◄ 2 Kings 22:20 ►
Therefore I will indeed gather you to your fathers, and you will be gathered to your grave in peace. Your eyes will not see all the calamity that I will bring on this place.'" So they brought her answer back to the king.
Study Bible
‘Therefore I will indeed gather you to your fathers,

God promised Josiah that his life would end before Judah experienced the judgment announced against Jerusalem. Being gathered to one’s fathers described death and burial among one’s people, preserving the importance of family, covenant history, and an honorable resting place. Josiah’s humble response to God’s Law distinguished him from the hardened generation around him.

Gen 15:15 You, however, will go to your fathers in peace…
Gen 25:8 And at a ripe old age he breathed his last and died,…

and you will be gathered to your grave in peace.

The promised peace meant that Josiah would be spared the national terror of Jerusalem’s fall, the destruction of the temple, and the Babylonian exile. Although Josiah later died from wounds received at Megiddo, he was brought back to Jerusalem, buried in his own tomb, and mourned deeply by Judah and Jerusalem (2 Kings 23:29–30; 2 Chronicles 35:24–25). God granted him rest before the judgment fell.

1Ki 14:13 All Israel will mourn for him and bury him.…
Isa 57:1-2 The righteous perish, and no one takes it to heart…

Your eyes will not see all the calamity that I will bring on this place.’”

Jerusalem’s coming calamity was certain because of Judah’s longstanding idolatry and rebellion, yet God showed mercy to His repentant servant. Josiah would not witness the devastation that later came through Babylon. His deliverance anticipates the biblical pattern of God distinguishing those who fear Him amid deserved judgment.

Jer 19:3 Hear the word of the LORD, O kings of Judah…
2Ki 21:12-15 this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says:…

So they brought her answer back to the king.

Huldah’s word carried God’s authority to the king and confirmed the message of the Book of the Law found in the temple. Her ministry shows that the Lord raised up faithful women as prophetic witnesses in Israel. Josiah received her message seriously, and his response led to renewed covenant commitment and sweeping reforms throughout Judah.

2Ch 34:28 Now I will indeed gather you to your fathers…
2Ki 19:6-7 who replied, “Tell your master that this is what the LORD…

Persons / Places / Events
1. King Josiah
The king of Judah who initiated religious reforms and sought to restore the worship of Yahweh. He is known for his dedication to God and his efforts to rid Judah of idolatry.

2. Huldah the Prophetess
A prophetess in Jerusalem who delivered God's message to King Josiah regarding the fate of Judah and Josiah's own future.

3. Jerusalem
The capital city of Judah, where the temple was located and where Josiah's reforms took place.

4. The Book of the Law
Discovered during temple repairs, this book prompted Josiah's reforms and led to the consultation with Huldah.

5. The Disaster
Refers to the impending judgment and destruction that God was going to bring upon Judah due to their persistent idolatry and disobedience.
Teaching Points
God's Mercy in Judgment
Even in the face of impending judgment, God shows mercy to the faithful. Josiah's peaceful death is a testament to God's compassion for those who earnestly seek Him.

The Importance of Godly Leadership
Josiah's reforms highlight the impact a godly leader can have on a nation. His dedication to God's law serves as a model for leaders today.

The Consequences of Disobedience
The disaster foretold for Judah underscores the serious consequences of turning away from God. It serves as a warning to remain faithful and obedient.

Seeking God's Guidance
Josiah's consultation with Huldah demonstrates the importance of seeking divine guidance in times of uncertainty and decision-making.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does Josiah's response to the discovery of the Book of the Law challenge us to respond to God's Word in our own lives?

2. In what ways can we, like Josiah, influence our communities and nations towards righteousness and away from idolatry?

3. How does the promise of a peaceful death for Josiah reflect God's character, and how can this assurance comfort us in our own lives?

4. What lessons can we learn from the impending disaster on Judah about the consequences of collective disobedience to God?

5. How can we apply the principle of seeking God's guidance, as Josiah did through Huldah, in our daily decision-making processes?
Connections to Other Scriptures
2 Chronicles 34
Provides a parallel account of Josiah's reign and reforms, offering additional details about his response to the Book of the Law.

Deuteronomy 31:16-18
Foretells the future unfaithfulness of Israel and the resulting consequences, which align with the disaster mentioned in 2 Kings 22:20.

