2 Kings 22

2 Kings 22:1

D. King Josiah (22:123:30)Josiah the son of Amon was king of Judah for thirty-one years (641609 B.C.; cf. 2 Chron. 3435).

1. Josiah’s Repairs of the Temple (22:1-7)Zephaniah (Zep_1:1) and Jeremiah (Jer_25:3) began their prophetic ministries at about this time. Habakkuk may have ministered toward the end of Josiah’s time. Josiah’s reign was the last era of reform in the kingdom of Judah. He took resolute action against idolatry and encouraged the people to return to the LORD. In the eighteenth year of his reign, when he was twenty-six, he instituted a program for the repair of the temple. Money that had been collected at the temple was turned over to workmen for labor and materials. Because of their honesty, no accounting was asked for the money which was turned over to them.

2 Kings 22:8

2. Josiah’s Recovery of the Book of the Law (22:8-20)22:8-10 While the repairs were going on, Hilkiah the high priest . . . found a copy of the Book of the Law, perhaps the entire Pentateuch or the book of Deuteronomy. This was taken to King Josiah and read . . . before him. 22:11-13 When the king heard the Word of God and realized how far the nation had wandered from Him, he tore his clothes in penitence. Then he sent five of his officials to inquire of the LORD, realizing that the wrath of God must be hovering over Judah for its sins. 22:14-20 The officials went to Huldah, a prophetess who dwelt in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter, a district or suburb of the city. They did not go directly to either Jeremiah or Zephaniah. Huldah was probably Jeremiah’s aunt (v. 14; cf. Jer_32:7). She confirmed Josiah’s fears that God was going to punish Judah soon because of the corruption of the people. But she added that it would not happen during Josiah’s lifetime because he had humbled himself and was penitent. The fact that Josiah later died in battle (2Ki_23:29) does not contradict verse 20. “You shall be gathered to your grave in peace” may mean “before the promised catastrophe of the Babylonian captivity.” Or it may mean that Josiah would die at peace with God (he certainly did not die at peace with man).