2 Kings 22:15
in 2 Kings 22And Huldah said to them, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Tell the man who sent you
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And she said unto them, Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel: Tell ye the man that sent you unto me,
KJV
And she said unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Tell the man that sent you to me,
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This verse in 2 Kings 22
Commentary
5 notes on this verseAnd she said unto them,.... The king's messengers: thus saith the Lord God of Israel; being immediately inspired by him, she spake in his name, as prophets did: tell the man that sent you to me; which may seem somewhat rude and unmannerly to say of a king; but when it is considered she spake not of herself, but representing the King of kings and Lord of lords, it will be seen and judged of in another light.
This site's exposition
Tell the man that sent you
on 2 Kings 22:15-17
Huldah answers as a prophet and not as a courtier: tell the man that sent you, no royal title used for a king whose own priest stands in her house. Her oracle's first half is unconditional, evil is coming, all the words of the book which the king of Judah hath read, because the nation forsook the Lord and burned incense to other gods; the wrath is kindled against this place and shall not be quenched. Nothing Josiah does afterward reverses this half of the word; 23:26-27 states plainly that the Lord turned not from the fierceness of his great wrath even after the reform.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Even kings, though gods to us, are men to God, and shall so be dealt with; for with him there is no respect of persons. She let him know what judgments God had in store for Judah and Jerusalem (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
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
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
But at the same time the king was consoled with an assurance that this season of punishment and sorrow should not be during his lifetime, on account of the faith, penitence, and pious zeal for the divine glory and worship which, in his public capacity and with his royal influence, he had displayed.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
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].
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
13 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַתֹּ֣אמֶר | vatomer | and she said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֲלֵיהֶ֔ם | ʾaleihem | to them | H413 → | 5510 times |
| כֹּֽה־ | koh- | thus | H3541 → | 577 times |
| אָמַ֥ר | ʾamar | he says | H559 → | 5305 times |
| יְהוָ֖ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹהֵ֣י | ʾelohei | [the] God of | H430 → | 2601 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| אִמְר֣וּ | ʾimru | say | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לָאִ֔ישׁ | laish | to the man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| שָׁלַ֥ח | shalach | he sent | H7971 → | 845 times |
| אֶתְכֶ֖ם | ʾetkhem | <obj.> you | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אֵלָֽי׃ | ʾelai | to me | H413 → | 5510 times |
וַתֹּ֣אמֶרand she said
vatomerH559 →5305 times
אֲלֵיהֶ֔םto them
ʾaleihemH413 →5510 times
כֹּֽה־thus
koh-H3541 →577 times
אָמַ֥רhe says
ʾamarH559 →5305 times
יְהוָ֖הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹהֵ֣י[the] God of
ʾeloheiH430 →2601 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
אִמְר֣וּsay
ʾimruH559 →5305 times
לָאִ֔ישׁto the man
laishH376 →1663 times
אֲשֶׁר־who
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
שָׁלַ֥חhe sent
shalachH7971 →845 times
אֶתְכֶ֖ם<obj.> you
ʾetkhemH853 →10935 times
אֵלָֽי׃to me
ʾelaiH413 →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
2 Kings 1:16And Elijah said to King Ahaziah, “This is what the LORD says: Is there really no God in Israel for you to inquire of His word? Is that why you have sent messengers to…
it leads to
- 2 Kings 1:2–4
Now Ahaziah had fallen through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria and injured himself. So he sent messengers and instructed them: “Go inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I will…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Psalms 132:3
“I will not enter my house or get into my bed,
- 2 Kings 1:2–4
Through
Jeremiah 23:28Let the prophet who has a dream retell it, but let him who has My word speak it truthfully. For what is straw compared to grain?” declares the LORD.
it leads to
- 1 Timothy 1:12
I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, that He considered me faithful and appointed me to service.
- 1 Corinthians 3:12–13
If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw,
- 2 Corinthians 2:17
For we are not like so many others, who peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as men sent from God.
- Proverbs 14:5
An honest witness does not deceive, but a dishonest witness pours forth lies.
- Luke 12:42
And the Lord answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their portion at the proper time?
- 1 Timothy 1:12
Through
2 Kings 1:6They replied, “A man came up to meet us and said, ‘Go back to the king who sent you and tell him that this is what the LORD says: Is it because there is…
it leads to
- Psalms 16:4
Sorrows will multiply to those who chase other gods. I will not pour out their libations of blood, or speak their names with my lips.
- Psalms 16:4
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies3
On this verse
On this chapter
About 2 Kings

This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
