Josiah, eight years old at accession: at sixteen he begins to seek the God of David his father; at twenty he purges Judah and even the ruins of the north. In the eighteenth year, repairing the house, Hilkiah finds the book of the Law of Hashem given by Moses. 'And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the Law, that he rent his clothes.' Huldah the prophetess answers: the evil will come, but 'neither shall your eyes see all the evil' — 'because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before God.' The king stands in his place and makes the covenant, and all his days they depart not from following Hashem.
Tap any Hebrew word to reveal its root, value, and meanings.
Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign; and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem.
verse value 3417
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 45 letters. The shortest word is "year" (שָׁנָ֔ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "son·of·eight" (בֶּן־שְׁמוֹנֶ֥ה, 7 letters). The root שנה appears 2 times in this verse. 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "in·his·reigning" (root מלך, 344x in II Chronicles); "son·of·eight" (root בן, 225x in II Chronicles); "in·Jerusalem" (root ירושלם, 127x in II Chronicles). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·his·reigning', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 5 words. Full calculation: בֶּן־שְׁמוֹנֶ֥ה [son·of·eight] (453) + שָׁנִ֖ים [years] (400) + יֹאשִׁיָּ֣הוּ [Josiah] (332) + בְמׇלְכ֑וֹ [in·his·reigning] (98) + וּשְׁלֹשִׁ֤ים [and·thirty] (686) + וְאַחַת֙ [and·one] (415) + שָׁנָ֔ה [year] (355) + מָלַ֖ךְ [he·reigned] (90) + בִּירוּשָׁלִָֽם [in·Jerusalem] (588) = 3417.
And he did that which was right in the eyes of Hashem, and walked in the ways of David his father, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left.
verse value 2204
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 49 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֑ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "and·he·did" (וַיַּ֥עַשׂ, 4 letters) and the longest is "and·left" (וּשְׂמֹֽאול, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Chronicles. Unique to this verse in II Chronicles (hapax): "right" (יָמִ֥ין), "and·left" (וּשְׂמֹֽאול). 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 384x in II Chronicles); "and·he·did" (root עשה, 159x in II Chronicles); "his·father" (root אב, 114x in II Chronicles). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Hashem', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 7 words. Full calculation: וַיַּ֥עַשׂ [and·he·did] (386) + הַיָּשָׁ֖ר [the·right] (515) + בְּעֵינֵ֣י [in·eyes·of] (142) + יְהֹוָ֑ה [Hashem] (26) + וַיֵּ֗לֶךְ [and·he·walked] (66) + בְּדַרְכֵי֙ [in·ways·of] (236) + דָּוִ֣יד [David] (24) + אָבִ֔יו [his·father] (19) + וְלֹא־סָ֖ר [and·not·he·turned·aside] (297) + יָמִ֥ין [right] (110) + וּשְׂמֹֽאול [and·left] (383) = 2204.
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 Asherim, and the graven images, and the molten images.
verse value 6982
Insights
Verse structure: 22 words, 111 letters. Notable word values: "and·he" (וְהוּא֙) = 18, chai, 'life'. The shortest word is "boy" (נַ֔עַר, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·in·eight" (וּבִשְׁמוֹנֶ֨ה, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 43: he·began, he·began. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Chronicles. Unique to this verse in II Chronicles (hapax): "and·in·eight" (וּבִשְׁמוֹנֶ֨ה), "and·in·two" (וּבִשְׁתֵּ֧ים), "from·the·high·places" (מִן־הַבָּמוֹת֙). The root שנה appears 2 times in this verse. 20 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "of·his·reigning" (root מלך, 344x in II Chronicles); "to·the·God·of" (root אלהים, 202x in II Chronicles); "Judah" (root יהודה, 129x in II Chronicles). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'his·father', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 11 words.
Rashi
when he was still a youth, he started to seek The meaning is that although he was still a youth, he started to seek after the God of David his father. This is similar to (Gen. 37:2): “and as a youth, with the sons of Bilhah, etc., Joseph brought evil reports of them,” and this is not surprising, but if he were thirty years old, he would not have done it. It is, however, surprising, that he (Josiah) was a youth, and nevertheless, he started to seek, etc. he started to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the asherim that Manasseh had made and that Amon his son had renewed, as above (33:3): “And he rebuilt the high places that Hezekiah his father had demolished, etc.”
Metzudat David
For in the eighth year, etc. – At the time when he was eight years old, which was the time of his becoming king, at the very beginning of his reign.
Metzudat Zion
began - [meaning] started.
Malbim
while he was yet young — Meaning, even though he was then a youth of sixteen years old, he had already begun to seek God. and in the twelfth year — In Kings it is mentioned that he abolished the idols in the eighteenth year of his reign, after they found the Torah scroll and made the covenant mentioned in this chapter, through verse 33. But Ezra informs us that he had already begun to remove the idols from the land in the twelfth year of his reign. Therefore [Ezra] gathers here together everything he did in this matter, even though some of these deeds were done [only] in the eighteenth year of his reign. And in verse 33 it says that after making the covenant he removed the rest of the abominations that remained. It may also be said that what is told in Kings (ch. 23) likewise did not all happen in the eighteenth year — for he had already begun this in the twelfth year — only that there [in Kings] everything is arranged as of the time it was completed, whereas here everything is arranged as of the time it began.
And they broke down the altars of the Baalim in his presence; and the sun-images, that were on high above them, he hewed down; and the Asherim, and the graven images, and the molten images, he broke in pieces, and made dust of them, and strewed it upon the graves of those who had sacrificed to them.
verse value 5880
Insights
Verse structure: 19 words, 102 letters. The shortest word is "he·hewed·down" (גִּדֵּ֑עַ, 3 letters) and the longest is "that·on·high" (אֲשֶׁר־לְמַ֥עְלָה, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 562: and·they·broke·down, and·the·Asherim. 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Chronicles. Unique to this verse in II Chronicles (hapax): "the·Baalim" (הַבְּעָלִ֔ים), "and·the·sun-images" (וְהַחַמָּנִ֛ים), "that·on·high" (אֲשֶׁר־לְמַ֥עְלָה). The root פנים appears 2 times in this verse. 18 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "before·him" (root פנים, 116x in II Chronicles); "from·upon·them" (root על, 111x in II Chronicles); "to·them" (root הם, 41x in II Chronicles). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'he·hewed·down', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 10 words.
Rashi
and the sun images images of the sun. that were above That they had placed above them, on high, opposite the sun, and they would prostrate themselves to it. Manasseh had done all this, as it is written above (33:3): “and he prostrated himself to the entire host of the heaven, and he worshipped them.” and he cast them upon the graves Here was fulfilled what he said to Jeroboam, (I Kings 13:2): “so said the Lord, ‘Behold a son will be born to the house of David, Josiah will be his name, and upon you will he sacrifice, etc., and human bones, etc.’”
Ralbag
'and the sun-images, that were on high above them, he hewed down; and the Asherim...' — Meaning, he had already cut down the Asherim and the sun-images (chamanim), as the Torah says, 'and you shall cut down their Asherim.' It appears from this that the chamanim were a kind of tree associated with the sun, [the idolaters] believing that a spiritual influence flowed to them from the sun. 'the graven images, and the molten images, he broke in pieces, and made dust of them, and strewed it upon the graves of those who had sacrificed to them' — Meaning, he scattered what he had ground to dust so that no one could benefit from it, upon the graves — that is, the graves of the men who had sacrificed to these idols; and the bones of the idolatrous priests he burned upon their altars, to defile them.
