2 Kings 22:8 Then Hilkiah the high priest 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, who read it.

◄ 2 Kings 22:8 ►

New International Version
Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the secretary, “I have found the Book of the Law in the temple of the LORD.” He gave it to Shaphan, who read it.

New Living Translation
Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the court secretary, “I have found the Book of the Law in the LORD’s Temple!” Then Hilkiah gave the scroll to Shaphan, and he read it.

English Standard Version
And Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the secretary, “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.

Berean Standard Bible
Then Hilkiah the high priest 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, who read it.

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
Then Hilkiah the high priest said to 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.

New American Standard Bible
Then Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the scribe, “I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the LORD.” And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, who read it.

NASB 1995
Then Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the scribe, “I have found the book of the law in the house of the LORD.” And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan who read it.

NASB 1977
Then Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the scribe, “I have found the book of the law in the house of the LORD.” And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan who read it.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the scribe, “I have found the book of the law in the house of Yahweh.” And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan and he read it.

Amplified Bible
Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the scribe, “I have found the Book of the Law in the house (temple) of the LORD.” Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it.

Christian Standard Bible
The high priest Hilkiah told the court secretary Shaphan, “I have found the book of the law in the LORD’s temple,” and he gave the book to Shaphan, who read it.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Hilkiah the high priest told Shaphan the court secretary, “I have found the book of the law in the LORD’s temple,” and he gave the book to Shaphan, who read it.

American Standard Version
And Hilkiah the high priest said unto Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of Jehovah. And Hilkiah delivered the book to Shaphan, and he read it.

Contemporary English Version
While Shaphan was at the temple, Hilkiah handed him a book and said, "Look what I found here in the temple--The Book of God's Law." Shaphan read it,

English Revised Version
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 delivered the book to Shaphan, and he read it.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The chief priest Hilkiah told the scribe Shaphan, "I have found the Book of Moses' Teachings in the LORD's temple." Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, who then read it.

Good News Translation
Shaphan delivered the king's order to Hilkiah, and Hilkiah told him that he had found the book of the Law in the Temple. Hilkiah gave him the book, and Shaphan read it.

International Standard Version
Later on, Hilkiah the high priest informed Shaphan the scribe, "I've discovered the Book of the Law in the LORD's Temple." Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he began to read it.

Majority Standard Bible
Then Hilkiah the high priest 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, who read it.

NET Bible
Hilkiah the high priest informed Shaphan the scribe, "I found the law scroll in the LORD's temple." Hilkiah gave the scroll to Shaphan and he read it.

New Heart English Bible
Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the scribe, "I have found the scroll of the law in the house of the LORD." Hilkiah delivered the book to Shaphan, and he read it.

Webster's Bible Translation
And Hilkiah the high priest said to 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.

World English Bible
Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the scribe, “I have found the book of the law in Yahweh’s house.” Hilkiah delivered the book to Shaphan, and he read it.

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
And Hilkiah the high priest says to Shaphan the scribe, “I have found [the] Scroll of the Law in the house of YHWH”; and Hilkiah gives the scroll to Shaphan, and he reads it.

Young's Literal Translation
And Hilkiah the high priest saith unto Shaphan the scribe, 'A book of the law I have found in the house of Jehovah;' and Hilkiah giveth the book unto Shaphan, and he readeth it.

Smith's Literal Translation
And Hilkiah the great priest will say to Shaphan the scribe, I found the book of the law in the house of Jehovah, and Hilkiah will give the book to Shaphan and he will read it.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
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 book to Saphan, and he read it.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Then Hilkiah, the high priest, said to Shaphan, the scribe, “I have found the book of the law in the house of the Lord.” And Hilkiah gave the volume to Shaphan, and he read it.

New American Bible
The high priest Hilkiah informed the scribe Shaphan, “I have found the book of the law in the temple of the LORD.” Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, who read it.

New Revised Standard Version
The high priest Hilkiah said to Shaphan the secretary, “I have found the book of the law in the house of the LORD.” When Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, he read it.

