Which were holy; or, and which were holy. In the house; in the temple; or in the holy of holies; whence, it may seem, it had been removed, either,
1. By some of the wicked and idolatrous kings of Judah, possibly by Josiah's father Amon; which peradventure may be implied by that expression, 2 Chronicles 33:23, Amon trespassed more and more, i.e. more than he or his father Manasseh had done, which seems to point at some very enormous crime committed by him. Or,
2. By Josiah's order, that the temple might be thoroughly repaired, both in the holy place, and in the most holy place, which some of the idolatrous kings of Judah, it may be, had defaced or defiled; and therefore it was to be searched in order to its reparation; and to that end it might seem fit to remove the ark: and upon this occasion Hilkiah might find the original book of the law, which was written by the hands of Moses, and by God's command was laid beside the ark, and upon the removal of the ark was easily discovered. It shall not be a burden upon your shoulders; or, that it might not be a burden, &c. So these words are to be joined with the former, as the reason why Solomon built this house, that the ark might have a constant and fixed habitation, and not need to be carried from place to place upon their shoulders, as it had been done whilst it was in the tabernacle. And withal, this is mentioned as an argument to quicken them to the more diligent service of God in their present work, because they were freed from that troublesome part of their office which lay upon their forefathers.