Metzudat David
And they broke down – His men broke them down in his presence. and made dust of them – He ground them very fine. of those who had sacrificed – [The graves] of those who had sacrificed to them [the idols], in order to disgrace them.
Metzudat Zion
sun-images - Images of the sun. hewed down - [meaning] cut down. made dust of them - An expression of fineness, [reducing something] to powder. strewed - [meaning] cast.
Malbim
And they broke down — First he did this in the cities of Judah, and in verse 7 [Scripture] tells a second time that he did so in the cities of Manasseh and Ephraim. And what it says, 'upon the graves of those who had sacrificed to them,' explains [the phrase] 'of those who had sacrificed' — namely, what is written in Kings (there, verse 7), 'and he cast its dust upon the graves of the common people,' and burned the bones of the priests, as stated there, verse 16.
Cross-references: I Kings 13:2; II Kings 23:4; II Kings 23:6
And he burnt the bones of the priests upon their altars, and purged Judah and Jerusalem.
verse value 4087
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 52 letters. The shortest word is "he·burned" (שָׂרַ֖ף, 3 letters) and the longest is "upon·their·altars" (עַל־מִזְבְּחוֹתָ֑ם, 9 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Chronicles. Unique to this verse in II Chronicles (hapax): "and·bones·of" (וְעַצְמוֹת֙), "he·burned" (שָׂרַ֖ף), "upon·their·altars" (עַל־מִזְבְּחוֹתָ֑ם). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Judah" (root יהודה, 129x in II Chronicles); "and·Jerusalem" (root ירושלם, 127x in II Chronicles); "priests" (root כהן, 90x in II Chronicles). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'upon·their·altars', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 4 words.
Metzudat David
of the priests – The priests of idol worship who had already died.
And so did he in the cities of Manasseh and Ephraim and Simeon, even to Naphtali, with their axes round about.
verse value 3550
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 49 letters. Verse gematria: 3550 is divisible by 50, the years to the Jubilee (yovel). The shortest word is "Manasseh" (מְנַשֶּׁ֧ה, 4 letters) and the longest is "and·unto·Naphtali" (וְעַד־נַפְתָּלִ֑י, 8 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Chronicles. Unique to this verse in II Chronicles (hapax): "and·Simeon" (וְשִׁמְע֖וֹן), "and·unto·Naphtali" (וְעַד־נַפְתָּלִ֑י), "with·their·axes" (בְּחַרְבֹתֵיהֶ֖ם). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·in·cities·of" (root עיר, 89x in II Chronicles). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·unto·Naphtali', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 4 words.
Rashi
And in the cities of Manasseh and Ephraim, etc. from those “gleanings” [survivors] who survived the sword and the captivity of Sennacherib. with their instruments of destruction Since they were but few “gleanings,” they feared to live in the lowland and established their houses on the mountain (בְּחַר בָּתֵּיהֶם).
Ralbag
'with their axes round about' — Meaning, he went around from place to place to root out these idols, altars, and Asherim from the ruins of Israel — that is, their cities, which were ruins at that time.
Metzudat David
And so did he in the cities of Manasseh, etc. – Even though the Ten Tribes had already been exiled, nevertheless a few of them remained in their lands. with their axes – That is, he set their ruins all around, [torn down] by their own tools of destruction, these being instruments made for tearing down, as in 'and he shall break down your towers with his weapons' (Ezekiel 26).
And he broke down the altars, and beat the Asherim and the graven images into powder, and hewed down all the sun-images throughout all the land of Israel, and returned to Jerusalem.
verse value 5682
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 71 letters. The shortest word is "he·beat" (כִּתַּ֣ת, 3 letters) and the longest is "the·altars" (אֶת־הַֽמִּזְבְּח֗וֹת, 9 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Chronicles. Unique to this verse in II Chronicles (hapax): "and·he·broke·down" (וַיְנַתֵּ֣ץ), "he·beat" (כִּתַּ֣ת), "to·crush" (לְהֵדַ֔ק). 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Israel" (root ישראל, 140x in II Chronicles); "to·Jerusalem" (root ירושלם, 127x in II Chronicles); "in·all·land·of" (root ארץ, 74x in II Chronicles). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Israel', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 2 words. Full calculation: וַיְנַתֵּ֣ץ [and·he·broke·down] (556) + אֶת־הַֽמִּזְבְּח֗וֹת [the·altars] (869) + וְאֶת־הָאֲשֵׁרִ֤ים [and·the·Asherim] (963) + וְהַפְּסִלִים֙ [and·the·graven·images] (231) + כִּתַּ֣ת [he·beat] (820) + לְהֵדַ֔ק [to·crush] (139) + וְכׇל־הַחַמָּנִ֥ים [and·all·the·sun-images] (209) + גִּדַּ֖ע [he·hewed·down] (77) + בְּכׇל־אֶ֣רֶץ [in·all·land·of] (343) + יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל [Israel] (541) + וַיָּ֖שׇׁב [and·he·returned] (318) + לִירוּשָׁלִָֽם [to·Jerusalem] (616) = 5682.
Metzudat Zion
beat ... into powder - An expression of breaking and crushing.
Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had purged the land, and the house, he sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, and Maaseiah the governor of the city, and Joah the son of Joahaz the recorder, to repair the house of Hashem his God.
verse value 7643
Insights
Verse structure: 20 words, 101 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֥ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "he·sent" (שָׁ֠לַ֠ח, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·Maaseiah" (וְאֶת־מַעֲשֵׂיָ֣הוּ, 9 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Chronicles. Unique to this verse in II Chronicles (hapax): "Shaphan" (אֶת־שָׁפָ֨ן), "son·of·Azaliah" (בֶּן־אֲצַלְיָ֜הוּ), "son·of·Joahaz" (בֶּן־יֽוֹאָחָז֙). The root בית appears 2 times in this verse. 18 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 384x in II Chronicles); "of·his·reigning" (root מלך, 344x in II Chronicles); "son·of·Azaliah" (root בן, 225x in II Chronicles). First appearance of the root שפן ("Shaphan") in II Chronicles. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·the·house', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 13 words.
Rashi
the recorder Wherever a scribe is mentioned, a recorder is mentioned in close proximity, for every king had a scribe to write everything that occurred in the kingdom, whether favorable or unfavorable, and he had a recorder sitting beside the scribe, to mention every incident, and the scribe would write according to what he told him.
Ralbag
'Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had purged the land, and the house' — Meaning, after he had [already] purged the land and the House; for it was then that he set his heart to strengthen the House of Hashem, having eradicated the memory of idolatry from the land so far as was possible for him.
Metzudat David
when he had purged – That is, when he had completed the purging of the land and the House, then he sent Shaphan, etc. the recorder – The one appointed over the book of records.
Malbim
and Maaseiah — In Kings, there, only Shaphan alone is mentioned, and I have already written there that the mission described in Kings was to give over the money from vows and freewill offerings that had been gathered in the Temple — as it says there, 'which the keepers of the threshold had gathered from the people' — and this he sent by the hand of Shaphan the scribe. Here, however, [Scripture] tells that he sent to Hilkiah, to give into his hand the money that the Levites had gathered in the cities of Israel and Judah, where they had gone about collecting donations and then returned to Jerusalem; and this he sent by the hand of Maaseiah the governor of the city and Joah the recorder.
