24 And the priests H3548 killed H7819 them, and they made reconciliation H2398 with their blood H1818 upon the altar, H4196 to make an atonement H3722 for all Israel: H3478 for the king H4428 commanded H559 that the burnt offering H5930 and the sin offering H2403 should be made for all Israel. H3478
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 the elders H2205 of the congregation H5712 shall lay H5564 their hands H3027 upon the head H7218 of the bullock H6499 before H6440 the LORD: H3068 and the bullock H6499 shall be killed H7819 before H6440 the LORD. H3068 And the priest H3548 that is anointed H4899 shall bring H935 of the bullock's H6499 blood H1818 to the tabernacle H168 of the congregation: H4150 And the priest H3548 shall dip H2881 his finger H676 in some of the blood, H1818 and sprinkle H5137 it seven H7651 times H6471 before H6440 the LORD, H3068 even before H6440 the vail. H6532 And he shall put H5414 some of the blood H1818 upon the horns H7161 of the altar H4196 which is before H6440 the LORD, H3068 that is in the tabernacle H168 of the congregation, H4150 and shall pour out H8210 all the blood H1818 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 H7311 all his fat H2459 from him, and burn H6999 it upon the altar. H4196 And he shall do H6213 with the bullock H6499 as he did H6213 with the bullock H6499 for a sin offering, H2403 so shall he do H6213 with this: and the priest H3548 shall make an atonement H3722 for them, and it shall be forgiven H5545 them. And he shall carry forth H3318 the bullock H6499 without H2351 the camp, H4264 and burn H8313 him as he burned H8313 the first H7223 bullock: H6499 it is a sin offering H2403 for the congregation. H6951 When a ruler H5387 hath sinned, H2398 and done H6213 somewhat through ignorance H7684 against any H259 of the commandments H4687 of the LORD H3068 his God H430 concerning things which should not be done, H6213 and is guilty; H816 Or if his sin, H2403 wherein he hath sinned, H2398 come to his knowledge; H3045 he shall bring H935 his offering, H7133 a kid H8163 of the goats, H5795 a male H2145 without blemish: H8549 And he shall lay H5564 his hand H3027 upon the head H7218 of the goat, H8163 and kill H7819 it in the place H4725 where they kill H7819 the burnt offering H5930 before H6440 the LORD: H3068 it is a sin offering. H2403 And the priest H3548 shall take H3947 of the blood H1818 of the sin offering H2403 with his finger, H676 and put H5414 it upon the horns H7161 of the altar H4196 of burnt offering, H5930 and shall pour out H8210 his blood H1818 at the bottom H3247 of the altar H4196 of burnt offering. H5930 And he shall burn H6999 all his fat H2459 upon the altar, H4196 as the fat H2459 of the sacrifice H2077 of peace offerings: H8002 and the priest H3548 shall make an atonement H3722 for him as concerning his sin, H2403 and it shall be forgiven H5545 him. And if any H259 one H5315 of the common H776 people H5971 sin H2398 through ignorance, H7684 while he doeth H6213 somewhat against any H259 of the commandments H4687 of the LORD H3068 concerning things which ought not to be done, H6213 and be guilty; H816 Or if his sin, H2403 which he hath sinned, H2398 come to his knowledge: H3045 then he shall bring H935 his offering, H7133 a kid H8166 of the goats, H5795 a female H5347 without blemish, H8549 for his sin H2403 which he hath sinned. H2398 And he shall lay H5564 his hand H3027 upon the head H7218 of the sin offering, H2403 and slay H7819 the sin offering H2403 in the place H4725 of the burnt offering. H5930 And the priest H3548 shall take H3947 of the blood H1818 thereof with his finger, H676 and put H5414 it upon the horns H7161 of the altar H4196 of burnt offering, H5930 and shall pour out H8210 all the blood H1818 thereof at the bottom H3247 of the altar. H4196 And he shall take away H5493 all the fat H2459 thereof, as the fat H2459 is taken away H5493 from off the sacrifice H2077 of peace offerings; H8002 and the priest H3548 shall burn H6999 it upon the altar H4196 for a sweet H5207 savour H7381 unto the LORD; H3068 and the priest H3548 shall make an atonement H3722 for him, and it shall be forgiven H5545 him. And if he bring H935 a lamb H3532 for a sin H2403 offering, H7133 he shall bring H935 it a female H5347 without blemish. H8549 And he shall lay H5564 his hand H3027 upon the head H7218 of the sin offering, H2403 and slay H7819 it for a sin offering H2403 in the place H4725 where they kill H7819 the burnt offering. H5930 And the priest H3548 shall take H3947 of the blood H1818 of the sin offering H2403 with his finger, H676 and put H5414 it upon the horns H7161 of the altar H4196 of burnt offering, H5930 and shall pour out H8210 all the blood H1818 thereof at the bottom H3247 of the altar: H4196 And he shall take away H5493 all the fat H2459 thereof, as the fat H2459 of the lamb H3775 is taken away H5493 from the sacrifice H2077 of the peace offerings; H8002 and the priest H3548 shall burn H6999 them upon the altar, H4196 according to the offerings made by fire H801 unto the LORD: H3068 and the priest H3548 shall make an atonement H3722 for his sin H2403 that he hath committed, H2398 and it shall be forgiven H5545 him.
For G1063 if, G1487 when we were G5607 enemies, G2190 we were reconciled G2644 to God G2316 by G1223 the death G2288 of his G846 Son, G5207 much G4183 more, G3123 being reconciled, G2644 we shall be saved G4982 by G1722 his G846 life. G2222 And G1161 not G3756 only G3440 so, but G235 we also G2532 joy G2744 in G1722 God G2316 through G1223 our G2257 Lord G2962 Jesus G2424 Christ, G5547 by G1223 whom G3739 we have G2983 now G3568 received G2983 the atonement. G2643
And G1161 all things G3956 are of G1537 God, G2316 who G3588 hath reconciled G2644 us G2248 to himself G1438 by G1223 Jesus G2424 Christ, G5547 and G2532 hath given G1325 to us G2254 the ministry G1248 of reconciliation; G2643 To wit, G5613 that G3754 God G2316 was G2258 in G1722 Christ, G5547 reconciling G2644 the world G2889 unto himself, G1438 not G3361 imputing G3049 their G846 trespasses G3900 unto them; G846 and G2532 hath committed G5087 unto G1722 us G2254 the word G3056 of reconciliation. G2643 Now then G3767 we are ambassadors G4243 for G5228 Christ, G5547 as though G5613 God G2316 did beseech G3870 you by G1223 us: G2257 we pray G1189 you in G5228 Christ's G5547 stead, G5228 be ye reconciled G2644 to God. G2316 For G1063 he hath made G4160 him to be sin G266 for G5228 us, G2257 who G3588 knew G1097 no G3361 sin; G266 that G2443 we G2249 might be made G1096 the righteousness G1343 of God G2316 in G1722 him. G846
And, G2532 having made peace G1517 through G1223 the blood G129 of his G846 cross, G4716 by G1223 him G846 to reconcile G604 all things G3956 unto G1519 himself; G846 by G1223 him, G846 I say, whether G1535 they be things in G1909 earth, G1093 or G1535 things in G1722 heaven. G3772 And G2532 you, G5209 that were G5607 sometime G4218 alienated G526 and G2532 enemies G2190 in your mind G1271 by G1722 wicked G4190 works, G2041 yet G1161 now G3570 hath he reconciled G604
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.