Commentaria in IV Regum
Chapter Twenty-two. Synopsis of the Chapter
The pious Josias reigns piously, and diligently reads the Deuteronomy that has been found, and hears from the prophetess Holda the punishments which God threatens in it to the impious, which will befall not himself but his sons.
1. Josias was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem: his mother’s name was Idida the daughter of Hadaia of Besecath. 2. And he did that which was pleasing before the Lord, and walked in all the ways of David his father: he declined not to the right hand or to the left. 3. And in the eighteenth year of king Josias, the king sent Saphan the son of Aslia, the son of Messulam, the scribe of the temple of the Lord, saying to him: 4. Go to Helcias the high priest, that the money may be put together which is brought into the temple of the Lord, which the door keepers of the temple have gathered of the people, 5. And let it be given to the workmen by the overseers of the house of the Lord: and let them distribute it to them that work in the temple of the Lord, to repair the repairs of the temple, 6. That is, to the carpenters, and masons, and to them that mend breaches: and that timber may be bought, and stones out of the quarries, to repair the temple of the Lord. 7. But let not the silver, which they receive, be reckoned to them, but let them have it in their power, and deal faithfully. 8. And Helcias the high priest said to Saphan the scribe: I have found the book of the law in the house of the Lord: and Helcias gave the volume to Saphan, who also read it. 9. And Saphan the scribe came to the king, and brought him word again of what he had commanded, and said: Thy servants have gathered together the money that was found in the house of the Lord: and have given it to be distributed to the workmen by the overseers of the works of the temple of the Lord. 10. Moreover Saphan the scribe told the king, saying: Helcias the priest hath given me a book. And when Saphan had read it before the king, 11. And the king had heard the words of the book of the law of the Lord, he rent his garments. 12. And he commanded Helcias the priest, and Ahicam the son of Saphan, and Achobor the son of Micha, and Saphan the scribe, and Asaia the king’s servant, saying: 13. Go and consult the Lord concerning me, and concerning the people, and concerning all Juda, touching the words of this book which is found: for the great wrath of the Lord is kindled against us, because our fathers have not hearkened to the words of this book, to do all that is written for us. 14. So Helcias the priest, and Ahicam, and Achobor, and Saphan, and Asaia went to Holda the prophetess, the wife of Sellum the son of Thecua, the son of Araas, keeper of the wardrobe, who dwelt in Jerusalem in the Second: and they spoke to her. 15. And she answered them: Thus saith the Lord the God of Israel: Tell the man that sent you to me: 16. Thus saith the Lord: Behold I will bring evils upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, all the words of the law which the king of Juda hath read: 17. Because they have forsaken me, and have sacrificed to strange gods, provoking me to anger with all the works of their hands: and my indignation shall be kindled against this place, and shall not be quenched. 18. But to the king of Juda, who sent you to consult the Lord, thus shall you say: Thus saith the Lord the God of Israel: Because thou hast heard the words of this book, 19. And thy heart hath been terrified, and thou hast been humbled before the Lord, hearing the words against this place and the inhabitants thereof, that they should become a wonder and a curse: and thou hast rent thy garments, and wept before me, I also have heard thee, saith the Lord: 20. Therefore I will gather thee to thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered to thy sepulchre in peace, that thy eyes may not see all the evils which I will bring upon this place.
1. JOSIAS WAS EIGHT YEARS OLD WHEN HE BEGAN TO REIGN.—This name was given him by God and foretold 327 years before; for so many flowed from Roboam and Jeroboam to Josias, 3 Kings 13:2. For Josias in Hebrew is called as it were Josiyahu, that is, the gift or offering of God, or as it were Esh-Yah, that is, the fire of God, on account of his zeal and fiery sacrifices, and because he burned idolaters with fire.
Hear the author of the Imperfect Work among the works of Chrysostom, homily 4 on Matthew: “Josias is interpreted a victim to the Lord, or salvation to the Lord. By the providence of God, according to what Josias was to be, it was ordained that this name be given him, where it is a victim to the Lord, or salvation of the Lord: since truly in him was a victim of the Lord. For he offered to the Lord God such a sacrifice as no king before him or after him. And he himself was a victim to God according to what the Apostle commands: That you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing unto God. And he himself was, in his time, salvation from God to his people.” And below: “For Josias is the third whose name was prophesied before he was born. These three are: Samson, Josias, John.”
5. TO REPAIR THE REPAIRS OF THE TEMPLE.—Josias in the restoration of the temple imitated his great-grandfather Joas king of Juda, and followed his method in the restoration.
7. BUT LET NOT THE SILVER BE RECKONED TO THEM,—that is, let no account and reckoning be demanded of them, but let all the money and expense be entrusted to their faith, which Joas had commanded in other words in chapter 12, v. 15, saying: “No reckoning was asked of the men that received the money to distribute it to the workmen, but they dealt faithfully.”
8. I HAVE FOUND THE BOOK OF THE LAW IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD,—namely Deuteronomy, as Chrysostom says, homily 9 on chapter 2 of Matthew, St. Athanasius, epistle to Marcellinus, and Abulensis; or the whole Pentateuch, as Josephus says, who adds that it was found in the treasury, while from it they were taking gold for the repairs of the roofs of the temple. Namely, in the time of the impious Manasses, who reigned 55 years, for so many years the law was so neglected, and the worship of God so profaned, that “the book of the law” is written of as a thing newly found, says Cajetan. Lyranus adds from Rabbi Solomon that the impious Achaz, who was the grandfather of Manasses, burned the books of the law, lest he should be convicted by them of violated law and idolatry. Wherefore the priests secretly hid the book of the law in a wall of the temple which they had pierced and closed up; but the masons, while by command of Josias they were repairing the roofs of the temple, found the book, and carried it to the high priest, and he to king Josias.
14. SO HELCIAS THE PRIEST, etc., WENT TO HOLDA THE PROPHETESS, THE WIFE (the Septuagint of Sixtus has, the mother) OF SELLUM.—The Hebrews relate that this “Sellum” was the uncle of the father of Jeremias. Why did they not go to Jeremias, who was then prophesying? Perhaps because he was away from the city. St. Jerome adds, Against the Pelagians, book 2, that in the fact that a woman is consulted there is a hidden reproach of the king, the priests and all the men, that no holy man could be found who could foretell the future. Finally “Holda” was, for age, prudence, holiness and oracles, famous and venerable among all, equally with Debbora, Judges chapter 4, and Anna the mother of Samuel, 1 Kings chapter 1.
WHO DWELT IN JERUSALEM IN THE SECOND,—namely in that part of the city which was called the “Second City,” next to the second wall (for there were in all three walls) of the city, and near the second or middle gate, which was called “of the fishes,” by which one went into the temple, whence by it the Chaldeans invaded Jerusalem and the temple. So St. Jerome in the place just cited, Villalpandus, Ribera, Salianus, Serarius and others. See Adrichomius in his Description of Jerusalem. The Chaldee for “Second” has house of teaching, that is, a school; Vatablus, a place of second rank after the temple, in which pains were given to learning and teaching. For in it dwelt the prophets and teachers, and among them the Rechabites. Hence also the Talmud is divided into Mishna and Gemara. For Mishna signifies second, as if the first were the law of Moses, the second the Talmudic repetition and explanation of the law.