Hezekiah began to reign [when he was] five and twenty years old, and he reigned nine and twenty years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name [was] Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah. Ver. 1. _Hezekiah began to reign._] See 2 Kings 18:1,2 . And his mother's name was Abijah.] He was the better man for t... [ Continue Reading ]
And he did [that which was] right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that David his father had done. Ver. 2. _And he did that which was right._]. 2Ki 18:3 The more happy was his government, because he came after the stormy times of his father Ahaz. He came as a fresh spring after a sharp wi... [ Continue Reading ]
He in the first year of his reign, in the first month, opened the doors of the house of the LORD, and repaired them. Ver. 3. _He in the first year of his reign, in the first month._] Yea, and the first day of that month, 2Ch 29:17 on his coronation day, began to reform.... [ Continue Reading ]
And he brought in the priests and the Levites, and gathered them together into the east street, Ver. 4. _The east street._] Which was before the east gate of the temple.... [ Continue Reading ]
And said unto them, Hear me, ye Levites, sanctify now yourselves, and sanctify the house of the LORD God of your fathers, and carry forth the filthiness out of the holy [place]. Ver. 5. _And he said unto them, Hear me._] He makes a speech to them, full of faith and piety in every passage. _ Ye Lev... [ Continue Reading ]
For our fathers have trespassed, and done [that which was] evil in the eyes of the LORD our God, and have forsaken him, and have turned away their faces from the habitation of the LORD, and turned [their] backs. Ver. 6. _And have turned their backs._] With greatest scorn and disdain, openly, basely... [ Continue Reading ]
Also they have shut up the doors of the porch, and put out the lamps, and have not burned incense nor offered burnt offerings in the holy [place] unto the God of Israel. Ver. 7. _Unto the God of Israel._] Whom they have sacrilegiously robbed and wronged. We should be sensible of, and humbled for, t... [ Continue Reading ]
Wherefore the wrath of the LORD was upon Judah and Jerusalem, and he hath delivered them to trouble, to astonishment, and to hissing, as ye see with your eyes. Ver. 8. _And he hath delivered them to trouble._] Heb., To commotion, so that they are scattered hither and thither, _ut fit incursionibus... [ Continue Reading ]
For, lo, our fathers have fallen by the sword, and our sons and our daughters and our wives [are] in captivity for this. Ver. 9. _For, lo, our fathers have fallen._] 2 Chronicles 28:5,6 . _ For this,_] _i.e., _ For sin, that mother of all misery. _ It is in my heart._] Or, With my heart. God put... [ Continue Reading ]
My sons, be not now negligent: for the LORD hath chosen you to stand before him, to serve him, and that ye should minister unto him, and burn incense. Ver. 11. _Be not now negligent._] Or, Be not deceived: a good memento for ministers, who must be both intelligent and diligent. Hezekiah found, it s... [ Continue Reading ]
Then the Levites arose, Mahath the son of Amasai, and Joel the son of Azariah, of the sons of the Kohathites: and of the sons of Merari, Kish the son of Abdi, and Azariah the son of Jehalelel: and of the Gershonites; Joah the son of Zimmah, and Eden the son of Joah: Ver. 12. _Then the Levite, arose... [ Continue Reading ]
And they gathered their brethren, and sanctified themselves, and came, according to the commandment of the king, by the words of the LORD, to cleanse the house of the LORD. Ver. 15. _By the words of the Lord,_] _i.e., _ In his name, and according to his express will. Or, In the business of the Lord... [ Continue Reading ]
And the priests went into the inner part of the house of the LORD, to cleanse [it], and brought out all the uncleanness that they found in the temple of the LORD into the court of the house of the LORD. And the Levites took [it], to carry [it] out abroad into the brook Kidron. Ver. 16. _Into the br... [ Continue Reading ]
Now they began on the first [day] of the first month to sanctify, and on the eighth day of the month came they to the porch of the LORD: so they sanctified the house of the LORD in eight days; and in the sixteenth day of the first month they made an end. Ver. 17. _Now they began on the first day._]... [ Continue Reading ]
Then they went in to Hezekiah the king, and said, We have cleansed all the house of the LORD, and the altar of burnt offering, with all the vessels thereof, and the shewbread table, with all the vessels thereof. Ver. 18. _Then they went in to Hezekiah the king._] To whom they knew they should be mo... [ Continue Reading ]
Moreover all the vessels, which king Ahaz in his reign did cast away in his transgression, have we prepared and sanctified, and, behold, they [are] before the altar of the LORD. Ver. 19. _Did cast away in his transgression._] Glorying, likely, in his sacrilege, and success there upon; as did Dionys... [ Continue Reading ]
