Then Hilkiah the high priest
Hilkiah, whose name means "my portion is Yahweh," served as the high priest during the reign of King Josiah. The role of the high priest was crucial in maintaining the spiritual integrity of Israel, especially during times of reform. Historically, the high priest was the chief religious leader, responsible for the temple and its services. Hilkiah's discovery marks a pivotal moment in Israel's history, as it leads to a national religious revival.

said to Shaphan the scribe
Shaphan, a scribe, was an official in King Josiah's court. The role of a scribe was significant in ancient Israel, as they were responsible for recording, preserving, and interpreting the law. Shaphan's involvement indicates the importance of the written word and its role in governance and religious life. His position allowed him to influence the king directly, highlighting the interconnectedness of religious and political spheres.

I have found the Book of the Law
The "Book of the Law" likely refers to a portion of the Torah, possibly Deuteronomy. Its discovery suggests that the Law had been neglected or lost during previous reigns, particularly under the idolatrous kings Manasseh and Amon. The Hebrew term for "found" (מָצָא, matsa) implies a rediscovery, indicating that the Law was not newly written but had been forgotten. This finding underscores the theme of returning to God's covenant and the importance of Scripture in guiding the nation.

in the house of the LORD
The "house of the LORD" refers to Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem, the central place of worship for Israel. The temple's condition had deteriorated under previous kings, and Josiah's reforms aimed to restore it. The discovery of the Book of the Law within the temple signifies a return to true worship and the centrality of God's word in the life of the nation. It also highlights the temple as a place not only of sacrifice but of divine revelation.

And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan
The act of giving the book to Shaphan signifies the transfer of responsibility and the beginning of a chain of events leading to national reform. It reflects the collaborative effort between religious and secular authorities to bring about change. This handover emphasizes the importance of stewardship of God's word and the need for leaders to be guided by Scripture.

who read it
Reading the Book of the Law was a transformative act. In ancient Israel, reading was often done aloud, making it a communal experience. The Hebrew word for "read" (קָרָא, qara) also means to proclaim or call out, suggesting that Shaphan's reading was a public declaration. This act of reading initiates a revival, as the word of God convicts and inspires the people to return to covenant faithfulness. It underscores the power of Scripture to bring about personal and societal transformation.

1. Hilkiah
The high priest during the reign of King Josiah, responsible for the spiritual oversight of the temple and its activities.

2. Shaphan
A scribe and royal secretary under King Josiah, tasked with administrative duties and communication between the king and the temple.

3. The Book of the Law
Likely a scroll containing the Torah, possibly Deuteronomy, which had been lost or neglected in the temple.

4. The House of the LORD
Refers to Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem, the central place of worship for the Israelites.

5. King Josiah
The king of Judah who initiated religious reforms and sought to restore the worship of Yahweh.The Importance of Scripture
The rediscovery of the Book of the Law underscores the necessity of God's Word in guiding personal and communal life. Just as it was pivotal for Josiah's reforms, Scripture should be central in our lives today.

Neglect and Rediscovery
The fact that the Book of the Law was lost in the temple serves as a warning against neglecting God's Word. We must regularly engage with Scripture to prevent spiritual drift.

Role of Leadership
Hilkiah and Shaphan's roles highlight the responsibility of spiritual and administrative leaders to prioritize and facilitate access to God's Word. Leaders today should ensure that Scripture is accessible and central in their communities.

