Go up to Hilkiah the high priest, that he may sum the silver which is brought into the house of the LORD, which the keepers of the door have gathered of the people:

2 KINGS 22:4KJV
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2 Kings 22:4 (KJV)

What does 2 Kings 22:4 mean?

2 Kings 22:4 tells someone to go to Hilkiah, the high priest, so that he can count the silver that has been brought into the temple of the LORD, which the gatekeepers have collected from the people. The verse is about making sure the offerings given by the people are properly accounted for in the temple.

In this verse, King Josiah is instructing his secretary, Shaphan, to check with Hilkiah the high priest about the money collected at the temple. The temple gatekeepers have been gathering silver from the people, and now it is time to sum up or total what has been received. This is part of a larger story where Josiah is working to repair and restore the temple, showing his concern for proper worship and stewardship.

The Hebrew behind 2 Kings 22:4

  • "Sum" (תָּמַם, tamam, H8552) means to complete or finish. Here, it refers to totaling or accounting for the silver, emphasizing careful management of temple funds.
  • "Keepers" (שָׁמַר, shamar, H8104) means those who guard or watch. The "keepers of the door" are the gatekeepers responsible for collecting and safeguarding the offerings brought by the people.
  • "Silver" (כֶּסֶף, keseph, H3701) means silver or money. This highlights that the offerings were not just coins, but could include silver as a valuable resource for temple repairs.

Why 2 Kings 22:4 matters

  • This verse shows the practical side of temple life, where offerings were carefully collected and managed, not just given haphazardly.
  • It sets the stage for the reforms of King Josiah, who wanted to ensure everything in the temple was done properly and honestly.
  • The verse connects to the discovery of the Book of the Law later in the chapter, showing how attention to temple duties led to a spiritual renewal for the nation.

Where else these words appear

“door” Hebrew H5592 · used in 28 verses

  • Exodus 12:22 And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the bason, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the bason; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning.
  • 1 Chronicles 9:19 And Shallum the son of Kore, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, and his brethren, of the house of his father, the Korahites, were over the work of the service, keepers of the gates of the tabernacle: and their fathers, being over the host of the LORD, were keepers of the entry.
  • Jeremiah 52:19 And the basons, and the firepans, and the bowls, and the caldrons, and the candlesticks, and the spoons, and the cups; that which was of gold in gold, and that which was of silver in silver, took the captain of the guard away.

“Hilkiah” Hebrew H2518 · used in 31 verses

  • 2 Kings 18:18 And when they had called to the king, there came out to them Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, which was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder.
  • 1 Chronicles 6:45 The son of Hashabiah, the son of Amaziah, the son of Hilkiah,
  • Ezra 7:1 Now after these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra the son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah,

“sum” Hebrew H8552 · used in 62 verses

  • Genesis 47:15 And when money failed in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came unto Joseph, and said, Give us bread: for why should we die in thy presence? for the money faileth.
  • Joshua 5:8 And it came to pass, when they had done circumcising all the people, that they abode in their places in the camp, till they were whole.
  • Isaiah 16:4 Let mine outcasts dwell with thee, Moab; be thou a covert to them from the face of the spoiler: for the extortioner is at an end, the spoiler ceaseth, the oppressors are consumed out of the land.