What does Josias do after hearing the book Helcias found, and what does Holda say about the people and the king?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

Josias tears his garments and sends five named men to consult the Lord for himself, the people and all Juda. Holda says evils will fall on the place and its inhabitants because they forsook the Lord and sacrificed to strange gods, but Josias has been heard because he humbled himself, tore his garments and wept: he will be gathered to his fathers and his grave in peace without seeing all those evils.

Chapter breakdown

Josias begins to reign at eight years old and reigns thirty-one years in Jerusalem. His mother is Idida, daughter of Hadaia of Besecath. He does what is right in the Lord’s sight and walks in all the ways of David, called his father in the account, without turning to the right or left.

In Josias’s eighteenth year, the king sends Saphan, son of Assia, son of Messulam, the scribe of the Lord’s temple, to Helcias the high priest. His command is to bring together the money brought into the temple, which the doorkeepers have gathered from the people. The overseers of the Lord’s house are to give it to the workmen, distributing it to those repairing the temple: carpenters, masons and people who mend breaches. Timber and stones from the quarries are to be bought for the repairs. No reckoning is to be made with them for the money they receive; they are to have it in their power and trust.

Helcias the high priest tells Saphan the scribe that he has found the book of the law in the Lord’s house. Helcias gives the book to Saphan, who reads it.

Challoner’s note identifies the book of the law as Deuteronomy. That identification is the note’s explanation.

Saphan comes to the king and reports on the command: the king’s servants have gathered the money found in the Lord’s house and given it for distribution to the workmen through the overseers of the temple’s works. He also tells the king that Helcias the priest has given him a book. Saphan reads it before the king. When Josias hears the words of the Lord’s law, he tears his garments.

Josias commands Helcias the priest; Ahicam, son of Saphan; Achobor, son of Micha; Saphan the scribe; and Asaia, the king’s servant, to consult the Lord for him, the people and all Juda about the words of the book that has been found. He gives the reason: the Lord’s great wrath is kindled against them because their fathers did not listen to the book’s words and do all that was written for them.

Helcias, Ahicam, Achobor, Saphan and Asaia go to Holda the prophetess and speak to her. She is the wife of Sellum, son of Thecua, son of Araas, keeper of the wardrobe, and lives in Jerusalem in the Second.

Challoner explains the Second as a street or part of the city with that name, called Massem in Hebrew. The note leaves the street or city-part alternatives.

Holda speaks in the name of the Lord, the God of Israel, and tells the men to report to the man who sent them. The Lord will bring evils upon this place and its inhabitants, all the words of the law that the king of Juda has read. The stated reason is that they forsook him and sacrificed to strange gods, provoking him by all the works of their hands. Therefore his indignation will be kindled against this place and will not be quenched.

For the king of Juda who sent them to consult the Lord, Holda gives this answer from the Lord, the God of Israel. Josias heard the book’s words against the place and its inhabitants, that they would become a wonder and a curse. His heart was moved to fear, he humbled himself before the Lord, tore his garments and wept before him. The Lord says he too has heard Josias. Therefore he will gather Josias to his fathers and Josias will be gathered to his sepulchre in peace, so that his eyes will not see all the evils the Lord will bring upon this place.

The story inside

The chapter first names Josias’s age, reign, family and conduct, then places the temple-money command in his eighteenth year. The money passes from the people through the doorkeepers and overseers to the people repairing the temple; the command names the trades, timber, quarried stones and freedom from reckoning. Helcias then announces that he has found the book of the law in the Lord’s house, gives it to Saphan and Saphan reads it. Challoner identifies it as Deuteronomy. Saphan reports the money’s distribution and the book to Josias, and reads before him. Hearing the law leads Josias to tear his garments. He sends Helcias, Ahicam, Achobor, Saphan and Asaia to consult the Lord for him, the people and all Juda because the fathers did not listen and do all the book required. The five men speak to Holda, whose husband, family and location are given. Challoner’s location note offers a street or part of the city, called Massem. Holda’s answer has two addressed parts. For the sender she announces evils upon the place and its inhabitants because they forsook the Lord and sacrificed to strange gods, provoking him through all their works; the indignation will not be quenched. For Josias she names his hearing, fear, humility, torn garments and tears, and says the Lord has heard him. The promise is gathering to his fathers and grave in peace without his eyes seeing all the evils. The chapter gives that promise; it does not narrate his death or turn the answer into a rule for every person or nation.

