Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Kings 22:14
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.
14. Huldah the prophetess ] Except Miriam the sister of Moses, who is called ‘a prophetess’ in Exo 15:20, and Deborah (Jdg 6:4) in the days of the judges, Huldah is the only woman spoken of in the Old Testament as endowed with prophetic gifts. For the term ‘prophetess’ as used in Isa 8:3 signifies only ‘a prophet’s wife’. Of Huldah we know only what is told us in this history. She lived in Jerusalem, and her husband, Shallum, was probably a Levite, as he had charge of what must have been the wardrobe for the vestments of the priests. The narrative here shews in what esteem she was held both by king and people, and her language in her answer has quite the prophetic character. She speaks not her own words but the message of the Lord the God of Israel, and even as Isaiah in the case of Hezekiah, she promises to Josiah, in the Lord’s name, that his supplication shall be answered. For ‘wife’ the LXX. has , ‘the mother’, of Shallum, but with no warrant from the Hebrew.
Tikvah Harhas ] These names appear in 2Ch 34:22 as Tikvath and Hasrah.
keeper of the wardrobe ] See above on 2Ki 10:22. There seems no doubt that the robes here alluded to are the robes of the priests, which are called by the same Hebrew word ( ) in Exo 28:2-4; Exo 29:5 and many subsequent passages of Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers.
in the college ] R.V. in the second quarter. The Hebrew word ‘Mishneh’ here rendered ‘college’ has always something to do with ‘second’ or ‘double’, and in Zep 1:10 it clearly refers to a part of the city of Jerusalem, and A.V. there translates it by ‘second’ (R.V. second quarter). Probably it was some additional suburban portion of the city, which was known by this name.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Went unto Huldah – It might have been expected that the royal commissioners would have gone to Jeremiah, on whom the prophetic spirit had descended in Josiahs 13th year Jer 1:2, or five years previous to the finding of the Law. Perhaps he was at some distance from Jerusalem at the time; or his office may not yet have been fully recognized.
The prophetess – Compare the cases of Miriam Exo 15:20; Num 12:2 and Deborah Jdg 4:4.
Keeper of the wardrobe – literally, of the robes. Shallum had the superintendence, either of the vestments of the priests who served in the temple, or of the royal robe-room in which dresses of honor were stored, in case of their being needed for presents (see 2Ki 5:5 note).
In the college – The marginal translation in the second part is preferable; and probably refers to the new or outer city – that which had been enclosed by the wall of Manasseh, to the north of the old city 2Ch 33:14.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 14. Went unto Huldah the prophetess] This is a most singular circumstance: At this time Jeremiah was certainly a prophet in Israel, but it is likely he now dwelt at Anathoth. and could not be readily consulted; Zephaniah also prophesied under this reign, but probably he had not yet begun; Hilkiah was high priest, and the priest’s lips should retain knowledge. Shaphan was scribe, and must have been conversant in sacred affairs to have been at all fit for his office; and yet Huldah, a prophetess, of whom we know nothing but by this circumstance, is consulted on the meaning of the book of the law; for the secret of the Lord was neither with Hilkiah the high priest, Shaphan the scribe, nor any other of the servants of the king, or ministers of the temple! We find from this, and we have many facts in all ages to corroborate it, that a pontiff, a pope, a bishop, or a priest, may, in some cases, not possess the true knowledge of God; and that a simple woman, possessing the life of God in her soul, may have more knowledge of the Divine testimonies than many of those whose office it is to explain and enforce them.
On this subject Dr. Priestley in his note makes the following very judicious remark: –
“It pleased God to distinguish several women with the spirit of prophecy, as well as other great attainments, to show that in his sight, and especially in things of a spiritual nature, there is no essential pre-eminence in the male sex, though in some things the female be subject to the male.”
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Unto Huldah the prophetess; for we read of women prophetesses, both in the Old and New Testament; as Miriam, Exo 15:20, Deborah, Jdg 4:4, Hannah, 1Sa 2, Elisabeth, and the blessed Virgin, Lu 1, and Philips daughters, Act 21:9.
Quest. But why did he send to this woman, and not rather to Zephaniah, or Jeremiah, who were prophets in Josiahs days?
Answ. Either, first, Because the kings earnest affection in this business required great haste; and she was in Jerusalem, which is therefore noted in the following part of the verse, when Jeremiah might at this time be at Anathoth, or in some more remote part of the kingdom; and the like may be said of Zephaniah, who also might not be a prophet at this time, though he was afterward, in the days of Josiah, which is all that is affirmed of him, Zep 1:1. Or,
2. Because the king or his courtiers had longer and greater experience of the eminency of her prophetical gifts than of Jeremiahs, who began not to prophesy till the thirteenth year of Josiah, Jer 1:2; and being well assured of her fidelity in delivering the mind and counsel of God to those that inquired of her, they rightly concluded that it was much more considerable what message God sent, than by whom it was conveyed to them. In the college; where the sons of the prophets, or others who devoted themselves to the study of Gods word, used to meet and discourse of the things of God, and receive the instructions of their teachers. Others both ancient and modern render it, in another or the second part, to wit, of the city, i.e. in the suburbs, which also were fortified and walled about by Hezekiah, 2Ch 32:5.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
14. Achboror Abdon (2Ch34:20), a man of influence at court (Jer26:22). The occasion was urgent, and therefore they were sentnotto Zephaniah (Zep 1:1), who wasperhaps youngnor to Jeremiah, who was probably absent at his housein Anathoth, but to one who was at hand and known for her propheticgiftsto Huldah, who was probably at this time a widow. Her husbandShallum was grandson of one Harhas, “keeper of the wardrobe.”If this means the priestly wardrobe, [Harhas] must have been aLevite. But it probably refers to the royal wardrobe.
