21 And they brought H935 seven H7651 bullocks, H6499 and seven H7651 rams, H352 and seven H7651 lambs, H3532 and seven H7651 he H6842 goats, H5795 for a sin offering H2403 for the kingdom, H4467 and for the sanctuary, H4720 and for Judah. H3063 And he commanded H559 the priests H3548 the sons H1121 of Aaron H175 to offer H5927 them on the altar H4196 of the LORD. H3068
If the priest H3548 that is anointed H4899 do sin H2398 according to the sin H819 of the people; H5971 then let him bring H7126 for his sin, H2403 which he hath sinned, H2398 a young H1241 H1121 bullock H6499 without blemish H8549 unto the LORD H3068 for a sin offering. H2403 And he shall bring H935 the bullock H6499 unto the door H6607 of the tabernacle H168 of the congregation H4150 before H6440 the LORD; H3068 and shall lay H5564 his hand H3027 upon the bullock's H6499 head, H7218 and kill H7819 the bullock H6499 before H6440 the LORD. H3068 And the priest H3548 that is anointed H4899 shall take H3947 of the bullock's H6499 blood, H1818 and bring H935 it to the tabernacle H168 of the congregation: H4150 And the priest H3548 shall dip H2881 his finger H676 in the blood, H1818 and sprinkle H5137 of the blood H1818 seven H7651 times H6471 before H6440 the LORD, H3068 before H6440 the vail H6532 of the sanctuary. H6944 And the priest H3548 shall put H5414 some of the blood H1818 upon the horns H7161 of the altar H4196 of sweet H5561 incense H7004 before H6440 the LORD, H3068 which is in the tabernacle H168 of the congregation; H4150 and shall pour H8210 all the blood H1818 of the bullock H6499 at the bottom H3247 of the altar H4196 of the burnt offering, H5930 which is at the door H6607 of the tabernacle H168 of the congregation. H4150 And he shall take off H7311 from it all the fat H2459 of the bullock H6499 for the sin offering; H2403 the fat H2459 that covereth H3680 the inwards, H7130 and all the fat H2459 that is upon the inwards, H7130 And the two H8147 kidneys, H3629 and the fat H2459 that is upon them, which is by the flanks, H3689 and the caul H3508 above the liver, H3516 with the kidneys, H3629 it shall he take away, H5493 As it was taken off H7311 from the bullock H7794 of the sacrifice H2077 of peace offerings: H8002 and the priest H3548 shall burn H6999 them upon the altar H4196 of the burnt offering. H5930 And the skin H5785 of the bullock, H6499 and all his flesh, H1320 with his head, H7218 and with his legs, H3767 and his inwards, H7130 and his dung, H6569 Even the whole bullock H6499 shall he carry forth H3318 without H2351 the camp H4264 unto a clean H2889 place, H4725 where the ashes H1880 are poured out, H8211 and burn H8313 him on the wood H6086 with fire: H784 where H413 the ashes H1880 are poured out H8211 shall he be burnt. H8313 And if the whole congregation H5712 of Israel H3478 sin through ignorance, H7686 and the thing H1697 be hid H5956 from the eyes H5869 of the assembly, H6951 and they have done H6213 somewhat against any H259 of the commandments H4687 of the LORD H3068 concerning things which should not be done, H6213 and are guilty; H816 When the sin, H2403 which they have sinned H2398 against it, is known, H3045 then the congregation H6951 shall offer H7126 a young H1241 H1121 bullock H6499 for the sin, H2403 and bring H935 him before H6440 the tabernacle H168 of the congregation. H4150
And if ye have erred, H7686 and not observed H6213 all these commandments, H4687 which the LORD H3068 hath spoken H1696 unto Moses, H4872 Even all that the LORD H3068 hath commanded H6680 you by the hand H3027 of Moses, H4872 from the day H3117 that the LORD H3068 commanded H6680 Moses, and henceforward H1973 among your generations; H1755 Then it shall be, if ought be committed H6213 by ignorance H7684 without the knowledge H5869 of the congregation, H5712 that all the congregation H5712 shall offer H6213 one H259 young H1121 H1241 bullock H6499 for a burnt offering, H5930 for a sweet H5207 savour H7381 unto the LORD, H3068 with his meat offering, H4503 and his drink offering, H5262 according to the manner, H4941 and one H259 kid H8163 of the goats H5795 for a sin offering. H2403