Isaiah 57:1-2
Speaks of the righteous being taken away to be spared from future calamities, similar to the promise given to Josiah.
Sermons
A Monarch of Rare Virtue, and a God of Retributive JusticeDavid Thomas, D. D.2 Kings 22:1-20
A Monarch of Rare Virtue, and a God of Retributive JusticeD. Thomas 2 Kings 22:1-20
Josiah and the Book of the LawMonday Club Sermons2 Kings 22:1-20
Josiah's ReformationAlex. Whyte, D. D.2 Kings 22:1-20
The Finding of the Law-BookJ. Orr 2 Kings 22:8-20
People
Achbor, Adaiah, Ahikam, Asahiah, Asaiah, Azaliah, David, Harhas, Hilkiah, Huldah, Jedidah, Josiah, Meshullam, Micaiah, Michaiah, Shallum, Shaphan, Tikvah
Places
Bozkath, Jerusalem, Second Quarter
Topics
Behold, Bring, Bringing, Buried, Cause, Disaster, Evil, Fathers, Gather, Gathered, Gathering, Grave, Hast, Message, News, Peace, Resting-place
Dictionary of Bible Themes
2 Kings 22:20

     9022   death, believers

2 Kings 22:11-20

     8160   seeking God

2 Kings 22:13-20

     8129   guidance, examples

2 Kings 22:14-20

     5745   women

2 Kings 22:15-20

     1429   prophecy, OT fulfilment

2 Kings 22:18-20

     5932   response

Library
The Rediscovered Law and Its Effects
'And Hilkiah the high priest said unto Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of the Lord: and Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it. 9. And Shaphan the scribe came to the king, and brought the king word again, and said, Thy servants have gathered the money that was found in the house, and have delivered it into the hand of them that do the work, that have the oversight of the house of the Lord. 10. And Shaphan the scribe shewed the king, saying, Hilkiah the …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Josiah, a Pattern for the Ignorant.
"Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the Lord, when thou heardest what I spake against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and hast rent thy clothes, and wept before Me; I also have heard thee, saith the Lord. Behold therefore, I will gather thee unto thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered into thy grave in peace; and thine eyes shall not see all the evil which I will bring upon this place."--2 Kings …
John Henry Newman—Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VIII

A Traveler's Note-Book
A tourist who roams for a brief while through some great country like England or Russia may jot down a few of the impressions which come home to him, making no pretense at completeness or symmetry of description. So, one who has journeyed like a hasty traveler over some passages in that vast tract of years which we describe as the classic and Christian civilizations, notes down in the following pages a few of the salient features that have impressed him. He has already prefaced this with a sort …
George S. Merriam—The Chief End of Man

Whether Determinate Things are Required for a Sacrament?
Objection 1: It seems that determinate things are not required for a sacrament. For sensible things are required in sacraments for the purpose of signification, as stated above [4343](A[4]). But nothing hinders the same thing being signified by divers sensible things: thus in Holy Scripture God is signified metaphorically, sometimes by a stone (2 Kings 22:2; Zech. 3:9; 1 Cor. 10:4; Apoc. 4:3); sometimes by a lion (Is. 31:4; Apoc. 5:5); sometimes by the sun (Is. 60:19,20; Mal. 4:2), or by something …
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

The Instrumentality of the Wicked Employed by God, While He Continues Free from Every Taint.
1. The carnal mind the source of the objections which are raised against the Providence of God. A primary objection, making a distinction between the permission and the will of God, refuted. Angels and men, good and bad, do nought but what has been decreed by God. This proved by examples. 2. All hidden movements directed to their end by the unseen but righteous instigation of God. Examples, with answers to objections. 3. These objections originate in a spirit of pride and blasphemy. Objection, that …
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion

The Medes and the Second Chaldaean Empire
THE FALL OF NINEVEH AND THE RISE OF THE CHALDAEAN AND MEDIAN EMPIRES--THE XXVIth EGYPTIAN DYNASTY: CYAXARES, ALYATTES, AND NEBUCHADREZZAR. The legendary history of the kings of Media and the first contact of the Medes with the Assyrians: the alleged Iranian migrations of the Avesta--Media-proper, its fauna and flora; Phraortes and the beginning of the Median empire--Persia proper and the Persians; conquest of Persia by the Medes--The last monuments of Assur-bani-pal: the library of Kouyunjik--Phraortes …
G. Maspero—History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 8

The First Blast of the Trumpet
The English Scholar's Library etc. No. 2. The First Blast of the Trumpet &c. 1558. The English Scholar's Library of Old and Modern Works. No. 2. The First Blast of the Trumpet &c. 1558. Edited by EDWARD ARBER, F.S.A., etc., LECTURER IN ENGLISH LITERATURE, ETC., UNIVERSITY COLLEGE, LONDON. SOUTHGATE, LONDON, N. 15 August 1878. No. 2. (All rights reserved.) CONTENTS. Bibliography vii-viii Introduction …
John Knox—The First Blast of the Trumpet

Why Should we not Believe These to be Angelic Operations through Dispensation of The...
16. Why should we not believe these to be angelic operations through dispensation of the providence of God, Who maketh good use of both good things and evil, according to the unsearchable depth of His judgments? whether thereby the minds of mortals be instructed, or whether deceived; whether consoled, or whether terrified: according as unto each one there is to be either a showing of mercy, or a taking of vengeance, by Him to Whom, not without a meaning, the Church doth sing "of mercy and of judgment." …
St. Augustine—On Care to Be Had for the Dead.

