מלכים ב, פרק כ״ב, פסוק ט״ז

The sudden discovery of the Torah scroll was not a random event, but a deliberate sign carrying a severe divine warning of destruction and punishment. The fact that the scroll was found rolled precisely to the passages of rebuke was an intentional message from God [מצודת דוד]. Specifically, the scroll opened to a section warning of exile, detailing how God would drive the people and their king away to serve foreign deities. This exact placement clarifies that the impending punishment will be a direct, measure-for-measure response to the nation abandoning God [מלבי״ם].

A factual discrepancy arises regarding the reading of the scroll, as it was Shaphan the scribe who actually read the text aloud, rather than the King of Judah. Commentators offer two explanations for why the action is nevertheless attributed to the king. First, because the king ordered the scroll to be read to him, the action is credited to his command. This mirrors how King Solomon is recognized for building the Temple, even though he instructed others to perform the physical labor [מצודת דוד, רד״ק]. Second, the Sages derive a foundational legal principle from this event, establishing that listening is equivalent to speaking. Because the king attentively listened to the words being read, it is considered as if he had read them himself [רד״ק].