And they came to Hilkiah the high priest, and delivered the money that was brought into the house of God, which the Levites, the keepers of the door, had gathered of the hand of Manasseh and Ephraim, and of all the remnant of Israel, and of all Judah and Benjamin, and they returned to Jerusalem.
verse value 7229
Insights
Verse structure: 23 words, 124 letters. The shortest word is "that" (אֲשֶׁ֣ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "gathered·the·Levites" (אָסְפֽוּ־הַלְוִיִּם֩, 9 letters). Words sharing gematria 54: that·was·brought, from·hand·of. 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Chronicles. Unique to this verse in II Chronicles (hapax): "to·Hilkiah" (אֶל־חִלְקִיָּ֣הוּ), "the·house·of·God" (בֵית־אֱלֹהִים֒), "gathered·the·Levites" (אָסְפֽוּ־הַלְוִיִּם֩). The root בוא appears 2 times in this verse. 21 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that" (root אשר, 203x in II Chronicles); "the·house·of·God" (root אלהים, 202x in II Chronicles); "and·they·came" (root בוא, 159x in II Chronicles). First appearance of the root חלקיהו ("to·Hilkiah") in II Chronicles. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·Benjamin', dividing the verse into phrases of 20 and 3 words.
Rashi
which the Levites who guarded the threshold had gathered from the hands of Manasseh and Ephraim, etc. from their ruins round about.
Ralbag
'which the Levites, the keepers of the door, had gathered' — These are the ones appointed over the safekeeping of the sacred vessels and consecrated things. It appears that this money was the half-shekel collected from every man of Israel, as mentioned in the Torah, and that at that time all the remnant of the ten tribes who were in the land had submitted to Hashem.
Metzudat Zion
the keepers of the door - These are the gatekeepers, for “saf” means a doorpost, as in 'and the threshold of the gate' (Ezekiel 40:6).
And they delivered it into the hand of the workmen that had the oversight of the house of Hashem; and the workmen that wrought in the house of Hashem gave it to mend and repair the house;
verse value 5218
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 80 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֑ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "doer·of" (עֹשֵׂ֣ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "the·appointed" (הַמֻּפְקָדִ֖ים, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 472: and·they·gave, and·they·gave. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Chronicles. Unique to this verse in II Chronicles (hapax): "to·mend" (לִבְדּ֥וֹק), "and·to·repair" (וּלְחַזֵּ֖ק). The root עשה appears 3 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 384x in II Chronicles); "that" (root אשר, 203x in II Chronicles); "in·house·of" (root בית, 191x in II Chronicles). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Hashem', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 11 words.
Rashi
to mend and repair - Heb. לִבְדוֹק. (Gen 42:9): “to see the nakedness (עֶרְוַת) of the land,” is translated into Aramaic as “to see the crack (בִּדְקָא)” of the land.
Ralbag
'the workmen that had the oversight of the house of Hashem' — Meaning, those to whom this office had been given.
Metzudat David
the workmen that had the oversight – These are the master craftsmen appointed over the House of Hashem, whom our Sages call, in their language, master builders; and under their direction the laboring craftsmen build, according to what they instruct them. gave it – And they would give it to the workmen, etc. — that is, they would pay the wages of the laborers who repaired and reinforced the House.
Metzudat Zion
into the hand - [meaning] in the hand of. to mend and repair - To fix the “bedek” [breach], which is a broken and ruined spot; it is called “bedek” because [the workers] inspect (bodkin) and search it out.
Malbim
And they delivered it into the hand of the workmen that had the oversight — That is, to the chief overseer of the appointed overseers; and there [in Kings] it is written, 'into the hand of the workmen who did the work.' gave it — The appointed [overseers] would give it into the hand of the workmen who did the work — that is, the craftsmen; and there [in Kings] it is written 'who were in the house of Hashem,' but Ezra amended this to 'who do [work] in the house of Hashem,' because they were not [permanently stationed] in the house — rather, they [only] worked in the house. to mend — There [in Kings] it is written, 'to strengthen the repair of the house,' meaning: after they examine the house, if they find some defect there, they are to strengthen it; hence it says here first 'to mend' and afterward 'to repair.' And timber for couplings — There [in Kings] it is written, 'and to buy timber and quarried stones'; and here it explains that the timber was needed wherever the earlier structure had come apart, so as to join it together by means of the timber.
even to the carpenters and to the builders gave they it, to buy hewn stone, and timber for couplings, and to make beams for the houses which the kings of Judah had destroyed.
verse value 5849
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 73 letters. The shortest word is "that" (אֲשֶׁ֥ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "to·the·couplings" (לַֽמְחַבְּר֑וֹת, 7 letters). 10 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Chronicles. Unique to this verse in II Chronicles (hapax): "to·the·carpenters" (לֶחָֽרָשִׁים֙), "and·to·the·builders" (וְלַבֹּנִ֔ים), "to·buy" (לִקְנוֹת֙). 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "kings·of" (root מלך, 344x in II Chronicles); "that" (root אשר, 203x in II Chronicles); "the·houses" (root בית, 191x in II Chronicles). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·the·couplings', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 6 words. Full calculation: וַֽיִּתְּנ֗וּ [and·they·gave] (472) + לֶחָֽרָשִׁים֙ [to·the·carpenters] (588) + וְלַבֹּנִ֔ים [and·to·the·builders] (138) + לִקְנוֹת֙ [to·buy] (586) + אַבְנֵ֣י [stones·of] (63) + מַחְצֵ֔ב [hewing] (140) + וְעֵצִ֖ים [and·timber] (216) + לַֽמְחַבְּר֑וֹת [to·the·couplings] (686) + וּלְקָרוֹת֙ [and·to·make·beams] (742) + אֶת־הַבָּ֣תִּ֔ים [the·houses] (858) + אֲשֶׁ֥ר [that] (501) + הִשְׁחִ֖יתוּ [they·destroyed] (729) + מַלְכֵ֥י [kings·of] (100) + יְהוּדָֽה [Judah] (30) = 5849.
Rashi
and wood for the couplings - Spangen in Middle High German, clasps. and to make beams - Traver in Old French, to provide with beams.
Metzudat David
even to the carpenters – [Scripture] specifies who the laborers were, saying 'to the carpenters' — these are those who cut the timber into the desired shape. and to the builders – The builders of the walls. hewn stone – Stones hewn straight and true. for couplings – These are what join the building together, so that it all forms one united structure. and to make beams – For the covering of the roof.
And the men did the work faithfully; and the overseers of them were Jahath and Obadiah, the Levites, of the sons of Merari; and Zechariah and Meshullam, of the sons of the Kohathites, to preside over it; and other of the Levites, all that had skill with instruments of music.
verse value 5058
Insights
Verse structure: 19 words, 104 letters. Verse gematria: 5058 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "Jahath" (יַ֣חַת, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·the·men" (וְהָאֲנָשִׁים֩, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 152: from·sons·of, from·sons·of, all·understanding. 9 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Chronicles. Unique to this verse in II Chronicles (hapax): "and·the·men" (וְהָאֲנָשִׁים֩), "in·the·work" (בַּמְּלָאכָ֗ה), "appointed" (מֻ֠פְקָדִ֠ים). The root לוי appears 2 times in this verse. 17 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "from·sons·of" (root בן, 225x in II Chronicles); "doing" (root עשה, 159x in II Chronicles); "and·over·them" (root על, 111x in II Chronicles). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·preside', dividing the verse into phrases of 16 and 3 words.
