2 Chronicles 29:12

_THEN THE LEVITES AROSE, MAHATH THE SON OF AMASAI, AND JOEL THE SON OF AZARIAH, OF THE SONS OF THE KOHATHITES: AND OF THE SONS OF MERARI, KISH THE SON OF ABDI, AND AZARIAH THE SON OF JEHALELEL: AND OF THE GERSHONITES; JOAH THE SON OF ZIMMAH, AND EDEN THE SON OF JOAH:_ 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 priests brought all the sweepings out to the porch, where they were received by the Levites, and thrown into the brook Kidron. This took eight days more; and at the end of this period they repaired to the palace, and...

1-19 When Hezekiah came to the crown, he applied at once to work reform. Those who begin with God, begin at the right end of their work, and it will prosper accordingly. Those that turn their backs upon God's ordinances, may truly be said to forsake God himself. There are still such neglects, if the word be not duly read and opened, for that was signified by the lighting the lamps, and also if prayers and praise be not offered up, for that was signified by the burning incense. Neglect of God's worship was the cause of the calamities they had lain under. The Lord alone can prepare the heart of man for vital godliness: when much good is done in a little time, the glory must be ascribed to him; and all who love him or the souls of men, will rejoice therein. Let those that do good work, learn to do it well....

On the triple division of the Levites, see 1 Chronicles 23:6; and on the musical Levites, see 1 Chronicles 25:1. 2 Chronicles 29:13 The descendants of Elizaphan - a grandson of Kohath Exodus 6:22, and chief of the Kohathites at the time of the census in the wilderness Numbers 3:30 - appear at all times to have formed a distinct branch of the Kohathites with special privileges...

EXPOSITION The important reign of Hezekiah extends over this and the following three chapters, counting in all ninety-seven verses. The parallel, for the contents of the first three of these chapters, with their sixty-four verses, is limited to the small number of _six_ verses (2 Kings 18:1), which in its turn is very much fuller (2 Kings 18:7.) in the subject of our 2 Chronicles 32:1. The reason of this so various disposition of matter is by no means wrapt in mystery, our writer's main object being clearly best subserved in exhibiting the moral and religious aspects of the inner history of Judah, as distinguished from its foreign politics—so, for brevity's sake, to denominate them. T

Ver. 12-14. THEN THE LEVITES AROSE,.... Whose names are mentioned; of the Kohathites two, Mahath the son of Amashai, and Joel the son of Azariah; of the Merarites two, Kish the son of Abdi, and Azariah the son of Jehalelel; of the Gershonites two, Joah the son of Zimmah, and Eden the son of Joah; and of the family of Elizaphan, a Kohathite, two, Shimri and Jehiel; and of the family of Asaph, one of the chief singers in the times of David, two, Zechariah and Mattaniah; and of the family of Heman, another principal singer in the same times, two, Jehiel and Shimei; and of the family of Jeduthun, the third principal singer, the same with Ethan, two, Shemaiah and Uzziel, in all fourteen....

6. REFORMATION UNDER HEZEKIAH CHAPTER 29 Hezekiah and the Beginning of the Revival _ 1. The record of his reign (2 Chronicles 29:1)_ 2. The purification of the temple (2 Chronicles 29:3) 3. The restored worship (2 Chronicles 29:20) 4. The great offerings (2 Chronicles 29:31) Compare Chapter s 29-32 with 2 Kings 18-20 and the annotations given there. The reformation which took place under the reign of the godly son of ungodly Ahaz was a thorough and remarkable one. He did right in the sight of the LORD, according to all his father David had don

THEN THE LEVITES AROSE. They were from each of the three leading families (Gershorn, Kohath, and Merari); two from the family of Elizaphan (Kohath's grandson. Exodus 6:18; Exodus 6:22.Numbers 3:30; Numbers 3:30); two from the posterity of Asaph (of Gershom); two of Heman (of Kohath); two of Jeduthun (of Merari). Fourteen in all. See App-10....

_the Levites_ The fourteen persons mentioned in these three verses comprise (_a_) two representatives each of the three great branches of Levi, namely, Kohath, Merari, and Gershon, (_b_) two representatives of the great Kohathite family of Elizaphan (cp. Numbers 3:30 and 1 Chronicles 15:8), (_c_) two representatives each of the three divisions of the singers, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun (1 Chronicles 25:1)....

14. THE REIGN OF HEZEKIAH (29-32) TEXT 2 Chronicles 29:1. Hezekiah began to reign when he was five and twenty years old; and he reigned nine and twenty years in Jerusalem: and his mother's name was Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah 2. And he did that which was right in the eyes of Jehovah, according to all that David his father had done. 3. He in the first year of his reign, in the first month, opened the doors of the house of Jehovah, and repaired them. 4. And he brought in the priests and the Levites, and gathered them together into the broad place on the east, 5. and said unto them, Hear me, ye Levites; now sanctify yourselves, and sanctify the house of Jehovah, the God of your fathers, and carry forth the filthiness out of the holy place. 6. For our fathers have trespassed, and done that

THE REIGN OF HEZEKIAH This chapter describes a cleansing of the TEMPLE and a sacrifice for the sins of the people. This and the following 2 Chronicles 30-32, cover the same period as 2 Kings 18-20, but, for the most part, have in view a different side of Hezekiah's reign, Chronicles relating in great detail his religious reforms, whilst Kings is concerned mainly with the political events of the time....