2 Kings 22:3 Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, King Josiah sent the scribe, Shaphan son of Azaliah, the son of Meshullam, to the house of the LORD, saying,

◄ 2 Kings 22:3 ►

New International Version
In the eighteenth year of his reign, King Josiah sent the secretary, Shaphan son of Azaliah, the son of Meshullam, to the temple of the LORD. He said:

New Living Translation
In the eighteenth year of his reign, King Josiah sent Shaphan son of Azaliah and grandson of Meshullam, the court secretary, to the Temple of the LORD. He told him,

English Standard Version
In the eighteenth year of King Josiah, the king sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, son of Meshullam, the secretary, to the house of the LORD, saying,

Berean Standard Bible
Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, King Josiah sent the scribe, Shaphan son of Azaliah, the son of Meshullam, to the house of the LORD, saying,

King James Bible
And it came to pass in the eighteenth year of king Josiah, that the king sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, the son of Meshullam, the scribe, to the house of the LORD, saying,

New King James Version
Now it came to pass, in the eighteenth year of King Josiah, that the king sent Shaphan the scribe, the son of Azaliah, the son of Meshullam, to the house of the LORD, saying:

New American Standard Bible
Now in the eighteenth year of King Josiah, the king sent Shaphan, the son of Azaliah the son of Meshullam the scribe, to the house of the LORD, saying,

NASB 1995
Now in the eighteenth year of King Josiah, the king sent Shaphan, the son of Azaliah the son of Meshullam the scribe, to the house of the LORD saying,

NASB 1977
Now it came about in the eighteenth year of King Josiah that the king sent Shaphan, the son of Azaliah the son of Meshullam the scribe, to the house of the LORD saying,

Legacy Standard Bible
Now it happened in the eighteenth year of King Josiah, that the king sent Shaphan, the son of Azaliah the son of Meshullam the scribe, to the house of Yahweh saying,

Amplified Bible
In the eighteenth year of King Josiah, the king sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, the son of Meshullam the scribe to the house of the LORD, saying,

Christian Standard Bible
In the eighteenth year of King Josiah, the king sent the court secretary Shaphan son of Azaliah, son of Meshullam, to the LORD’s temple, saying,

Holman Christian Standard Bible
In the eighteenth year of King Josiah, the king sent the court secretary Shaphan son of Azaliah, son of Meshullam, to the LORD’s temple, saying, “

American Standard Version
And it came to pass in the eighteenth year of king Josiah, that the king sent Shaphan, the son of Azaliah the son of Meshullam, the scribe, to the house of Jehovah, saying,

Contemporary English Version
After Josiah had been king for 18 years, he told Shaphan, one of his highest officials: Go to the LORD's temple

English Revised Version
And it came to pass in the eighteenth year of king Josiah, that the king sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, the son of Meshullam, the scribe, to the house of the LORD, saying,

GOD'S WORD® Translation
In Josiah's eighteenth year as king of Judah, he sent the scribe Shaphan, son of Azaliah and grandson of Meshullam, to the LORD's temple with these instructions:

Good News Translation
In the eighteenth year of his reign, King Josiah sent the court secretary Shaphan, the son of Azaliah and grandson of Meshullam, to the Temple with the order:

International Standard Version
Eighteen years after King Josiah had begun to reign, the king sent Azaliah's son Shaphan, grandson of Meshullam the scribe, to the LORD's Temple. He told him,

Majority Standard Bible
Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, King Josiah sent the scribe, Shaphan son of Azaliah, the son of Meshullam, to the house of the LORD, saying,

NET Bible
In the eighteenth year of King Josiah's reign, the king sent the scribe Shaphan son of Azaliah, son of Meshullam, to the LORD's temple with these orders:

New Heart English Bible
It happened in the eighteenth year of king Josiah, that the king sent Shaphan, the son of Azaliah the son of Meshullam, the scribe, to the house of the LORD, saying,

Webster's Bible Translation
And it came to pass in the eighteenth year of king Josiah, that the king sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, the son of Meshullam, the scribe, to the house of the LORD, saying,

World English Bible
In the eighteenth year of King Josiah, the king sent Shaphan, the son of Azaliah the son of Meshullam, the scribe, to Yahweh’s house, saying,

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
And it comes to pass, in the eighteenth year of King Josiah, the king has sent Shaphan son of Azaliah, son of Meshullam, the scribe, to the house of YHWH, saying,