she dwelt . . . in thecollegerather, “in the Misnah,” taking theoriginal word as a proper name, not a school or college, but aparticular suburb of Jerusalem. She was held in such veneration thatJewish writers say she and Jehoiada the priest were the only personsnot of the house of David (2Ch 24:15;2Ch 24:16) who were ever buriedin Jerusalem.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
So Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asahiah, went down to Huldah the prophetess,…. Such as were Miriam and Deborah; in imitation of those Satan had very early his women prophetesses, the Sibyls, so called from their being the council and oracle of God, and consulted as such on occasion, as Huldah now was; and the first of the Sibyls, according to Suidas n, was a Chaldean or a Persian; and some say an Hebrew; and Pausanias expressly says o, that with the Hebrews above Palestine was a woman prophetess, whose name was Sabba, whom some called the Babylonian, others the Egyptian Sibyl. Aelian relates p that one of them was a Jewess:
the wife of Shallum, the son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe; but whether the king’s wardrobe in the palace, or the priest’s in the temple, is not certain; he is called Hasrah, 2Ch 34:22 who is here called Harhas:
now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the college; in the college of the prophets; in the house of instruction, as the Targum; the school where the young prophets were instructed and trained up; though Jarchi observes, that some interpret this “within the two walls”; Jerusalem it seems had three walls, and within the second this woman lived; there were gates in the temple, as he also observes, called the gates of Huldah q, but whether from her cannot be said: this place of her dwelling seems to be mentioned as a reason why these messengers went to her, because she was near, as well as well known for her prophetic spirit, prudence, and faithfulness, and not to Jeremiah, who in all probability was at Anathoth; and so also is the reason why they went not to Zephaniah, if he as yet had begun to prophesy, because he might be at a distance also: and they communed with her; upon the subject the king sent them about.
n In voce . o Phocica, sive, l. 10. p. 631. p Var. Hist. l. 12. c. 35. q Misn. Middot, c. 1. sect. 3.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Nothing further is known of the prophetess Huldah than what is mentioned here. All that we can infer from the fact that the king sent to her is, that she was highly distinguished on account of her prophetical gifts, and that none of the prophets of renown, such as Jeremiah and Zephaniah, were at that time in Jerusalem. Her father Shallum was keeper of the clothes, i.e., superintendent over either the priests’ dresses that were kept in the temple (according to the Rabbins and Wits. de proph. in his Miscell. ss. i. p. 356, ed. 3), or the king’s wardrobe. The names of his ancestors and are written and in the Chronicles. Huldah lived at Jerusalem , “in the second part” or district of the city, i.e., in the lower city, upon the hill (Rob. Pal. i. p. 391), which is called in Zep 1:10, and in Neh 11:9, and in Joseph. Ant. xv. 11, 5.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
Answer from Huldah – 2Ki 22:14-20 AND 2Ch 34:22-28
Hilkiah and Shaphan and their colleagues went to the prophetess Huldah to get the word of the Lord concerning the recovery of the lost book and its dire warnings. Huldah is unknown outside this single incident. She is called the wife of Shallum, the keeper of the wardrobe. The wardrobe is thought to be a reference to the robes of the priests. Shallum was probably responsible for the care and cleaning of the robes. He is also probably the Shallum who was the uncle of Jeremiah the prophet (Jer 32:7), whose son, Hanameel, sold his field to Jeremiah during the siege of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar.
Huldah is said to have lived in Jerusalem “in the college.” The Hebrew word translated “college” is mishneh, the literal meaning of which is “second place.” Therefore some versions translate it “second quarter,” referring to that quarter of the city of Jerusalem. However, the rabbis derive the word from shanah, meaning “to teach”. Thus it was rendered “college” as indicating a school of the prophets. It is not possible to positively know what is meant.
A more pertinent question would seem to be why the king sent his messengers to a prophetess when he might have inquired of the young prophet Jeremiah. One can do no more than speculate on the answer, and most speculation is to be avoided. It may have been his youth and lack of experience, or the well-known opposition of certain Jewish religious leaders to his sermons. It is not to be doubted that the Lord spoke through this godly woman, nor should it be surprising. He has often spoken through devout and dedicated women. A few of these are Miriam, Deborah, Hannah, Mary the mother of Jesus, old Anna in the temple, Priscilla, and the daughters of Philip the evangelist. This does not mean women should be ordained preachers of the gospel, for the Scriptures are rather clear on that subject. They have an important place of teaching, but not from the pastoral pulpit of the churches (1Co 14:34-35).
The message which the Lord gave Huldah was not optimistic. The Lord would indeed bring upon Judah and Jerusalem all the evil foretold in the book. This was not unfair, for the carelessness of Israel and their disregard for the word of God was the reason for the loss of the book. Furthermore they had not repented, and the Lord knew that most of them would not. They had presumptuously refused to obey the Lord and had instead burned incense to, and bowed themselves to, the false gods of the land. By their action they had shown their preference for the false over the true. God’s wrath was provoked and would not be quenched.
