Huldah is a prophetess in the Old Testament of the Bible. During the reign of King Josiah, she lived in Jerusalem in a time marked by significant religious reforms. Huldah is known for helping to authenticate the Book of the Law found in the Temple during renovations, confirming its divine authority and stern warnings, which spurred King Josiah to intensify his reform efforts.
Have you ever felt like a lone voice crying out for God? The prophet Huldah had this experience. She served as a voice for God when Israel was finding its way back to Him. She had to deliver some comforting words from God and some unhappy news. Her story is unique; she was the lone guide for lost leaders seeking to obey God again.
Huldah, the prophetess, is a lesser-known figure in the Bible, mentioned in 2 Kings 22 and 2 Chronicles 34. She lived in Jerusalem during the reign of King Josiah, one of the last kings of Judah before the Babylonian exile.
Huldah is notable for her role in the religious reform initiated by King Josiah. When the High Priest Hilkiah found a book of the Law during temple renovations, King Josiah sent a delegation to consult Huldah to interpret the words of the rediscovered scroll. Her prophetic insight confirmed that the dire warnings written in the scroll would come to pass due to the people's disobedience to God's commandments. Still, she also relayed a message of mercy for Josiah himself, recognizing his humility and devotion.
Huldah's prophecy thus spurred Josiah to intensify his efforts to reform Judah's religious practices, leading to significant changes and a brief revival of faithfulness towards God among the people. Her story highlights the role of female prophets in the biblical narrative and underscores the impact of her prophetic voice in guiding the king's actions.
Huldah’s story is buried in books many Bible readers find confusing. 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles can be daunting because they record the period of Israel’s history known as “the divided kingdom.” Earlier books are easier to follow because they hinge on the prophet Samuel and the three kings who reigned over a united Israel: Saul, David, and Solomon.
Following Solomon, however, the kingdom of Israel split into the Northern and Southern kingdoms. Both kingdoms experienced revolving door reigns—many kings, usually only lasting briefly. They prospered under kings who rid the land of idolatry, only to struggle under kings who rebelled against God and welcomed idol worship into the land. Huldah’s story comes close to the time of God’s judgment against His chosen people.
2 Kings 22 opens with the new reign of a child king, Josiah.
“Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years. His mother’s name was Jedidah daughter of Adaiah; she was from Bozkath. He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and followed completely the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left.” (2 Kings 22:1-2 NIV)
Josiah began to listen to God and initiate reforms when he was around 16.
“In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek the God of his father David. In his twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of high places, Asherah poles and idols” (2 Chronicles 34:3 NIV).
Eighteen years into his reign, when Josiah was around 26, he commissioned the people to repair the temple of the Lord.
Before Josiah’s reign, Israel had suffered nearly sixty years of the horrendous reigns of Manasseh and Amon. These kings welcomed idolatry and all kinds of evil into the land. This single verse from 2 Kings 21 speaks volumes about what the people had endured: “Moreover, Manasseh also shed so much innocent blood that he filled Jerusalem from end to end—besides the sin that he had caused Judah to commit, so that they did evil in the eyes of the Lord.” (2 Kings 21:16 NIV). His son Amon ruled only two years before he was assassinated, and Josiah was put in his place.
God had already warned the people that judgment was coming because so many of the kings had led the people into idolatry. Without their leadership, the people forgot God’s ways. During the reconstruction, the priest Hilkiah reported to Josiah’s secretary, Shaphan. Hilkiah had found the Book of the Law. Imagine Israel wandering so far from God that the Book of the Law had been lost or forgotten in the temple and must be discovered like a relic!
When Shaphan read to Josiah from the book, he tore his robe and wept before God, then immediately commissioned five trusted leaders:
“Go and inquire of the Lord for me and for the people and for all Judah about what is written in this book that has been found. Great is the Lord’s anger that burns against us because those who have gone before us have not obeyed the words of this book; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written there concerning us.” (2 Kings 22:13 NIV)
These men followed Josiah’s instructions and went to Huldah, the prophet, to hear what God would say. 2 Chronicles 34 tells the same story. This is especially interesting since Huldah was a contemporary of the prophet Jeremiah and Zephaniah. This is our only scriptural encounter with Huldah, but she must have been known as someone who heard from God. She showed great faithfulness at a time when her nation had largely abandoned God and even misplaced the Book of the Law.
