2. Könige 22:3

Repairing of the temple, and discovery of the book of the law (cf. Ch2 34:8-18). - When Josiah sent Shaphan the secretary of state (סופר, see at Sa2 8:17) into the temple, in the eighteenth year of his reign, with instructions to Hilkiah the high priest to pay to the builders the money which had been collected from the people for repairing the temple by the Levites who kept the door, Hilkiah said to Shaphan, "I have found the book of the law." Kg2 22:3-8 form a long period. The apodosis to וגו ויהי, "it came to pass in the eighteenth year of king Josiah-the king had sent Shaphan," etc., does not follow till Kg2 22:8 : "that Hilkiah said," etc. The principal fact which the historian wished to relate, was the discovery of the book of the law; and the repairing of the temple is simply mentioned because it was when Shaphan was sent to Hilkiah about the payment of the money to the builders that the high priest informed the king's secretary of state of the discovery of the book of the law in the temple, and handed it over to him to take to the king. המּלך שׁלח, in Kg2 22:3, forms the commencement to the minor clauses inserted within the principal clause, and subordinate to it: "the king had sent Shaphan," etc. According to Ch2 34:8, the king had deputed not only Shaphan the state-secretary, but also Maaseiah the governor of the city and Joach the chancellor, because the repairing of the temple was not a private affair of the king and the high priest, but concerned the city generally, and indeed the whole kingdom. In Kg2 22:4, Kg2 22:5 there follows the charge given by the king to Shaphan: "Go up to Hilkiah the high priest, that he may make up the money, ... and hand it over to the workmen appointed over the house of Jehovah," etc. יתּם, from תּמם, Hiphil, signifies to finish…

This chapter begins the story of the reign of good king Josiah, whose goodness shines the brighter because it came just after so much wickedness, which he had the honour to reform, and just before so great a destruction, which yet he had not the honour to prevent. Here, after his general character (Kg2 22:1, Kg2 22:2), we have a particular account of the respect he paid I. To God's house, which he repaired (Kg2 22:3-7). II. To God's book, which he was much affected with the reading of (Kg2 22:8-11). III. To God's messengers, whom he thereupon consulted (Kg2 22:12-14). And by whom he received from God an answer threatening Jerusalem's destruction (Kg2 22:15-17), but promising favour to him (Kg2 22:18-20), upon which he set about that glorious work of reformation which we have an account of in the next chapter.

22:3-4 By the eighteenth year of his reign (621 BC), Josiah had been devoted to the Lord for ten years (see 2 Chr 34:3-7). • Hilkiah the high priest was from the line of Zadok (1 Chr 9:10-11). Some scholars suggest that this Hilkiah was Jeremiah’s father (Jer 1:1). • Apparently the money was collected in a large chest convenient to the people as they came to the Temple (cp. 12:9).