Rashi
to direct - Heb. לְנַצּחַ, lemestriyer, to direct, supervise, and so (Ezra 3:8): “to direct (לְנַצּחַ) the work of the House of the Lord,” and likewise (above 2:17): “and six hundred overseers (מְנַצּחִים) .” and the Levites, all who were expert - Heb. מֵבִין. The term expertise (הֲבָנָה) is universally mentioned regarding song, and so above (I Chron. 25:8), when they cast lots, it is written: “like the small one so the great one, expert (מֵבִין) with pupil.” And likewise, (ibid. verse 7): “trained in song to the Lord: every expert (מֵבִין),” and it is written (ibid. 15:22): “And Chananiah, the leader of the Levites, etc., because he was an expert (מֵבִין),” and he was appointed over them to chastise [them] in raising [the voice], how they should raise [their voice], because he was an expert (מֵבִין).
Metzudat David
And the men – The craftsmen, the laborers. to preside over it – To press the work forward, and drive them [to complete it]. all that had skill – Everyone who had understanding in the matter of song stood with an instrument of music, to sing during the building [work].
Metzudat Zion
overseers - [meaning] appointees. to preside over it - An expression of strength and vigor, meaning to direct [the work] forcefully.
Malbim
and [other] of the Levites — Meaning, the Levites mentioned here who were appointed [to this charge] were all men skilled with instruments of music — that is, they were the chiefs of the singers, skilled in the art of music, and they were the most distinguished among them, as it says above (I Chronicles 15:22), 'and Chenaniah, chief of the Levites, was over the singing, for he was skillful'; and it says there (I Chronicles 26:19), 'Chenaniah and his sons were for the outward business over Israel' — [meaning] that great authority was placed in his hand because of his importance. So too these Levites, who were skilled with instruments of music, were given charge over the house of Hashem because of their importance.
Also they were over the bearers of burdens, and presided over all that did the work in every manner of service; and of the Levites there were scribes, and officers, and porters.
verse value 2988
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 65 letters. Verse gematria: 2988 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "and·over" (וְעַ֣ל, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·presiding" (וּֽמְנַצְּחִים֙, 7 letters). 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Chronicles. Unique to this verse in II Chronicles (hapax): "the·burden-bearers" (הַסַּבָּלִ֗ים), "work" (מְלָאכָ֔ה), "to·service" (לַעֲבוֹדָ֖ה). The root עבדה appears 2 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "doer·of" (root עשה, 159x in II Chronicles); "to·all" (root כל, 113x in II Chronicles); "and·over" (root על, 111x in II Chronicles). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·service', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 4 words. Full calculation: וְעַ֣ל [and·over] (106) + הַסַּבָּלִ֗ים [the·burden-bearers] (147) + וּֽמְנַצְּחִים֙ [and·presiding] (244) + לְכֹל֙ [to·all] (80) + עֹשֵׂ֣ה [doer·of] (375) + מְלָאכָ֔ה [work] (96) + לַעֲבוֹדָ֖ה [to·service] (117) + וַעֲבוֹדָ֑ה [and·service] (93) + וּמֵֽהַלְוִיִּ֔ם [and·from·the·Levites] (137) + סוֹפְרִ֥ים [scribes] (396) + וְשֹׁטְרִ֖ים [and·officers] (565) + וְשׁוֹעֲרִֽים [and·porters] (632) = 2988.
Rashi
and of the Levites, scribes to write down the [amount of] silver brought to the House of the Lord and how they had collected it. and officers over the work.
Ralbag
'and presided over all that did the work in every manner of service' — Meaning, they supervised the workers in the performance of that work, strengthening them in it so as to guide them to do it properly, and hastening them to do it diligently; this is the 'strengthening' with which they strengthened them in each and every task.
Metzudat David
over the bearers of burdens – He also appointed officials over the bearers of burdens; these were the ones who carried the loads for the building. and presided over – He appointed taskmasters over all who did the work, for every kind of labor. scribes – To record the amount of money that came in as donations for the sanctified [use of] the House. and officers – These are the ones who compelled each man to give the money that he had pledged. and porters – They guarded the gates of the Sanctuary and kept watch over those who came to the work.
Metzudat Zion
the bearers of burdens - An expression of carrying loads.
Malbim
Also they were over — [meaning] they were also officials over the bearers of burdens, and besides this they oversaw all who performed the work — for every kind of labor there was a different overseer; and likewise, among the Levites there were scribes and officers.
And when they brought out the money that was brought into the house of Hashem, Hilkiah the priest found the book of the Law of Hashem given by Moses.
verse value 3722
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 58 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֑ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "house·of" (בֵּ֣ית, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·in·their·bringing·out" (וּבְהוֹצִיאָ֣ם, 8 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Chronicles. Unique to this verse in II Chronicles (hapax): "and·in·their·bringing·out" (וּבְהוֹצִיאָ֣ם), "he·found" (מָצָא֙), "book·of" (אֶת־סֵ֥פֶר). The root יהוה appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 384x in II Chronicles); "house·of" (root בית, 191x in II Chronicles); "that·was·brought" (root בוא, 159x in II Chronicles). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Hashem', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 6 words. Full calculation: וּבְהוֹצִיאָ֣ם [and·in·their·bringing·out] (160) + אֶת־הַכֶּ֔סֶף [the·silver] (566) + הַמּוּבָ֖א [that·was·brought] (54) + בֵּ֣ית [house·of] (412) + יְהֹוָ֑ה [Hashem] (26) + מָצָא֙ [he·found] (131) + חִלְקִיָּ֣הוּ [Hilkiah] (159) + הַכֹּהֵ֔ן [the·priest] (80) + אֶת־סֵ֥פֶר [book·of] (741) + תּוֹרַת־יְהֹוָ֖ה [the·torah·of·Hashem] (1032) + בְּיַד־מֹשֶֽׁה [by·hand·of·Moses] (361) = 3722.
Rashi
the Scroll of the Law of the Lord by the hand of Moses the Book of Deuteronomy.
Metzudat David
And when they brought out, etc. – For the purpose of [funding] the building. given by Moses – That is, what Moses wrote with his own hand.
Malbim
And when they brought out — While they were engaged in this, Hilkiah found the book of the Law of Hashem given by [the hand of] Moses — that is, he found the Torah scroll that Moses himself had written; hence it says 'the book of the Law' with the definite article — the well-known scroll, which was very precious and had been hidden away in the days of Manasseh and his son Amon, and they had been searching for it, and its location had not been known.
and Hilkiah answered and said to Shaphan the scribe: ‘I have found the book of the Law in the house of Hashem.’ And Hilkiah delivered the book to Shaphan.
verse value 5133
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 67 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֑ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "book·of" (סֵ֧פֶר, 3 letters) and the longest is "Hilkiah" (חִלְקִיָּ֗הוּ, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 461: to·Shaphan, to·Shaphan. 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in II Chronicles. Unique to this verse in II Chronicles (hapax): "I·have·found" (מָצָ֖אתִי). The root ספר appears 3 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 384x in II Chronicles); "in·house·of" (root בית, 191x in II Chronicles); "and·he·said" (root אמר, 184x in II Chronicles). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Hashem', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 4 words. Full calculation: וַיַּ֣עַן [and·he·answered] (136) + חִלְקִיָּ֗הוּ [Hilkiah] (159) + וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ [and·he·said] (257) + אֶל־שָׁפָ֣ן [to·Shaphan] (461) + הַסּוֹפֵ֔ר [the·scribe] (351) + סֵ֧פֶר [book·of] (340) + הַתּוֹרָ֛ה [the·law] (616) + מָצָ֖אתִי [I·have·found] (541) + בְּבֵ֣ית [in·house·of] (414) + יְהֹוָ֑ה [Hashem] (26) + וַיִּתֵּ֧ן [and·he·gave] (466) + חִלְקִיָּ֛הוּ [Hilkiah] (159) + אֶת־הַסֵּ֖פֶר [the·book] (746) + אֶל־שָׁפָֽן [to·Shaphan] (461) = 5133.
