“Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty and one years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jedidah, the daughter of Adaiah of Boscath.”
Eight years. After he had reigned other eight, being still but a boy, he began more seriously to seek the Lord, and purified his dominions, and the neighbouring country, from all the vestiges of idolatry, 2 Paralipomenon xxxiii. 3. He was one of the three most excellent kings of Juda, (Haydock) and might be said to be the last; as those who followed were displaced at pleasure by Egypt, &c. (Du Hamel)
“And it came to pass in the eighteenth year of king Josiah, that the king sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, the son of Meshullam, the scribe, to the house of the LORD, saying,”
Scribe of. Hebrew, “to the temple.” (Chaldean; Syriac, &c.) It is not certain that there was such an officer as scribe of the temple; but the king’s secretary was ordered by Joas to take an account of the money contributed, chap. xii. 10. (Calmet) — Josias followed the same plan. (Tirinus)
“Go up to Hilkiah the high priest, that he may sum the silver which is brought into the house of the LORD, which the keepers of the door have gathered of the people: door: Heb. threshold”
Together, so as to be reduced into a mass, and refined by fire. (Pagnin) — Septuagint, “seal up the money.” Protestants, “that he may sum the silver which,” &c. (Haydock) — Let him make all be paid up that is due, (Piscator) and cease to demand any more. — Door-keepers. Their office was of some consequence, 1 Paralipomenon ix. 26, 29. (Calmet)
“And let them deliver it into the hand of the doers of the work, that have the oversight of the house of the LORD: and let them give it to the doers of the work which is in the house of the LORD, to repair the breaches of the house,”
Overseers, or undertakers. (Grotius) — People of the great respectability were selected, so that no reckoning with them was requisite, ver. 7. (Haydock) — They were thus encouraged to do the work with greater perfection. (Calmet)
“Howbeit there was no reckoning made with them of the money that was delivered into their hand, because they dealt faithfully.”
Temple. David was now busy in making preparations for it.
“And Hilkiah the high priest said unto Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of the LORD. And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it.”
The book of the law, (that is, Deuteronomy.; Challoner.; St. Chrysostom, hom. 9. in Matthew) or the Pentateuch. (Josephus) — Achaz, Manasses, and Amon, had burnt (R. Solomon) as many copies as they could, (Haydock) but some zealous priests had concealed this copy, in a box, in the wall of the temple, (Lyranus) or in the treasury adjoining it. The very hand writing of Moses, containing the record of the covenant, (or the 28, 29, 30, and 31st chapters of Deuteronomy) which was placed in (Calmet) or beside the ark, was now happily discovered. (Haydock) — It seems it had been misplaced, as the ark itself had been removed, 2 Paralipomenon xxiv. 14., and xxxv. 3. This venerable monument, and the dreadful menaces which it denounced, made the deepest impression upon all, as we should read the autographs of St. Matthew, &c., with far greater respect and emotion than we do the printed copies. It is not at all probably that all the books of Scripture had been destroyed, as there were always some religious souls in both kingdoms; and if some kings had already made the impious attempt, (Haydock) of which, however, they are never accused in Scripture, they would not have been able to carry their malicious designs into effect. Josias had, before his 18th year, made many excellent regulations, conformably to the law, which was well understood, and carefully preserved by the priests and prophets, (Calmet) 2 Paralipomenon xvii. 9. — Read it. Scribes were generally chosen from among the Levites. (Calmet)
“And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the book of the law, that he rent his clothes.”
Garments, through zeal for God’s honour, and fear of his indignation. (Menochius)
“Go ye, enquire of the LORD for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that is found: for great is the wrath of the LORD that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not hearkened unto the words of this book, to do according unto all that which is written concerning us.”
Kindled. The words abju abru seem to be wanting here, as they are found in Syriac, Arabic and the Psalm. Kennicott would render this most striking image, “at the brightness of his presence his clouds removed; They kindled into coals of fire,” &c. (Diss. i.)
“So Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asahiah, went unto Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe; (now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the college;) and they communed with her. wardrobe: Heb. garments in the: or, in the second part”
Holda. She is known only by this honourable embassy. It is rather wonderful that Jeremias was not consulted, as he had began to prophesy five years before. But he probably resided at Anathoth. Sophonias appeared, perhaps, only towards the end of the reign of Josias. (Calmet) — The Second, a street, or part of the city so called; in Hebrew, Massem. (Challoner) — The Septuagint retain this word, (Menochius) or rather, “in Masena;” Hebrew mishne. (Haydock) — Manasses inclosed Jerusalem with a second wall, (2 Paralipomenon xxxiii. 14.; Calmet) unless this was done by his father, 2 Paralipomenon xxxii. 5. (Tirinus) — Here Holda is said to have kept a school. (Calmet) — Chaldean, “the house of doctrine,” a place next in importance to the temple. (Vatable) — St. Jerome speaks of this Second, as of a gate, or part of Jerusalem, between the inner and the outer wall. (Contra Pelag, 2 Irad. in 2 Par. and in Sophon. i. 10.) (Menochius)
“Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, even all the words of the book which the king of Judah hath read:”
Overflowings. Hebrew, “channels,” the waters receding as at the Red Sea, [Exodus xiv. 21,] and at the passage of the Jordan. [Josue iii. 13.]
“Behold therefore, I will gather thee unto thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered into thy grave in peace; and thine eyes shall not see all the evil which I will bring upon this place. And they brought the king word again.”
Peace, before these horrors overtake the city. Josias was interred with all the usual honours, have[having?] fallen in battle, chap. xxiii. 29. (Calmet) — Instead of peace, the Alexandrian Septuagint reads, “in Jerusalem,” to which city Josias was brought from Mageddo, where he had perhaps rashly attacked the king of Egypt, with whom he had not been engaged in war. (Haydock) — This last good king was given to Juda, that he people might not pretend that they were forced to embrace idolatry by the royal power. (St. Jerome) (Du Hamel)
God. Perhaps David might have written this before his fall; or, if afterwards, his sincere repentance had restored him to his former state.
Holy; treating all according to their deserts. (Haydock)
Lamp. Hebrew Thair, “thou wilt light” my lamp, seems deficient; as it is found in some manuscripts, Syriac, Arabic, Psalm xvii., &c. (Kennicott)
Me. Though David conquered some Gentiles, and some were converted to the true faith under the Old Testament, yet the fulness of the Gentiles belongs to the Church of Christ, the perpetual stability of which is here foretold, ver. 51. (Worthington)