Hulda: the Prophetess Who Foretold the Jewish Future

(1) Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jedidah daughter of Adaiah of Bozkath. (2) He did what was pleasing to GOD and he followed all the ways of his forefather David; he did not deviate to the right or to the left.

(3) In the eighteenth year of King Josiah, the king sent the scribe Shaphan son of Azaliah son of Meshullam to the House of GOD, saying, (4) “Go to the high priest Hilkiah and let him weigh the silver that has been deposited in the House of GOD, which the guards of the threshold have collected from the people. (5) And let it be delivered to the overseers of the work who are in charge at the House of GOD, that they in turn may pay it out to the workers that are in the House of GOD, for the repair of the House: (6) to the carpenters, the laborers, and the masons, and for the purchase of wood and quarried stones for repairing the House. (7) However, no check is to be kept on them for the silver that is delivered to them, for they deal honestly.”

(8) Then the high priest Hilkiah said to the scribe Shaphan, “I have found a scroll of the Teaching in the House of GOD.” And Hilkiah gave the scroll to Shaphan, who read it. (9) The scribe Shaphan then went to the king and reported to the king: “Your servants have melted down the silver that was deposited in the House, and they have delivered it to the overseers of the work who are in charge at the House of GOD.”

(10) The scribe Shaphan also told the king, “The high priest Hilkiah has given me a scroll”; and Shaphan read it to the king. (11) When the king heard the words of the scroll of the Teaching, he rent his clothes. (12) And the king gave orders to the priest Hilkiah, and to Ahikam son of Shaphan, Achbor son of Michaiah, the scribe Shaphan, and Asaiah the king’s minister: (13) “Go, inquire of GOD on my behalf, and on behalf of the people, and on behalf of all Judah, concerning the words of this scroll that has been found. For great indeed must be GOD’s wrath that has been kindled against us, because our ancestors did not obey the words of this scroll to do all that has been prescribed for us.”

(14) So the priest Hilkiah, and Ahikam, Achbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went to the prophetess Huldah—the wife of Shallum son of Tikvah son of Harhas, the keeper of the wardrobe—who was living in Jerusalem in the Mishneh and they spoke to her. (15) She responded:

“Thus said the ETERNAL, the God of Israel: Say to the one who sent you to me: (16) Thus said GOD: I am going to bring disaster upon this place and its inhabitants, in accordance with all the words of the scroll that the king of Judah has read. (17) Because they have forsaken Me and have made offerings to other gods and provoked My anger with all their deeds, My wrath is kindled against this place and it shall not be quenched.

(18) But say this to the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of GOD: Thus said the ETERNAL, the God of Israel: As for the words that you have heard— (19) because your heart was softened and you humbled yourself before GOD when you heard what I decreed against this place and its inhabitants—that it will become a desolation and a curse—and because you rent your clothes and wept before Me, I for My part have listened—declares GOD. (20) Assuredly, I will gather you to your ancestors and you will be laid in your tomb in peace. Your eyes shall not see all the disaster that I will bring upon this place.”

So they brought back the reply to the king.

(1) Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. (2) He did what was pleasing to the LORD, following the ways of his father David without deviating to the right or to the left. (3) In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek the God of his father David, and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the shrines, the sacred posts, the idols, and the molten images. (4) At his bidding, they demolished the altars of the Baals, and he had the incense stands above them cut down; he smashed the sacred posts, the idols, and the images, ground them into dust, and strewed it onto the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. (5) He burned the bones of priests on their altars and purged Judah and Jerusalem. (6) In the towns of Manasseh and Ephraim and Simeon, as far as Naphtali, [lying] in ruins on every side, (7) he demolished the altars and the sacred posts and smashed the idols and ground them into dust.... (8) In the eighteenth year of his reign, after purging the land and the House, he commissioned Shaphan son of Azaliah...to repair the House of the LORD his God....

