In the eighteenth year of King Josiah, the king sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, son of Meshullam, the secretary, to the house of the LORD, saying,
Concerning Josiah we are here told, I. That he was very young when he began to reign (Kg2 22:1), only eight years old. Solomon says, Woe unto thee, O land! when thy king is a child; but happy art thou, O land! when thy king is such a child. Our English Israel had once a king that was such a child, Edward VI.
Commenting on 2 Kings 22:1-10
And it came to pass in the eighteenth year of King Josiah,.... Not of his age, but of his reign, as appears from Ch2 34:8 nor is what follows the first remarkable act he did in a religious way; for elsewhere we read of what he did in the eighth and twelfth years of his reign, Ch2 34:3, that the king sent Shaphan the son...
HE PROVIDES FOR THE REPAIR OF THE TEMPLE. (Kg2 22:3-7) in the eighteenth year of king Josiah--Previous to this period, he had commenced the work of national reformation. The preliminary steps had been already taken; not only the builders were employed, but money had been brought by all the people and received by the Levites at the door, and various other preparations had been made.