His word.

People and Places

• Josiah: King of Judah and son of Amon.
• Hilkiah: The high priest who found the book of the law.
• Shaphan: The scribe, who carries out the king's orders together with his son Ahikam.
• Ahikam, Achbor, and Asahiah: Officials whom the king sent to Huldah.
• Huldah: A prophetess, the wife of Shallum the keeper of the wardrobe, who lived in the Second Quarter of Jerusalem.
• The temple in Jerusalem: The place where the book of the law was found.

Points for Reflection

• The identity of the book: The text does not specify what the book of the law was. Many scholars identify it as Deuteronomy or its core, while others take it to be the entire Pentateuch. Some critical scholars hold that the book was written around this time, whereas conservative scholars regard its discovery as the rediscovery of the law of Moses that had been handed down.
• Huldah and women's ministry: Although Jeremiah was active in the same period, the king's officials went to Huldah. For this reason Huldah is frequently cited in discussions of women's ordination. Proponents see her as an example of a woman publicly proclaiming the word of God, while opponents hold that the role of an Old Testament prophet differs in nature from church office.
• The meaning of "in peace": Josiah later dies in battle at Megiddo (2 Kings 23:29). Consequently, "in peace" in verse 20 is often interpreted to mean that he would not witness the calamity of the nation's destruction.
• Connections to other texts: The same events are recorded in 2 Chronicles 34. In the New Testament, Josiah's name appears in the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1.

In the Korean Church

This chapter is frequently used in sermons on the restoration of the Word and on reform through repentance. It also serves as a sermon text for Reformation Sunday.