Rashi
and Hilkiah gave the scroll to Shaphan because it was the scribe’s duty to read everything before the king.
Metzudat David
I have found the book of the Law – It is possible that because Ahaz had burned the Torah, as our Sages stated, the priests therefore feared that he might also lay his hand on the Torah scroll that lay beside the Ark, which Moses wrote at the dictation of Hashem. So they took that scroll and hid it from him. After his death they searched for it and did not find it. Then, when the Kohen Gadol was searching for the money that had been brought in, in the course of the repairs of the House, he found it. And our Sages said that he found it rolled open to the portion of the Rebukes (the Tochachah), with the top of the page reading, 'Hashem will bring you, and your king,' etc. And because they had been searching for it ever since and had not found it, he announced, like one bringing good news, 'I have found that Torah scroll in the House of Hashem.' And Hilkiah delivered, etc. – That is, he showed him what was written at the top of the page, for he regarded the matter as a sign and a hint [from Heaven], meant to strike fear into the people.
And Shaphan carried the book to the king, and moreover brought back word to the king, saying: ‘All that was committed to your servants, they do it.
verse value 4330
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 61 letters. The shortest word is "all" (כֹּ֛ל, 2 letters) and the longest is "by·hand·of·your·servants" (בְּיַד־עֲבָדֶ֖יךָ, 8 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in II Chronicles. Unique to this verse in II Chronicles (hapax): "by·hand·of·your·servants" (בְּיַד־עֲבָדֶ֖יךָ). The root מלך appears 2 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·the·king" (root מלך, 344x in II Chronicles); "saying" (root אמר, 184x in II Chronicles); "and·he·brought" (root בוא, 159x in II Chronicles). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'saying', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 5 words. Full calculation: וַיָּבֵ֨א [and·he·brought] (19) + שָׁפָ֤ן [Shaphan] (430) + אֶת־הַסֵּ֙פֶר֙ [the·book] (746) + אֶל־הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ [to·the·king] (126) + וַיָּ֨שֶׁב [and·he·brought·back] (318) + ע֧וֹד [again] (80) + אֶת־הַמֶּ֛לֶךְ [the·king] (496) + דָּבָ֖ר [word] (206) + לֵאמֹ֑ר [saying] (271) + כֹּ֛ל [all] (50) + אֲשֶׁר־נִתַּ֥ן [that·was·given] (1001) + בְּיַד־עֲבָדֶ֖יךָ [by·hand·of·your·servants] (122) + הֵ֥ם [they] (45) + עֹשִֽׂים [doing] (420) = 4330.
Rashi
and he further brought back word to the king for he first reported to the king about the errand that the king had sent him on to repair the House of the Lord his God, as is written above (verse 8): “he sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, etc.”
Metzudat David
All that was committed – That is, the task that was placed upon them and entrusted into their hands.
Malbim
All that was committed — For there were two kinds of funds: the money from vows and freewill offerings that had already been in Hilkiah's hand beforehand, and the money that had [just] been gathered from the cities of Judah and given into their hand now. And [Shaphan] explained that what had now been given into your servants' hand from the newly gathered money — that, 'they do': meaning, they were now melting it down and giving it to the workmen. But the money that had already been found in the house of Hashem beforehand — that is, the money that had been in the High Priest's hand from the vows and freewill offerings given at the Temple — that they had already melted down and had already given to the workmen, even before this instruction came from the king; they did this on their own initiative. The rest of the matter is explained in the commentary on Kings, there.
And they have poured out the money that was found in the house of Hashem, and have delivered it into the hand of the overseers, and into the hand of the workmen.’
verse value 3127
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 58 letters. The shortest word is "into·hand·of" (עַל־יַד֙, 4 letters) and the longest is "in·the·house·of·Hashem" (בְּבֵית־יְהֹוָ֑ה, 8 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Chronicles. Unique to this verse in II Chronicles (hapax): "and·they·poured·out" (וַיַּתִּ֕יכוּ), "and·they·gave·it" (וַֽיִּתְּנ֗וּהוּ), "and·into·hand·of" (וְעַל־יַ֖ד). The root יד appears 2 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "in·the·house·of·Hashem" (root יהוה, 384x in II Chronicles); "doers·of" (root עשה, 159x in II Chronicles); "and·they·gave·it" (root נתן, 116x in II Chronicles). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·the·house·of·Hashem', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 6 words. Full calculation: וַיַּתִּ֕יכוּ [and·they·poured·out] (452) + אֶת־הַכֶּ֖סֶף [the·silver] (566) + הַנִּמְצָ֣א [that·was·found] (186) + בְּבֵית־יְהֹוָ֑ה [in·the·house·of·Hashem] (440) + וַֽיִּתְּנ֗וּהוּ [and·they·gave·it] (483) + עַל־יַד֙ [into·hand·of] (114) + הַמֻּפְקָדִ֔ים [the·appointed] (279) + וְעַל־יַ֖ד [and·into·hand·of] (120) + עוֹשֵׂ֥י [doers·of] (386) + הַמְּלָאכָֽה [the·work] (101) = 3127.
Rashi
And they poured - Heb. וַיַּתִּיכוּ, they poured, like (Gen. 28:18): “and he poured (וַיִּצֹק) oil” and the Targum renders: וְאַתִּיךְ
Ralbag
'And they have poured out the money that was found in the house of Hashem' — Meaning, they emptied out the vessel in which it had been kept; or the 'pouring out' may mean that they divided it among the workmen, giving each of them a portion according to what he needed; or its 'pouring out' may mean that they melted it down into coin, so that they could purchase with it whatever they needed.
Metzudat David
And they have poured out – They melted down the money to make coins, to be put into circulation. into the hand of the overseers – These are the master craftsmen called architects, and they in turn gave it into the hand of those who did the work — the laboring craftsmen.
Metzudat Zion
poured out - An expression of smelting by fire, as in 'like the smelting of silver' (Ezekiel 22:22).
And Shaphan the scribe told the king, saying: ‘Hilkiah the priest has delivered me a book.’ And Shaphan read in it before the king.
verse value 3334
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 56 letters. The shortest word is "to·me" (לִ֔י, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·he·read·in·it" (וַיִּקְרָא־ב֥וֹ, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 430: Shaphan, Shaphan. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Chronicles. Unique to this verse in II Chronicles (hapax): "and·he·told" (וַיַּגֵּ֞ד), "and·he·read·in·it" (וַיִּקְרָא־ב֥וֹ). The root שפן appears 2 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·the·king" (root מלך, 344x in II Chronicles); "saying" (root אמר, 184x in II Chronicles); "he·gave" (root נתן, 116x in II Chronicles). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·priest', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 4 words. Full calculation: וַיַּגֵּ֞ד [and·he·told] (23) + שָׁפָ֤ן [Shaphan] (430) + הַסּוֹפֵר֙ [the·scribe] (351) + לַמֶּ֣לֶךְ [to·the·king] (120) + לֵאמֹ֔ר [saying] (271) + סֵ֚פֶר [book] (340) + נָ֣תַן [he·gave] (500) + לִ֔י [to·me] (40) + חִלְקִיָּ֖הוּ [Hilkiah] (159) + הַכֹּהֵ֑ן [the·priest] (80) + וַיִּקְרָא־ב֥וֹ [and·he·read·in·it] (325) + שָׁפָ֖ן [Shaphan] (430) + לִפְנֵ֥י [before] (170) + הַמֶּֽלֶךְ [the·king] (95) = 3334.