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
And Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of the LORD. And Hilkiah gave the book of the law to Shaphan the scribe and he read it.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And Khelqia the Priest High said to Shaphan the Scribe: “I have found the Scroll of the Law in the house of LORD JEHOVAH!” And Khelqia the Priest gave the Scroll of the Law to Shaphan the Scribe, and he read it.

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
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 delivered the book to Shaphan, and he read it.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Chelcias the high priest said to Saphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of the Lord. And Chelcias gave the book to Sapphan, and he read it.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

Hilkiah Finds the Book of the Law
8Then Hilkiah the high priest 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, who read it. 9And Shaphan the scribe went to the king and reported, “Your servants have paid out the money that was found in the temple and have put it into the hands of the workers and supervisors of the house of the LORD.”…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

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.

Deuteronomy 31:24-26
When Moses had finished writing in a book the words of this law from beginning to end, / he gave this command to the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD: / “Take this Book of the Law and place it beside the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, so that it may remain there as a witness against you.

2 Chronicles 34:18-19
Moreover, Shaphan the scribe told the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read it in the presence of the king. / When the king heard the words of the Law, he tore his clothes

Jeremiah 36:23-24
And as soon as Jehudi had read three or four columns, Jehoiakim would cut them off with a scribe’s knife and throw them into the firepot, until the entire scroll had been consumed by the fire. / Yet in hearing all these words, the king and his servants did not become frightened or tear their garments.

Nehemiah 8:1-3
At that time all the people gathered together in the square before the Water Gate, and they asked Ezra the scribe to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded for Israel. / On the first day of the seventh month, Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men and women and all who could listen and understand. / So Ezra read it aloud from daybreak until noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate, in front of the men and women and those who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.

2 Chronicles 17:9
They taught throughout Judah, taking with them the Book of the Law of the LORD. They went throughout the towns of Judah and taught the people.

2 Chronicles 35:3
To the Levites who taught all Israel and were holy to the LORD, Josiah said: “Put the holy ark in the temple built by Solomon son of David king of Israel. It is not to be carried around on your shoulders. Now serve the LORD your God and His people Israel.

2 Chronicles 34:21
“Go and inquire of the LORD for me and for those remaining in Israel and Judah concerning the words in the book that has been found. For great is the wrath of the LORD that has been poured out on us because our fathers have not kept the word of the LORD by doing all that is written in this book.”

2 Chronicles 34:30
And he went up to the house of the LORD with all the people of Judah and Jerusalem, as well as the priests and the Levites—all the people great and small—and in their hearing he read all the words of the Book of the Covenant that had been found in the house of the LORD.

2 Chronicles 34:27-28
because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before God when you heard His words against this place and against its people, and because you have humbled yourself before Me and have torn your clothes and wept before Me, I have heard you,’ declares the LORD. / ‘Now 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 and on its people.’” So they brought her answer back to the king.

2 Chronicles 34:31
So the king stood by the pillar and made a covenant before the LORD to follow the LORD and to keep His commandments, decrees, and statutes with all his heart and all his soul, and to carry out the words of the covenant that were written in this book.

2 Chronicles 34:33
And Josiah removed all the abominations from all the lands belonging to the Israelites, and he required everyone in Israel to serve the LORD their God. Throughout his reign they did not turn aside from following the LORD, the God of their fathers.

2 Chronicles 35:18
No such Passover had been observed in Israel since the days of Samuel the prophet. None of the kings of Israel ever observed a Passover like the one that Josiah observed with the priests, the Levites, all Judah, the Israelites who were present, and the people of Jerusalem.

2 Chronicles 35:19
In the eighteenth year of Josiah’s reign, this Passover was observed.

Matthew 5:17-18
Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them. / For I tell you truly, until heaven and earth pass away, not a single jot, not a stroke of a pen, will disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.

Treasury of Scripture

And Hilkiah the high priest said to 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.

I have found.

