The father of Eliakim, (2 Kings 18: 18.) His name signifies, the Lord is my portion, from Cheleath, a portion; and Jah, the Lord. So also the father of Jeremiah was called by this name, (Jer. i. 1.) and the son of Amaziah. (1 Chron. vi. 45.)
Hilki’ah. (God is my portion).
1. Father of Eliakim. 2Ki 18:37; Isa 22:20; Isa 36:22. See Eliakim.
2. High priest, in the reign of Josiah. 2Ki 22:4; seq. 2Ch 34:9; seq.; 1Es 1:8. (B.C. 623). His high priesthood was rendered particularly illustrious, by the great reformation effected under it, by King Josiah, by the solemn Passover, kept at Jerusalem in the 18th year of that king’s reign, and above all, by the discovery which he made, of the book of the law of Moses in the Temple.
3. A Merarite Levite, son of Amzi. 1Ch 6:45.
4. Another Merarite Levite, second son of Hosah. 1Ch 26:11.
5. One of those, who stood on the right hand of Ezra, when he read the law to the people; doubtless a Levite, and probably a priest. Neh 8:4. (B.C 410).
6. A priest of Anathoth, father of the prophet, Jeremiah. Jer 1:1. (B.C. Before 628).
7. Father of Gemariah, who was one of Zedekiah’s envoys to Babylon. Jer 29:3. (B.C. long before 587).
("Jehovah is my portion".)
1. 2Ki 18:37.
2. High priest (2Ki 22:4, etc.; 2Ch 34:9, etc.; 1Ch 6:13; Ezr 7:1). In the 18th year of Josiah’s reign the king directed him to have the Lord’s house repaired out of the money contributed by the people. So faith, fully did the workmen execute their task that no reckoning was made with them of the money entrusted to them. Hilkiah in the course of the repairs "found the book of the law of the Lord, given by the hand of Moses," and being not able to read it himself gave it to Shaphan to read (2Ki 22:8, etc., margin of 2Ch 34:14). Possibly Moses’ own autograph copy, but "by the hand of Moses" may mean only that God gave it by means of him (2Ch 35:6; Joh 1:17; Gal 3:19; Exo 9:35 margin, Exo 35:29; Neh 10:29).
Still the place where it was found, the temple, and its not having been found before but only brought to light during the repairs, and that by the high priest, identify it with the original temple copy deposited by Moses’ command by the side of the ark within the veil (Deu 31:9; Deu 31:26). The two tables of the Decalogue were in the ark (1Ki 8:9); the book of the law by the ark, probably in a chest, securing its safety, attesting its divine authority, and witnessing against Israel’s breach of the covenant of which the ark was the symbol. The expression "the book of the law," not a book of laws, must refer to the well known book, the Pentateuch, not to some book then coming to light for the first time. Hilkiah "found" it, not "forged" it under the name of Moses, as rationalists in despite of the text conjecture. Shaphan "read therein" (not the whole, which would require a different phrase, 2Ki 23:2) to the king.
The threats and curses of the law against transgressors (Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 28; 29) were prominent in the passages read, and so overwhelmed the king that he tore his clothes. Probably Josiah, owing to the neglect of the law in Manasseh’s and Amon’s ungodly reigns, had never heard the law read from before. The intimate acquaintance with both its words and truths which the psalmists and prophets long before Josiah’s time display establishes the certainty of the Pentateuch’s prior existence and of its being the basis of their inspired utterances. Deuteronomy, the repetition of the law in a summary, was the leading portion read, just as at the reading in the feast of tabernacles every seventh year, the year of release, not the whole Pentateuch but lessons from it day by day were read (Neh 8:18; Neh 9:3-5, etc.; Deu 1:5; Deu 31:9-13).
"The covenant," and the words "with all their heart and soul" (2Ki 23:2-3), answer to the same in Deu 29:1; Deu 30:2; compare also 2Ch 35:3 with Deu 33:10. Josiah’s final and utter destruction of idolatrous symbols, removal of wizards, and keeping of the Passover were the fruits of his hearing Deuteronomy 16, 18. Allusions also occur to Lev 23:5; Lev 22:1; Lev 22:5; Lev 3:2-5; Num 8:20-22; Num 9:3, in 2Ch 35:1; 2Ch 35:6; 2Ch 35:11-12. Jeremiah’s frequent references to Deuteronomy are well known; compare Jer 11:3-5, where he quotes Deu 27:26.