Lessons worth keeping

1
The money command names responsibilities and an exception. Doorkeepers have gathered money from the people; overseers distribute it to workmen for repairs and building materials. No reckoning is to be made for the money received, which is placed in their power and trust. The chapter does not say this accelerated the work or supply a history of proven honesty. The concrete route and exception explain the command without those additions.
2
Josias responds to the words he hears with an action and an inquiry. He tears his garments, then names five men to consult for himself, the people and all Juda. His stated reason is the fathers’ failure to listen and do all that was written, which has kindled great wrath. Keeping the reason ties his inquiry to the book rather than an invented palace scene or a claim that the whole nation has already responded.
3
Holda distinguishes the warning for the place and its inhabitants from the promise to Josias. Forsaking the Lord and sacrificing to strange gods are given as the warning’s causes. Josias’s fear, humility, torn garments and tears are named before the Lord says he has heard him and promises peace in his sepulchre without seeing all the evils. These are the chapter’s particular words and reasons; the account does not establish an added universal doctrine of irreversible national guilt.

Test your recall

What route and no-reckoning command govern the temple money, how does Saphan’s reading lead Josias to send the five men, and what different reasons and consequences does Holda give for the place’s inhabitants and for Josias?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 40662–40675
4 Kings Chapter 22 Josias repaireth the temple. The book of the law is found, upon which they consult the Lord, and are told that great evils shall fall upon them, but not in the time of Josias. 22:1. Josias was eight years old when he began to reign: he reigned one and thirty years in Jerusalem: the name of his mother was Idida, the daughter of Hadaia, of Besecath. 22:2. And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in all the ways of David, his father: he turned not aside to the right hand, or to the left.
Lines 40676–40694
22:3. And in the eighteenth year of king Josias, the king sent Saphan, the son of Assia, the son of Messulam, the scribe of the temple of the Lord, saying to him: 22:4. Go to Helcias, the high priest, that the money may be put together which is brought into the temple of the Lord, which the doorkeepers of the temple have gathered of the people. 22:5. And let it be given to the workmen by the overseers of the house of the Lord: and let them distribute it to those that work in the temple of the Lord, to repair the temple: 22:6. That is, to carpenters and masons, and to such as mend breaches: and that timber may be bought, and stones out of the quarries, to repair the temple of the Lord. 22:7. But let there be no reckoning made with them of the money which they receive, but let them have it in their power, and in their trust.
Lines 40695–40698
22:8. 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.
Lines 40699–40700
The book of the law.... That is, Deuteronomy.
Lines 40701–40713
22:9. And Saphan, the scribe, came to the king, and brought him word again concerning that which he had commanded, and said: Thy servants have gathered together the money that was found in the house of the Lord: and they have given it to be distributed to the workmen, by the overseers of the works of the temple of the Lord. 22:10. And Saphan, the scribe, told the king, saying: Helcias, the priest, hath delivered to me a book. And when Saphan had read it before the king, 22:11. And the king had heard the words of the law of the Lord, he rent his garments.
Lines 40714–40722
22:12. And he commanded Helcias, the priest, and Ahicam, the son of Saphan, and Achobor, the son of Micha, and Saphan, the scribe, and Asaia, the king’s servant, saying: 22:13. Go and consult the Lord for me, and for the people, and for all Juda, concerning the words of this book which is found: for the great wrath of the Lord is kindled against us, because our fathers have not hearkened to the words of this book, to do all that is written for us.
Lines 40723–40727
22:14. So Helcias, the priest, and Ahicam, and Achobor, and Saphan, and Asaia, went to Holda, the prophetess, the wife of Sellum, the son of Thecua, the son of Araas, keeper of the wardrobe, who dwelt in Jerusalem, in the Second: and they spoke to her.
Lines 40728–40730
The Second.... A street, or part of the city, so called; in Hebrew, Massem.
Lines 40731–40742
22:15. And she said to them: Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel: Tell the man that sent you to me: 22:16. Thus saith the Lord: Behold, I will bring evils upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, all the words of the law which the king of Juda hath read: 22:17. Because they have forsaken me, and have sacrificed to strange gods, provoking me by all the works of their hands: therefore my indignation shall be kindled against this place, and shall not be quenched.
Lines 40743–40757
22:18. But to the king of Juda, who sent you to consult the Lord, thus shall you say: Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel: for as much as thou hast heard the words of the book, 22:19. And thy heart hath been moved to fear, and thou hast humbled thyself before the Lord, hearing the words against this place, and the inhabitants thereof, to wit, that they should become a wonder and a curse: and thou hast rent thy garments, and wept before me; I also have heard thee; saith the Lord. 22:20. Therefore I will gather thee to thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered to thy sepulchre in peace; that thy eyes may not see all the evils which I will bring upon this place.