2 Kings 22 20

2 Kings 22:20 kjv

Behold therefore, I will gather thee unto thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered into thy grave in peace; and thine eyes shall not see all the evil which I will bring upon this place. And they brought the king word again.

2 Kings 22:20 nkjv

"Surely, therefore, I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace; and your eyes shall not see all the calamity which I will bring on this place." ' " So they brought back word to the king.

2 Kings 22:20 niv

Therefore I will gather you to your ancestors, and you will be buried in peace. Your eyes will not see all the disaster I am going to bring on this place.'?" So they took her answer back to the king.

2 Kings 22:20 esv

Therefore, behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace, and your eyes shall not see all the disaster that I will bring upon this place.'" And they brought back word to the king.

2 Kings 22:20 nlt

So I will not send the promised disaster until after you have died and been buried in peace. You will not see the disaster I am going to bring on this city.'" So they took her message back to the king.

2 Kings 22 verses

2 Kings 22 20 Meaning

King Josiah is promised by God, through the prophetess Huldah, that he will die and be buried peacefully before the divine judgment of destruction falls upon Jerusalem and Judah. His sincere humility and repentance, shown after hearing the words of the Law, earned him this unique grace. Therefore, his eyes would be spared from witnessing the catastrophic evil and calamity that God had decreed to bring upon the land due to its long-standing idolatry and unfaithfulness. The latter part of the verse simply confirms that the prophecy was relayed back to the king.

2 Kings 22 20 Context

This verse is part of a pivotal moment in the history of Judah during the reign of King Josiah (640-609 BC). Earlier in the chapter, during repairs of the Temple, Hilkiah the high priest discovers "the Book of the Law," widely believed to be a scroll of Deuteronomy or a portion thereof. Upon hearing its words read, Josiah is deeply convicted and tears his clothes in genuine repentance, realizing how far the nation has strayed from God's commands and how severe the impending judgment will be.

In response, Josiah sends a delegation to inquire of the LORD through a prophet or prophetess. They go to Huldah, a prophetess residing in Jerusalem. This verse contains her specific message from the LORD to Josiah. While God confirms the inevitability of the severe judgment and destruction upon Judah and Jerusalem due to their widespread and persistent idolatry and disregard for His covenant, He grants Josiah a unique personal reprieve. This divine mercy is solely based on Josiah's humble heart, his immediate and sincere repentance, and his decision to implement widespread reforms to turn the nation back to God (though this reformation would prove temporary). Thus, the verse signifies both God's unwavering justice against national sin and His compassionate response to individual righteousness.

2 Kings 22 20 Word analysis

• Therefore: This conjunction (lākēn, לָכֵן) directly links God's preceding declaration of judgment (v. 16-17) with His promise to Josiah. It signifies that because of Josiah's penitence (v. 19), a specific outcome will follow for him.
• behold: (hinneh, הִנֵּה) An interjection drawing attention, emphasizing the certainty and immediate impact of the divine announcement. It conveys a sense of direct divine utterance.
• I will gather thee unto thy fathers: ('osiphka 'el 'avōteyka, אֹסִפְךָ אֶל־אֲבֹתֶיךָ) A common biblical euphemism for a peaceful death, particularly for one who is old and respected. It implies dying without violence or disgrace, and being reunited with ancestors in Sheol, the common grave of all humanity. This is a contrast to being cut off prematurely or dying in battle.
• and thou shalt be gathered unto thy grave in peace: (v'ne'esaphta 'el q'vūrōteyḵa b'shalom, וְנֶאֱסַפְתָּ אֶל־קְבֻרֹתֶיךָ בְּשָׁלוֹם) This reiterates and reinforces the previous phrase, specifying the peaceful nature of his death and burial.
  • gathered: (nē'esaptāh, נֶאֱסַפְתָּה) From the same root as 'gather' ('āṣap) emphasizing the natural, proper closure of life.
  • grave: (qəvūrāh, קְבֻרָה) Denotes the act of burial and the burial place itself, signifying a proper and respectful burial rather than his corpse being left unburied (a great curse).
  • in peace: (bəšālôm, בְּשָׁלוֹם) A critical blessing. Shalom (שָׁלוֹם) means not just absence of conflict, but completeness, welfare, well-being, health, prosperity, and security. Here, it signifies freedom from the specific calamity that is to come upon Judah. Josiah would die naturally, respected, and without experiencing the horrific violence and distress of the siege, famine, and destruction.
• and thine eyes shall not see all the evil: (v'eineykha lo' tire'enah b'khol hara'ah, וְעֵינֶיךָ לֹא תִרְאֶינָה בְּכָל־הָרָעָה) This is the core of the specific divine favor.
  • thine eyes shall not see: Highlights sensory experience and personal exposure. Josiah would be protected from experiencing the full horror of the impending catastrophe.
  • all the evil: (kol-hāra‘ah, כָּל־הָרָעָה) Here, "evil" refers not to moral evil but to disaster, calamity, misfortune, distress, and destruction. It specifically refers to the siege, famine, and exile that would later befall Judah at the hands of Babylon.
• which I will bring upon this place: Explicitly states God's sovereign agency in the coming judgment. It is divine punishment, not merely historical consequence. "This place" refers to Jerusalem and the kingdom of Judah. It demonstrates God's judicial nature as righteous judge over His people's covenantal infidelity.
• And they brought the king word again: A straightforward narrative note, confirming that the king's envoys delivered Huldah's prophecy back to Josiah. This detail underscores the prophetic transaction's completion.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "I will gather thee unto thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered unto thy grave in peace": This dual expression uses parallelism to emphatically assure Josiah of a dignified, non-violent, and honored passing. It speaks to a blessing of personal safety and respect, standing in stark contrast to the national doom. It points to God's tender regard for those who genuinely humble themselves before Him, even in the midst of pronounced judgment for the unrepentant nation.
• "thine eyes shall not see all the evil which I will bring upon this place": This phrase details the specific nature of the blessing. It is not just a peaceful death, but protection from witnessing a catastrophic historical event. This indicates God's mercy extends to shielding His faithful servants from the intense suffering that collective sin brings upon a society. It suggests that even in a fallen world, God grants moments of reprieve and individual grace amidst corporate judgment.