There was an exception to the pessimistic answer of the Lord, and that pertained to the king personally. Because his heart was right, and he had tried to set Judah straight in service to the Lord, because he had wept and humbled himself when he heard the book read, he would escape the curses to befall the nation. The Lord would allow Josiah to live out his days in peace; the judgment would not occur until after his death. This was the message returned by the messengers from Huldah to the king. God always accepts genuine repentance (Isa 66:2; cf. also Joe 2:13; 2Co 7:10).
Many good lessons may be found in this study, as 1) One should not be satisfied without doing all possible to serve the Lord by his life; 2) youths dedicated to Christian service can accomplish very much for God; 3) wrongdoing let alone will become accepted practice; 4) women have a respected and important place in the worship services of the Lord; 5) the wrath of God is inescapable for those who refuse to repent, but is always reserved from the repentant who seek Him.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
HOMILETICS OF 2Ki. 22:14-20
THE REVELATION OF THE DIVINE PURPOSE
I. Is clearly interpreted by a duly authorised messenger (2Ki. 22:14). Though little is known of Huldah, the prophetess, there is sufficient to indicate that she must have been a remarkably gifted woman. Her great influence in Jerusalem is shown by the fact that the high priest and the kings most trusted ministers seek light from her. It is but rare that the prophetic function is bestowed on woman. There are only two other prophetesses mentioned in the Old TestamentMiriam (Exo. 15:20), and Deborah (Jdg. 9:4); but neither of these seemed to touch the high spiritual elevation reached by Huldah. In the spirit of ecstacy, they sang sacred songs and excited the enthusiasm of the people after signal victories; but they did not prophesy, like Huldah, in that higher sphere of Divine authority which warranted the use of the phraseThus saith the Lord. The Divine Spirit is no respecter of person or sex in the distribution of His precious gifts. The Divine word can be interpreted only by those who are taught by the Divine spirit. As the scientist should be most competent to interpret science, so the spiritual man should be the best authority in explaining spiritual things.
II. Furnishes reasons for the exercise of Divine vengeance (2Ki. 22:15-17). God never strikes without sufficient warning and remonstrance. In this instance Huldah announces that punishment will be imposed because Judah had abandoned Jehovah, and rendered homage to other gods. This treachery was so bold, so persistent, so inveterate, that vengeance was inevitable. Still Jehovah pauses to reason, to explain, to make it clear He does not act from vindictiveness and passion; the offender provokes his own ruin. Napoleon once said, Vengeance has no foresight; and this is true regarding human vengeance. Not so with God; the reasons for the Divine procedure are so far revealed as to justify God, and leave man without excuse or cause of complaint.
III. Indicates the Divine willingness to show mercy to the sincerely penitent (2Ki. 22:18-20.) The tears and pleadings of Josiah touched the heart of God, and he was spared the pain of witnessing the calamities of his country. How eager is our God to show mercy; how slow to punish.
Heaven has but
Our sorrow for our sins, and then delights
To pardon erring man. Sweet mercy seems
Its darling attribute, which limits justice,
As if there were degrees in infinite:
An infinite would rather want perfection,
Than punish to extent.
Dryden.
LESSONS:
1. The Divine purpose may be deciphered in great national changes.
2. The Divine purpose is plainly revealed in rewards and punishments.
3. The Divine wrath may be averted by timely repentance and reform.
GERM NOTES ON THE VERSES
2Ki. 22:14. The dignity of woman.
1. In being exalted to an office of great responsibility and power.
2. In being highly gifted with intellectual and spiritual insight.
3. In commanding the respect and homage of the great.
4. In being honoured and inspired to authoritatively interpret the will of God.
The grave priest, the learned scribe, the honourable courtiers do not disdain to knock at the door of a prophetess; neither do any of them say, it were hard if we should not have as much acquaintance with God as a woman. But, in humble acknowledgment of her graces, they come to learn the will of God from her mouth. True piety is modest, and stands not upon terms of reputation in the businesses of God, but willingly honours his gifts in any subject, least of all in itself.Bp. Hall.
2Ki. 22:16-19. The Divine wrath.
1. Is explicitly declared against all workers of iniquity (2Ki. 22:16).
2. Is unalterable in its attitude towards obstinate apostasy (2Ki. 22:17).
3. Is postponed by sincere repentance and self-humiliation (2Ki. 22:18-19).
4. Will inevitably overtake the impenitent wicked.
2Ki. 22:19. A tender heart.
