Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch Old Testament Commentary

The reply of Huldah the prophetess. - Huldah confirmed the fear expressed by Josiah, that the wrath of the Lord was kindled against Jerusalem and its inhabitants on account of their idolatry, and proclaimed first of all (Kg2 22:16, Kg2 22:17), that the Lord would bring upon Jerusalem and its inhabitants all the punishments with which the rebellious and idolaters are threatened in the book of the law; and secondly (Kg2 22:18-20), to the king himself, that on account of his sincere repentance and humiliation in the sight of God, he would not live to see the predicted calamities, but would be gathered to his fathers in peace. The first part of her announcement applies "to the man who has sent you to me" (Kg2 22:15), the second "to the king of Judah, who has sent to inquire of the Lord" (Kg2 22:18). "The man" who had sent to her was indeed also the king; but Huldah intentionally made use of the general expression "the man," etc., to indicate that the word announced to him applied not merely to the king, but to every one who would hearken to the word, whereas the second portion of her reply had reference to the king alone. הזּה המּקום, in Kg2 22:16, Kg2 22:19, and Kg2 22:20, is Jerusalem as the capital of the kingdom. In Kg2 22:16, הסּפר כּל־דּברי is an explanatory apposition to רעה. Kg2 22:17. "With all the work of their hands," i.e., with the idols which they have made for themselves (cf. Kg1 16:7). The last clause in Kg2 22:18, "the words which thou hast heard," is not to be connected with the preceding one, "thus saith the Lord," and על or ל to be supplied; but it belongs to the following sentence, and is placed at the head absolutely: as for the words, which thou hast heart - because thy heart has become soft, i.e., in despair at the punishment with which the sinners are threatened (cf. Deu 20:3; Isa 7:4), and thou hast humbled thyself, when thou didst hear, etc.; therefore, behold, I will gather thee to thy fathers, etc. לשׁמּה להיות, "that they (the city and inhabitants) may become a desolation and curse." These words, which are often used by the prophets, but which are not found connected like this except in Jer 44:22, rest upon Lev 26 and Deut 28, and show that these passages had been read to the king out of the book of the law.