Personal and Communal Renewal
The reading of the Law led to significant religious reforms under Josiah. Similarly, personal and communal engagement with Scripture can lead to spiritual renewal and transformation.(8) I have found.--Literally, the book of the Torah have I found. The definite form of the expression proves that what the high priest found was something already known; it was not a book, but the book of the Law. How little the critics are agreed as to the precise character and contents of the book in question is well shown by Thenius: "Neither the entire then existing Scripture (Sebastian Schmidt), nor the Pentateuch (Josephus, Clericus, Von Lengerke, Keil, Bahr,) nor the ordered collection of Mosaic laws contained in Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers (Bertheau), nor the book of Exodus (Gramberg), nor the book of Deuteronomy (Reuss, Ewald, Hitzig) is to be understood by this expression. All these must have been brought into their present shape at a later time. What is meant is a collection of the statutes and ordinances of Moses, which has been worked up (verarbeitet) in the Pentateuch, and especially in Deuteronomy. This work is referred to by Jeremiah (Jeremiah 11:1-17),and was called "The Book of the Covenant" (2Kings 23:2). According to 2Chronicles 17:9 it already existed in the time of Jehoshaphat (comp. 2Kings 11:12, "the Testimony"); was probably preserved in the Ark (Deuteronomy 31:26), along with which in the reign of Manasseh it was put on one side. When after half a century of disuse it was found again by the high priest in going through the chambers of the Temple with a view to the intended repairs, in the Ark which, though cast aside, was still kept in the Temple, it appeared like something new, because it had been wholly forgotten (for a time), so that Shaphan could say: 'Hilkiah has given me a book' (2Kings 22:10)." (See also the Notes on 2Chronicles 34:14.) . . . Verses 8-14. - Discovery of the book of the Law. When Shaphan had transacted with Hilkiah the business entrusted to him by the king, Hilkiah took the opportunity of sending word by him to the king with respect to a discovery that he had recently made, during the investigations connected with the repairs. He had found a book, which he called without any doubt or hesitation, "the book of the Law" - סֵפֶר הַתּורָה - and this book he put into the hands of Shaphan, who "read it," i.e. some of it, and found it of such importance that he took it back with him to the palace, and read a portion to the king. Hereupon the king "rent his clothes," and required that special inquiry should be made of the Lord concerning the words of the book, and particularly concerning the threatenings contained in it. The persons entrusted with this task thought it best to lay the matter before Huldah, a prophetess, who lived in Jerusalem at the time, and pro-seeded to confer with her at her residence. Verse 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. There has been great difference of opinion as to what it was which Hilkiah had found. Ewald believes it to have been the Book of Deuteronomy, which had, he thinks, been composed some thirty or forty years before in Egypt by a Jewish exile, and had found its way, by a sort of chance, into Palestine, where "some priest" had placed a copy of it in the temple ('History of Israel,' vol. 4. pp. 233-235). Thenius suggests "a collection of the laws and ordinances of Moses, which was afterwards worked up into the Pentateuch;" Bertheau, "the three middle books of the Pentateuch, Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers;" Gramberg, "Exodus by itself." But there seem to be no sufficient grounds for questioning the ancient opinion - that of Josephus, and of the Jews generally - that it was a copy of the entire Pentateuch. (So De Wette, 'Einleitung in das Alt. Test.,' § 162 a; Keil, 'Commentary on Kings,' pp. 477, 478; Bahr, 'Commentary,' vol. 6. p. 257; and others). The words, סֵפֶר הַתּורָה, "the book of the Law," are really sufficient to decide the point; since, as Keil says, they "cannot mean anything else, either grammatically or historically, than the Mosaic book of the Law (the Pentateuch), which is so designated, as is generally admitted, in the Chronicles and the Books of Ezra and Nehemiah." The same conclusion follows from the expression, "the book of the covenant" (סֵפֶר הַּבְןןרִית), in 2 Kings 23:2, and also from 2 Kings 23:24, 25, and 2 Chronicles 34:14. Whether or no the copy was the actual original deposited in the ark of the covenant by Moses (Deuteronomy 31:26), as Keil believes, is doubtful. As Egyptian manuscripts which are from three to four thousand years old still exist in good condition, there can be no reason why a manuscript of Moses' time should not have been found and have been legible in Josiah's. But, if not the actual handwriting of Moses, it was probably its lineal descendant - the copy made for the temple service, and kept ordinarily "in the side of the ark" - which may well have been lost in the time of Manasseh or Amen, and which was now happily "found." And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it. We need not suppose that Shaphan read the whole. But he read enough to show him how important the work was, and how necessary it was to make it known to the king.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Then Hilkiah
חִלְקִיָּ֜הוּ (ḥil·qî·yā·hū)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 2518: Hilkiah -- 'my portion is Yah', the name of several Israelites

the high
הַגָּדוֹל֙ (hag·gā·ḏō·wl)
Article | Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 1419: Great, older, insolent

priest
הַכֹּהֵ֤ן (hak·kō·hên)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3548: Priest

said to
וַ֠יֹּאמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

Shaphan
שָׁפָ֣ן (šā·p̄ān)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 8227: A species of rockrabbit, the hyrax

the scribe,
הַסֹּפֵ֔ר (has·sō·p̄êr)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5608: To count, recount, relate

“I have found
מָצָ֖אתִי (mā·ṣā·ṯî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 4672: To come forth to, appear, exist, to attain, find, acquire, to occur, meet, be present

the Book
סֵ֧פֶר (sê·p̄er)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 5612: A missive, document, writing, book

of the Law
הַתּוֹרָ֛ה (hat·tō·w·rāh)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 8451: Direction, instruction, law

in the house
בְּבֵ֣ית (bə·ḇêṯ)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1004: A house

of the LORD!”
יְהוָ֑ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

And he
חִלְקִיָּ֧ה (ḥil·qî·yāh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 2518: Hilkiah -- 'my portion is Yah', the name of several Israelites

gave
וַיִּתֵּ֨ן (way·yit·tên)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5414: To give, put, set

[it]
הַסֵּ֛פֶר (has·sê·p̄er)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5612: A missive, document, writing, book

to
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

Shaphan,
שָׁפָ֖ן (šā·p̄ān)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 8227: A species of rockrabbit, the hyrax

who read it.
וַיִּקְרָאֵֽהוּ׃ (way·yiq·rā·’ê·hū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular
Strong's 7121: To call, proclaim, read


2 Kings 22:8 NIV
2 Kings 22:8 NLT
2 Kings 22:8 ESV
2 Kings 22:8 NASB
2 Kings 22:8 KJV

2 Kings 22:8 BibleApps.com
2 Kings 22:8 Biblia Paralela
2 Kings 22:8 Chinese Bible
2 Kings 22:8 French Bible
2 Kings 22:8 Catholic Bible

OT History: 2 Kings 22:8 Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan (2Ki iiKi ii ki 2 kg 2kg)