Young's Literal Translation
And it cometh to pass, in the eighteenth year of king Josiah, the king hath sent Shaphan son of Azaliah, son of Meshullam, the scribe, to the house of Jehovah, saying,

Smith's Literal Translation
And it will be in the eighteenth year to king Josiah, the king sent Shaphen son of Azaliah, son of Meshullam, the scribe of the house of Jehovah, saying,

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
And in the eighteenth year of b king Josias, the king sent Saphan the son of Assia, the son of Messulam, the scribe of the temple of the Lord, saying to him:

Catholic Public Domain Version
Then, in the eighteenth year of king Josiah, the king sent Shaphan, the son of Azaliah, the son of Meshullam, the scribe of the temple of the Lord, saying to him:

New American Bible
In his eighteenth year, King Josiah sent the scribe Shaphan, son of Azaliah, son of Meshullam, to the house of the LORD with these orders:

New Revised Standard Version
In the eighteenth year of King Josiah, the king sent Shaphan son of Azaliah, son of Meshullam, the secretary, to the house of the LORD, saying,

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
Now in the eighteenth year of King Josiah, the king sent Shaphan the son of Alaziah, the son of Meshullam, the scribe, to the house of the LORD, saying,

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And in year eighteen of King Yoshiah, the King sent to Shaphan, son of Alatsia, son of Mashlam, the Scribe of the house of LORD JEHOVAH, saying:

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
And it came to pass in the eighteenth year of king Josiah, that the king sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, the son of Meshullam, the scribe, to the house of the LORD, saying.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And it came to pass in the eighteenth year of king Josias, in the eighth month, the king sent Sapphan the son of Ezelias the son of Mesollam, the scribe of the house of the Lord, saying,

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

Funding the Temple Repairs
3Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, King Josiah sent the scribe, Shaphan son of Azaliah, the son of Meshullam, to the house of the LORD, saying, 4“Go up to Hilkiah the high priest and have him count the money that has been brought into the house of the LORD, which the doorkeepers have collected from the people.…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

2 Chronicles 34:8
Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, in order to cleanse the land and the temple, Josiah sent Shaphan son of Azaliah, Maaseiah the governor of the city, and Joah son of Joahaz, the recorder, to repair the house of the LORD his God.

2 Kings 12:4-5
Then Joash said to the priests, “Collect all the money brought as sacred gifts into the house of the LORD—the census money, the money from vows, and the money brought voluntarily into the house of the LORD. / Let every priest receive it from his constituency, and let it be used to repair any damage found in the temple.”

2 Kings 23:4-6
Then the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, the priests second in rank, and the doorkeepers to remove from the temple of the LORD all the articles made for Baal, Asherah, and all the host of heaven. And he burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron and carried their ashes to Bethel. / Josiah also did away with the idolatrous priests ordained by the kings of Judah to burn incense on the high places of the cities of Judah and in the places all around Jerusalem—those who had burned incense to Baal, to the sun and moon, to the constellations, and to all the host of heaven. / He brought the Asherah pole from the house of the LORD to the Kidron Valley outside Jerusalem, and there he burned it, ground it to powder, and threw its dust on the graves of the common people.

2 Chronicles 24:4-5
Some time later, Joash set his heart on repairing the house of the LORD. / So he gathered the priests and Levites and said, “Go out to the cities of Judah and collect the money due annually from all Israel, to repair the house of your God. Do it quickly.” The Levites, however, did not make haste.

2 Chronicles 29:3-5
In the first month of the first year of his reign, Hezekiah opened and repaired the doors of the house of the LORD. / Then he brought in the priests and Levites and gathered them in the square on the east side. / “Listen to me, O Levites,” he said. “Consecrate yourselves now and consecrate the house of the LORD, the God of your fathers. Remove from the Holy Place every impurity.

2 Chronicles 34:14-15
While they were bringing out the money that had been taken into the house of the LORD, Hilkiah the priest found the Book of the Law of the LORD given by Moses. / And Hilkiah said to Shaphan the scribe, “I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the LORD!” And he gave it to Shaphan.

2 Chronicles 35:20
After all this, when Josiah had set the temple in order, Neco king of Egypt marched up to fight at Carchemish by the Euphrates, and Josiah went out to confront him.

Jeremiah 1:2
The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah in the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah,

Jeremiah 3:6
Now in the days of King Josiah, the LORD said to me, “Have you seen what faithless Israel has done? She has gone up on every high hill and under every green tree to prostitute herself there.