This correspondence is doubtless due to the prominence given to Deuteronomy in reading the book of the law just then found; the finding and the reading would naturally interest Jeremiah deeply and tinge his prophecies. Josiah read (i.e. caused to be read) "all the words of the book of the covenant found in the house of the Lord," i.e. all the essential parts, "the commandments, statutes, and rights," without the reasons and exhortations, narratives, etc.; just as Joshua (Jos 8:32-35) did at Ebal and Gerizim. The directions for the reading of the law every seventh year or year of release, also the direction (Deu 17:18-19) that a copy of the law should be made for the king distract from that of the priests and Levites, imply a paucity of readers and of copies (compare 2Ch 17:9; 2Ki 14:6; 2Ki 18:5-6).
Shaphan the professional "scribe" read it to Josiah, who as well as Hilkiah probably could not read, for reading and writing were confined to the "scribes," excepting a few who like Moses had learned in Egypt (Act 7:22). The ignorance of the law which this narrative implies accords with the prevalence of idolatry and of a low state of education ever since Jehoshaphat’s alliance with Abab, except in Hezekiah’s reign. Hilkiah was employed by Josiah also to consult Huldah the prophetess for him, and to help with Zechariah and Jehiel, "rulers of the house of God," in celebrating the Passover (2Ch 34:20-22; 2Ch 35:2; 2Ch 35:8).
3. 1Ch 6:45.
4. 1Ch 26:11.
5. Neh 8:4; perhaps the same as the Hilkiah in Neh 12:7; Neh 12:21.
6. Jer 1:1.
7. Jer 29:3.
[Hilki’ah]
1. Father of Eliakim, the head of Hezekiah’s household. 2Ki 18:18; 2Ki 18:26; 2Ki 18:37; Isa 22:20; Isa 36:3; Isa 36:22.
2. Son of Shallum, or Meshullam, and high priest in the time of Josiah king of Judah. He found a copy of the law in the temple, which caused great heart-searchings and repentance. 2Ki 22:4-14; 2Ki 23:4; 2Ki 23:24; 1Ch 6:13; 1Ch 9:11; 2Ch 34:9-22; 2Ch 35:8; Ezr 7:1; Neh 11:11.
3. Son of Amzi, a Merarite. 1Ch 6:45.
4. Son of Hosah, a Merarite. 1Ch 26:11.
5. One who stood by Ezra when he read the law. Neh 8:4; probably the priest in Neh 12:7; Neh 12:21.
6. Priest of Anathoth and father of the prophet Jeremiah. Jer 1:1.
7. Father of Gemariah. Jer 29:3.
(
= "my portion is Yhwh"):
By: Executive Committee of the Editorial Board., M. Seligsohn
1. High priest in the reign of Josiah (II Kings xxii. 4 et seq.). It is probable that he was the Hilkiah ben Shallum who figures in the genealogy of high priests in I Chron. v. 39 (A. V. vi. 13), and that he was, consequently, father of Azariah and great-grandfather of Ezra the Scribe (ib.; Ezra vii. 1). Ḳimḥi and Abravanel (to Jer. i. 1), however, give his father's name as "Shaphan."Josiah commissioned Hilkiah to superintend the repairs of the Temple; and it was when the latter took the silver from the Temple treasury that he found the scroll of the Law (II Kings xxii. 4-8; II Chron. xxxiv. 9-14). Hilkiah gave the scroll to Shaphan the Scribe; the latter read it before the king, who, terrified by the divine warnings, sent Hilkiah with four other high officials to consult the prophetess Huldah (II Chron. xxxiv. 20 et seq.). The finding of the scroll was the cause of the great reformation effected by King Josiah.The question as to the nature of the scroll and the cause of the impression it made on Josiah, which has evoked so much higher criticism, is answered in a very simple manner by the Jewish commentators Rashi, Ḳimḥi, and many others. They say that when Ahaz burned the scrolls of the Law the priests of Yhwh hid one copy in the Temple, and that Hilkiah found it while searching for the silver. The scroll happened to be open at the passage Deut. xxviii. 36; and it was this that terrified Josiah. Kennicott ("Heb. Text," ii. 299) tries to infer from II Chron. xxxiv. 14 that Hilkiah found the original autograph copy of Moses. As to other opinions See Josiah.
