2 Kings 22:12

And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Achbor the son of Michaiah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asahiah a servant of the king's, saying,

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(12) And the king commanded . . .—Comp. the similar embassy to Isaiah (2Kings 19:2).

As to Ahikam see Jeremiah 26:24; Jeremiah 40:5; and for Achbor, Jeremiah 26:22; Jeremiah 36:12.

Asahiah a servant of the king’s.—Probably the same officer as “the knight” or aide-de-camp who attended on the king (2Kings 7:2; 2Kings 9:25.)

Benson Commentary

2 Kings 22:12-13. Asahiah, a servant of the king’s — Who most constantly waited upon the king’s person; otherwise all of those here mentioned were the king’s servants. Go ye, inquire of the Lord for me, and for the people, &c. — What we shall do to appease his wrath, and whether the curses here threatened must come upon us without remedy, or whether there be hope in Israel concerning the prevention of them. For great is the wrath of the Lord, because our fathers, &c. — In the glass of the divine law, he saw the sins of his people to be more numerous and more heinous than he had before seen them, and more exceeding sinful. And he saw that the wrath of God was kindled in a high degree against the whole nation, not only for the sins of the present generation, but because that from their first coming out of Egypt to this time, they had been almost in the constant habit of disregarding and violating the divine laws, and that in the most notorious and flagrant instances.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

22:11-20 The book of the law is read before the king. Those best honour their Bibles, who study them; daily feed on that bread, and walk by that light. Convictions of sin and wrath should put us upon this inquiry, What shall we do to be saved? Also, what we may expect, and must provide for. Those who are truly apprehensive of the weight of God's wrath, cannot but be very anxious how they may be saved. Huldah let Josiah know what judgments God had in store for Judah and Jerusalem. The generality of the people were hardened, and their hearts unhumbled, but Josiah's heart was tender. This is tenderness of heart, and thus he humbled himself before the Lord. Those who most fear God's wrath, are least likely to feel it. Though Josiah was mortally wounded in battle, yet he died in peace with God, and went to glory. Whatever such persons suffer or witness, they are gathered to the grave in peace, and shall enter into the rest which remaineth for the people of God.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

He rent his clothes - Partly grief and horror, like Reuben Genesis 37:29 and Job JObadiah 1:20, partly in repentance, like Ahab 1 Kings 21:27.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

12-15. the king commanded … 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.

Ahikam—a friend of Jeremiah (Jer 26:24).

Matthew Poole's Commentary

A servant of the king’s, who most constantly waited upon the king’s person; otherwise all of them were the king’s servants.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest,.... The high priest, as he is called, 2 Kings 22:4.

and Ahikam the son of Shaphan; whether the same with Shaphan the scribe, before mentioned, or another of the same name, is not certain:

and Achbor the son of Michaiah; who is called Abdon, the son of Micah, 2 Chronicles 34:20.

and Shaphan the scribe; who brought and read the book to the king:

and Asahiah, a servant of the king's; that waited on him constantly:

saying; as follows.

Geneva Study Bible

And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Achbor the son of Michaiah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asahiah a servant of the king's, saying,

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

12. Ahikam the son of Shaphan] Ahikam was father of Gedaliah (Jeremiah 39:14), and continued in an official position in the reign of Jehoiakim (Jeremiah 26:24). Ahikam must have been a person of ripe years to be sent on such an errand as this to Huldah. Hence Shaphan his father must have been of an advanced age. (See above on verse 3.)

Achbor the son of Michaiah] R.V. Micaiah. He is not mentioned except in this history. In the parallel place of Chronicles (2 Chronicles 34:20) he is called Abdon the son of Micah.

Asahiah a servant of the king’s] R.V. Asaiah the king’s servant. The name is so spelt in 2 Chronicles 34:20. ‘Servant’ in such phrases signifies some person of influence in close attendance on the king. See on v. 13 above.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 12. - And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan. "Ahikam the son of Shaphan" is almost certainly Jeremiah's protector at the court of Jehoiakim (Jeremiah 26:24), the father of the Godaliah who wan made governor of Judaea on Nebuchadnezzar's final conquest (Jeremiah 39:14; Jeremiah 40:7). "Shaphan;' his father, is no doubt "Shaphan the scribe." And Achbor the son of Michaiah. The parallel passage of Chronicles (2 Chronicles 34:20) has "Abdon the son of Micah," which is probably a corrupt reading. Achbor was the father of El-nathan, one of the "princes of Judah" (Jeremiah 36:12) in Jehoiakim's reign. And Shaphan the scribe, and Asa-hiah a servant of the king's - or Asaiah, as the name is given in Chronicles, l.s.c. - saying, 2 Kings 22:12

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

In his alarm at the words of the book of the law that had been read to him, Josiah rent his clothes, and sent a deputation to the prophetess Huldah, to make inquiry of Jehovah through her concerning the things which he had heard from the law. The deputation consisted of the high priest Hilkiah, Ahikam the supporter of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 26:24) and the father of Gedaliah the governor (2 Kings 25:22; Jeremiah 39:14, etc.), Achbor the son of Michaiah, Shaphan the state-secretary (2 Kings 22:3), and Asahiah the servant (i.e., an officer) of the king.