Rashi
And Shaphan the scribe told the king After bringing back word to the king regarding his errand, he gave him the message of Hilkiah the priest, and read the scroll before him.
Metzudat David
has delivered me a book – That is, he gave him the lost scroll, rolled open to this page. And [Shaphan] read in it – In that page.
And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the Law, that he rent his clothes.
verse value 2601
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 35 letters. Verse gematria: 2601 = 51². The shortest word is "and·it·was" (וַֽיְהִי֙, 4 letters) and the longest is "his·garments" (אֶת־בְּגָדָֽיו, 7 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Chronicles. Unique to this verse in II Chronicles (hapax): "and·he·tore" (וַיִּקְרַ֖ע), "his·garments" (אֶת־בְּגָדָֽיו). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·king" (root מלך, 344x in II Chronicles); "and·it·was" (root היה, 133x in II Chronicles); "words·of" (root דבר, 108x in II Chronicles). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·law', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 2 words.
Rashi
that he rent his garments When he heard them reading (Deut. 28:36): “The Lord will lead you and the king, etc.,” he interpreted [the following words] as referring to himself: “whom you will appoint over yourself.” The people had made him king, and he was not a prince by the word [of God].
Metzudat David
that he rent, etc. – Out of alarm, for he too regarded it as a sign and an omen.
And the king commanded Hilkiah, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Abdon the son of Micah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king’s servant, saying:
verse value 4903
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 72 letters. The shortest word is "and" (וְאֵ֣ת, 3 letters) and the longest is "Hilkiah" (אֶת־חִלְקִיָּ֡הוּ, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 407: and, and. 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Chronicles. Unique to this verse in II Chronicles (hapax): "Hilkiah" (אֶת־חִלְקִיָּ֡הוּ), "and·Ahikam" (וְאֶת־אֲחִיקָ֣ם), "son·of·Shaphan" (בֶּן־שָׁ֠פָ֠ן). The root בן appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·king" (root מלך, 344x in II Chronicles); "son·of·Shaphan" (root בן, 225x in II Chronicles); "saying" (root אמר, 184x in II Chronicles). Full calculation: וַיְצַ֣ו [and·he·commanded] (112) + הַמֶּ֡לֶךְ [the·king] (95) + אֶת־חִלְקִיָּ֡הוּ [Hilkiah] (560) + וְאֶת־אֲחִיקָ֣ם [and·Ahikam] (566) + בֶּן־שָׁ֠פָ֠ן [son·of·Shaphan] (482) + וְאֶת־עַבְדּ֨וֹן [and·Abdon] (539) + בֶּן־מִיכָ֜ה [son·of·Micah] (127) + וְאֵ֣ת [and] (407) + שָׁפָ֣ן [Shaphan] (430) + הַסּוֹפֵ֗ר [the·scribe] (351) + וְאֵ֛ת [and] (407) + עֲשָׂיָ֥ה [Asaiah] (385) + עֶֽבֶד־הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ [servant·of·the·king] (171) + לֵאמֹֽר [saying] (271) = 4903.
Ralbag
'and Abdon the son of Micah' — He is the one called Achbor in the Book of Kings (II Kings 22:12).
Metzudat Zion
Abdon - In [the Book of] Kings II he is called “Achbor”; he was known by both names.
‘Go you, inquire of Hashem for me, and for those who are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book that is found; for great is the wrath of Hashem that is poured out upon us, because our fathers have not kept the word of Hashem, to do according to all that is written in this book.’
verse value 9284
Insights
Verse structure: 27 words, 129 letters. Notable word values: "for·me" (בַּעֲדִ֗י) = 86, equal to Elohim. The shortest word is "because" (עַל֩, 2 letters) and the longest is "as·all·the·written" (כְּכׇל־הַכָּת֖וּב, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 501: that, that, that. 10 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Chronicles. Unique to this verse in II Chronicles (hapax): "go" (לְכוּ֩), "for·me" (בַּעֲדִ֗י), "and·for" (וּבְעַד֙). The root יהוה appears 3 times in this verse. 20 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 384x in II Chronicles); "that" (root אשר, 203x in II Chronicles); "to·do" (root עשה, 159x in II Chronicles). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'is·found', dividing the verse into phrases of 12 and 15 words.
Rashi
which has been poured upon us Since wrath is [compared to] fire, the term pouring applies to it, and a similar instance is below (verse 25): “My wrath shall be poured down upon this place, and it shall not be quenched.”
Metzudat David
inquire of Hashem – Ask the prophets on my behalf, and on behalf of the people who remain here, and on behalf of all Judah, concerning the words written at the top of the page of the scroll that was found, which apparently is a sign that 'great is the wrath of Hashem,' etc. to do – Which He intends to do, according to all that is written at the top of that page.
Metzudat Zion
poured out - An expression of pouring and emptying, as in 'and the curse ... has been poured out upon us' (Daniel 9:11).
Cross-references: Deuteronomy 28:36; II Kings 22:13
So Hilkiah, and they whom the king had commanded, went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tokhath, the son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe—now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the second quarter—and they spoke to her to that effect.
verse value 7279
Insights
Verse structure: 20 words, 98 letters. The shortest word is "wife·of" (אֵ֣שֶׁת, 3 letters) and the longest is "in·Jerusalem" (בִּירוּשָׁלִַ֖ם, 7 letters). 11 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Chronicles. Unique to this verse in II Chronicles (hapax): "and·that" (וַאֲשֶׁ֣ר), "to·Huldah" (אֶל־חֻלְדָּ֨ה), "the·prophetess" (הַנְּבִיאָ֜ה). The root בן appears 2 times in this verse. 18 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·king" (root מלך, 344x in II Chronicles); "son·of·Tokhath" (root בן, 225x in II Chronicles); "and·that" (root אשר, 203x in II Chronicles). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·the·second·quarter', dividing the verse into phrases of 17 and 3 words.
Rashi
to Huldah the prophetess Our Sages (Meg. 14b) explained that since a woman is more merciful than a man, he did not send them to Jeremiah the prophet. the keeper of the raiment If you wish, you may say that this is either the priestly raiment or the royal raiment. and she was sitting in Jerusalem in the study-hall - Heb. בַּמִּשֶׁנֶה. The city had two walls, and she lived between the two walls. The Targum renders: in the study-hall. The meaning is: in the place of Torah, for Huldah had a chamber adjacent to the Chamber of Hewn Stone. The Chamber of Huldah was open to the outside and closed toward the Sanhedrin in the Chamber of Hewn Stone. So it is written in Tractate Middoth (unknown) because of modesty.
Ralbag
'the son of Tokhath, the son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe' — In the Book of Kings (II Kings 22:14) he is called 'the son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas'; it is all the same person, but he had two names.
Metzudat David
and they whom [the king had commanded] – That is, the rest of the officers whom the king sent. to Huldah – Our Sages said that because women are compassionate, they went to her so that she would pray on their behalf; or perhaps the other prophets were not in Jerusalem at that time. keeper of the wardrobe – Of the king. in the second quarter – Between the two walls, which formed a second [district] of the city. to that effect – According to the king's words.
Metzudat Zion
Tokhath the son of Hasrah - In [the Book of] Kings II it is written “Tikvah the son of Harhas”; they are one and the same.