Huldah’s sparse bio is found in 2 Kings 22:14: “the wife of Shallum son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe. She lived in Jerusalem, in the New Quarter” (NIV). We know the family with whom she is associated and where she lived in Jerusalem.
In modern times, it is often a test in politics that a man or woman has the strength to “speak truth to power.” In other words, does this person have the fortitude and integrity to report an unpleasant truth to a highly-placed leader? Huldah was such a person in her time.
The first words she reported to these important leaders were not happy words:
“She said to them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Tell the man who sent you to me, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am going to bring disaster on this place and its people, according to everything written in the book the king of Judah has read. Because they have forsaken me and burned incense to other gods and aroused my anger by all the idols their hands have made, my anger will burn against this place and will not be quenched.’” (2 Kings 22:15-17 NIV)
Rather than rejoicing, finding the Book of the Law is a day of reckoning. As such, Huldah delivered a message of reckoning. However, for King Josiah, there was a word of comfort. Huldah reported that God saw Josiah’s humble and responsive heart. He witnessed Josiah tear his robes and weep before Him. Because of this, God promises Josiah, “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.” (2 Kings 22:20 NIV)
It is little comfort but perhaps comfort enough for a king who has sought to rebuild his nation and not to witness its destruction. The last sentence of verse 20 reads, “So they took her answer back to the king.” No doubt, a sober journey back to the palace.
While most prophets documented in the Bible are men, the Old Testament mentions at least five female prophets. They were Miriam (Exodus 15:20), Deborah (Judges 4:4), Huldah (2 Kings 22:14; 2 Chronicles 34:22), Noadiah (Nehemiah 6:14), and “the prophetess” (Isaiah 8:3). The prophetess in Isaiah refers to Isaiah’s wife. She may have received it as a term of honor given to a prophet’s wife, but we don’t know.
While the prophet’s position in society changed from the Old to the New Testament, there are women showing prophetic gifts in the New Testament. Anna greeted the infant Jesus in the temple and prophesied about his future (Luke 2:36-38). Then, in Acts 21:8-9, we learn about Philip’s daughters:
“Leaving the next day, we reached Caesarea and stayed at the house of Philip the evangelist, one of the Seven. He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied.” (NIV)
Prophets in biblical teaching were those who “spoke forth” the word of God. The speaking forth sometimes meant pronouncements about the future. It often meant exhorting God’s people to obey His commands or repent of their sins. If a prophet’s words did not prove true, it would mean their death (Deuteronomy 18:20) because they purport to speak God’s words. Their accuracy can impact listeners profoundly, including life-and-death situations. John records a substantial judgment against a woman called Jezebel in Thyatira, who “calls herself a prophet” (Revelation 2:20-23).
Huldah’s prophetic words proved true.
Huldah is a powerful example for us today. She particularly provides an example of two tough challenges we face.
First, as more people wander from the truth of Jesus Christ and forsake God’s commands, Huldah is an example of finding the strength to remain faithful. Like Noah, she kept seeking God when many ran after idols and pleasures. We, too, can remain faithful to Christ, even when the surrounding culture denies His existence. It’s not easy. But with God, it is possible.
Second, Huldah unflinchingly provided God’s Words of judgment that must have been painful for everyone present to hear. She was looking at five of the most powerful men in Israel at the time, but she delivered the message God wanted delivered. We face a similar challenge when we speak biblical truths that sound harsh, unpleasant, and uncomfortable to modern ears. We may be tempted to compromise or alter the words for their comfort, but it isn’t our role to muddle. Those who listen to these truths may be spared just as God spared Josiah for His response to reading the Book of the Law. We must trust God to work through His Word and deliver it as written in the Bible.
Finally, Huldah’s story shows us a biblical figure who wasn’t a “headliner” but who, nevertheless, made a significant impact for God. We, too, can know that whether we’re widely known or barely known by others, God uses our lives to influence others in ways we may not see until we’re home with Him.
Photo Credit: Unsplash.com
This article is part of our People of Christianity catalog that features the stories, meaning, and significance of well-known people from the Bible and history. Here are some of the most popular articles for knowing important figures in Christianity:
How Did the Apostle Paul Die?
Who are the Nicolaitans in Revelation?
Who Was Deborah in the Bible?
Who Was Moses in the Bible?
King Solomon's Story in the Bible
Who Was Lot's Wife in the Bible?
Who Was Jezebel in the Bible?
Who Was the Prodigal Son?