2 Chronicles 29:17

_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 29:17. _ON THE FIRST_ DAY] "They began on the first day of the first month Nisan." - _Targum_....

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

NOW THEY BEGAN ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE FIRST MONTH TO SANCTIFY,.... Either of the reign of King Hezekiah, or rather of the year; the month Ab or Nisan, as the Targum expresses it: AND ON THE EIGHTH OF THE MONTH CAME THEY TO THE PORCH OF THE LORD; they seem to have begun cleansing the inner part of the temple first, and so came forward until they came to the porch which led into it: SO THEY SANCTIFIED THE HOUSE OF THE LORD IN EIGHT DAYS; the holy place, and it may be the most holy place, and the court of the priests: AND ON THE SIXTEENTH DAY OF THE FIRST MONTH THEY MADE AN END; it took them eight days more to cleanse the outward porch, and the buildings and chambers belonging to the temple; according to Jarchi, it required so much time, because Ahaz had framed pictures of idols upon the walls of the temple, which could not be defaced sooner....

FIRST MONTH That is, April....

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 FIRST DAY OF THE FIRST MONTH. Note the six events which took place on that day (Genesis 8:13)....

_to sanctify … so they sanctified_ Two periods of eight days each were spent in "sanctifying," the courts apparently occupying eight days and the house itself eight days. _in the sixteenth day_ The LXX. translators read τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ τρισκαιδεκάτῃ, i.e. _on the thirteenth day_, perhaps because the _fourteenth_day of the first month was the Day of the Passover, a day on which no work could be done....

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