And she said to them: ‘Thus says Hashem, the God of Israel: Tell you the man that sent you to me:
verse value 3530
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 47 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֖ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "to·them" (לָהֶ֔ם, 3 letters) and the longest is "that·he·sent" (אֲשֶׁר־שָׁלַ֥ח, 6 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in II Chronicles. Unique to this verse in II Chronicles (hapax): "that·he·sent" (אֲשֶׁר־שָׁלַ֥ח). The root אמר appears 3 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 384x in II Chronicles); "the·God·of" (root אלהים, 202x in II Chronicles); "and·she·said" (root אמר, 184x in II Chronicles). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Israel', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 5 words. Full calculation: וַתֹּ֣אמֶר [and·she·said] (647) + לָהֶ֔ם [to·them] (75) + כֹּֽה־אָמַ֥ר [thus·says] (266) + יְהֹוָ֖ה [Hashem] (26) + אֱלֹהֵ֣י [the·God·of] (46) + יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל [Israel] (541) + אִמְר֣וּ [say] (247) + לָאִ֔ישׁ [to·the·man] (341) + אֲשֶׁר־שָׁלַ֥ח [that·he·sent] (839) + אֶתְכֶ֖ם [you] (461) + אֵלָֽי [to·me] (41) = 3530.
Rashi
Say to the man He wished to interrupt the prophecy of the people “upon this place and upon its inhabitants,” and when he finished that prophecy, he then delineates, “And concerning the king of Judah, who sent you,” and he deals briefly with the prophecy of the palace and its inhabitants and puts it aside and focuses upon the prophecy of the king, which is long.
Thus says Hashem: Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon its inhabitants, even all the curses that are written in the book which they have read before the king of Judah;
verse value 4758
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 80 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֔ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. Verse gematria: 4758 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "thus" (כֹּ֚ה, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·upon·its·inhabitants" (וְעַל־יֽוֹשְׁבָ֑יו, 9 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Chronicles. Unique to this verse in II Chronicles (hapax): "and·upon·its·inhabitants" (וְעַל־יֽוֹשְׁבָ֑יו), "all·the·curses" (כׇּל־הָֽאָלוֹת֙), "the·written" (הַכְּתוּב֣וֹת). 18 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 384x in II Chronicles); "king·of" (root מלך, 344x in II Chronicles); "that" (root אשר, 203x in II Chronicles). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·upon·its·inhabitants', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 9 words.
Metzudat David
Behold, I will bring – That is, this sign did not come about by chance but from Hashem, as if He said: Behold, I will bring evil, etc.
Metzudat Zion
curses - [meaning] the curses.
Malbim
even all the curses — This explains what is stated in Kings, 'all the words of the book': that at that time they read before him the rebuke section in Deuteronomy; and our Sages said that they found it rolled open to the verse, 'Hashem will bring you and your king...,' and they read before him from the place where they found it rolled open. The rest of the matter is explained in the commentary on Kings, there.
because they have forsaken Me, and have offered to other gods, that they might provoke Me with all the works of their hands; therefore is My wrath poured out upon this place, and it shall not be quenched.
verse value 5410
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 82 letters. The shortest word is "because" (תַּ֣חַת, 3 letters) and the longest is "provoke·Me" (הַכְעִיסֵ֔נִי, 7 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Chronicles. Unique to this verse in II Chronicles (hapax): "they·have·forsaken·Me" (עֲזָב֗וּנִי), "and·they·have·offered" (וַֽיְקַטְּרוּ֙), "provoke·Me" (הַכְעִיסֵ֔נִי). 17 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that" (root אשר, 203x in II Chronicles); "to·gods" (root אלהים, 202x in II Chronicles); "with·all" (root כל, 113x in II Chronicles). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'their·hands', dividing the verse into phrases of 12 and 6 words.
Metzudat Zion
poured out - An expression of pouring and emptying. quenched - An expression of extinguishing, borrowed from the extinguishing of fire.
But to the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of Hashem, thus shall you say to him: Thus says Hashem, the God of Israel: As touching the words which you have heard,
verse value 4699
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 71 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָה֙) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "thus" (כֹּ֥ה, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·to·king·of" (וְאֶל־מֶ֣לֶךְ, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Chronicles. Unique to this verse in II Chronicles (hapax): "and·to·king·of" (וְאֶל־מֶ֣לֶךְ), "who·sent" (הַשֹּׁלֵ֤חַ), "you·shall·say" (תֹאמְר֖וּ). The root יהוה appears 2 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "in·Hashem" (root יהוה, 384x in II Chronicles); "and·to·king·of" (root מלך, 344x in II Chronicles); "that" (root אשר, 203x in II Chronicles). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·him', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 7 words.
Metzudat David
But to the king of Judah – That is, now [He will say] something that concerns the king himself. the words which you have heard – That is, although the decree has been sealed as you have heard, you will not be swept away entirely along with them.
because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before God, when you heard His words against this place, and against its inhabitants, and have humbled yourself before Me, and have rent your clothes, and wept before Me; I also have heard you, says Hashem.
verse value 6620
Insights
Verse structure: 19 words, 101 letters. Notable word values: "God" (אֱלֹהִ֗ים) = 86, equal to Elohim. The shortest word is "because" (יַ֠עַן, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·against·its·inhabitants" (וְעַל־יֹ֣שְׁבָ֔יו, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 546: and·you·humbled·yourself, and·you·have·humbled·yourself. 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Chronicles. Unique to this verse in II Chronicles (hapax): "tender·of·your·heart" (רַךְ־לְבָ֨בְךָ֜), "when·you·heard" (בְּשׇׁמְעֲךָ֤), "His·words" (אֶת־דְּבָרָיו֙). The root פנים appears 3 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "says·Hashem" (root יהוה, 384x in II Chronicles); "God" (root אלהים, 202x in II Chronicles); "from·before" (root פנים, 116x in II Chronicles). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'before·Me', dividing the verse into phrases of 16 and 3 words.
Metzudat David
when you heard His words – That is, when you understood the meaning of this sign, that it was from Hashem.
Metzudat Zion
your heart was tender - This is the opposite of a hardened heart.
Behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace, neither shall your eyes see all the evil that I will bring upon this place, and upon its inhabitants.’ And they brought back word to the king.
verse value 6072
Insights
Verse structure: 19 words, 99 letters. The shortest word is "in·all" (בְּכֹל֙, 3 letters) and the longest is "to·your·grave" (אֶל־קִבְרוֹתֶ֘יךָ֮, 9 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Chronicles. Unique to this verse in II Chronicles (hapax): "I·will·gather·you" (אֹסִפְךָ֜), "to·your·fathers" (אֶל־אֲבֹתֶ֗יךָ), "and·you·shall·be·gathered" (וְנֶאֱסַפְתָּ֣). The root אסף appears 2 times in this verse. 18 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·king" (root מלך, 344x in II Chronicles); "that" (root אשר, 203x in II Chronicles); "bringing" (root בוא, 159x in II Chronicles). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·upon·its·inhabitants', dividing the verse into phrases of 16 and 3 words.
Rashi
and you shall be gathered to your graves in peace But was he not slain? It [means] in peace from this, that your eyes will not see all the evil that I am bringing upon this place and upon its inhabitants, i.e., the destruction of the Temple.
Metzudat David
to your grave – And you will not be buried in the land of foreign peoples. in peace – Even though he died in war, it is nevertheless counted for him as peace, because he did not witness the evil that was coming upon Israel. And they brought back – Hilkiah and his companions.