1. Is keenly susceptible to good influences.
2. Is powerfully affected with the malignant nature of sin.
3. Compassionates the terrible condition of the victims of sin.
4. Finds a profound and immediate response in the tender mercy of God.
How happy a thing it is to be a reed unto Gods judgments, rather than an oak! The meek and gentle reed stoops, and therefore stands; the oak stands stiffly out against the strongest gust, and therefore is turned up by the roots. At least, let us lament those sins we have-not avoided; and mourn for the sins of others while we hate our own.Bp. Hall
2Ki. 22:19-20. Josiah, a pattern for the ignorant. Both the character and the fortunes of Josiah are described in these words: his character, his heart was tender and he feared God: his fortunes, an untimely death, designed as a reward for his obedience. Josiah was brought up among very wicked men, in a corrupt court, after an apostasy of more than half a century, far from Gods prophets and in the midst of idols. He had every temptation to go wrong; and had he done so, we might have made allowances, and said that he was not so bad as the other kings, for he knew no better; he had not sinned against light. Yes, he would have sinned against lightthe event shows it; for if he had light enough to go right (which he had. for he did go right), it follows, that if he had gone wrong, it would have been against light. This is very important. Everyone, even the poorest and most ignorant, has knowledge enough to be religious. Education does not make a man religious; nor is it an excuse for a mans disobedience that he has not been educated in his duty. Josiah had that which all men have, heathen as well as Christian, till they pervert or blunt ita natural sense of right or wrong; and he did not blunt it. His heart was tender; he acknowledged a constraining force in the Divine voice within him; he heard and obeyed. Though all the world had told him otherwise, he could not believe and would not, that he might sin without offence, with impunity; that he might be sensual, or cruel, after the manner of idolaters, and nothing would come of it. And further, amid all the various worships offered to his acceptance, this same inward sense of his, strengthened by practice, unhesitatingly chose out the true one, the worship of the god of Israel. Such was the beginning of Josiahs life. At sixteen he began to seek after the god of his fathers; at twenty he commenced his reformation with a resolute faith and true-hearted generous devotion. From the language of Scripture, it would seem, he began of himself; thus he is left a pattern to all ages of prompt obedience for conscience sake. At first not having the book of the law to guide him, he took such measures as natural conscience suggested; he put away idolatry generally. Thus he set out not knowing whither he went. But it is the rule of Gods providence that those who act up to their light shall be rewarded with clearer light. Accordingly, while he was thus engaged, after a few years, he found the book of the law in the course of his reformations. Josiahs conduct on this discovery marks his character. Many men, certainly many young men, who had been so zealous as he had already shown himself for six years, would have prided themselves on what they had done, and though they began humbly, by this time would have become self-willed, self-confident, and hard-hearted. Far from it; his peculiar praise is singleness of mind, a pure conscience. His was not that stern enthusiasm which has displayed itself in some so-called reformations, fancying itself Gods peculiar choice, and despising others. Here we have the pattern of reformers, singleness of heart, gentleness of temper, in the midst of zeal, resoluteness and decision in action. All Gods saints have this union of opposite graces: Joseph, Moses, Samuel, David, Nehemiah, St. Paul; but in which of them all is the wonder-working power of grace shown more attractively than in Josiah? Observe his conduct when the law was read to himhe rent his clothes. He thought far more of what he had not done, than of what he had done. He felt how incomplete his reformation had been; and he felt how far more guilty his whole people were than he had supposed, receiving, as they had, such precise guidance in Scripture what to do, and such solemn command to do it; and he learned, moreover, the fearful punishment which was hanging over them, for in that Book of the Law were contained the threats of vengeance to be fulfilled in case of transgression. Observe in what Josiahs chief excellence layhe turned not aside to the right hand or to the left (2Ki. 22:2). He kept the narrow middle way. Now what is this strict virtue called? It is called faith. It is no matter whether we call it faith or conscientiousness, they are in substance one and the same. Where there is faith there is conscientiousness, where there is conscientiousness there is faith. They may be distinguished from each other in words, but they are not divided in fact. They belong to one, and but one, habit of minddutifulness; they show themselves in obedience, in the careful, anxious observance of Gods will, however we learn it. And this is called faith, because it implies a reliance on the mere word of the unseen God overpowering the temptations of sin. May God grant that we, like Josiah, may improve our gifts, and trade and make merchandise with them, so that when he cometh to reckon with us, we may be accepted!Condensed from J. H. Newman.
Fuente: The Preacher’s Complete Homiletical Commentary Edited by Joseph S. Exell
D. THE PROPHETIC WORD OF HULDAH 22:1420
TRANSLATION
(14) And Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Achbor, Shaphan, and Asahiah went onto Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah the son of Harhas, the one who kept the garments (now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the second city); and they spoke unto her. (15) And she said unto them, Thus says the LORD God of Israel, Say to the man who sent you unto me, (16) Thus says the LORD: Behold I am about to bring evil against this place and against its inhabitants, all the words of the book which the king of Judah has read, (17) because they have forsaken Me, and have made offerings to other gods in order to provoke Me with all the deeds of their hands. And My wrath is kindled against this place, and it shall not be extinguished. (18) But to the king of Judah who has sent you to inquire of the LORD, Thus you shall say unto him: Thus says the LORD God of Israel: With regard to the words which you have heard: (19) Because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before the LORD when you heard that which I spoke concerning this place and concerning its inhabitants, that they should be a desolation and a curse, and you have rent your garments, and wept before Me, also I will hearken (oracle of the LORD). (20) Therefore, behold I will gather you unto your grave in peace, and your eyes shall not see all the evil which I will bring upon this place. And they brought word to the king.
COMMENTS
It is not entirely clear why the royal representatives chose to consult with Huldah the prophetess. Jeremiah and Zephaniah were the two great prophets of this time. But Jeremiah lived in Anathoth, and Zephaniah may have passed on to his reward before the eighteenth year of Josiah. In short, Huldah may have been the only person immediately available who possessed the prophetic gift. Huldah is said to have lived in the second, i.e., the lower, city of Jerusalem (2Ki. 22:14). She is the only example of a prophetess in Israel who seems to rank on an equal footing with the prophets.[645]
[645] Miriam (Exo. 15:20), Deborah (Jdg. 4:4), Isaiahs wife (Isa. 8:2) and Anna (Luk. 2:36) are called prophetesses, but in a secondary sense, as holy women, having a certain gift of song or prediction from God.