The Credibility of Scripture Sufficiently Proved in So Far as Natural Reason Admits.
1. Secondary helps to establish the credibility of Scripture. I. The arrangement of the sacred volume. II. Its dignity. III. Its truth. IV. Its simplicity. V. Its efficacy. 2. The majesty conspicuous in the writings of the Prophets. 3. Special proofs from the Old Testament. I. The antiquity of the Books of Moses. 4. This antiquity contrasted with the dreams of the Egyptians. II. The majesty of the Books of Moses. 5. The miracles and prophecies of Moses. A profane objection refuted. 6. Another profane …
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion

Authorship of the Pentateuch.
The term Pentateuch is composed of the two Greek words, pente, five, and teuchos, which in later Alexandrine usage signified book. It denotes, therefore, the collection of five books; or, the five books of the law considered as a whole. 1. In our inquiries respecting the authorship of the Pentateuch, we begin with the undisputed fact that it existed in its present form in the days of Christ and his apostles, and had so existed from the time of Ezra. When the translators of the Greek version, …
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible

Synagogues: their Origin, Structure and Outward Arrangements
It was a beautiful saying of Rabbi Jochanan (Jer. Ber. v. 1), that he who prays in his house surrounds and fortifies it, so to speak, with a wall of iron. Nevertheless, it seems immediately contradicted by what follows. For it is explained that this only holds good where a man is alone, but that where there is a community prayer should be offered in the synagogue. We can readily understand how, after the destruction of the Temple, and the cessation of its symbolical worship, the excessive value attached …
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life

The Greater Prophets.
1. We have already seen (Chap. 15, Nos. 11 and 12) that from Moses to Samuel the appearances of prophets were infrequent; that with Samuel and the prophetical school established by him there began a new era, in which the prophets were recognized as a distinct order of men in the Theocracy; and that the age of written prophecy did not begin till about the reign of Uzziah, some three centuries after Samuel. The Jewish division of the latter prophets--prophets in the more restricted sense of the …
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible

Of the Power of Making Laws. The Cruelty of the Pope and his Adherents, in this Respect, in Tyrannically Oppressing and Destroying Souls.
1. The power of the Church in enacting laws. This made a source of human traditions. Impiety of these traditions. 2. Many of the Papistical traditions not only difficult, but impossible to be observed. 3. That the question may be more conveniently explained, nature of conscience must be defined. 4. Definition of conscience explained. Examples in illustration of the definition. 5. Paul's doctrine of submission to magistrates for conscience sake, gives no countenance to the Popish doctrine of the obligation …
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion

Of the Effects of those Prerogatives.
From these prerogatives there will arise to the elect in heaven, five notable effects:-- 1. They shall know God with a perfect knowledge (1 Cor. i. 10), so far as creatures can possibly comprehend the Creator. For there we shall see the Word, the Creator; and in the Word, all creatures that by the Word were created; so that we shall not need to learn (of the things which were made) the knowledge of him by whom all things were made. The most excellent creatures in this life, are but as a dark veil …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

Meditations for one that is Like to Die.
If thy sickness be like to increase unto death, then meditate on three things:--First, How graciously God dealeth with thee. Secondly, From what evils death will free thee. Thirdly, What good death will bring unto thee. The first sort of Meditations are, to consider God's favourable dealing with thee. 1. Meditate that God uses this chastisement of thy body but as a medicine to cure thy soul, by drawing thee, who art sick in sin, to come by repentance unto Christ, thy physician, to have thy soul healed …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

Kings
The book[1] of Kings is strikingly unlike any modern historical narrative. Its comparative brevity, its curious perspective, and-with some brilliant exceptions--its relative monotony, are obvious to the most cursory perusal, and to understand these things is, in large measure, to understand the book. It covers a period of no less than four centuries. Beginning with the death of David and the accession of Solomon (1 Kings i., ii.) it traverses his reign with considerable fulness (1 Kings iii.-xi.), …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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