Bible Dictionary
College
“College” in 2 Kings 22:14 and 2 Chronicles 34:22 probably refers to Jerusalem’s second quarter or lower city, not an institution of learning.
Definition
“College” in older English translations of 2 Kings 22:14 and 2 Chronicles 34:22 does not necessarily mean an institution of learning. The underlying term means “second” and is better understood as the second quarter or district of Jerusalem.
Biblical Usage
The term identifies the place where the prophetess Huldah lived. The Revised Version renders it “second quarter.”
Historical Background
The district may have been the lower city or Acra, built after the portion of Jerusalem on Mount Zion and enclosed by a second wall. The interpretation as a school arose from later Jewish usage and a connection with the Mishna.
Scripture References
Related Figures
Historical Bible Dictionaries
Easton's Bible Dictionary
Heb. mishneh (2 Kings 22:14; 2 Chr. 34:22), rendered in Revised Version “second quarter”, the residence of the prophetess Huldah. The Authorized Version followed the Jewish commentators, who, following the Targum, gave the Hebrew word its post-Biblical sense, as if it meant a place of instruction. It properly means the “second,” and may therefore denote the lower city (Acra), which was built after the portion of the city on Mount Zion, and was enclosed by a second wall.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>kol'-ej: This is the rendering of the King James Version for Hebrew Mishneh (mishneh, 2Ki 22:14 = 2Ch 34:22; compare Ze 1:10). It is found in the Targum of Jonathan on 2Ki 22:14 and rests on a faulty combination with Mishna, the well-known code of laws of the 2nd century AD. the Revised Version (British and American) renders "second quarter" (of the city); 2Ch 34:22 the King James Version margin, "the school."</p>