2 Kings 22:14
in 2 Kings 22So Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Achbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went and spoke to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, the keeper of the wardrobe. She lived in Jerusalem, in the Second District.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
So Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asaiah, 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 second quarter); and they communed with her.
KJV
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.
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This verse in 2 Kings 22
Commentary
12 notes on this verseWe need not wonder that Huldah, the prophet and wife of Shallum, was consulted by Josiah, king of Judah, when the captivity was approaching and the wrath of the Lord was falling on Jerusalem: since it is the rule of Scripture, when holy men fail, to praise women to the reproach of men.
This site's exposition
commanded Hilkiah the priest
on 2 Kings 22:12-14
The king sends a delegation of five to inquire of the LORD. They go to Huldah the prophetess, though Jeremiah had been prophesying five years, and the text gives no reason for the choice. Adam Clarke notes that Jeremiah likely lived at Anathoth, away from the city.
This site's exposition
Huldah the prophetess
Albert Barnes sets Huldah the prophetess beside Miriam at Exodus 15:20 and Deborah at Judges 4:4. She lived in the Second District of Jerusalem. Jerome held it the rule of Scripture, when holy men fail, to praise women to the reproach of men.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church2 voices
"She who dwells in Jerusalem in the second district." [2 Kings 22:14] What is said about Huldah the prophetess: "She who dwells in Jerusalem in the second district"; what this means is explained in the book of Chronicles, where it is written about the aforesaid …
"They went to the prophet Huldah," and not to Jeremiah, even though he was already well known as a prophet, probably because Jeremiah was not there at the moment, or maybe because this woman surpassed him with the power of her gift of prophecy.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Huldah - The king's earnest affection 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.
So Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asahiah, went down to Huldah the prophetess,....
It was a mercy to Jerusalem that when Bibles were scarce they had prophets, as afterwards, when prophecy ceased, that they had more Bibles; for God never leaves himself without witness, because he will leave sinners without excuse.
4 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century4 voices
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.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Her husband Shallum was grandson of one Harhas, "keeper of the wardrobe." If this means the priestly wardrobe, [Harhas] must have been a Levite. But it probably refers to the royal wardrobe. she dwelt . . . in the college--rather, "in the Misnah," taking the original word as a proper name, not a school or college, but a particular suburb of Jerusalem.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Go, inquire of the Lord for me, &c.--The agitated feelings of the king prompted him to ask immediate counsel how to avert those curses under which his kingdom lay; and forthwith a deputation of his principal officers was sent to one endowed with the prophetic spirit.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
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 Josiah’s 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.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
To Chuldoh. Our Rabbis said that because a woman is more merciful than a man, 4 They therefore hoped she would beseech God for mercy, that He change the evil decree to a favorable one.—Maharsha in Maseches Megillah 12b he, therefore, did not send to Yirmiyohu [to inquire].
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
Inquire of Adonoy on my behalf. He saw written, "Adonoy will lead you and your king." 2 Devarim:36. 3 When they opened the Torah Scroll it was found rolled to this section. This section deals with the exile of Shomron and Yehudah with its king.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 6 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
24 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֵּ֣לֶךְ | vaiyelekh | and he went | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| חִלְקִיָּ֣הוּ | chilkiyahu | Hilkiah | H2518 → | 34 times |