2 Kings 22 20 Bonus section

The seemingly paradoxical nature of Josiah's eventual death in battle at Megiddo (2 Kgs 23:29), contradicting the "in peace" promise, has been a point of theological discussion. Several scholarly perspectives explain this:

1. "Peace" as security from the great evil: Josiah did not witness the Babylonian destruction, the burning of Jerusalem, or the exile. His death in battle was painful but preserved him from seeing the specific horrors that Huldah prophesied, namely the complete ruin of his kingdom. He was gathered to his fathers before that catastrophe. In this sense, he still died in relative "peace" concerning the specific evils described, being removed from the scene before they fully unfolded.
2. Figurative peace: "In peace" can refer to dying while in right standing with God, even if the death itself is violent. It signifies a spiritual state of reconciliation rather than an absence of physical conflict.
3. Preventive judgment: Some suggest that even his death in battle was a swift "gathering" before the prolonged national suffering. God removed His faithful servant swiftly before the onset of the prolonged and excruciating judgment. His death protected him from the ongoing grief of leading a people into unrepentant disaster.
4. Consequences of choice: While God promised Josiah would die in peace before the calamity, Josiah still possessed free will. His decision to intervene in the battle against Necho of Egypt, even against the Pharaoh's warning (2 Chr 35:21), led to his untimely end. While God's word promised he wouldn't see the major evil, it didn't promise an eternal shield against all danger resulting from personal military or political decisions. God’s promise holds true in the grander scope: he did not see Judah's collapse.

2 Kings 22 20 Commentary

2 Kings 22:20 is a profound display of God's justice intertwined with His profound mercy. The larger context establishes God's unyielding judgment against Judah for its persistent idolatry and breaking of the covenant, confirming the words of the newly discovered Law. However, this verse reveals a critical exception—an individual act of grace for King Josiah. His immediate and humble repentance upon hearing God's word (tearing his clothes, seeking divine counsel, acknowledging national guilt) evoked a compassionate response from God.

The promise of a peaceful death, specifically to be "gathered to his fathers" and buried "in peace," was a highly valued blessing in ancient Israel. It signified dying of natural causes, being honored in burial, and avoiding a disgraceful or violent end. Crucially, Josiah's blessing was tied to not witnessing the "evil" – the dreadful calamity and destruction—that God would bring upon Judah. This highlights that God, in His sovereign power, could stay His hand of judgment long enough for a righteous individual to be removed from the scene. While Josiah's reforms delayed, they did not cancel, the ultimate judgment due to the deep-seated spiritual apostasy of the people, which would resurface after his reign. This verse, therefore, testifies to God's readiness to bless individual repentance even when corporate sin dictates a course of unavoidable national consequence. It is a powerful example of divine election of grace within judgment, demonstrating God's meticulous care for those whose hearts are truly inclined toward Him.