Person

Shaphan (the scribe)

사반 (서기관)

Named at 2 Kings 22:3: “In the eighteenth year of King Josiah, the king sent Shaphan, the son of Azaliah the son of Meshullam, the scribe, to the LORD’s house”. At 22:8 Hilkiah the high priest says to Shaphan the scribe, “I have found the book of the law in the LORD’s house”, and delivers the book to Shaphan, and he reads it; at 22:9–10 Shaphan the scribe comes to the king, and brings the king word again, tells the king, “Hilkiah the priest has delivered a book to me”, and reads it before the king. At 22:12 “Shaphan the scribe” is among those whom the king commands to inquire of the LORD, and 22:14 says, “So Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Achbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went to Huldah the prophetess”. The same verse 22:12 names “Ahikam the son of Shaphan”, and the text does not say whether Ahikam’s father Shaphan is this Shaphan the scribe. The Korean Revised Version reads 므술람의 손자 아살리야의 아들 서기관 사반 (Shaphan the scribe, the son of Azaliah, the grandson of Meshullam) at 22:3, and gives 22:10 no subject.

Directly connected entries 6

Direct relationships 6

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Collected relationship evidence

Source-backed narrative relations; not independent historical verification. Legacy dates and coordinates are outside this review.

Collection & rights

Source evidence (6)

AI-assisted comparison with the cited narrative; not independent historical verification.

2CH 34:8–13, engwebp
⁸Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had purged the land and the house, he sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, Maaseiah the governor of the city, and Joah the son of Joahaz the recorder to repair the house of the LORD his God.
⁹They came to Hilkiah the high priest and delivered the money that was brought into God’s house, which the Levites, the keepers of the threshold, had gathered from the hands of Manasseh, Ephraim, of all the remnant of Israel, of all Judah and Benjamin, and of the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
¹⁰They delivered it into the hands of the workmen who had the oversight of the LORD’s house; and the workmen who labored in the LORD’s house gave it to mend and repair the house.
¹¹They gave it to the carpenters and to the builders to buy cut stone and timber for couplings, and to make beams for the houses which the kings of Judah had destroyed.
¹²The men did the work faithfully. Their overseers were Jahath and Obadiah the Levites, of the sons of Merari; and Zechariah and Meshullam, of the sons of the Kohathites, to give direction; and others of the Levites, who were all skillful with musical instruments.
¹³Also they were over the bearers of burdens, and directed all who did the work in every kind of service. Of the Levites, there were scribes, officials, and gatekeepers.
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2CH 34:14–19, engwebp
¹⁴When they brought out the money that was brought into the LORD’s house, Hilkiah the priest found the book of the LORD’s law given by Moses.
¹⁵Hilkiah answered Shaphan the scribe, “I have found the book of the law in the LORD’s house.” So Hilkiah delivered the book to Shaphan.
¹⁶Shaphan carried the book to the king, and moreover brought back word to the king, saying, “All that was committed to your servants, they are doing.
¹⁷They have emptied out the money that was found in the LORD’s house, and have delivered it into the hand of the overseers and into the hand of the workmen.”
¹⁸Shaphan the scribe told the king, saying, “Hilkiah the priest has delivered me a book.” Shaphan read from it to the king.
¹⁹When the king had heard the words of the law, he tore his clothes.
Publisher text Rights & provenance
2CH 34:20–22, engwebp
²⁰The king commanded Hilkiah, Ahikam the son of Shaphan, Abdon the son of Micah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king’s servant, saying,
²¹“Go inquire of the LORD for me, and for those who are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book that is found; for great is the LORD’s wrath that is poured out on us, because our fathers have not kept the LORD’s word, to do according to all that is written in this book.”
²²So Hilkiah and those whom the king had commanded went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tokhath, the son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe (now she lived in Jerusalem in the second quarter), and they spoke to her to that effect.
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2KI 22:3–7, engwebp
³In the eighteenth year of King Josiah, the king sent Shaphan, the son of Azaliah the son of Meshullam, the scribe, to the LORD’s house, saying,
⁴“Go up to Hilkiah the high priest, that he may count the money which is brought into the LORD’s house, which the keepers of the threshold have gathered of the people.
⁵Let them deliver it into the hand of the workers who have the oversight of the LORD’s house; and let them give it to the workers who are in the LORD’s house, to repair the damage to the house,
⁶to the carpenters, and to the builders, and to the masons, and for buying timber and cut stone to repair the house.
⁷However, no accounting shall be asked of them for the money delivered into their hand, for they deal faithfully.”
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2KI 22:8–11, engwebp
⁸Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the scribe, “I have found the book of the law in the LORD’s house.” Hilkiah delivered the book to Shaphan, and he read it.
⁹Shaphan the scribe came to the king, and brought the king word again, and said, “Your servants have emptied out the money that was found in the house, and have delivered it into the hands of the workmen who have the oversight of the LORD’s house.”
¹⁰Shaphan the scribe told the king, saying, “Hilkiah the priest has delivered a book to me.” Then Shaphan read it before the king.
¹¹When the king had heard the words of the book of the law, he tore his clothes.
Publisher text Rights & provenance
2KI 22:12–14, engwebp
¹²The king commanded Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam the son of Shaphan, Achbor the son of Micaiah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king’s servant, saying,
¹³“Go inquire of the LORD for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that is found; for great is the LORD’s wrath that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not listened to the words of this book, to do according to all that which is written concerning us.”
¹⁴So Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Achbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe (now she lived in Jerusalem in the second quarter); and they talked with her.
Publisher text Rights & provenance

AI-assisted, human review pending, 2026-09-26

Machine comparison on 2026-10-07: the wording raised none of the 3 rules against the passages this entry cites. No person has read it.

