Hilkiah

From BibleEncyclopedia.Net

Portion of YHWH.

(1.) 1Ch_6:54.

(2.) 1Ch_26:11.

(3.) The father of Eliakim (2Ki_18:18, 2Ki_18:26, 2Ki_18:37).

(4.) The father of Gemariah (Jer_29:3).

(5.) The father of the prophet Jeremiah (Jer_1:1).

(6.) The high priest in the reign of Josiah (1Ch_6:13; Ezr_7:1). To him and his deputy (2Ki_23:5), along with the ordinary priests and the Levites who had charge of the gates, was entrusted the purification of the temple in Jerusalem. While this was in progress, he discovered in some hidden corner of the building a book called the “book of the law” (2Ki_22:8) and the “book of the covenant” (2Ki_23:2). Some have supposed that this “book” was nothing else than the original autograph copy of the Pentateuch written by Moses (Deut. 31:9-26). This remarkable discovery occurred in the eighteenth year of Josiah's reign (624 B.C.), a discovery which permanently affected the whole subsequent history of Israel. (See Josiah; Shaphan.)

(7.) Neh_12:7.

(8.) Neh_8:4.

hil-kī´a (חלקיּה, ḥilḳīyāh, “Yah is my portion” or “Yah's portion”):

The name of 8 individuals in the Old Testament or 7, if the person mentioned in Neh_12:7, Neh_12:21 was the same who stood with Ezra at the reading of the Law (Neh_8:4). The latter appears as Ezecias (the King James Version) in 1 Esdras 9:43. Five of this name are clearly associated with the priesthood, and the others are presumably so. The etymology suggests this. Either interpretation of the name expresses the person's claim on YHWH or the parents' recognition of YHWH's claim on him.

(1) The person mentioned above (Neh_8:4, etc.).

(2) A Levite of the sons of Merari (1Ch_6:45).

(3) Another Levite of Merari, son of Hosah (1Ch_26:11). Is he the “porter,” i.e. “doorkeeper” of 1Ch_16:38?

(4) Father of the Gemariah whom Zedekiah of Judah sent to Nebuchadnezzar (Jer_29:3).

(5) The man in 2Ki_18:18 who is evidently more famous as the father of Eliakim, the majordomo of Hezekiah's palace (Isa_22:20; Isa_36:3). Probably the father's name is given in this and similar cases to distinguish between two persons of otherwise identical name.

(6) A priest of Anathoth, father of Jeremiah (Jer_1:1).

(7) The son of Shallum, and the best known of the name (1Ch_6:13). He is great-grandfather of Ezra through his son Azariah (1 Esdras 8:1; compare 1Ch_9:11; Neh_11:11). He discovered the lost Book of the Law during the repairing of the Temple (2Ki_22:4, 2Ki_22:8); became chief leader in the ensuing reformation in 621 bc (2Ki_23:4; 2Ch_34:9; 2Ch_35:8). He showed the recovered book to Shaphan the scribe, who, in turn, brought it to the notice of the king. At Josiah's request he led a deputation to Huldah the prophetess to “inquire of the Lord” concerning the new situation created by the discovery. The book discovered is usually identified with the Book of Deuteronomy. See Deuteronomy.