2 Kings 22 11

2 Kings 22:11 kjv

And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the book of the law, that he rent his clothes.

2 Kings 22:11 nkjv

Now it happened, when the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, that he tore his clothes.

2 Kings 22:11 niv

When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his robes.

2 Kings 22:11 esv

When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his clothes.

2 Kings 22:11 nlt

When the king heard what was written in the Book of the Law, he tore his clothes in despair.

2 Kings 22 verses

2 Kings 22 11 Meaning

King Josiah's immediate and visceral reaction of profound sorrow and humility upon hearing the contents of the recovered Book of the Law. His act of tearing his clothes signified deep personal conviction, repentance for the nation's spiritual decline, and profound fear regarding God's impending judgment due to centuries of covenant unfaithfulness. It underscored his immediate submission to the revealed divine will.

2 Kings 22 11 Context

The discovery in 2 Kings 22:11 occurs during the reign of King Josiah, approximately in 622 BC, during his eighteenth regnal year. Josiah had begun his reign at the tender age of eight, succeeding his wicked father Amon and deeply idolatrous grandfather Manasseh. For decades, Judah had steeped itself in various forms of idolatry, including Baal worship, Asherah poles, and even child sacrifice. The Temple of the LORD in Jerusalem had been neglected and desecrated.

Josiah, remarkably, had already initiated religious reforms and purification efforts across Judah and in Jerusalem (2 Chr 34:3-7) even before this pivotal discovery. During these temple renovation efforts, Hilkiah the High Priest found "the Book of the Law" in the house of the LORD (2 Kgs 22:8). Shaphan the scribe brought the book to Josiah and read it to him. The contents of this book—widely believed to be at least a substantial portion of Deuteronomy—revealed the full extent of God's covenant with Israel, detailing the blessings for obedience and severe curses for disobedience. When Josiah heard these words, particularly the pronouncements of judgment against a nation that had utterly forsaken God's commands, his response was immediate and profound, setting the stage for Judah's most comprehensive spiritual revival before the exile.

2 Kings 22 11 Word analysis

• When the king: Refers to King Josiah of Judah. Though he ascended the throne at the age of eight (2 Kgs 22:1), by the eighteenth year of his reign, he was a mature leader already committed to reforming the nation spiritually. This highlights his personal authority and responsibility to heed God's Word.
• heard: (Hebrew: shama', שָׁמַע). This verb implies much more than mere auditory perception; it signifies listening intently, understanding, paying attention to, and, crucially, preparing to respond or obey. Josiah's hearing was one of profound reception, contrasting sharply with generations before him who heard God's laws but did not obey.
• the words: (Hebrew: divrei, דִּבְרֵי). This denotes more than just individual sounds or a collection of casual statements. These were weighty, authoritative declarations—the very pronouncements, commands, and warnings of God, carrying divine truth and the weight of covenant obligation and consequence.
• of the Book of the Law: (Hebrew: Sefer haTorah, סֵפֶר הַתּוֹרָה). This foundational document contained God's revealed will, particularly the covenant given to Israel at Sinai and reiterated in Moab, detailing laws, instructions, and especially the extensive blessings and curses (cf. Deut 28). Its discovery was monumental, confirming God's revealed blueprint for His people, which had been tragically forgotten or ignored for centuries. Its presence authenticated the divine standard from which Judah had severely departed.
• he tore his clothes: (Hebrew: qara', קָרַע, "to tear"; begadim, בְּגָדִים, "garments"). This was a deeply significant, visible, and spontaneous act of distress, humiliation, repentance, and intense mourning in ancient Israelite culture. For Josiah, it was a sincere expression of profound internal anguish, acknowledging the vast gulf between God's holy standard and Judah's deep-seated apostasy. It symbolized a broken spirit before God and a fearful apprehension of the certain judgment detailed in the Law.

2 Kings 22 11 Words-group analysis

• "When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law": This phrase captures the immediate, direct, and transformative encounter of King Josiah with the authoritative, rediscovered Word of God. It emphasizes that hearing God's words—in the sense of truly perceiving their content and implications—is the catalyst for conviction and change. This active hearing represents a turning point, awakening Josiah to the depth of national sin and the dire consequences pronounced in the covenant.
• "he tore his clothes": This concise statement encapsulates a powerful emotional and spiritual response. It is the visible manifestation of deep spiritual shock, horror, and penitence. This act signifies more than mere grief; it points to a king who, in profound humility and self-abasement, acknowledged the vast chasm between Judah's rebellion and God's holiness, recognizing the impending doom upon his people for their unfaithfulness. It reveals a broken and contrite heart responsive to divine truth, leading directly to earnest intercession and widespread reforms.

2 Kings 22 11 Bonus section

• The spiritual impact of this event cannot be overstated. For generations, the Book of the Law—the very foundation of their covenant identity and relationship with God—had been lost or neglected to such an extent that the ruling monarch was unfamiliar with its contents. This indicates the depth of spiritual apostasy and illiteracy in Judah prior to Josiah's reforms.
• Josiah's response sets him apart from other kings. It stands in stark contrast to the hard-hearted indifference of King Jehoiakim, who later showed no remorse or reaction when Jeremiah's scroll, filled with similar pronouncements, was read to him and subsequently burned (Jer 36:23-24).
• Although Josiah's reforms were comprehensive and sincere, leading to a temporary revival, the deep-seated idolatry and unfaithfulness of the people persisted. As prophesied by Huldah (2 Kgs 22:15-20), the judgment on Judah was determined, though it would be delayed during Josiah's lifetime due to his humble response. This underscores the severity of prolonged sin and the limitations of even the most righteous human efforts against a national trajectory of rebellion.

2 Kings 22 11 Commentary

Josiah's dramatic reaction of tearing his clothes upon hearing the Book of the Law serves as a quintessential example of true conviction stemming from an encounter with God's holy Word. It wasn't mere academic interest or detached intellectual knowledge that stirred him, but a profound and personal realization of the magnitude of Judah's idolatry, disobedience, and neglect of God's covenant, coupled with the dire warnings of divine judgment contained within the Law. This act signified a spirit of humility, deep contrition, and an immediate reverence for God's authority that surpassed any ritualistic performance. His response was unfeigned, demonstrating a brokenness of heart that precedes genuine repentance and revival. It highlighted the spiritual negligence of previous generations and catalyzed the most significant religious reform in Judah's later history, illustrating how God's Word, when genuinely received, demands an all-encompassing, transformative response from a leader and his people. Josiah's act foreshadowed a life of determined obedience and courageous reformation based on the rediscovered divine standard.