| הַ֠כֹּהֵן | hakohen | the priest | H3548 → | 750 times |
| וַאֲחִיקָ֨ם | vaachikam | and Ahikam | H296 → | 20 times |
| וְעַכְבּ֜וֹר | veakhbor | and Achbor | H5907 → | |
| וְשָׁפָ֣ן | veshafan | and Shaphan | H8227 → | 34 times |
| וַעֲשָׂיָ֗ה | vaasayah | and Asaiah | H6222 → | |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| חֻלְדָּ֨ה | chuldah | Huldah | H2468 → | |
| הַנְּבִיאָ֜ה | haneviah | the prophetess | H5031 → | |
| אֵ֣שֶׁת׀ | ʾeshet | [the] wife of | H802 → | 781 times |
| שַׁלֻּ֣ם | shalum | Shallum | H7967 → | 27 times |
| בֶּן־ | ben- | [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| תִּקְוָ֗ה | tikvah | Tikvah | H8616 → | |
| בֶּן־ | ben- | [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| חַרְחַס֙ | charchas | Harhas | H2745 → | |
| שֹׁמֵ֣ר | shomer | [the] keeper | H8104 → | 468 times |
| הַבְּגָדִ֔ים | habegadim | of the garments | H899 → | 217 times |
| וְהִ֛יא | vehi' | and she | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| יֹשֶׁ֥בֶת | yoshevet | [was] dwelling | H3427 → | 1079 times |
| בִּירוּשָׁלִַ֖ם | birushalim | in Jerusalem | H3389 → | 643 times |
| בַּמִּשְׁנֶ֑ה | bamishneh | in the second district | H4932 → | 35 times |
| וַֽיְדַבְּר֖וּ | vaydaberu | and they spoke | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| אֵלֶֽיהָ׃ | ʾeleiha | to her | H413 → | 5510 times |
וַיֵּ֣לֶךְand he went
vaiyelekhH1980 →1546 times
חִלְקִיָּ֣הוּHilkiah
chilkiyahuH2518 →34 times
הַ֠כֹּהֵןthe priest
hakohenH3548 →750 times
וַאֲחִיקָ֨םand Ahikam
vaachikamH296 →20 times
וְעַכְבּ֜וֹרand Achbor
veakhborH5907 →
וְשָׁפָ֣ןand Shaphan
veshafanH8227 →34 times
וַעֲשָׂיָ֗הand Asaiah
vaasayahH6222 →
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
חֻלְדָּ֨הHuldah
chuldahH2468 →
הַנְּבִיאָ֜הthe prophetess
haneviahH5031 →
אֵ֣שֶׁת׀[the] wife of
ʾeshetH802 →781 times
שַׁלֻּ֣םShallum
shalumH7967 →27 times
בֶּן־[the] son of
ben-H1121 →4930 times
תִּקְוָ֗הTikvah
tikvahH8616 →
בֶּן־[the] son of
ben-H1121 →4930 times
חַרְחַס֙Harhas
charchasH2745 →
שֹׁמֵ֣ר[the] keeper
shomerH8104 →468 times
הַבְּגָדִ֔יםof the garments
habegadimH899 →217 times
וְהִ֛יאand she
vehi'H1931 →1879 times
יֹשֶׁ֥בֶת[was] dwelling
yoshevetH3427 →1079 times
בִּירוּשָׁלִַ֖םin Jerusalem
birushalimH3389 →643 times
בַּמִּשְׁנֶ֑הin the second district
bamishnehH4932 →35 times
וַֽיְדַבְּר֖וּand they spoke
vaydaberuH1696 →1141 times
אֵלֶֽיהָ׃to her
ʾeleihaH413 →5510 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
Exodus 15:20Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women followed her with tambourines and dancing.
it leads to
- Psalms 150:4
Praise Him with tambourine and dancing; praise Him with strings and flute.
- 1 Samuel 18:6
As the troops were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out of all the cities of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs, and…
- Psalms 149:3
Let them praise His name with dancing, and make music to Him with tambourine and harp.
- Psalms 68:25
The singers lead the way, the musicians follow after, among the maidens playing tambourines.
- Judges 11:34
And when Jephthah returned home to Mizpah, there was his daughter coming out to meet him with tambourines and dancing! She was his only child; he had no son or daughter besides her.
- Psalms 150:4
Through
Judges 4:4Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time.
it leads to
- Exodus 15:20
Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women followed her with tambourines and dancing.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Galatians 3:28
There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
- Exodus 15:20
Through
2 Chronicles 34:22So Hilkiah and those the king had designated went and spoke to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum son of Tokhath, the son of Hasrah, the keeper of the wardrobe. She lived in…
it leads to
- Luke 2:36
There was also a prophetess named Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher, who was well along in years. She had been married for seven years,
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Luke 2:36
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 2 Kings
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bede, Questions on the Book of Kings #26; Ishodad of Merv, BOOKS OF SESSIONS 2 KINGS 22:14; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Against Jovinianus 1.25; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.