And he brought H3947 him into the field H7704 of Zophim, H6839 H6822 to the top H7218 of Pisgah, H6449 and built H1129 seven H7651 altars, H4196 and offered H5927 a bullock H6499 and a ram H352 on every altar. H4196
Also the children H1121 of those that had been carried away, H1473 which were come out H935 of the captivity, H7628 offered H7126 burnt offerings H5930 unto the God H430 of Israel, H3478 twelve H8147 H6240 bullocks H6499 for all Israel, H3478 ninety H8673 and six H8337 rams, H352 seventy H7657 and seven H7651 lambs, H3532 twelve H8147 H6240 he goats H6842 for a sin offering: H2403 all this was a burnt offering H5930 unto the LORD. H3068
Therefore take H3947 unto you now seven H7651 bullocks H6499 and seven H7651 rams, H352 and go H3212 to my servant H5650 Job, H347 and offer up H5927 for yourselves a burnt offering; H5930 and my servant H5650 Job H347 shall pray H6419 for you: for him H6440 will I accept: H5375 lest I deal H6213 with you after your folly, H5039 in that ye have not spoken H1696 of me the thing which is right, H3559 like my servant H5650 Job. H347
And seven H7651 days H3117 of the feast H2282 he shall prepare H6213 a burnt offering H5930 to the LORD, H3068 seven H7651 bullocks H6499 and seven H7651 rams H352 without blemish H8549 daily H3117 the seven H7651 days; H3117 and a kid H8163 of the goats H5795 daily H3117 for a sin offering. H2403
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on 2 Chronicles 29
Commentary on 2 Chronicles 29 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 29
2Ch 29:1, 2. Hezekiah's Good Reign.
1. Hezekiah began to reign, &c.—(see on 2Ki 18:1). His mother's name, which, in 2Ki 18:2, appears in an abridged form, is here given in full.
2Ch 29:3-11. He Restores Religion.
3. in the first year of his reign, in the first month—not the first month after his accession to the throne, but in Nisan, the first month of the sacred year, the season appointed for the celebration of the passover.
he opened the doors of the house of the Lord—which had been closed up by his father (2Ch 28:24).
and repaired them—or embellished them (compare 2Ki 18:16).
4, 5. the east street—the court of the priests, which fronted the eastern gate of the temple. Assembling the priests and Levites there, he enjoined them to set about the immediate purification of the temple. It does not appear that the order referred to the removal of idols, for objects of idolatrous homage could scarcely have been put there, seeing the doors had been shut up [2Ch 29:3]; but in its forsaken and desolate state the temple and its courts had been polluted by every kind of impurity.
6, 7. our fathers have trespassed—Ahaz and the generation contemporary with him were specially meant, for they "turned away their faces from the habitation of the Lord," and whether or not they turned east to the rising sun, they abandoned the worship of God. They "shut up the doors of the porch," so that the sacred ritual was entirely discontinued.
8, 9. Wherefore the wrath of the Lord was upon Judah and Jerusalem—This pious king had the discernment to ascribe all the national calamities that had befallen the kingdom to the true cause, namely, apostasy from God. The country had been laid waste by successive wars of invasion, and its resources drained. Many families mourned members of their household still suffering the miseries of foreign captivity; all their former prosperity and glory had fled; and to what was this painful and humiliating state of affairs to be traced, but to the manifest judgment of God upon the kingdom for its sins?