Then Hezekiah the king rose early, and gathered the rulers of the city, and went up to the house of the LORD. Ver. 20. _Then Hezekiah the king rose early._] His zeal for God's glory made his obedience prompt and present, ready and speedy. He could not rest till he had reformed, calling a Parliament... [ Continue Reading ]
And they brought seven bullocks, and seven rams, and seven lambs, and seven he goats, for a sin offering for the kingdom, and for the sanctuary, and for Judah. And he commanded the priests the sons of Aaron to offer [them] on the altar of the LORD. Ver. 21. _And they brought seven bullocks and seve... [ Continue Reading ]
So they killed the bullocks, and the priests received the blood, and sprinkled [it] on the altar: likewise, when they had killed the rams, they sprinkled the blood upon the altar: they killed also the lambs, and they sprinkled the blood upon the altar. Ver. 22. _They sprinkled the blood upon the al... [ Continue Reading ]
And they brought forth the he goats [for] the sin offering before the king and the congregation; and they laid their hands upon them: Ver. 23. _They laid their hands upon them._] _Manibus suis nixi sunt eis; _ by this ceremony they confessed their sins, and laid them, as it were, upon their sacrifi... [ Continue Reading ]
And the priests killed them, and they made reconciliation with their blood upon the altar, to make an atonement for all Israel: for the king commanded [that] the burnt offering and the sin offering [should be made] for all Israel. Ver. 24. _To make an atonement for all Israel._] For the ten tribes... [ Continue Reading ]
And he set the Levites in the house of the LORD with cymbals, with psalteries, and with harps, according to the commandment of David, and of Gad the king's seer, and Nathan the prophet: for [so was] the commandment of the LORD by his prophets. Ver. 25. _According to the commandment of the Lord._] H... [ Continue Reading ]
And the Levites stood with the instruments of David, and the priests with the trumpets. Ver. 26. _With instruments of David,_] _i.e., _ Appointed by David, not without God's Holy Spirit. 1Ch 23:5... [ Continue Reading ]
And Hezekiah commanded to offer the burnt offering upon the altar. And when the burnt offering began, the song of the LORD began [also] with the trumpets, and with the instruments [ordained] by David king of Israel. Ver. 27. _The song of the Lord began also._] Holy and divine songs, Psa 136:1-26 es... [ Continue Reading ]
And all the congregation worshipped, and the singers sang, and the trumpeters sounded: [and] all [this continued] until the burnt offering was finished. Ver. 28. _And the singers sang._] Heb., And the song sang, _i.e., _ the whole choir; or, as some will, the chief chanter.... [ Continue Reading ]
And when they had made an end of offering, the king and all that were present with him bowed themselves, and worshipped. Ver. 29. _The king and all that were present._] He joins himself with the many in worshipping God.... [ Continue Reading ]
Moreover Hezekiah the king and the princes commanded the Levites to sing praise unto the LORD with the words of David, and of Asaph the seer. And they sang praises with gladness, and they bowed their heads and worshipped. Ver. 30. _Moreover the king Hezekiah and the princes._] This Parliament 2Ch 2... [ Continue Reading ]
_Then Hezekiah answered and said, Now ye have consecrated yourselves unto the LORD, come near and bring sacrifices and thank offerings into the house of the LORD. And the congregation brought in sacrifices and thank offerings; and as many as were of a free heart burnt offerings._ Ver. 31. _Come nea... [ Continue Reading ]
And the number of the burnt offerings, which the congregation brought, was threescore and ten bullocks, an hundred rams, [and] two hundred lambs: all these [were] for a burnt offering to the LORD. Ver. 32. _Was threescore and ten bullocks._] This was much for a people that had by the late wars been... [ Continue Reading ]
And the consecrated things [were] six hundred oxen and three thousand sheep. Ver. 33. _And the consecrated things._] Reserved to be offered up another time. See 2 Chronicles 29:32 .... [ Continue Reading ]
But the priests were too few, so that they could not flay all the burnt offerings: wherefore their brethren the Levites did help them, till the work was ended, and until the [other] priests had sanctified themselves: for the Levites [were] more upright in heart to sanctify themselves than the priest... [ Continue Reading ]
And also the burnt offerings [were] in abundance, with the fat of the peace offerings, and the drink offerings for [every] burnt offering. So the service of the house of the LORD was set in order. Ver. 35. _Were in abundance._] See 2 Chronicles 29:32 .... [ Continue Reading ]
And Hezekiah rejoiced, and all the people, that God had prepared the people: for the thing was [done] suddenly. Ver. 36. _For the thing was done suddenly._] Which showed that there was much of God in it. Church businesses usually go on but slowly. _Sed nescit tarda molimina Spiritus Sancti gratia,_... [ Continue Reading ]