After examining the contents of the scroll, Huldah sent a prophetic oracle back to Josiah (2Ki. 22:15). The kings worst fears were justified. All the threats in the book would shortly befall Jerusalem and its inhabitants (2Ki. 22:16). The parallel passage in Chronicles uses the phrase all the curses that are written in the book which suggests that the particular passage which had most strongly affected the king was Deuteronomy 28 which begins with a series of curses. Such drastic punishment was justified in view of the fact that Judah had completely turned from God. They burned incense to other gods and constructed abominable images with what appeared to be a determined effort to provoke the wrath of God. The unquenchable wrath of God had been kindled by this apostasy, and that wrath was about to be poured out on Jerusalem (2Ki. 22:17).
The Lord was mindful of the piety of Josiah and the determined reformation effort which he had launched, and so God sent a message of consolation for the godly king (2Ki. 22:18). God had taken note of the inward repentance which Josiah had manifested when the scroll was read in his presence. The king had humbled himself, rent his garments and wept when Gods threatening words against Judah were read before him. Since Josiah had hearkened to the word of God, the Lord had hearkened to the words of Josiah (2Ki. 22:19). Huldah was divinely authorized to assure Josiah that the national destruction threatened in the Law would not occur during his reign. Josiah would die in peace, i.e., he would not personally see the evil time (2Ki. 22:20). It was some three years after the death[646] of Josiah that the divinely appointed agents of Jerusalems destruction made their first appearance in Judah.
[646] Josiah died in battle against Pharaoh Necho at Megiddo in 609 B.C., but he was buried in peace in Jerusalem (2Ch. 35:24-25). The point that Huldah was making was that Josiah would not experience the terrible fate which would befall his nation. He would not be carried off into a foreign land or have his corpse mutilated and abused. Josiah was the last king of Judah to be buried in peace in Jerusalem.
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
(14) Went unto Huldah the prophetess.Why not to Jeremiah or Zephaniah? Apparently because Huldah dwelt in Jerusalem, and they did not, at least at this time. Anathoth in Benjamin was Jeremiahs town. Huldah, however, must have enjoyed a high reputation, as prophets are mentioned in 2Ki. 23:2.
Keeper of the wardrobe.Either the royal wardrobe or that of the priests in the Temple. (Comp. 2Ki. 10:22.) In either case Shallum was a person of consideration, as is further shown by the careful specification of his descent.
In the college.This is the rendering of the Targum, as if mishneh (second) were equivalent to the later Mishna. The word really means the second part of the cityi.e., the lower city. (See Neh. 11:9; Zep. 1:10.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
14. Huldah the prophetess All we know of this celebrated woman is recorded here and in the parallel history of Chronicles. Even her husband and his ancestors are mentioned nowhere else. But this short narrative has immortalized her name, and her oracle on the occasion has given her a place above many of the prophets of Judah. The loftiness of her position is enhanced by the fact that the high priest and the king’s most honourable ministers seek knowledge at her hand. In the bestowal of the Divine gift of the Spirit Jehovah is no respecter of persons or of sex, yet in the field of prophecy woman has appeared less frequently than man. Only two other women of the Old Testament bear the title of prophetess, Miriam, the sister of Moses and Aaron, (Exo 15:20,) and Deborah, (Jdg 4:4😉 but they seem not to have attained the spiritual elevation of Huldah. In the spirit of ecstasy they sang sacred songs, and aroused the people to enthusiasm after signal victories; but they did not prophesy in that loftier sphere of Divine authority which is expressed in “Thus saith Jehovah.” 2Ki 22:15-16.
The wardrobe Either of the king or of the priests. Compare 2Ki 10:22.
In the college This rendering seems to have been taken from the Targum of Jonathan, which reads, house of instruction, and probably originated in the supposition that Huldah had charge of a school of the prophets. The Hebrew is , in the Mishna, and is thus translated as a proper name in the Septuagint; but it means literally, in the second, and is so rendered in Zep 1:10, where it means the second part, or a later addition to the city. Thus the word designates the section or district of Jerusalem in which Huldah lived. This quarter of the city might have been called the second for various reasons now unknown to us. Josephus ( Ant., 2Ki 15:11 ; 2Ki 15:5) speaks of the other city ( ) as of a well-known section of Jerusalem.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Huldah’s Reply To Josiah ( 2Ki 22:14-20 ).
The enquiry was made to Huldah, the prophetess. We should note that there is no hint that Huldah read the book, or even saw it. Given the care that the author has taken up to this point to indicate precisely what happened to the book (‘Huldah delivered the book to Shaphan and he read it’ — ‘Shaphan read it before the king’) this must be seen as significant, especially as she does refer to Josiah reading it. Note also that while Josiah referred to ‘this book’ when speaking to Hilkiah and the others, this is not true of Huldah. Instead she seemingly demonstrated that she was already aware of the contents of the book and did not need to read it.
If she did speak from a background of ‘the Law of Moses’ we would expect to find that Law reflected in her words and we are not disappointed. Reference to ‘the ‘burning of incense’ is found thirteen times in Exodus to Numbers (although not in reference to foreign idols. That idea occurs first in 1Ki 11:8), and in all incense is mentioned fifty times. It is, however, only mentioned once in Deuteronomy, and then not as ‘burned’. In contrast ‘provoke Me to anger’ is found regularly in Deuteronomy (Deu 4:25; Deu 9:18; Deu 31:29; Deu 32:16; Deu 32:21), but interestingly not in the part often seen by many as comprising ‘the Book of the Law’. ‘Kindling of wrath’ is found in Gen 39:9; Num 11:33; Deu 11:17, in all cases against people. ‘Quenched’ occurs only in Lev 6:12-13. The declaration that the inhabitants would become a desolation and curse is not Deuteronomic language, for ‘curse’ is here being used in a general sense along with ‘desolation’ as referring to what the people would become, an angle that does not occur in Deuteronomy. Deuteronomy tends to stress positive ‘cursing’ by YHWH. Thus Huldah’s words reflect having the whole Law of Moses as a background (or the tradition that lies behind it) and do not favour the argument for Deuteronomy alone.