Metzudat Zion
gather you ... gathered - An expression of bringing in, as in 'and there is no man to take me into his house' (Judges 19:18).
Then the king sent and gathered together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem.
verse value 1846
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 34 letters. Verse gematria: 1846 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "the·king" (הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ, 4 letters) and the longest is "all·the·elders·of" (אֶת־כׇּל־זִקְנֵ֥י, 8 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in II Chronicles. Unique to this verse in II Chronicles (hapax): "all·the·elders·of" (אֶת־כׇּל־זִקְנֵ֥י). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·king" (root מלך, 344x in II Chronicles); "Judah" (root יהודה, 129x in II Chronicles); "and·Jerusalem" (root ירושלם, 127x in II Chronicles). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·king', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 4 words. Full calculation: וַיִּשְׁלַ֖ח [and·he·sent] (354) + הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ [the·king] (95) + וַיֶּאֱסֹ֕ף [and·he·gathered] (157) + אֶת־כׇּל־זִקְנֵ֥י [all·the·elders·of] (618) + יְהוּדָ֖ה [Judah] (30) + וִירוּשָׁלִָֽם [and·Jerusalem] (592) = 1846.
And the king went up to the house of Hashem, and all the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the priests, and the Levites, and all the people, both great and small; and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant that was found in the house of Hashem.
verse value 5366
Insights
Verse structure: 20 words, 107 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָֽה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "the·book·of" (סֵ֣פֶר, 3 letters) and the longest is "all·the·words·of" (אֶת־כׇּל־דִּבְרֵי֙, 8 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Chronicles. Unique to this verse in II Chronicles (hapax): "and·all·the·men·of" (וְכׇל־אִ֨ישׁ), "from·great" (מִגָּד֣וֹל), "and·unto·small" (וְעַד־קָטָ֑ן). The root יהוה appears 2 times in this verse. 19 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·house·of·Hashem" (root יהוה, 384x in II Chronicles); "the·king" (root מלך, 344x in II Chronicles); "house·of" (root בית, 191x in II Chronicles). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·unto·small', dividing the verse into phrases of 12 and 8 words.
Rashi
the Scroll of the Covenant All the fright that the king experienced was due to the words (Deut. 28: 36): “The Lord will lead you,” and he saw that the Torah called it a covenant: “These are the words of the covenant.” Therefore, he too enacted a covenant and saw written immediately following it (ibid. 29:8): “And you shall keep the words, etc., and practice them.” Josiah also saw written immediately following (ibid. verses 9ff.): “You are standing today, all of you, etc....your children, your wives...that you should pass into the covenant...enacts with you today.” He said, “In such a manner, I too shall enact a covenant, for there it is written: ‘You are standing, etc.’ I too [will do so], ‘And he caused all those found in Jerusalem, both small and great, to stand.’”
Metzudat David
the book of the covenant – The account of the rebukes stated within the covenant. that was found in the house of Hashem – This is because in that scroll they found the rebukes exposed [right there] at its opening, and moreover it was written by the holy hand of Moses, at the dictation of Hashem — and these were powerful causes to strike fear into the people, [moving them] to return to Hashem.
And the king stood in his place, and made a covenant before Hashem, to walk after Hashem, and to keep His commandments, and His testimonies, and His statutes, with all his heart, and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant that were written in this book.
verse value 8758
Insights
Verse structure: 22 words, 120 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָה֒) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "this" (הַזֶּֽה, 3 letters) and the longest is "his·commandments" (אֶת־מִצְוֺתָיו֙, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 617: the·words·of, the·covenant. 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Chronicles. Unique to this verse in II Chronicles (hapax): "in·his·place" (עַל־עׇמְד֗וֹ), "the·covenant" (אֶֽת־הַבְּרִית֮), "and·to·keep" (וְלִשְׁמ֤וֹר). The root עמד appears 2 times in this verse. 19 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 384x in II Chronicles); "the·king" (root מלך, 344x in II Chronicles); "to·do" (root עשה, 159x in II Chronicles). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·in·all·his·soul', dividing the verse into phrases of 16 and 6 words.
Rashi
with all his heart and with all his soul as he found written there, (Deut. 30:2): “And you will return to the Lord your God, etc. with all your heart and with all your soul.” in his place An expression of נִצָּבִים, standing.
Metzudat David
in his place – In the spot designated for the king to stand. the words of the covenant – The words of the Torah that was given in the covenant.
Malbim
with all his heart — There [in Kings] it is written [simply] 'with all the heart,' but Ezra added [the word 'his'] to show that he too entered into this covenant personally, to act in accordance with the whole Torah.
And he caused all that were found in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand to it. And the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers.
verse value 4047
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 64 letters. Notable word values: "God" (אֱלֹהִ֖ים) = 86, equal to Elohim. The shortest word is "the·God·of" (אֱלֹהֵ֥י, 4 letters) and the longest is "all·the·found" (כׇּל־הַנִּמְצָ֥א, 7 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in II Chronicles. Unique to this verse in II Chronicles (hapax): "like·the·covenant·of" (כִּבְרִ֥ית). The root ירושלם appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "God" (root אלהים, 202x in II Chronicles); "and·they·did" (root עשה, 159x in II Chronicles); "in·Jerusalem" (root ירושלם, 127x in II Chronicles). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·Benjamin', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 7 words.
Rashi
according to the covenant of God, the God of their forefathers According to all that which is written there: “the God of their forefathers.” Therefore, it is written here, “the God of their forefathers,” which He enacted for their forefathers in the desert. And every covenant that is there concerns idolatry, as it is written (Deut. 29:16f.): “And you saw their abominations and their depravities, etc....turns away today from the Lord.” Therefore, Josiah “removed all the abominations, etc.”
Metzudat David
And he caused... to stand – He brought all of them into the covenant. did – From then on they acted according to the words of the Torah given in the covenant.
Malbim
And he caused ... to stand — He made them stand [as a pledge] to act according to the covenant, and by this he committed them to serve Hashem all his days.
And Josiah took away all the abominations out of all the countries that pertained to the children of Israel, and made all that were found in Israel to serve, even to serve Hashem their God. All his days they departed not from following Hashem, the God of their fathers.
verse value 6978
Insights
Verse structure: 21 words, 109 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֖ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֣א, 2 letters) and the longest is "all·the·abominations" (אֶת־כׇּל־הַתֹּעֵב֗וֹת, 10 letters). Words sharing gematria 92: to·the·sons·of, and·he·made·serve. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Chronicles. Unique to this verse in II Chronicles (hapax): "all·the·abominations" (אֶת־כׇּל־הַתֹּעֵב֗וֹת), "from·all·the·lands" (מִֽכׇּל־הָאֲרָצוֹת֮). The root סור appears 2 times in this verse. 16 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 384x in II Chronicles); "to·the·sons·of" (root בן, 225x in II Chronicles); "that" (root אשר, 203x in II Chronicles). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'their·God', dividing the verse into phrases of 14 and 7 words.
Ralbag
'And Josiah took away all the abominations out of all the countries that pertained to the children of Israel' — Meaning, he had already removed all that was found among them of the abominations and idols that he had not eradicated before this; and the Book of Kings elaborates at length on this account, recounting what he removed of these abominations and idols.
Metzudat David
made... to serve – He made all who were found in Israel serve, and [Scripture] goes on to explain what this service was, saying: to serve Hashem.
Rashi
Metzudat David
Metzudat Zion
Malbim