26 And the Levites H3881 stood H5975 with the instruments H3627 of David, H1732 and the priests H3548 with the trumpets. H2689
And seven H7651 priests H3548 shall bear H5375 before H6440 the ark H727 seven H7651 trumpets H7782 of rams' horns: H3104 and the seventh H7637 day H3117 ye shall compass H5437 the city H5892 seven H7651 times, H6471 and the priests H3548 shall blow H8628 with the trumpets. H7782 And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long H4900 blast with the ram's H3104 horn, H7161 and when ye hear H8085 the sound H6963 of the trumpet, H7782 all the people H5971 shall shout H7321 with a great H1419 shout; H8643 and the wall H2346 of the city H5892 shall fall down H5307 flat, H8478 and the people H5971 shall ascend up H5927 every man H376 straight before him. And Joshua H3091 the son H1121 of Nun H5126 called H7121 the priests, H3548 and said H559 unto them, Take up H5375 the ark H727 of the covenant, H1285 and let seven H7651 priests H3548 bear H5375 seven H7651 trumpets H7782 of rams' horns H3104 before H6440 the ark H727 of the LORD. H3068 And he said H559 unto the people, H5971 Pass on, H5674 and compass H5437 the city, H5892 and let him that is armed H2502 pass on H5674 before H6440 the ark H727 of the LORD. H3068 And it came to pass, when Joshua H3091 had spoken H559 unto the people, H5971 that the seven H7651 priests H3548 bearing H5375 the seven H7651 trumpets H7782 of rams' horns H3104 passed on H5674 before H6440 the LORD, H3068 and blew H8628 with the trumpets: H7782 and the ark H727 of the covenant H1285 of the LORD H3068 followed H1980 them. H310 And the armed H2502 men went H1980 before H6440 the priests H3548 that blew H8628 H8628 with the trumpets, H7782 and the rereward H622 came H1980 after H310 the ark, H727 the priests going on, H1980 and blowing H8628 with the trumpets. H7782
Also the Levites H3881 which were the singers, H7891 all of them of Asaph, H623 of Heman, H1968 of Jeduthun, H3038 with their sons H1121 and their brethren, H251 being arrayed H3847 in white linen, H948 having cymbals H4700 and psalteries H5035 and harps, H3658 stood H5975 at the east end H4217 of the altar, H4196 and with them an hundred H3967 and twenty H6242 priests H3548 sounding H2690 with trumpets:) H2689 It came even to pass, as the trumpeters H2690 H2690 and singers H7891 were as one, H259 to make one H259 sound H6963 to be heard H8085 in praising H1984 and thanking H3034 the LORD; H3068 and when they lifted up H7311 their voice H6963 with the trumpets H2689 and cymbals H4700 and instruments H3627 of musick, H7892 and praised H1984 the LORD, H3068 saying, For he is good; H2896 for his mercy H2617 endureth for ever: H5769 that then the house H1004 was filled H4390 with a cloud, H6051 even the house H1004 of the LORD; H3068
Praise H1984 him with the sound H8629 of the trumpet: H7782 praise H1984 him with the psaltery H5035 and harp. H3658 Praise H1984 him with the timbrel H8596 and dance: H4234 praise H1984 him with stringed instruments H4482 and organs. H5748 Praise H1984 him upon the loud H8088 cymbals: H6767 praise H1984 him upon the high sounding H8643 cymbals. H6767
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.