2 Kings 22:11
in 2 Kings 22When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his clothes
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the book of the law, that he rent his clothes.
KJV
And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the book of the law, that he rent his clothes.
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This verse in 2 Kings 22
Commentary
6 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
He rent his clothes - Partly grief and horror, like Reuben Gen 37:29 and Job Job 1:20, partly in repentance, like Ahab 1Ki 21:27.
This site's exposition
Hilkiah the priest has given me a book
on 2 Kings 22:10-11
Josiah tears his clothes when he hears "the words of the Book of the Law" read. Tearing the clothes marks grief elsewhere in Scripture, as with Reuben over Joseph and Job at his losses. It also marks repentance, as with Ahab at 1 Kings 21:27, and both senses meet here.
This site's exposition
he tore his clothes
Deuteronomy 17:18-19 required each king to write out his own copy of this law and read from it all his life. Josiah hears it read aloud by his scribe. The torn clothes mark a king who learns how far the throne of Judah had drifted from that command.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
If Josiah had seen and read it before, which seems more probable, yet the great reverence which he justly bare to the original book, and the strange, and remarkable, and seasonable finding of it, had awakened and quickened him to a more serious and diligent consideration of all the passages contained in it. And what a providence was this, that it was still preserved!
And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the book of the law,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
It was the temple copy which, had been laid (De 31:25, 26) beside the ark in the most holy place. During the ungodly reigns of Manasseh and Amon--or perhaps under Ahaz, when the temple itself had been profaned by idols, and the ark also (2Ch 35:3) removed from its site; it was somehow lost, and was now found again during the repair of the temple [KEIL].
The words behind it
10 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַֽיְהִי֙ | vayhi | and it was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| כִּשְׁמֹ֣עַ | kishmoa' | when heard | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| דִּבְרֵ֖י | divrei | [the] words of | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| סֵ֣פֶר | sefer | [the] scroll of | H5612 → | 186 times |
| הַתּוֹרָ֑ה | hatorah | the law | H8451 → | 219 times |
| וַיִּקְרַ֖ע | vaiyikra' | and he tore | H7167 → | 63 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| בְּגָדָֽיו׃ | begadav | clothes his | H899 → | 217 times |
וַֽיְהִי֙and it was
vayhiH1961 →3559 times
כִּשְׁמֹ֣עַwhen heard
kishmoa'H8085 →1159 times
הַמֶּ֔לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
דִּבְרֵ֖י[the] words of
divreiH1697 →1440 times
סֵ֣פֶר[the] scroll of
seferH5612 →186 times
הַתּוֹרָ֑הthe law
hatorahH8451 →219 times
וַיִּקְרַ֖עand he tore
vaiyikra'H7167 →63 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
בְּגָדָֽיו׃clothes his
begadavH899 →217 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Joel 2:13So rend your hearts and not your garments, and return to the LORD your God. For He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion. And He relents from sending disaster.
it leads to
- Psalms 86:15
But You, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion and faithfulness.
- Psalms 34:18
The LORD is near to the brokenhearted; He saves the contrite in spirit.
- Isaiah 57:15
For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in a high and holy place, and with the oppressed and humble in spirit,…
- Exodus 34:6–7
Then the LORD passed in front of Moses and called out: “The LORD, the LORD God, is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion and faithfulness,
- Matthew 5:3–4
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
- Psalms 86:15
Through
Joshua 7:6Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell facedown before the ark of the LORD until evening, as did the elders of Israel; and they all sprinkled dust on their heads.
it leads to
- Genesis 37:29
When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes,
- Genesis 37:34
Then Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth around his waist, and mourned for his son many days.
- Genesis 37:29
Through
Jeremiah 36:24Yet in hearing all these words, the king and his servants did not become frightened or tear their garments.
it leads to
- Jeremiah 36:16
When they had heard all these words, they turned to one another in fear and said to Baruch, “Surely we must report all these words to the king.”
- Jeremiah 36:16
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 2 Kings
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Berean Standard Bible, Deuteronomy 17:18-19; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament.