John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 9. And Shaphan the scribe came to the king, and brought the king word again , etc.] Of the delivery of his message to the high priest, and of what had been done upon it: and said, thy servants have gathered the money that was found in the house ; meaning Hilkiah and himself, who had examined the chest in the temple, into which the money was put for the repairs of it, and had taken it out, and told it: and have delivered it into the hand of them that do the work, that have the oversight of the house of the Lord ; according to the king’s orders.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-10 - The different event of Josiah's early succession from that of Manasseh must be ascribed to the distinguishing grace of God; yet probably the persons that trained him up were instruments in producing thi difference. His character was most excellent. Had the people joined in the reformation as heartily as he persevered in it, blessed effect would have followed. But they were wicked, and had become fools in idolatry. We do not obtain full knowledge of the state of Judah from the historical records, unless we refer to the writings of the prophet who lived at the time. In repairing the temple, the book of the law wa found, and brought to the king. It seems, this book of the law was los and missing; carelessly mislaid and neglected, as some throw their Bibles into corners, or maliciously concealed by some of the idolaters God's care of the Bible plainly shows his interest in it. Whether thi was the only copy in being or not, the things contained in it were new both to the king and to the high priest. No summaries, extracts, or collections out of the Bible, can convey and preserve the knowledge of God and his will, like the Bible itself. It was no marvel that the people were so corrupt, when the book of the law was so scarce; the that corrupted them, no doubt, used arts to get that book out of their hands. The abundance of Bibles we possess aggravates our national sins for what greater contempt of God can we show, than to refuse to rea his word when put into our hands, or, reading it, not to believe an obey it? By the holy law is the knowledge of sin, and by the blesse gospel is the knowledge of salvation. When the former is understood in its strictness and excellence, the sinner begins to inquire, What mus I do to be saved? And the ministers of the gospel point out to his Jesus Christ, as the end of the law for righteousness to every one tha believeth.
Original Hebrew ויבא935 שׁפן8227 הספר5608 אל413 המלך4428 וישׁב7725 את853 המלך4428 דבר1697 ויאמר559 התיכו5413 עבדיך5650 את853 הכסף3701 הנמצא4672 בבית1004 ויתנהו5414 על5921 יד3027 עשׂי6213 המלאכה4399 המפקדים6485 בית1004 יהוה׃3068