Unresolved interpretation: Shaphan the scribe of 2 Kings 22:3 and Shaphan the father of Ahikam of 22:12

2 Kings 22:3 says, “In the eighteenth year of King Josiah, the king sent Shaphan, the son of Azaliah the son of Meshullam, the scribe, to the LORD’s house”.
Source evidence (1)
AI-assisted comparison with the cited narrative; not independent historical verification.
- 2KI 22:3–7, engwebp
  ³In the eighteenth year of King Josiah, the king sent Shaphan, the son of Azaliah the son of Meshullam, the scribe, to the LORD’s house, saying,
  ⁴“Go up to Hilkiah the high priest, that he may count the money which is brought into the LORD’s house, which the keepers of the threshold have gathered of the people.
  ⁵Let them deliver it into the hand of the workers who have the oversight of the LORD’s house; and let them give it to the workers who are in the LORD’s house, to repair the damage to the house,
  ⁶to the carpenters, and to the builders, and to the masons, and for buying timber and cut stone to repair the house.
  ⁷However, no accounting shall be asked of them for the money delivered into their hand, for they deal faithfully.”
  Publisher text Rights & provenance
2 Kings 22:12 says, “The king commanded Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam the son of Shaphan, Achbor the son of Micaiah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king’s servant”.
Source evidence (1)
AI-assisted comparison with the cited narrative; not independent historical verification.
- 2KI 22:12–14, engwebp
  ¹²The king commanded Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam the son of Shaphan, Achbor the son of Micaiah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king’s servant, saying,
  ¹³“Go inquire of the LORD for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that is found; for great is the LORD’s wrath that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not listened to the words of this book, to do according to all that which is written concerning us.”
  ¹⁴So Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Achbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe (now she lived in Jerusalem in the second quarter); and they talked with her.
  Publisher text Rights & provenance

2 Kings 22:3 names the man King Josiah sent to the LORD’s house as Shaphan the scribe, the son of Azaliah the son of Meshullam, and 22:12 names Ahikam the son of Shaphan and Shaphan the scribe side by side among those whom the king commands. Both editions read so. The text does not say whether Ahikam’s father Shaphan is Shaphan the scribe. This collection records the two apart, and does not decide whether they are the same man.

All 6 relationships: AI-assisted, human review pending

Azaliah — Father of — Shaphan (the scribe)

Evidence: 2 Chronicles 34:8–13, 2 Kings 22:3–7
Took part in (5) — What King Josiah says of the money when he sends Shaphan the scribe to the LORD’s house, Hilkiah says that he has found the book of the law in the LORD’s house, and the king hears the words of the book and tears his clothes, The king commands Hilkiah, Ahikam, Achbor, Shaphan and Asaiah to inquire of the LORD, and they go to Huldah the prophetess, Hilkiah finds the book of the law and the king tears his clothes, The king sends to inquire of the LORD through Huldah

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[Bibliadatum entry report]

Entry: Shaphan (the scribe) (person-shaphan-scribe)
Address: https://bibliadatum.org/en/wiki/person/shaphan-scribe
Current wording: Named at 2 Kings 22:3: “In the eighteenth year of King Josiah, the king sent Shaphan, the son of Azaliah the son of Meshullam, the scribe, to the LORD’s house”. At 22:8 Hilkiah the high priest says to Shaphan the scribe, “I have found the book of the law in the LORD’s house”, and delivers the book to Shaphan, and he reads it; at 22:9–10 Shaphan the scribe comes to the king, and brings the king word again, tells the king, “Hilkiah the priest has delivered a book to me”, and reads it before the king. At 22:12 “Shaphan the scribe” is among those whom the king commands to inquire of the LORD, and 22:14 says, “So Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Achbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went to Huldah the prophetess”. The same verse 22:12 names “Ahikam the son of Shaphan”, and the text does not say whether Ahikam’s father Shaphan is this Shaphan the scribe. The Korean Revised Version reads 므술람의 손자 아살리야의 아들 서기관 사반 (Shaphan the scribe, the son of Azaliah, the grandson of Meshullam) at 22:3, and gives 22:10 no subject.
Cited evidence: 2CH 34:8–13, engwebp / 2CH 34:14–19, engwebp / 2CH 34:20–22, engwebp / 2KI 22:3–7, engwebp / 2KI 22:8–11, engwebp / 2KI 22:12–14, engwebp
Review state: ai-assisted / human-review-pending

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This collection records what the text says and does not settle interpretation. A report about a reading that divides opinion may be registered as an unresolved issue rather than corrected.