Deuteronomy 31:24-26
And it came to pass, when Moses had made an end of writing the words of this law in a book, until they were finished, …

2 Chronicles 34:14,15-28
And when they brought out the money that was brought into the house of the LORD, Hilkiah the priest found a book of the law of the LORD given by Moses…

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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

Then Hilkiah the high priest
Hilkiah, whose name means "my portion is Yahweh," served as the high priest during the reign of King Josiah. The role of the high priest was crucial in maintaining the spiritual integrity of Israel, especially during times of reform. Historically, the high priest was the chief religious leader, responsible for the temple and its services. Hilkiah's discovery marks a pivotal moment in Israel's history, as it leads to a national religious revival.

said to Shaphan the scribe
Shaphan, a scribe, was an official in King Josiah's court. The role of a scribe was significant in ancient Israel, as they were responsible for recording, preserving, and interpreting the law. Shaphan's involvement indicates the importance of the written word and its role in governance and religious life. His position allowed him to influence the king directly, highlighting the interconnectedness of religious and political spheres.

I have found the Book of the Law
The "Book of the Law" likely refers to a portion of the Torah, possibly Deuteronomy. Its discovery suggests that the Law had been neglected or lost during previous reigns, particularly under the idolatrous kings Manasseh and Amon. The Hebrew term for "found" (מָצָא, matsa) implies a rediscovery, indicating that the Law was not newly written but had been forgotten. This finding underscores the theme of returning to God's covenant and the importance of Scripture in guiding the nation.

in the house of the LORD
The "house of the LORD" refers to Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem, the central place of worship for Israel. The temple's condition had deteriorated under previous kings, and Josiah's reforms aimed to restore it. The discovery of the Book of the Law within the temple signifies a return to true worship and the centrality of God's word in the life of the nation. It also highlights the temple as a place not only of sacrifice but of divine revelation.

And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan
The act of giving the book to Shaphan signifies the transfer of responsibility and the beginning of a chain of events leading to national reform. It reflects the collaborative effort between religious and secular authorities to bring about change. This handover emphasizes the importance of stewardship of God's word and the need for leaders to be guided by Scripture.

who read it
Reading the Book of the Law was a transformative act. In ancient Israel, reading was often done aloud, making it a communal experience. The Hebrew word for "read" (קָרָא, qara) also means to proclaim or call out, suggesting that Shaphan's reading was a public declaration. This act of reading initiates a revival, as the word of God convicts and inspires the people to return to covenant faithfulness. It underscores the power of Scripture to bring about personal and societal transformation.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(8) I have found.--Literally, the book of the Torah have I found. The definite form of the expression proves that what the high priest found was something already known; it was not a book, but the book of the Law. How little the critics are agreed as to the precise character and contents of the book in question is well shown by Thenius: "Neither the entire then existing Scripture (Sebastian Schmidt), nor the Pentateuch (Josephus, Clericus, Von Lengerke, Keil, Bahr,) nor the ordered collection of Mosaic laws contained in Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers (Bertheau), nor the book of Exodus (Gramberg), nor the book of Deuteronomy (Reuss, Ewald, Hitzig) is to be understood by this expression. All these must have been brought into their present shape at a later time. What is meant is a collection of the statutes and ordinances of Moses, which has been worked up (verarbeitet) in the Pentateuch, and especially in Deuteronomy. This work is referred to by Jeremiah (Jeremiah 11:1-17),and was called "The Book of the Covenant" (2Kings 23:2). According to 2Chronicles 17:9 it already existed in the time of Jehoshaphat (comp. 2Kings 11:12, "the Testimony"); was probably preserved in the Ark (Deuteronomy 31:26), along with which in the reign of Manasseh it was put on one side. When after half a century of disuse it was found again by the high priest in going through the chambers of the Temple with a view to the intended repairs, in the Ark which, though cast aside, was still kept in the Temple, it appeared like something new, because it had been wholly forgotten (for a time), so that Shaphan could say: 'Hilkiah has given me a book' (2Kings 22:10)." (See also the Notes on 2Chronicles 34:14.) . . .

