Huldah in the Bible: Characteristics and what we can learn

Huldah in the Bible is kind of a mysterious character because so little is known about her. Nevertheless, there is much we can learn from the short story about her.

Who was Huldah in the Bible?

Huldah was an outstanding prophetess in the Bible. She was mentioned only once and briefly in the Old Testament.

Bible verses about Huldah 

The story of Huldah the Prophetess is recorded twice in the Bible. Here are the Scripture references.

• 2 Chronicles 34:22-28
• 2 Kings 22:14 – 20

Summary of the story of Huldah the Prophetess 

When King Josiah became king, he was 8 years old. With the help of the priest, he began a reformation in Israel.

The nation’s of Judah and Israel had strayed from God. They were worshipping all kinds of gods in shrines all over the country.

Over the course of about 12 to 20 years, he arranged for all of them to be pulled down and ordered the rebuilding of the temple.

During the process of turning the heart of the nation back to God, they discovered the book of the law buried on rubbish inside the temple.

Immediately, king Josiah dispatched 5 men to visit Huldah to find out what was on God’s heart and mind for the nation.

This is what Huldah did: she provided spiritual insight to the king Josiah who desperately needed it.

Characteristics of Hulda in the Bible 

Who was Hulda? What made her so outstanding? What qualities make her a woman of faith whom we should study?

Huldah was a prophetess 

What does a prophetess do?

There are many perspectives of this. Early in my life as a Christian, I learned that prophets foretell as well as tell forth.

Let me explain.

Prophets have the ability to see the future because God reveals it to them and this is how they are able to foretell.

Prophets also bring God’s message to people. When they preach a sermon for example that’s not necessarily prophetic, that’s an example of telling forth. 

In other words, they proclaim God’s message. These messages are also inspired by God.

I imagine Huldah was consulted because of her ability to foretell.

The king sensed that judgement was coming. He needed to know the details so he could prepare himself. And that’s where Huldah came in.

As she is prophesying she kept repeating the lines, “This is what the Lord says…”.

Huldah was a servant of God

To be a prophetess is to be a servant of God.

This verse comes to mind.

Surely the Sovereign LORD does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets. Amos 3:7

The prophetic was not given to Huldah to serve herself.

Not so.

Her gift was to serve God. Whatever she did with it, she was always advancing God’s purpose in the lives of the people around her.

Huldah was a friend of God and had strong faith

When God reveals himself to people in ways that are certain and specific, more often than not, that person has a very close relationship with God.

That’s the only way God is able to speak with them regularly and that’s how they are able to know that it is God who is speaking to them.

In fact, God reveals to them things that He will not reveal to anyone else.

Surely the Sovereign LORD does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets. Amos 3:7

Hulda was able to tell the king that judgement was indeed coming but that he would not live to see the terror that was the destiny of Israel. He would die before Israel would be conquered and enslaved by other other nations.

Those details Hulda was able to tell him were amazing and could only have come from God.

King Josiah was killed in battle and never did see the judgement of Israel. 

Huldah had a positively powerful reputation and influence.

One of the facts that baffle scholars today is that they cannot figure why Huldah was chosen by the king.

Huldah existed at a time when two other powerhouse prophets also had their ministry.

Jeremiahwas around but the king didn’t send for him. So was Zephaniah.

Both of these men have entire books of the Old Testament dedicated to their work. But not Huldah.

The king had options and he chose her. Clearly she could be trusted with the mighty task of giving spiritual advice to the king.

Huldah was bold and confident 

The message that Huldah had to proclaim was not an easy one. It was a message of judgment and destruction.

But she was confident and fearless in delivering it.

There were times in the history of Israel when prophets were either ignored or executed for the unpleasant message they brought.

Jeremiah, for example, didn’t have a great experience. They threw him in sewage and attempted to kill him a few times.

Considering these possibilities, when Huldah spoke, she did so with authority and without fear. 

People didn’t always want to hear the truth especially when it didn’t suit or soothe them but she didn’t care about that. 

She was unapologetically confident in telling the truth.

Lessons to learn from Huldah in the Bible 

Although there is only one story  about Huldah, the one account makes her stand out in Scripture.

What can we learn from Huldah?

Let’s see.

You determine your spiritual temperature, not your environment 

King Josiah’s greatest challenge was getting the people to return to worshipping the true God.

The nations of Israel and Judah were drowning in idolatry.

But, Hulda was not. 

