דברי הימים ב, פרק ל״ד, פסוק י״ט

When a lost Torah scroll is suddenly found and read before the king, his immediate reaction is one of profound shock and grief. He tears his clothes in distress, a response driven by the specific, threatening message that happened to be read. The commentators agree that the scroll opened directly to the harsh warnings, punishments, and prophecies of destruction recorded in the Book of Deuteronomy.

More precisely, the scroll was found unrolled exactly to a warning that God would exile the nation along with the king they had appointed over themselves [רש״י, רד״ק]. Hearing this precise message struck the king with deep anxiety, prompting him to tear his clothes in despair. He viewed the sudden appearance of this specific threat as a dark omen of what was to come [מצודת דוד].

This fear was deeply personal. He understood the warning to be directed specifically at his own reign. The threat explicitly targeted a leader chosen by the people, which perfectly described his own rise to power. He had been crowned by the nation itself, rather than being anointed by a prophet acting under God's direct command [רש״י].