2 Chronicles 29:16

_AND OF THE SONS OF ELIZAPHAN; SHIMRI, AND JEIEL: AND OF THE SONS OF ASAPH; ZECHARIAH, AND MATTANIAH:_ No JFB commentary on these verses....

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....

Verse 2 Chronicles 29:16. _AND THE PRIESTS WENT_] The priests and Levites cleansed first the courts both of the priests and of the _people_. On this labour they spent eight days. Then they cleansed the _interior_ of the temple; but as the Levites had no right to enter the temple, the priests carried all the dirt and rubbish to the _porch_, whence they were collected by the Levites, carried away, and cast into the brook Kidron; in this work eight days more were occupied, and thus the temple was purified in _sixteen days_....

The “inner part” means here, not the holy of holies in particular, but the interior generally. The priests alone might enter the temple building. The Levites might penetrate no further than the inner court....

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

AND THE PRIESTS WENT INTO THE INNER PART OF THE HOUSE OF THE LORD, TO CLEANSE IT,.... Into the holy place, where the candlesticks and shewbread tables stood, into which none but priests might enter, but not into the most holy place, the innermost of all; for none but the high priest might go into that, and only on the day of atonement; though in case of necessity, as for repairs, others might go into it, and so perhaps now to cleanse it, if any pollution was there: AND BROUGHT OUT ALL THE UNCLEANNESS THAT THEY FOUND IN THE TEMPLE OF THE LORD INTO THE COURT OF THE HOUSE OF THE LORD; into the court of the priests, where the Levites might be, and were: AND THE LEVITES TOOK IT, TO CARRY IT OUT ABROAD INTO THE BROOK KIDRON; which ran through the valley of the son of Hinnom, into which all unclean things, and the filth of the temple and sacrifices, were usually carried and cast, see...

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

THE INNER PART. All true reformation begins there, and proceeds outward. Man makes clean the outside, and never gets any farther (Matthew 15:11; Matthew 15:17; Matthew 23:25; Matthew 23:26; Luke 11:39)....

_the priests_ The work was so divided between priests and Levites that only the priests went into the house. _into the inner part of the house_ Render, WITHIN THE HOUSE. The reference is not to the Holy of Holies specially, but to the whole interior of the house. _uncleanness_ Cp. 2 Chronicles 29:5; Isaiah 30:22. _into the brook_ R.V. TO THE BROOK. The brook Kidron is the deep valley on the east of Jerusalem separating it from the Mount of Olives; 2 Samuel 15:23; John 18:1....

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