2 Kings 22:4 - Exposition

Go up to Hilkiah the high priest. Hilkiah is mentioned again in the genealogy of Ezra ( Ezra 7:1 ). He is there called "the son of Shallum." That he may sum the silver which is brought into the house of the Lord. A collection must have been progressing for some time. As in the reign of Joash, after the impieties and idolatry of Athaliah, it was found necessary to collect money for the repair of the temple ( 2 Kings 12:4-14 ), so now, after the wicked doings of Manasseh and Amen, a renovation of the sacred building was required, and the money needed was being raised by a collection. Great care was taken in all such cases that an exact account should be kept and rendered. Which the keepers of the door —literally, of the threshold— have gathered of the people. The money had, apparently, been allowed to accumulate in a box or boxes (see 2 Kings 12:9 ), from the time when the collection was first authorized, probably six years previously. The high priest was now required to count it, to take the sum of it, and undertake the distribution.