She lived in a particularly dark spiritual time but she stayed true to God. When the nation was cold, she was on fire for God.

Hulda maintained an extraordinary relationship with God despite what was going on in the country. She did not allow the big picture to spoil her personal portrait of God.

This is why her prophetic ministry was so powerful and successful.

because the LORD hates people who do evil, but he takes righteous people into his confidence. Proverbs 3:32 GNT

It is no secret that this world is becoming darker by the minute.

Stay close to God. Pursue righteousness. Be vigilant. Resist the enemy.

You don’t need to be afraid of the evil taking over because God will give you spiritual eyes and light to maneuver this dark life. 

You are gifted for a unique purpose 

Josiah was a king who had a heart brimming over to do the right thing to honor God. Josiah was a gifted leader. 

But he didn’t have the prophetic gift. 

So he had to consult Huldah, a prophetess.

You see, no matter how good King Josiah was, he couldn’t do everything and he didn’t know everything.

He had to go seek out someone who had been specifically gifted with something he needed to solve his burning problem.

And Huldah had this gift which was needed at a very critical time in history.

The lesson?

Your giftedness is needed. Whatever God has blessed you with is unique. Lives are waiting on you to own and step into your gift. 

People have major problems and their solutions are with you based on your giftedness.

Huldah was using her spiritual gift to serve a king and through that she served an entire nation.

Whose problems are you being called to solve? Who are you being called to serve?

If you are searching for your purpose, start there.

Always honor the trust others have for you

The king trusted Huldah. That’s why he sent messengers to her. But, Huldah’s message was not a good one.

 Nevertheless, Huldah delivered it anyway. She wasn’t going to be doing the country any favors by lying or sugarcoating the truth.

The only thing Huldah owed them was the truth. This was the ultimate way to honor their trust and maintain her integrity as a prophetess.

If you are in a position of influence, you have a responsibility to speak the truth even if it hurts.

You don’t help anyone by hiding the truth. That hurts more than it helps. Just ensure you speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15).

God calls women too

A popular question about Huldah is whether her ministry was private or public.

I don’t have an answer but what I see in her story is yet another affirmation from God that the call of ministry is also upon women.

Like Deborah, Huldah was given the prophetic gift to help and serve others.

All over Scripture, God called women to serve Him in various ways that were not tied to just being a wife, mother, and homemaker.

Esther was called to queenship for a specific purpose.  Anna who approached Mary the mother of Jesus was also given a prophetic gift.

If God is moving you to serve Him in ways that are not traditional, fear not. Step into your call with confidence.

You can be both ordinary and powerful 

Hulda wasn’t any different from the other women around. She was a wife to a man of status. We don’t know if she was a mother.

Her husband was the keeper of the royal robes, meaning he was in charge of the king’s clothing.

Based on where she lived, it is possible that she worked alongside her husband so she helped with making and maintaining royal clothing.

There wasn’t anything particularly outstanding about her daily life that excluded her from being used mightily by God.

She wasn’t like Anna who was a widowed, childless woman who spent her days at the temple constantly fasting and praying.

Anyone can serve God in powerful ways. You just need to be willing and make yourself available.  

But, you will need to invest the time to build that relationship with God so you can become his friend like Hulda was.

Facts about Huldah 

Here are a few other fun facts about Huldah.

Meaning of Huldah in the Bible 

The name Huldah means weasel.

Pronounce Huldah in the Bible 

To say her name, use this phonetic spelling HUL-duh.

This video will help you to pronounce the name Huldah.

Who was Huldah’s husband 

Shallum, a keeper of the royal robe. He would have seen the king daily. It was a prominent position, being in charge of the king’s clothing.

Huldah was a regular woman but she was likely in the upper class based on her husband’s job. 

Her husband was in the king’s inner circle and so was she.

Why was Huldah important in the Bible?

The story of Huldah is important because it provides encouragement for women, especially women who are struggling with their ministry call and purpose. 

She teaches us to be bold in our work for God in whatever our call looks like. 

Whether it’s public or private ministry, God will be right there to stand with you so you can be outstanding at it.

Final words on Huldah in the Bible

Hulda the prophetess might not have made it to the big screens of the Bible but one thing is for sure: she served her God wholly and completely.

The life she lived was out of service to her heavenly king and the earthly king of her days. We can learn from her that women are called of God too and equipped by God himself. 

Don’t ever play small. Use up your gifts because they have been lavished on you by God himself. Your life serves a purpose. Don’t let your days pass without fulfilling it.

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