Matthew 21:12-13
Then Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those selling doves. / And He declared to them, “It is written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer.’ But you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’”

Mark 11:15-17
When they arrived in Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began to drive out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those selling doves. / And He would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. / Then Jesus began to teach them, and He declared, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’”

Luke 19:45-46
Then Jesus entered the temple courts and began to drive out those who were selling there. / He declared to them, “It is written: ‘My house will be a house of prayer.’ But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’”

John 2:14-16
In the temple courts He found men selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and money changers seated at their tables. / So He made a whip out of cords and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle. He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. / To those selling doves He said, “Get these out of here! How dare you turn My Father’s house into a marketplace!”

Acts 7:47-48
But it was Solomon who built the house for Him. / However, the Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands. As the prophet says:

Romans 15:4
For everything that was written in the past was written for our instruction, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures, we might have hope.

Treasury of Scripture

And it came to pass in the eighteenth year of king Josiah, that the king sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, the son of Meshullam, the scribe, to the house of the LORD, saying,

2 Chronicles 34:3-33
For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David his father: and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images…

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Azaliah Eighteenth House Josiah Josi'ah Meshullam Meshul'lam Reign Scribe Secretary Shaphan Temple

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Azaliah Eighteenth House Josiah Josi'ah Meshullam Meshul'lam Reign Scribe Secretary Shaphan Temple

2 Kings 22

1. Josiah's good reign.
3. He takes care for the repair of the temple.
8. Hilkiah having found a book of the law,
12. Josiah sends to Huldah to enquire of the Lord.
15. Huldah prophesies the destruction of Jerusalem, but respite thereof in Josiah's time.

Berean Study Bible

Now in the eighteenth year of his reign
This phrase marks a significant point in the timeline of King Josiah's rule over Judah. Josiah became king at the tender age of eight, following the assassination of his father, Amon. The eighteenth year of his reign would make him twenty-six years old, a time when he was likely coming into his own as a leader. Historically, this period is crucial as it marks the beginning of Josiah's religious reforms, which were pivotal in the history of Judah. Josiah's reign is often seen as a return to the covenantal faithfulness that had been neglected by his predecessors.

King Josiah
Josiah is one of the most revered kings of Judah, known for his dedication to the LORD and his efforts to restore true worship. His name, meaning "healed by Yahweh" or "supported by Yahweh," reflects his role as a reformer and restorer of the faith. Josiah's reign is characterized by a sincere attempt to rid Judah of idolatry and to re-establish the worship of Yahweh as prescribed in the Law of Moses. His actions are often seen as a fulfillment of the prophecies concerning the Davidic line and a foreshadowing of the ultimate restoration through Christ.

sent the scribe Shaphan
Shaphan, the scribe, plays a crucial role in the narrative of Josiah's reforms. As a scribe, Shaphan was responsible for recording and managing official documents, making him a key figure in the administration of the kingdom. His involvement in the discovery of the Book of the Law highlights the importance of literacy and record-keeping in preserving the covenantal traditions of Israel. Shaphan's actions demonstrate the collaborative effort required to bring about spiritual renewal and reform.

son of Azaliah, the son of Meshullam
The mention of Shaphan's lineage underscores the importance of family heritage and legacy in the biblical narrative. Azaliah and Meshullam, though not extensively detailed in Scripture, are part of a lineage that contributed to the spiritual and administrative life of Judah. This genealogical reference serves to authenticate Shaphan's position and authority, as well as to connect the narrative to the broader history of God's people.

to the house of the LORD
The "house of the LORD" refers to the temple in Jerusalem, the central place of worship for the Israelites. At this time, the temple had fallen into disrepair, both physically and spiritually, due to the neglect and idolatry of previous kings. Josiah's decision to send Shaphan to the temple signifies the beginning of a restoration process, both in terms of the physical structure and the spiritual life of the nation. The temple, as the dwelling place of God's presence, symbolizes the heart of Israel's covenant relationship with Yahweh.

saying
This simple word introduces the instructions that Josiah is about to give, setting the stage for the significant events that follow. It indicates the active role of Josiah in initiating reform and underscores the importance of communication and leadership in effecting change. Josiah's words, as recorded in the following verses, reveal his commitment to aligning the nation with God's will and his determination to lead by example.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(3) In the eighteenth year.--See the Notes on 2Chronicles 34:3, seq. The discourses of Jeremiah, who began his prophetic ministry in the thirteenth year of Josiah, to which Thenius refers as incomprehensible on the assumption that idolatry was extirpated throughout the country in the twelfth year of this king, would be quite reconcilable even with that assumption, which, however, it is not necessary to make, as is shown in the Notes on Chronicles. Josiah did not succeed, any more than Hezekiah, in rooting out the spirit of apostasy. (See Jeremiah 2:1; Jeremiah 4:2). The young king was, no doubt influenced for good by the discourses of Jeremiah and Zephaniah; but it is not easy to account for his heeding the prophetic teachings, considering that, as the grandson of a Manasseh and the son of an Amon he must have been brought up under precisely opposite influences (Thenius).