Analysis.
a
b And she said to them, “Thus says YHWH, the God of Israel. You tell the man who sent you to me, Thus says YHWH, Behold, I will bring evil on this place, and on its inhabitants, even all the words of the book which the king of Judah has read” (2Ki 22:15-16).
c “Because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense to other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the work of their hands, therefore my wrath will be kindled against this place, and it will not be quenched” (2Ki 22:17).
d “But to the king of Judah, who sent you to enquire of YHWH, thus shall you say to him” (2Ki 22:18).
c “Thus says YHWH, the God of Israel, as touching the words which you have heard, because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before YHWH, when you heard what I spoke against this place, and against its inhabitants, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and have torn your clothes, and wept before me, I also have heard you, says YHWH” (2Ki 22:19).
b “Therefore, behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you will be gathered to your grave in peace, nor will your eyes see all the evil which I will bring on this place” (2Ki 22:20 a).
a And they brought the king word again (2Ki 22:20 b).
Note that in ‘a’ the deputation was sent to the prophet, and in the parallel the deputation brought the king word again. In ‘b’ evil was to come ‘on this place’ and in the parallel Josiah was not to see the evil that would come ‘on this place’. In ‘c’ YHWH’s wrath was kindled against them, and in the parallel Josiah had been moved by the fact. Centrally in ‘d’ the word comes to the king from YHWH.
2Ki 22:14
‘So Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asaiah, went to 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 second quarter), and they communed with her.’
It is clear that the deputation saw Huldah (‘mole’) the prophetess as a suitable person through whom to ‘enquire of YHWH’. This was partly because she was both a prophetess and the wife of a high official (if it was the king’s wardrobe), or of s Temple servant (if it was the keeper of the Temple robes, compare 2Ki 10:22). Either way he was the official ‘keeper of the wardrobe’, and thus well known to the men in question. This might explain why they did not seek out Zephaniah or Jeremiah, who, while highly influential, were probably not prophets directly connected with the Temple (although Jeremiah was a priest from Anathoth). Alternately they may well not have been in Jerusalem at the time. Some suggest that it was because they may have been seen as men who would be more likely to give a pessimistic reply, but it is not likely that Josiah would see things like that. He genuinely wanted to know what YHWH had to say. Huldah was clearly an exceptional woman, and presumably was recognised as having an exceptional prophetic gift. It must probably be accepted therefore that that was seen as her accepted function.
‘The second quarter’ was probably an area reserved for official functionaries of the palace and the Temple, so that this indicated her importance. It was probably the northern extension of the old Jebusite city.
2Ki 22:15-16
‘And she said to them, “Thus says YHWH, the God of Israel. You tell the man who sent you to me, Thus says YHWH, Behold, I will bring evil on this place, and on its inhabitants, even all the words of the book which the king of Judah has read.” ’
Her indirect reference to the book as ‘the book which the king of Judah has read’ can most naturally be seen as an indication that she herself had not read it. This would serve to confirm that it was not seen as a new source of Law, and that she did not need to read it in order to know what was in it. Its significance lay rather in the age of the record, where it was found, and what it signified. She commenced by pointing out that she spoke in the name of YHWH, and as His mouthpiece. ‘You tell the man who sent you’ (which in context was clearly not antagonistic) indicated that she was speaking with deliberate independence as a servant of YHWH and not as a servant of the king (i.e. not subserviently).
And the message was that evil was to come on Judah and Jerusalem. Once again there is no specific reference to what we call ‘The Exile’. The thought is rather of general judgment coming on Judah and Jerusalem in whatever way God chose. But both Leviticus and Deuteronomy would have perfectly justified her in seeing this as including exile (see Lev 26:31-36; Deu 28:15 ff), to say nothing of what the past had revealed about what happened to those who rebelled against great kings (as we have seen both Israel and Judah had already experienced a number of times what it meant to have many of their people taken into exile). Furthermore Micah had already prophesied the destruction of Jerusalem (Mic 3:9-12), and as Micah’s words are cited by Jer 26:18 it must have been before the event. Huldah would therefore have had to be very naive not to be able to prophesy coming judgment in view of the sins of Judah and what had been said by prophets in the past. Thus there is no reason to think that words have later been put into her mouth. But it should be noted that she spoke generally of ‘all the words of this book’, rather than being specific. In the event she was to be proved literally true.
2Ki 22:17
“Because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense to other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the work of their hands, therefore my wrath will be kindled against this place, and it will not be quenched.”
And the reason why this would be so was because they had forsaken YHWH and had burned incense to other gods, provoking YHWH to anger with all the work of their hands. That was why His wrath was kindled against ‘this place’ (an expression common in both Genesis and Deuteronomy). The language reflects earlier passages in Kings (1Ki 12:3; and often; 1Ki 11:8 ; 1Ki 12:33; 1Ki 14:9; 1Ki 15:30 etc; 1Ki 22:43), and echoes different parts of the Pentateuch, as we have seen above. But there is nothing uniquely Deuteronomic about it (depending of course on your definition of the term). The burning of incense was a regular feature of Canaanite worship, and a number of examples of incense burning altars have been found in Palestine.
