30 Moreover Hezekiah H3169 the king H4428 and the princes H8269 commanded H559 the Levites H3881 to sing praise H1984 unto the LORD H3068 with the words H1697 of David, H1732 and of Asaph H623 the seer. H2374 And they sang praises H1984 with gladness, H8057 and they bowed their heads H6915 and worshipped. H7812
Now these be the last H314 words H1697 of David. H1732 David H1732 the son H1121 of Jesse H3448 said, H5002 and the man H1397 who was raised up H6965 on high, H5920 the anointed H4899 of the God H430 of Jacob, H3290 and the sweet H5273 psalmist H2158 of Israel, H3478 said, H5002 The Spirit H7307 of the LORD H3068 spake H1696 by me, and his word H4405 was in my tongue. H3956
Then on that day H3117 David H1732 delivered H5414 first H7218 this psalm to thank H3034 the LORD H3068 into the hand H3027 of Asaph H623 and his brethren. H251 Give thanks H3034 unto the LORD, H3068 call H7121 upon his name, H8034 make known H3045 his deeds H5949 among the people. H5971 Sing H7891 unto him, sing psalms H2167 unto him, talk H7878 ye of all his wondrous H6381 works. Glory H1984 ye in his holy H6944 name: H8034 let the heart H3820 of them rejoice H8055 that seek H1245 the LORD. H3068 Seek H1875 the LORD H3068 and his strength, H5797 seek H1245 his face H6440 continually. H8548 Remember H2142 his marvellous H6381 works that he hath done, H6213 his wonders, H4159 and the judgments H4941 of his mouth; H6310 O ye seed H2233 of Israel H3478 his servant, H5650 ye children H1121 of Jacob, H3290 his chosen ones. H972 He is the LORD H3068 our God; H430 his judgments H4941 are in all the earth. H776 Be ye mindful H2142 always H5769 of his covenant; H1285 the word H1697 which he commanded H6680 to a thousand H505 generations; H1755 Even of the covenant which he made H3772 with Abraham, H85 and of his oath H7621 unto Isaac; H3327 And hath confirmed H5975 the same to Jacob H3290 for a law, H2706 and to Israel H3478 for an everlasting H5769 covenant, H1285 Saying, H559 Unto thee will I give H5414 the land H776 of Canaan, H3667 the lot H2256 of your inheritance; H5159 When ye were but few, H4557 H4962 even a few, H4592 and strangers H1481 in it. And when they went H1980 from nation H1471 to nation, H1471 and from one kingdom H4467 to another H312 people; H5971 He suffered H3240 no man H376 to do them wrong: H6231 yea, he reproved H3198 kings H4428 for their sakes, Saying, Touch H5060 not mine anointed, H4899 and do my prophets H5030 no harm. H7489 Sing H7891 unto the LORD, H3068 all the earth; H776 shew forth H1319 from day H3117 to day H3117 his salvation. H3444 Declare H5608 his glory H3519 among the heathen; H1471 his marvellous works H6381 among all nations. H5971 For great H1419 is the LORD, H3068 and greatly H3966 to be praised: H1984 he also is to be feared H3372 above all gods. H430 For all the gods H430 of the people H5971 are idols: H457 but the LORD H3068 made H6213 the heavens. H8064 Glory H1935 and honour H1926 are in his presence; H6440 strength H5797 and gladness H2304 are in his place. H4725 Give H3051 unto the LORD, H3068 ye kindreds H4940 of the people, H5971 give H3051 unto the LORD H3068 glory H3519 and strength. H5797 Give H3051 unto the LORD H3068 the glory H3519 due unto his name: H8034 bring H5375 an offering, H4503 and come H935 before H6440 him: worship H7812 the LORD H3068 in the beauty H1927 of holiness. H6944 Fear H2342 before H6440 him, all the earth: H776 the world H8398 also shall be stable, H3559 that it be not moved. H4131 Let the heavens H8064 be glad, H8055 and let the earth H776 rejoice: H1523 and let men say H559 among the nations, H1471 The LORD H3068 reigneth. H4427 Let the sea H3220 roar, H7481 and the fulness H4393 thereof: let the fields H7704 rejoice, H5970 and all that is therein. Then shall the trees H6086 of the wood H3293 sing out H7442 at the presence H6440 of the LORD, H3068 because he cometh H935 to judge H8199 the earth. H776 O give thanks H3034 unto the LORD; H3068 for he is good; H2896 for his mercy H2617 endureth for ever. H5769 And say H559 ye, Save H3467 us, O God H430 of our salvation, H3468 and gather us together, H6908 and deliver H5337 us from the heathen, H1471 that we may give thanks H3034 to thy holy H6944 name, H8034 and glory H7623 in thy praise. H8416 Blessed H1288 be the LORD H3068 God H430 of Israel H3478 for ever H5769 and ever. H5769 And all the people H5971 said, H559 Amen, H543 and praised H1984 the LORD. H3068
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.