The king sent Shaphan . . . the scribe.--Chronicles mentions beside Maaseiah, the governor of the city, and Joah the recorder. Thenius pronounces these personages fictitious, because (1) only the scribe is mentioned in 2Kings 12:10 (?); (2) Joshua was the then governor of the city (but this is not quite clear: the Joshua of 2Kings 23:8 may have been a former governor; or, as Maaseiah and Joshua are very much alike in Hebrew, one name may be a corruption of the other); (3) Maaseiah seems to have been manufactured out of the Asahiah of 2Kings 22:12 (but Asahiah is mentioned as a distinct person in 2Chronicles 34:20); and (4) Joah the recorder seems to have been borrowed from 2Kings 18:18 (as if anything could be inferred from a recurrence of the same name; and that probably in the same family !). Upon such a basis of mere conjecture, the inference is raised that the chronicler invented these names, in order "to give a colour of genuine history to his narrative." It is obvious to reply that Shaphan only is mentioned here, as the chief man in the business. (Comp, also 2Kings 18:17; 2Kings 19:8). . . .

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 3. - And it came to pass in the eighteenth year of King Josiah (comp. 2 Chronicles 34:8). The writer of Kings, bent on abbreviating as much as possible, omits the early reforms of Josiah, which are related in 2 Chronicles 34:3-7, with perhaps some anticipation of what happened later. The young king gave marked indications of personal piety and attachment to true religion as early as the eighth year of his reign, when he was sixteen, and had just attained his majority (Ewald, 'History of Israel,' vol. 4. p. 232, note). Later, in his twelfth year, he began the purging of the temple and of Jerusalem, at the same time probably commencing the repairs spoken of in ver. 9. Jeremiah's prophesying, begun in the same or in the next year (Jeremiah 1:2), must have been a powerful assistance to his reformation. That the king sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, the son of Meshullam, the scribe, to the house of the Lord, saying. Shaphan held the office, which Shebna had held in the later part of Hezekiah's reign (2 Kings 18:18), an office of much importance and dignity. According to the author of Chronicles (2 Chronicles 34:8), there were associated with him on this occasion two other personages of importance, viz. Maaseiah, the governor of the city (comp. 1 Kings 22:26), and Joah the son of Joahaz, the "recorder," or "remembrancer."

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

Now
וַיְהִ֗י (way·hî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

in the eighteenth
בִּשְׁמֹנֶ֤ה (biš·mō·neh)
Preposition-b | Number - feminine singular
Strong's 8083: A cardinal number, eight, eighth

year
שָׁנָ֔ה (šā·nāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 8141: A year

of his reign,
לַמֶּ֖לֶךְ (lam·me·leḵ)
Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4428: A king

King
הַ֠מֶּלֶךְ (ham·me·leḵ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4428: A king

Josiah
יֹאשִׁיָּ֑הוּ (yō·šî·yā·hū)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 2977: Josiah -- 'Yah supports', two Israelites

sent
שָׁלַ֣ח (šā·laḥ)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7971: To send away, for, out

the scribe,
הַסֹּפֵ֔ר (has·sō·p̄êr)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5608: To count, recount, relate

Shaphan
שָׁפָ֨ן (šā·p̄ān)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 8227: A species of rockrabbit, the hyrax

son
בֶּן־ (ben-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1121: A son

of Azaliah,
אֲצַלְיָ֤הוּ (’ă·ṣal·yā·hū)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 683: Azaliah -- 'Yah has reserved', an Israelite

the son
בֶן־ (ḇen-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1121: A son

of Meshullam,
מְשֻׁלָּם֙ (mə·šul·lām)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 4918: Meshullam -- the name of a number of Israelites

to the house
בֵּ֥ית (bêṯ)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1004: A house

of the LORD,
יְהוָ֖ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

saying,
לֵאמֹֽר׃ (lê·mōr)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 559: To utter, say

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OT History: 2 Kings 22:3 It happened in the eighteenth year (2Ki iiKi ii ki 2 kg 2kg)