The Meaning of 2 Kings 22:11 Explained

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.

YLT: And it cometh to pass, at the king's hearing the words of the book of the law, that he rendeth his garments,

Darby: And it came to pass when the king heard the words of the book of the law, that he rent his garments.

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

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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

What does 2 Kings 22:11 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Kings 22:1-13 - Finding The Lost Law
In the midst of a dissolute court, Josiah's young life grew as a palm on the desert-waste. At the age of sixteen he sought the Lord, and at eighteen he became even more earnest and devoted, as though some special quickening had passed over his soul and led him to set about the repair of the Temple. In this he was greatly aided by Hilkiah. It was a fair sunrise, though the day was prematurely overcast.
During the process of renovation a copy of the Book of the Law was discovered, and Shaphan read it before the king. It is supposed that the passage which he recited and which so greatly moved his soul, was Deuteronomy 28:1-68; Deuteronomy 29:1-29; Deuteronomy 30:1-20, where are enumerated the awful consequences that would follow the failure to observe God's law. What ruthless havoc had Manasseh wrought, that all the copies of the Law had become destroyed! It reminds us of the wholesale burning of the Bible in Tyndale "˜s day! The housebreaker is always careful to extinguish the light that might reveal his presence and lead to his identification. Let us not hesitate to preach the whole counsel of God, and not hide the inevitable doom of the ungodly. It is by the Word that the Holy Spirit convicts of sin. [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Kings 22

1  Josiah's good reign
3  He takes care for the repair of the temple
8  Hilkiah having found a book of the law,
12  Josiah sends to Huldah to enquire of the Lord
15  Huldah prophesies the destruction of Jerusalem, but respite thereof in Josiah's time

What do the individual words in 2 Kings 22:11 mean?

And it came to pass when heard the king - the words of the Book of the Law that he tore his clothes
וַֽיְהִי֙ כִּשְׁמֹ֣עַ הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ אֶת־ דִּבְרֵ֖י סֵ֣פֶר הַתּוֹרָ֑ה וַיִּקְרַ֖ע בְּגָדָֽיו

וַֽיְהִי֙  And  it  came  to  pass 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
כִּשְׁמֹ֣עַ  when  heard 
Parse: Preposition-k, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
דִּבְרֵ֖י  the  words 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
סֵ֣פֶר  of  the  Book 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: סֵפֶר 
Sense: book.
הַתּוֹרָ֑ה  of  the  Law 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: תֹּורָה  
Sense: law, direction, instruction.
וַיִּקְרַ֖ע  that  he  tore 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קָרַע  
Sense: to tear, tear in pieces.
בְּגָדָֽיו  his  clothes 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: בֶּגֶד 
Sense: treachery, deceit.