Who is Shaphan in the Bible?

Shaphan may not be a well-known Bible character, but he played an important role in Judah’s reform during King Josiah’s reign. Notably, Shaphan was the scribe who read the Book of the Law to King Josiah (2 Kings 22:10). Upon hearing the law, the king humbled himself and repented, causing God to relent in sending punishment.

King Josiah succeeded Amon (2 Kings 21:19–20), an evil king, who in turn had succeeded Manasseh (verses 1–2), another wicked king. During that period, the Book of the Law had been neglected. Hilkiah, the high priest at the time, discovered the law while restoring the temple (2 Kings 22:8). Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, who read it before taking it to the king.

Shaphan served as the court secretary or scribe under King Josiah. The king commissioned him with certain tasks in the cleansing of God’s temple, which had fallen into disrepair (2 Kings 22:3–7). The work in the temple led to the discovery and reading of the law.

When the king heard Shaphan read the Book of the Law, he was stricken with fear that the law had been neglected for so long. The king sent a delegation to the prophetess Huldah to inquire of the Lord. Shaphan was part of that delegation (2 Kings 22:12–14). In reply, God insisted on carrying out His judgment, but He delayed it out of mercy to Josiah, whose prayer God had heard (verses 16–20). Thus, Shaphan contributed to Judah’s spiritual reform. A parallel account of these events is recorded in 2 Chronicles 34.

Shaphan’s sons, Ahikam, Elasah, and Gemariah, also helped further righteousness in their time. Ahikam stood up for the prophet Jeremiah, preventing his death in a time of persecution (Jeremiah 26:24). Elasah delivered Jeremiah’s letters to exiles in Babylon alongside a son of Hilkiah (Jeremiah 29:3). Shaphan’s son Gemariah and grandson Micaiah also assisted Jeremiah (Jeremiah 36:11–20). Gemariah even begged the wicked King Jehoiakim to not burn Jeremiah’s scroll that contained God’s warnings (verse 25). The devotion Shaphan’s children showed amid a deteriorating culture bears testament to the legacy left by their father.

Shaphan stands as an example of faithfulness amid a corrupt world. Countering the deterioration in Judah, Shaphan contributed to a reform that delayed God’s judgment for years. He loved the Word of God and shared it with the king, and he changed history as a result. Like Shaphan, we must remain faithful even in a compromised age and play our part in advancing righteousness. May we similarly share the Word with others.