(14) As they took out the silver that had been brought to the House of the LORD, the priest Hilkiah found a scroll of the LORD’s Teaching given by Moses. (15) Hilkiah spoke up and said to the scribe Shaphan, “I have found a scroll of the Teaching in the House of the LORD”; and Hilkiah gave the scroll to Shaphan. (16) Shaphan brought the scroll to the king and also reported to the king.... (18) The scribe Shaphan also told the king, “The priest Hilkiah has given me a scroll”; and Shaphan read from it to the king. (19) When the king heard the words of the Teaching, he tore his clothes. (20) The king gave orders to Hilkiah, and Ahikam son of Shaphan, and Abdon son of Micah, and the scribe Shaphan, and Asaiah the king’s minister, saying,

(20) The king gave orders to Hilkiah, and...to the scribe Shaphan, and Asaiah the king’s minister, saying, (21) “Go, inquire of the LORD on my behalf and on behalf of those who remain in Israel and Judah concerning the words of the scroll that has been found, for great indeed must be the wrath of the LORD that has been poured down upon us because our fathers did not obey the word of the LORD and do all that is written in this scroll.”

(22) Hilkiah and those whom the king [had ordered] went to the prophetess Huldah...and spoke to her accordingly. (23) She responded to them: “Thus said the LORD God of Israel: Say to the man who sent you to Me, (24) ‘Thus said the LORD: I am going to bring disaster upon this place and its inhabitants—all the curses that are written in the scroll that was read to the king of Judah— (25) because they forsook Me and made offerings to other gods in order to vex Me with all the works of their hands; My wrath shall be poured out against this place and not be quenched.’ (26) But say this to the king of Judah who sent you to inquire of the LORD: ‘Thus said the LORD God of Israel: As for the words which you have heard, (27) since your heart was softened and you humbled yourself before God when you heard His words concerning this place and its inhabitants, and you humbled yourself before Me and tore your clothes and wept before Me, I for My part have listened, declares the LORD. (28) Assuredly, I will gather you to your fathers, and you will be laid in your grave in peace; your eyes shall see nothing of the disaster that I will bring upon this place and its inhabitants.’” They reported this back to the king. (29) Then the king sent word and assembled all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. (30) The king went up to the House of the LORD with all the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the priests and the Levites—all the people, young and old—and he read to them the entire text of the covenant scroll that was found in the House of the LORD. (31) The king stood in his place and solemnized the covenant before the LORD: to follow the LORD and observe His commandments, His injunctions, and His laws with all his heart and soul, to fulfill all the terms of the covenant written in this scroll. (32) He obligated all the men of Jerusalem and Benjamin who were present; and the inhabitants of Jerusalem acted in accord with the Covenant of God, God of their fathers. (33) Josiah removed all the abominations from the whole territory of the Israelites and obliged all who were in Israel to worship the LORD their God. Throughout his reign they did not deviate from following the LORD God of their fathers.

Huldah was a prophetess, as it is written: “So Hilkiah the priest and Ahikam and Achbor and Shaphan and Asaiah went to Huldah the prophetess” (II Kings 22:14) as emissaries of King Josiah. The Gemara asks: But if Jeremiah was found there, how could she prophesy? Out of respect for Jeremiah, who was her superior, it would have been fitting that she not prophesy in his presence.

The Sages of the school of Rav say in the name of Rav: Huldah was a close relative of Jeremiah, and he did not object to her prophesying in his presence.

The Gemara asks: But how could Josiah himself ignore Jeremiah and send emissaries to Huldah? The Sages of the school of Rabbi Sheila say: Because women are more compassionate, and he hoped that what she would tell them would not be overly harsh....

Rabbi Yoḥanan said a different answer: Jeremiah was not there at the time, because he went to bring back the ten tribes from their exile.

Rav Naḥman said: Haughtiness is not befitting a woman. And a proof to this is that there were two haughty women, whose names were identical to the names of loathsome creatures. One, Deborah, was called a hornet, as her Hebrew name, Devorah, means hornet; and one, Huldah, was called a marten, as her name is the Hebrew term for that creature. From where is it known that they were haughty? With regard to Deborah, the hornet, it is written: “And she sent and called Barak” (Judges 4:6), but she herself did not go to him. And with regard to Huldah, the marten, it is written: “Say to the man that sent you to me” (II Kings 22:15), but she did not say: Say to the king.