Pulpit Commentary

Verses 8-14. - Discovery of the book of the Law. When Shaphan had transacted with Hilkiah the business entrusted to him by the king, Hilkiah took the opportunity of sending word by him to the king with respect to a discovery that he had recently made, during the investigations connected with the repairs. He had found a book, which he called without any doubt or hesitation, "the book of the Law" - סֵפֶר הַתּורָה - and this book he put into the hands of Shaphan, who "read it," i.e. some of it, and found it of such importance that he took it back with him to the palace, and read a portion to the king. Hereupon the king "rent his clothes," and required that special inquiry should be made of the Lord concerning the words of the book, and particularly concerning the threatenings contained in it. The persons entrusted with this task thought it best to lay the matter before Huldah, a prophetess, who lived in Jerusalem at the time, and pro-seeded to confer with her at her residence. Verse 8. - And Hilkiah the high priest said unto Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the Law in the house of the Lord. There has been great difference of opinion as to what it was which Hilkiah had found. Ewald believes it to have been the Book of Deuteronomy, which had, he thinks, been composed some thirty or forty years before in Egypt by a Jewish exile, and had found its way, by a sort of chance, into Palestine, where "some priest" had placed a copy of it in the temple ('History of Israel,' vol. 4. pp. 233-235). Thenius suggests "a collection of the laws and ordinances of Moses, which was afterwards worked up into the Pentateuch;" Bertheau, "the three middle books of the Pentateuch, Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers;" Gramberg, "Exodus by itself." But there seem to be no sufficient grounds for questioning the ancient opinion - that of Josephus, and of the Jews generally - that it was a copy of the entire Pentateuch. (So De Wette, 'Einleitung in das Alt. Test.,' § 162 a; Keil, 'Commentary on Kings,' pp. 477, 478; Bahr, 'Commentary,' vol. 6. p. 257; and others). The words, סֵפֶר הַתּורָה, "the book of the Law," are really sufficient to decide the point; since, as Keil says, they "cannot mean anything else, either grammatically or historically, than the Mosaic book of the Law (the Pentateuch), which is so designated, as is generally admitted, in the Chronicles and the Books of Ezra and Nehemiah." The same conclusion follows from the expression, "the book of the covenant" (סֵפֶר הַּבְןןרִית), in 2 Kings 23:2, and also from 2 Kings 23:24, 25, and 2 Chronicles 34:14. Whether or no the copy was the actual original deposited in the ark of the covenant by Moses (Deuteronomy 31:26), as Keil believes, is doubtful. As Egyptian manuscripts which are from three to four thousand years old still exist in good condition, there can be no reason why a manuscript of Moses' time should not have been found and have been legible in Josiah's. But, if not the actual handwriting of Moses, it was probably its lineal descendant - the copy made for the temple service, and kept ordinarily "in the side of the ark" - which may well have been lost in the time of Manasseh or Amen, and which was now happily "found." And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it. We need not suppose that Shaphan read the whole. But he read enough to show him how important the work was, and how necessary it was to make it known to the king.

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

Then Hilkiah
חִלְקִיָּ֜הוּ (ḥil·qî·yā·hū)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 2518: Hilkiah -- 'my portion is Yah', the name of several Israelites

the high
הַגָּדוֹל֙ (hag·gā·ḏō·wl)
Article | Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 1419: Great, older, insolent

priest
הַכֹּהֵ֤ן (hak·kō·hên)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3548: Priest

said to
וַ֠יֹּאמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

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

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

“I have found
מָצָ֖אתִי (mā·ṣā·ṯî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 4672: To come forth to, appear, exist, to attain, find, acquire, to occur, meet, be present

the Book
סֵ֧פֶר (sê·p̄er)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 5612: A missive, document, writing, book

of the Law
הַתּוֹרָ֛ה (hat·tō·w·rāh)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 8451: Direction, instruction, law

in the house
בְּבֵ֣ית (bə·ḇêṯ)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1004: A house

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

And he
חִלְקִיָּ֧ה (ḥil·qî·yāh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 2518: Hilkiah -- 'my portion is Yah', the name of several Israelites

gave
וַיִּתֵּ֨ן (way·yit·tên)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5414: To give, put, set

[it]
הַסֵּ֛פֶר (has·sê·p̄er)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5612: A missive, document, writing, book

to
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

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

who read it.
וַיִּקְרָאֵֽהוּ׃ (way·yiq·rā·’ê·hū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular
Strong's 7121: To call, proclaim, read

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OT History: 2 Kings 22:8 Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan (2Ki iiKi ii ki 2 kg 2kg)