11 And it cometh to pass, in the going out of the priests from the sanctuary -- for all the priests who are present have sanctified themselves, there is none to watch by courses,
And Jehovah saith unto Moses, `Go unto the people; and thou hast sanctified them to-day and to-morrow, and they have washed their garments,
And Moses cometh down from the mount unto the people, and sanctifieth the people, and they wash their garments; and he saith unto the people, `Be ye prepared for the third day, come not nigh unto a woman.'
And to the sons of Aaron `are' their courses: sons of Aaron `are' Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar, and Nadab dieth, and Abihu, in the presence of their father, and they had no sons, and Eleazar and Ithamar act as priests. And David distributeth them, and Zadok of the sons of Eleazar, and Ahimelech of the sons of Ithamar, according to their office in their service; and there are found of the sons of Eleazar more for heads of the mighty men than of the sons of Ithamar; and they distribute them: Of the sons of Eleazar, heads for a house of fathers, sixteen; and of the sons of Ithamar, for a house of their fathers, eight. And they distribute them, by lots, one with another, for princes of the sanctuary, and princes of God, have been of the sons of Eleazar, and of the sons of Ithamar. And Shemaiah son of Nethaneel the scribe, of the Levites, writeth them before the king and the princes, and Zadok the priest, and Ahimelech son of Abiathar, and heads of the fathers, for priests and for Levites: one house of a father being taken possession of for Eleazar, and one being taken possession of for Ithamar. And the first lot goeth out for Jehoiarib, for Jedaiah the second, for Harim the third, for Seorim the fourth, for Malchijah the fifth, for Mijamin the sixth, for Hakkoz the seventh, for Abijah the eighth, for Jeshuah the ninth, for Shecaniah the tenth, for Eliashib the eleventh, for Jakim the twelfth, for Huppah the thirteenth, for Jeshebeab the fourteenth, for Bilgah the fifteenth, for Immer the sixteenth, for Hezir the seventeenth, for Aphses the eighteenth, for Pethahiah the nineteenth, for Jehezekel the twentieth, for Jachin the one and twentieth, for Gamul the two and twentieth, for Delaiah the three and twentieth, for Maaziah the four and twentieth. These `are' their appointments for their service, to come in to the house of Jehovah, according to their ordinance by the hand of Aaron their father, as Jehovah God of Israel, commanded them. And for the sons of Levi who are left: for sons of Amram, Shubael; for sons of Shubael: Jehdeiah. For Rehabiah: for sons of Rehabiah, the head Ishshiah. For the Izharite: Shelomoth; for sons of Shelomoth: Jahath. And sons of Jeriah: Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, Jekameam the fourth. Sons of Uzziel: Michah; for sons of Michah: Shamir. A brother of Michah `is' Ishshiah; for sons of Ishshiah: Zechariah; sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi; sons of Jaaziah: Beno; sons of Merari: of Jaaziah: Beno, and Shoham, and Zaccur, and Ibri. For Mahli: Eleazar, who had no sons; for Kish: sons of Kish: Jerahmeel. And sons of Mushi `are' Mahli, and Eder, and Jerimoth; these `are' sons of the Levites, for the house of their fathers, and they cast, they also, lots over-against their brethren the sons of Aaron, before David the king, and Zadok, and Ahimelech, and heads of the fathers, for priests and for Levites; the chief father over-against his younger brother.
And he saith to them, `Hear me, O Levites, now, sanctify yourselves, and sanctify the house of Jehovah, God of your fathers, and bring out the impurity from the sanctuary,
and they gather their brethren, and sanctify themselves, and come in, according to the command of the king in the matters of Jehovah, to cleanse the house of Jehovah,
Only, the priests have become few, and have not been able to strip the whole of the burnt-offerings, and their brethren the Levites strengthen them till the completion of the work, and till the priests sanctify themselves, for the Levites `are' more upright of heart to sanctify themselves than the priests.
and they slaughter the passover-offering on the fourteenth of the second month, and the priests and the Levites have been ashamed, and sanctify themselves, and bring in burnt-offerings to the house of Jehovah.
for many `are' in the assembly who have not sanctified themselves, and the Levites `are' over the slaughtering of the passover-offerings for every one not clean, to sanctify `him' to Jehovah: for a multitude of the people, many from Ephraim and Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, have not been cleansed, but have eaten the passover otherwise than it is written; but Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, `Jehovah, who `is' good, doth receive atonement for every one who hath prepared his heart to seek God -- Jehovah, God of his fathers -- yet not according to the cleansing of the sanctuary;' and Jehovah hearkeneth unto Hezekiah, and healeth the people.
and it cometh to pass, when they have gone round the days of the banquet, that Job doth send and sanctify them, and hath risen early in the morning, and caused to ascend burnt-offerings -- the number of them all -- for Job said, `Perhaps my sons have sinned, yet blessed God in their heart.' Thus doth Job all the days.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on 2 Chronicles 5
Commentary on 2 Chronicles 5 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 5
2Ch 5:1. The Dedicated Treasures.
1. Solomon brought in all the things that David his father had dedicated—the immense sums and the store of valuable articles which his father and other generals had reserved and appropriated for the temple (1Ch 22:14; 26:26).
2Ch 5:2-13. Bringing Up of the Ark of the Covenant.
2, 3. Then Solomon assembled … in the feast which was in the seventh month—The feast of the dedication of the temple was on the eighth day of that month. This is related, word for word, the same as in 1Ki 8:1-10.
9. there it is unto this day—that is, at the time when this history was composed; for after the Babylonish captivity there is no trace of either ark or staves.
11. all the priests that were present … did not then wait by course—The rotation system of weekly service introduced by David was intended for the ordinary duties of the priesthood; on extraordinary occasions, or when more than wonted solemnity attached to them, the priests attended in a body.
12. the Levites which were the singers—On great and solemn occasions, such as this, a full choir was required, and their station was taken with scrupulous regard to their official parts: the family of Heman occupied the central place, the family of Asaph stood on his right, and that of Jeduthun on his left; the place allotted to the vocal department was a space between the court of Israel and the altar in the east end of the priests' court.
with them an hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets—The trumpet was always used by the priests, and in the divine service it was specially employed in calling the people together during the holy solemnities, and in drawing attention to new and successive parts of the ritual. The number of trumpets used in the divine service could not be less than two (Nu 10:2), and their greatest number never exceeded the precedent set at the dedication of the temple. The station where the priests were sounding with trumpets was apart from that of the other musicians; for while the Levite singers occupied an orchestra east of the altar, the priests stood at the marble table on the southwest of the altar. There both of them stood with their faces to the altar. The manner of blowing the trumpets was, first, by a long plain blast, then by one with breakings and quaverings, and then by a long plain blast again [Brown, Jewish Antiquities].
13. the house was filled with a cloud—(See on 1Ki 8:10).