2Ki 22:18-19
“But to the king of Judah, who sent you to enquire of YHWH, thus shall you say to him, Thus says YHWH, the God of Israel, as touching the words which you have heard, because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before YHWH, when you heard what I spoke against this place, and against its inhabitants, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and have torn your clothes, and wept before me, I also have heard you, says YHWH.”
Once again the prophetess avoided a personal reference to Josiah (compare ‘the man who sent you’ in 2Ki 22:15), calling him rather ‘the king of Judah’, thus keeping him prophetically at arm’s length. But she confirmed that he had done well to ‘enquire of YHWH’, a phrase found in the Pentateuch only in Gen 25:22. It is also found in Jdg 20:27; ten times in Samuel; and often in Kings. Her message to him was that YHWH had seen his tenderheartedness and humility in the light of what he had heard, and had noted the fact that he had torn his clothing and wept before YHWH. It was because of that that YHWH had heard him.
The message that he had heard and which had so moved him was that YHWH had spoken ‘against this place’ and against its inhabitants and had promised that they would become a desolation and a curse. The descriptions were powerful and emphasised the severity of what was coming. Having accepted it, and having been moved by it, Josiah had now come to YHWH to seek His mind concerning it. It will be noted that the way the word ‘curse’ is used is dissimilar to the way in which it is used in Deuteronomy, although having the same root idea. Here it is the people who were to become a curse and it is paralleled with ‘desolation’ giving it a more generalised meaning. The same usage is in fact paralleled in Jer 49:13 where the idea is similarly general and ‘curse’ is similarly paralleled with other descriptions. (Note also its use in Gen 27:12-13). It is not therefore used in such a way as to suggest that it specifically had the curses of the covenant in Deuteronomy directly in mind. This idea of Judah being a curse and a desolation can indeed be seen as having in mind any of the Pentateuchal warnings of what would happen to His people if they disobeyed Him (e.g. Lev 18:24-30; Lev 20:22-23; Lev 26:14-46; Deu 27:15 to Deu 29:29).
2Ki 22:20
“Therefore, behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you will be gathered to your grave in peace, nor will your eyes see all the evil which I will bring on this place.” ’
In view of Josiah’s death as a result of battle wounds it might appear at first sight that YHWH did not fulfil His promise that Josiah would be gathered to his grave in peace. And it may be that in fact we have a reminder here that God’s promises are made on the condition of our obedience. On the other hand it is more probable that we are to see it as an indication of the conditions that would be prevailing in Judah up to the time of his death. Thus we may see this as indicating that YHWH’s point was that whilst Josiah was trusting in Him with all his heart He would ensure that all went well for him and Judah whilst he still lived. It could not, on the other hand, be a promise that he would himself be kept safe whatever he did, even if he was foolish, for that would have been unreasonable. What it was, was a promise that he would be kept safe whilst he was trusting in YHWH and walking in obedience to him. Consequently, when, instead of trusting YHWH and consulting Him about what he should do, he blatantly went out on his own initiative to fight against an Egyptian army that was not threatening Judah, he brought his death on himself. It was not a failure on behalf of YHWH to fulfil His word.
However, the prophecy was still fulfilled in its main intent, for the fact that Josiah was to be ‘gathered to his grave in peace’ was, as we have seen, not necessarily in context mainly an emphasis on the manner of his own death. In view of its parallelism with ‘nor will your eyes see all the evil which I will bring on this place’ we may well see it as having in mind that while he lived his land would be at peace, and would not suffer desolation, and that whenever he did die that peace would still be prevailing. And that promise was basically kept, for at the time of his death Judah was actually under no specific threat, and there was no immediate threat to its peace. The truth is that the Egyptians whom Josiah waylaid were not in fact focused on attacking Judah but were racing to assist the Assyrians in their last stand against the Babylonians and their allies, and according to 2Ch 35:20-21 claimed to have no grievance against Judah. Thus according to the Chronicler Pharaoh Necho made clear to Josiah that no danger was threatened against Judah. Josiah, however, refused to listen to him (2Ch 35:20-21). Thus the author here in Kings probably wants us to recognise that what happened to Josiah was not of YHWH’s doing. It was rather the result of his own folly and occurred because, for political reasons (possibly as the result of an agreement with Babylon), he had set out to waylay the Egyptian army without consulting YHWH. The consequence was that he was seen as having chosen his own way of death in a way that was contrary to YHWH’s will. On the other hand, the fact that he would not see the evil that would come on Judah was true, for that occurred only after his death. Nevertheless the fact that Josiah died from battle wounds does tend to confirm that this was a prophecy ‘before the event’, for a prophecy ‘after the event’, which knew of the way in which he had died, would undoubtedly have been worded differently.
The question must be asked as to whether the prophetess had the Exile in view in her words, and the answer is probably both ‘yes’ and ‘no’. It is ‘yes’ because she must certainly have been aware from past history of the possibility that future conflict could lead to exile, so that her knowledge of what Micah had prophesied in Mic 3:9-12 would only have confirmed such an idea to her, but it is ‘no’ because from the form of her words she was equally clearly not informed on the exact details. What she was passing on was simply what YHWH had told her to pass on. Knowing, however, that Micah had prophesied the destruction of Jerusalem, and knowing what had been said in Leviticus and Deuteronomy about Israel being removed from their own land, and knowing the tendency of great kings to have transportation policy, she must certainly have had the possibility of exile in mind. It was not, however, what she specifically warned against. Her warning was of desolation and destruction without going into the details.
