Annotations Upon the Historical Books Part 2, 2 Kings · Chapter 22
CHAP. XXII.
Verſ. 2. ANd he did that which was right in the ſight of the Lord, &c.] Wherein doubtleſſe he was much encouraged by the Prophet Zephaniah, who prophecyed in his dayes, Zephan. 1.1. The word of the Lord came unto Zephaniah in the dayes of Joſiah the ſonne of Amon: but eſpecially, by the prophet Jeremiah, of whom it is expreſſely noted, that he began to prophecy in the thirteenth yeare of Joſiahs reigne, Jerem. 1.1, 2. The words of Jeremiah, to whom the word of the Lord came in the dayes of Joſiah the ſonne of Amon king of Judah, in the thirteenth yeare of his reigne: and this was that Joſiah, who was by name mentioned by the Prophet that foretold the polluting of Jeroboams altar, about three hundred years before he was borne, 1. Kings. 13.2. And he cryed against the altar in the word of the Lord, and ſaid, O altar, altar, thus ſaith the Lord, Behold a child ſhall be born unto the houſe of David, Joſiah by name; and upon thee ſhall he offer the priests of the high places, &c.
Verſ. 3, And it came to paſſe in the eighteenth yeare of king Joſiah, that the king ſent Shaphan, &c.] That is, in the eighteenth yeare, not of his age, but of his reigne, for ſo it is expreſſed, 2. Chron. 34.8. Now in the eighteenth yeare of his reigne when he had purged the land and the houſe, he ſent Shaphan the ſonne of Azaliah, &c. Nor may we think that this was the firſt act of his piety, and that till he had reigned eighteen years he did nothing this way; for in the Chronicles we ſee (where his acts are related according to the order of time wherein they were done:) firſt, that in the eighth yeare of his reigne being then ſixteen years old, he began to bend himſelf to ſeek information how he might ſerve God, as David had done: ſecondly, that in the twelfth yeare of his reigne, he began to purge Judah and Jeruſalem of all their idolatry, which he did alſo with a great deale of zeal, 2. Chron. 34.3. For in the eight yeare of his reigne, while he was yet young, he began to ſeek after the God of David his father: and in the twelfth yeare he began to purge Judah and Jeruſalem from the high places, and the groves, &c. and then thirdly, that in the eighteenth yeare of his reigne, when he was twenty ſix years old, he ſet upon the work of repairing the temple, as is here alſo related.
Verſ. 4. Go up to Hilkiah the high prieſt, that he may ſumme the ſilver, &c.] The prophet Jeremiah was the ſonne of Hilkiah a prieſt, Jer. 1.1. but whether he were the ſonne of this Hilkiah the prieſt it is uncertain.
Verſ. 5. And let them deliver it into the hand of the doers of the work, &c.] That is, into the hand of the overſeers of the work, who were Levites, 2. Chron. 34.12. And the men did the work of the Lord faithfully, and the overſeers of them were Jahath and Obadiah, &c.
Verſ. 8. And Hilkiah the high priest ſaid unto Shaphan the Scribe, I have found the book of the law in the houſe of the Lord.] That is, the authentick and originall copy of it, written by Moſes, and delivered by him to the Levites, to be laid up in the ſide of the ark, Deut. 31.24, 25, 26. and thus did the Lord abundantly recompence their zeal for the repair of his Temple, by bringing to their hands this precious jewell: though it be moſt probable which the Hebrew writers ſay, that Manaſſeh and Amon had endeavoured to burn up all the books of the law, and ſo this book was hid in ſome ſecret place in the Temple, by ſome faithfull prieſts that it might be preſerved for future times; yet it is not likely, but that there were ſome tranſcripts of this ſacred volume preſerved amongſt the people, at leaſt ſome parcels of it, and that Joſiah amongſt others, had not been a mere ſtranger to the book of the law (for ſtrange it were, that he ſhould live till the eighteenth yeare of his reigne, and ſo piouſly reform what was amiſſe, and never ſee the law of God till now) rather becauſe this was the originall book of the law which Moſes himſelf had written, there was great joy at the finding of it, and to the king it was brought as a rare jewell: indeed Joſiahs aſtoniſhment, verſ. 11. And it came to paſſe, when the king had heard the words of the book of the law, that he rent his clothes, makes it clear, that he had not formerly read or heard read thoſe dreadfull threats of judgements againſt idolatry, Levit. 26. or Deut. 28. which now were read to him out of this book; but that might be though he had before ſeen many copies of the law, his reſpect to this originall of Moſes writing, might make him deſirous to heare it all read, and ſo he might heare thoſe terrible paſſages now, which he had not read or heard before.
Verſ. 12. Achbor the ſonne of Michaiah, &c.] Or Abdon the ſonne of Micah, 2. Chron. 34.20.
Verſ. 14. Now ſhe dwelt in Jeruſalem in the colledge] Or as it is in the margin, in the ſecond part; now if we read it ſo by the ſecond part, we muſt underſtand the ſecond citie, or the ſuburbs of Jeruſalem, which was encompaſſed with walls and gates ſeverall from the citie: but however it may well be, that the reaſon why this clauſe is added, is to intimate the reaſon why Hilkiah, and thoſe that were ſent with him to enquire of the Lord, went to Huldah the propheteſſe, rather then to Jeremiah or Zephaniah, who at this time prophecyed in the land of Judah, it was becauſe ſhe dwelt in Jeruſalem, and ſo was near at hand, whereas they were at preſent in other parts of the kingdome; and indeed we read that Anathoth was the place of Jeremiahs uſuall dwelling, Jer. 29.27.
Verſ. 20. Thou ſhalt be gathered into thy grave in peace, &c.] That is, before theſe troubles and miſeries fall upon this place and the inhabitants thereof, whileſt the kingdome doth yet flouriſh in proſperity and peace; for though Joſiah was ſlain by Pharaoh Necho, chap. 23.29. yet becauſe he died before that deſolation came upon the land, whereof Huldah had ſpoken, and died in the love and favour of God alſo, therefore ſhe ſaid that he ſhould be gathered to his grave in peace.