10, 11. Now it is in mine heart to make a covenant with the Lord God—Convinced of the sin and bitter fruits of idolatry, Hezekiah intended to reverse the policy of his father, and to restore, in all its ancient purity and glory, the worship of the true God. His commencement of this resolution at the beginning of his reign attests his sincere piety. It also proves the strength of his conviction that righteousness exalteth a nation; for, instead of waiting till his throne was consolidated, he devised measures of national reformation at the beginning of his reign and vigorously faced all the difficulties which, in such a course, he had to encounter, after the people's habits had so long been moulded to idolatry. His intentions were first disclosed to this meeting of the priests and Levites—for the agency of these officials was to be employed in carrying them into effect.
2Ch 29:12-36. The House of God Cleansed.
12-19. Then the Levites arose—Fourteen chiefs undertook the duty of collecting and preparing their brethren for the important work of cleansing the Lord's house. Beginning with the outer courts—that of the priests and that of the people—the cleansing of these occupied eight days, after which they set themselves to purify the interior; but as the Levites were not allowed to enter within the walls of the temple, the priest brought all the sweepings out to the porch, where they were received by the Levites and thrown into the brook Kedron. This took eight days more. At the end of this period they repaired to the palace and announced that not only had the whole of the sacred edifice, within and without, undergone a thorough purification, but all the vessels which the late king had taken away and applied to a common use in his palace, had been restored, "and sanctified."
20-30. Then Hezekiah the king rose early, and gathered the rulers of the city—His anxiety to enter upon the expiatory service with all possible despatch, now that the temple had been properly prepared for it, prevented his summoning all the representatives of Israel. The requisite number of victims having been provided, and the officers of the temple having sanctified themselves according to the directions of the law, the priests were appointed to offer sacrifices of atonement successively, for "the kingdom," that is, for the sins of the king and his predecessors; for "the sanctuary," that is, for the sins of the priests themselves and for the desecration of the temple; "and for Judah," that is, for the people who, by their voluntary consent, were involved in the guilt of the national apostasy. Animals of the kinds used in sacrifice were offered by sevens, that number indicating completeness. The Levites were ordered to praise God with musical instruments, which, although not originally used in the tabernacle, had been enlisted in the service of divine worship by David on the advice of the prophets Gad and Nathan, as well calculated to animate the devotions of the people. At the close of the special services of the occasion, namely, the offering of atonement sacrifices, the king and all civic rulers who were present joined in the worship. A grand anthem was sung (2Ch 29:30) by the choir, consisting of some of the psalms of David and Asaph, and a great number of thank offerings, praise offerings, and freewill burnt offerings were presented at the invitation of the king.
31. Hezekiah … said, Now ye have consecrated yourselves unto the Lord, come near—This address was made to the priests as being now, by the sacrifice of the expiation offerings, anew consecrated to the service of God and qualified to resume the functions of their sacred office (Ex 28:41; 29:32).
the congregation brought in—that is, the body of civic rulers present.
34-36. the priests were too few, … wherefore their brethren the Levites did help them—The skins of beasts intended as peace offerings might be taken off by the officers, because, in such cases, the carcass was not wholly laid upon the altar; but animals meant for burnt offerings which were wholly consumed by fire could be flayed by the priests alone, not even the Levites being allowed to touch them, except in cases of unavoidable necessity (2Ch 35:11). The duty being assigned by the law to the priests (Le 1:6), was construed by consuetudinary practice as an exclusion of all others not connected with the Aaronic family.
for the Levites were more upright in heart to sanctify themselves than the priests—that is, displayed greater alacrity than the priests. This service was hastened by the irrepressible solicitude of the king. Whether it was that many of the priests, being absent in the country, had not arrived in time—whether from the long interruption of the public duties, some of them had relaxed in their wonted attentions to personal cleanliness, and had many preparations to make—or whether from some having participated in the idolatrous services introduced by Ahaz, they were backward in repairing to the temple—a reflection does seem to be cast upon their order as dilatory and not universally ready for duty (compare 2Ch 30:15). Thus was the newly consecrated temple reopened to the no small joy of the pious king and all the people.