2 Kings 22:8-13

C. A LOST BOOK RECOVERED 22:8-13

TRANSLATION

(8) And Hilkiah the high priest said unto Shaphan the scribe, The book of the law I have found in the house of the LORD! And Hilkiah gave the book unto Shaphan, and he read it. (9) And Shaphan the scribe came unto the king, and brought the king word again, and said, Your servants have gathered the silver that was found in the house, and they have given it into the hand of the workers, the ones who have been ap pointed in the house of the LORD. (10) And Shaphan the scribe told the king, saying, Hilkiah the priest has given to me a book, and Shaphan read it before the king. (11) And when the king heard the words of the book of the Law, he rent his garments. (12) And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, Achbor the son of Michaiah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asahiah the servant of the king, saying, (13) Go inquire of the LORD for me and for the people and for all Judah concerning the words of this book which was found, for great is the wrath of the LORD which is kindled against us because our fathers have not hearkened unto the words of this book to do according to all that which is written concerning us.

COMMENTS

On the very day that the royal order came to commence the renovation, Hilkiah sent word back to the king of a striking discovery. During the preliminary surveys which preceded the building operation, an ancient law book had been discovered. Opinions differ as to exactly what this book was. Some think that it was only the Book of Deuteronomy or some part thereof. Others think the book may have been the entire Pentateuch.[641] Hilkiah handed the ancient document over to Shaphan who read enough from it to determine that the book was exceedingly valuable and should be brought to the attention of the king (2 Kings 22:8).

[641] It was the official Temple copy of the sacred book which was found. It would not necessarily be the only existing copy of the Law. Cf. Finley, BBC, p. 493.

Returning to the royal palace, Shaphan reported that the king's orders concerning the Temple collection had been carried out (2 Kings 22:9). Then Shaphan told the king of the book which had been found in the Temple and read excerpts from that document (2 Kings 22:10). When the king heard the tone and contents of the book, he was quite upset and demonstrated his state of mind by tearing his garments (2 Kings 22:11). He recognized the language of this book to be that of the Law of God. Even though that book had for many years been lost, yet much of its contents had been preserved and handed down orally by the pious of the nation.

In order to confirm his own personal view of the book, the king appointed a committee to make further investigations regarding it. Apparently Hilkiah the high priest was the chairman of this committee. Shaphan the scribe and his son Ahikam[642] were on it as were a certain Achbor and Asahiah[643] (2 Kings 22:12). The committee was charged to enquire of the Lord on behalf of the king concerning the document. Prior to the time of David such inquiry was made through the high priest as he utilized the Urim and Thummim. But since David's day, one normally consulted a prophet of God in order to ascertain the divine will.[644]

[642] Ahikam once rescued Jeremiah when he was on trial for his life (Jeremiah 26:24). He was the father of Gedaliah who was appointed governor of the land after Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem (Jeremiah 39:14; Jeremiah 40:7).

[643] These names ate spelled Abdon and Asaiah in 2 Chronicles 34:20. Animal names were in vogue at this time. Shaphan (rock-badger), Huldah (mole), and Achbor (mouse) are examples.

[644] See 1 Kings 22:5-8; 2 Kings 3:11; 2 Kings 8:8; Jeremiah 21:2; Jeremiah 37:7 etc.

It was not the purpose of this committee to determine whether or not the book was authentic. Of this there was no doubt. Rather the king wished to ascertain whether the threats which the book contained were to have an immediate fulfillment. Josiah recognized that the nation had been doing, and to some extent continued to do, those very things which were so forthrightly condemned in the Book of the Law. In view of the grave threats which Moses had made against practitioners of idolatry and immorality the king could not help but feel that the wrath of the Lord had already been kindled against the nation. Because of the disobedience of their fathers, the apostasy had continued now for some time. Was the cup of iniquity now full? Would the wrath of the Lord burst forth against Judah any day? (2 Kings 22:13).