2Ki 22:20
‘And they brought the king word again.’
Having listened to the words of Huldah the prophetess, the deputation returned to the king in order to convey her words to him.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
2Ki 22:14. Huldah the prophetess This is the only mention that we have of this prophetess; and certainly it tends much to her honour that she was consulted upon this important occasion, when both Jeremiah and Zephaniah were at that time prophets in Judah. But Zephaniah, perhaps, at that time might not have commenced a prophet, because, though we are told that he prophesied in the days of Josiah, Zep 1:1 yet we are nowhere informed in what part of his reign he entered upon the prophetic office. Jeremiah too might at that time be absent from Jerusalem, at his house at Anathoth, or some more remote part of the kingdom; so that, considering Josiah’s haste and impatience, there might be no other proper person to apply to than this prophetess; well assured of whose fidelity in delivering the mind and counsel of God, the king, and the ministers who went from him to inquire, concluded rightly, that it was much more important what message God sent, than by whose hand it was that he conveyed it. See Poole, and Smith’s Select Discourses, p. 252.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
According to the dates of the prophets, Jeremiah had been preaching his sermons for five years before this event took place; and Zephaniah ministered much about the same time; yet Huldah, like another Deborah, was chosen of the Lord to be his servant on this business. And what a solemn strain is her answer delivered in. Nothing complimentary; nothing to soften the truth, though it be delivered to the pious Josiah. Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Tell the man that sent you. Oh! for faithfulness in the ministers of the Lord Jesus. Most awful must it be in such, to accommodate themselves to the time-serving age of corruption, and prophecy smooth things to sinners, whatever their worldly rank may be.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
2Ki 22:14 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.
Ver. 14. Went unto Huldah the prophetess. ] Souls have no sexes. They who vilify the female sex, especially with reference to religion, as some Papists have done, a may here observe in point of holy prophecy, that male and female are all one in God as in Christ. Gal 3:28
The wife of Shallum.
Now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the college.
a Faemellae in Vet. Testamento non habuerunt spem salutis. – Collatores Bavar. Ap. Polyc. Lyser.
Hearkening to the Message
2Ki 22:14-20; 2Ki 23:1-4
Josiahs fears were deeply stirred by the evils which the Law of the Lord clearly indicated as imminent, and he immediately sent for advice to the prophetess Huldah, who was held in great veneration. Her answer was full of gentle kindness. Though the kings punishment could not be averted, it should nevertheless be postponed. How quick is God to notice the tears of genuine contrition and to meet the soul that seeks to do His will! If only the whole nation had been equally repentant, its fate would have doubtless been altered.
It is remarkable, however, that even in Josiahs case the prediction of the prophetess was not realized. He died in battle, and his dead body was brought to Jerusalem amid mourning that became proverbial, 2Ki 23:30; Zec 12:2. Why this apparent breach of promise? The answer is suggested by our Lords temptation. He refused to make bread of stones, because of His absolute faith in God, and when Satan tempted him still further to manifest that faith by casting Himself from the beetling Temple crag, he again refused because such an act was not in the scope of the Fathers plan. On the other hand, Josiah, disregarding all counsels to the contrary, needlessly flung himself into the fray between Egypt and Babylon and there lost his life. Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God!
prophetess: Exo 15:20, Jdg 4:4, Mic 6:4, Luk 1:41-56, Luk 2:36, Act 21:9, 1Co 11:5
Tikvah: 2Ch 34:22, Tikvath, Hasrah
wardrobe: Heb. garments, 2Ki 10:22, Neh 7:72
college: or, second part
Reciprocal: 2Ki 19:2 – he sent Eliakim 2Ki 20:4 – court 2Ch 34:8 – sent Shaphan Isa 8:3 – the prophetess Jer 21:2 – Inquire Jer 26:22 – Achbor Jer 36:12 – Elnathan Jer 40:5 – Ahikam Eze 8:11 – Shaphan Eze 13:17 – prophesy Zep 1:10 – the second Heb 13:4 – Marriage
2Ki 22:14. So Hilkiah the priest, &c., went unto Huldah the prophetess This is the only mention we have of this prophetess; and certainly it tends much to her honour that she was consulted on this important occasion, when, it is supposed, that not only Jeremiah, but Zephaniah also, was a prophet in Judah. But Zephaniah, perhaps, might not at that time have commenced a prophet; because, although we are told he prophesied in the days of Josiah, (Zep 1:1,) yet we are nowhere informed in what part of Josiahs reign he entered on the prophetic office. And Jeremiah might then be absent from Jerusalem, at his house at Anathoth, or some more remote part of the kingdom; so that, considering Josiahs haste and impatience, there might be no other proper person to apply to than this prophetess. And the king and his ministers, who went to inquire, being well assured of her fidelity in delivering the counsel of God, concluded rightly, that it was much more to be regarded what message God sent, than by whom it was conveyed. See Poole and Dodd. Now she dwelt in the college Where the sons of the prophets, and others who devoted themselves to the study of Gods word, used to meet and discourse of the things of God, and receive the instructions of their teachers.
22:14 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 {g} college;) and they communed with her.
(g) Or the house of doctrine, which was near the temple, and where the learned assembled to search the scriptures and the doctrine of the prophets.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: F.B. Meyer’s Through the Bible Commentary
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes