INTRODUCTION TO 2 CHRONICLES 29 This chapter begins with the good reign of Hezekiah, who upon his accession to the throne opened the doors of the temple, 2 Chronicles 29:1, summoned the priests and Levites, and exhorted them to purge the temple, and restore the worship of it, 2 Chronicles 29:4, who... [ Continue Reading ]
Ver. 1,2. HEZEKIAH BEGAN TO REIGN,.... Of these two verses, 2 Kings 18:2, 2 Kings 18:3.... [ Continue Reading ]
2 Chronicles 29:1... [ Continue Reading ]
HE IN THE FIRST YEAR OF HIS REIGN, IN THE FIRST MONTH,.... And, as appears from 2 Chronicles 29:17, on the first day of the month: OPENED THE DOORS OF THE HOUSE OF THE LORD; which his father had shut, 2 Chronicles 28:24 AND REPAIRED THEM; or strengthened them, the hinges, and other parts of them,... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE BROUGHT IN THE PRIESTS AND LEVITES,.... The persons that officiated in the service of the temple: AND GATHERED THEM TOGETHER INTO THE EAST STREET; which led to the eastern gate of the temple.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SAID UNTO THEM, HEAR ME, YE LEVITES; SANCTIFY YOURSELVES,.... By washing their bodies and their garments, that no pollution might attend them in their service, see Isaiah 52:11 AND SANCTIFY THE HOUSE OF THE LORD GOD OF YOUR FATHERS; by carrying out of it all manner of uncleanness, as they did,... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR OUR FATHERS HAVE TRANSGRESSED, AND DONE THAT WHICH WAS EVIL IN THE EYES OF THE LORD OUR GOD,.... Meaning their more immediate ancestors, his father and theirs, who had committed idolatry; which is a great trespass, and than which there is not a greater evil in the sight of God, nor more provokin... [ Continue Reading ]
ALSO THEY HAVE SHUT UP THE DOORS OF THE PORCH,.... So that there was no entering into the temple, 2 Chronicles 28:24 AND PUT OUT THE LAMPS; for the priests not being able to go in morning and evening to light them, and dress them, they in course went out; the Jews say n, that on the eighteenth of A... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEREFORE THE WRATH OF THE LORD WAS UPON. JUDAH AND JERUSALEM,.... As appeared, by suffering the Syrians, and Israelites, and Edomites, and Philistines, to come upon them, and distress them, as the history of the preceding chapter shows: AND HE HATH DELIVERED THEM TO TROUBLE, TO ASTONISHMENT, AND T... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR, LO, OUR FATHERS HAVE FALLEN BY THE SWORD,.... Of the kings of Syria and Israel, even great numbers of them, 2 Chronicles 28:5 AND OUR SONS AND OUR DAUGHTERS AND OUR WIVES ARE IN CAPTIVITY FOR THIS; for this idolatry; or they were, though afterwards dismissed, 2 Chronicles 28:8 and some of them... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW IT IS IN MINE HEART TO MAKE A COVENANT WITH THE LORD GOD OF ISRAEL,.... To renew one, as Asa and Jehoiada had done, promising to serve the Lord, and worship him according to his will: THAT HIS FIERCE WRATH MIGHT BE TURNED FROM US; under the tokens of which they still continued, and might expect... [ Continue Reading ]
MY SONS,.... So, as the father of his people, he speaks of them in the most tender and affectionate manner: BE NOT NOW NEGLIGENT; backward to this good work, slothful, sluggish, and remiss in it; according to Jarchi and Kimchi, the word has the signification of error, and the sense may be, do not c... [ Continue Reading ]
Ver. 12-14. THEN THE LEVITES AROSE,.... Whose names are mentioned; of the Kohathites two, Mahath the son of Amashai, and Joel the son of Azariah; of the Merarites two, Kish the son of Abdi, and Azariah the son of Jehalelel; of the Gershonites two, Joah the son of Zimmah, and Eden the son of Joah; an... [ Continue Reading ]
2 Chronicles 29:12... [ Continue Reading ]
2 Chronicles 29:13... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY GATHERED THEIR BRETHREN, AND SANCTIFIED THEMSELVES,.... As they were bid, see 2 Chronicles 29:5, AND CAME, ACCORDING TO THE COMMANDMENT OF THE KING, BY THE WORD OF THE LORD, TO CLEANSE THE HOUSE OF THE LORD; for this, which the king commanded, was by the Lord, and they came to do this work... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE PRIESTS WENT INTO THE INNER PART OF THE HOUSE OF THE LORD, TO CLEANSE IT,.... Into the holy place, where the candlesticks and shewbread tables stood, into which none but priests might enter, but not into the most holy place, the innermost of all; for none but the high priest might go into th... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW THEY BEGAN ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE FIRST MONTH TO SANCTIFY,.... Either of the reign of King Hezekiah, or rather of the year; the month Ab or Nisan, as the Targum expresses it: AND ON THE EIGHTH OF THE MONTH CAME THEY TO THE PORCH OF THE LORD; they seem to have begun cleansing the inner part of... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN THEY WENT IN TO HEZEKIAH THE KING,.... In his palace: AND SAID, WE HAVE CLEANSED ALL THE HOUSE OF THE LORD; the several parts of it, and apartments belonging to it: AND THE ALTAR OF BURNT OFFERING, WITH ALL THE VESSELS THEREOF; which they cleansed and scoured, and put in their proper place, a... [ Continue Reading ]
MOREOVER, ALL THE VESSELS WHICH KING AHAZ IN HIS REIGN DID CAST AWAY IN HIS TRANSGRESSION,.... Not that he threw them away, being valuable, as made of gold and silver; but, as Kimchi interprets it, he removed them, and converted them to idolatrous uses; or, as the Targum, he defiled or profaned them... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN HEZEKIAH THE KING ROSE EARLY,.... Took the first opportunity to attend the worship of God, and set an example to his people: AND GATHERED THE RULERS OF THE CITY; the elders of the people, the chief magistrates in Jerusalem: AND WENT UP TO THE HOUSE OF THE LORD; the temple, to worship there.... [ 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,.... To make atonement in a typical way, having respect to the sacrifice of the Messiah, for the sins of the king, his family and court, amon... [ Continue Reading ]
SO THEY KILLED THE BULLOCKS,.... The seven bullocks, that is, the priests killed them: AND THE PRIESTS RECEIVED THE BLOOD; into basins provided for that purpose: AND SPRINKLED IT ON THE ALTAR; according to the law of Moses, Leviticus 1:5 and so they did with the rams and lambs.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY BROUGHT FORTH THE HE GOATS FOR THE SIN OFFERING BEFORE THE KING AND THE CONGREGATION,.... Which were to make atonement for the sins of both: AND THEY LAID THEIR HANDS ON THEM; signifying thereby that they were vicarious sacrifices to be offered up in their own room and stead, and that they... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE PRIESTS KILLED THEM,.... The seven he goats; for of the killing of the bullocks, rams, and lambs, mention is made before, 2 Chronicles 29:2 AND THEY MADE RECONCILIATION WITH THEIR BLOOD UPON THE ALTAR, TO MAKE ATONEMENT FOR ALL ISRAEL; typical of the reconciliation and atonement made for th... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SET THE LEVITES IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD WITH CYMBALS, WITH PSALTERIES, AND WITH HARPS,.... To play upon, which were the three principal instruments of music used in religious worship, and what had been disused in the times of Ahaz: ACCORDING TO THE COMMANDMENT OF DAVID, AND OF GAD THE KING'... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE LEVITES STOOD WITH THE INSTRUMENTS OF DAVID,.... Which were invented, directed, and ordered to be used by him, and are the same as in the preceding verse: AND THE PRIESTS WITH THE TRUMPETS; which were made by the direction of Moses, according to the order of God, Numbers 10:2.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HEZEKIAH COMMANDED TO OFFER THE BURNT OFFERING UPON THE ALTAR,.... Which was wholly devoted to the Lord, and was an acknowledgment of his sovereignty over them, and of his goodness to them: AND WHEN THE BURNT OFFERING BEGAN, THE SONG OF THE LORD BEGAN ALSO WITH TRUMPETS, AND WITH THE INSTRUMENT... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ALL THE CONGREGATION WORSHIPPED,.... Bowed their heads as a token of divine adoration: AND THE SINGERS SANG; both with vocal and instrumental music, who were the Levites: AND THE TRUMPETERS SOUNDED; their silver trumpets; these were the priests: and all this continued UNTIL THE BURNT OFFERING... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN THEY HAD MADE AN END OF OFFERING,.... Both the sin offering and the burnt offering: THE KING AND ALL THAT WERE WITH HIM BOWED THEMSELVES AND WORSHIPPED; towards the place where the ark was, giving thanks for the purging of the temple, and restoring the worship of it.... [ 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,.... Making use of psalms composed by the one and the other; Jarchi takes it to be the one hundred and fifth psalm, which begins, "O give thanks unto the Lord... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN HEZEKIAH ANSWERED AND SAID,.... Or proceeded to say, as follows: NOW YE HAVE CONSECRATED YOURSELVES UNTO THE LORD; having entered anew on the performance of their office, filling their hands with sacrifices, as the words signify: COME NEAR, AND BRING SACRIFICES AND THANK OFFERINGS INTO THE HO... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE NUMBER OF THE BURNT OFFERINGS WHICH THE CONGREGATION BROUGHT WERE SEVENTY BULLOCKS, ONE HUNDRED RAMS, AND TWO HUNDRED LAMBS; ALL THESE WERE FOR A BURNT OFFERING TO THE LORD. Of which they had no part to feast but were wholly devoted to the Lord, by way of thankfulness to him.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE CONSECRATED THINGS,.... Which were devoted for peace offerings, of which the owners had a part: were six hundred oxen, and three thousand sheep; which was a much lesser number than what were offered upon occasion in the times of David and Solomon, the nation being poorer; and besides, these... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT THE PRIESTS WERE TOO FEW, SO THAT THEY COULD NOT FLAY ALL THE BURNT OFFERINGS,.... Take off the skins of them, which used to be done by the priests, Leviticus 1:6, WHEREFORE THEIR BRETHREN THE LEVITES DID HELP THEM TILL THE WORK WAS ENDED; assisted in the flaying of the sacrifices, until they h... [ 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,.... Besides the abundance of burnt offerings, whose skins were to be taken off, there were meat offerings and drink offerings to each, which required many hands to... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HEZEKIAH REJOICED, AND ALL THE PEOPLE,.... To see things go on so well, which foreboded good unto them: and particularly THAT GOD HAD PREPARED THE PEOPLE; disposed and directed their hearts in such a manner as to yield such a cheerful obedience to the will of God, and show such a hearty regard... [ Continue Reading ]