2. Father of Eliakim; the controller of Hezekiah's palace, who served as ambassador from Hezekiah to Rab-shakeh (II Kings xviii. 18; Isa. xxii. 20).
3. Father of Jeremiah (Jer. i. 1). According to Ḳimḥi and Abravanel (see above), he was the same as No. 1.
4, 5. Two Merarite Levites (I Chron. vi. 30 [A. V. 45], xxvi. 11).
6. Father of Gemariah; one of the ambassadors that Zedekiah sent to Nebuchadnezzar (Jer. xxix. 3).
7. A priest that returned from captivity with Zerubbabel (Neh. xii. 6 [A. V. 7]).
8. A priest who stood at the right hand of Ezra when the latter read the Law before the people (ib. viii. 4).
HILKIAH (‘Jah [is] my portion,’ or ‘portion of Jah’).—A favourite priestly name. 1. Father of Eliakim, Hezekiah’s chief of the household (2Ki 18:18 etc.=Isa 36:3 etc., Isa 22:20-25). 2. A priest of Anathoth, probably of the line of Eli (see 1Ki 2:26-27), father of Jeremiah (Jer 1:1); he is not to be identified with the next. 3. The high priest in b.c. 621, who ‘found’ during the repairs of the Temple and brought to Josiah’s notice, through Shaphan, ‘the book of the law’ (2Ki 22:3-11=2Ch 34:8-19), which occasioned the reformation of religion thereafter effected (2Ki 23:1-24=2Ch 34:29 to 2Ch 35:19). Hilkiah headed the deputation sent to consult Huldah on this discovery (2Ki 22:12-20=2Ch 34:20-28); and presided over the subsequent purification of the Temple (2Ki 23:4 ff.). He was a chief actor in the whole movement. There is no reason to doubt that his find was the genuine discovery of a lost law-book; this book was unmistakably the code of Deuteronomy (wh. see). 4. Father of the Gemariah of Jer 29:3. 5, 6. Levites of the clan of Merari (1Ch 6:45; 1Ch 26:11). 7. A ‘chief of the priests’ returning from the Exile in b.c. 536 (Neh 12:7; Neh 12:21). 8. A companion of Ezra at the public reading of the Law (Neh 8:4); he appears as Ezekias in 1Es 9:43.
G. G. Findlay.
(1) The person mentioned above (Neh 8:4, etc.).
(2) A Levite of the sons of Merari (1Ch 6:45).
(3) Another Levite of Merari, son of Hosah (1Ch 26:11). Is he the “porter,” i.e. “doorkeeper” of 1Ch 16:38?
(4) Father of the Gemariah whom Zedekiah of Judah sent to Nebuchadnezzar (Jer 29:3).
(5) The man in 2Ki 18:18 who is evidently more famous as the father of Eliakim, the majordomo of Hezekiah’s palace (Isa 22:20; Isa 36:3). Probably the father’s name is given in this and similar cases to distinguish between two persons of otherwise identical name.
(6) A priest of Anathoth, father of Jeremiah (Jer 1:1).
(7) The son of Shallum, and the best known of the name (1Ch 6:13). He is great-grandfather of Ezra through his son Azariah (1 Esdras 8:1; compare 1Ch 9:11; Neh 11:11). He discovered the lost Book of the Law during the repairing of the Temple (2Ki 22:4, 2Ki 22:8); became chief leader in the ensuing reformation in 621 bc (2Ki 23:4; 2Ch 34:9; 2Ch 35:8). He showed the recovered book to Shaphan the scribe, who, in turn, brought it to the notice of the king. At Josiah’s request he led a deputation to Huldah the prophetess to “inquire of the Lord” concerning the new situation created by the discovery. The book discovered is usually identified with the Book of Deuteronomy. See DEUTERONOMY.