2 Chronicles 30:22

_AND HEZEKIAH SPAKE COMFORTABLY UNTO ALL THE LEVITES THAT TAUGHT THE GOOD KNOWLEDGE OF THE LORD: AND_ _ THEY DID EAT THROUGHOUT THE FEAST SEVEN DAYS, OFFERING PEACE OFFERINGS, AND MAKING CONFESSION TO THE LORD_ _ GOD OF THEIR FATHERS._ Hezekiah spake comfortably unto all the Levites that taught the good knowledge of the Lord. It was quite in accordance with the character of this good king to encourage the Levites in the work of religious instruction. AND THEY DID EAT THROUGHOUT THE FEAST SEVEN DAYS, х_ WAYO'KªLUW_ (H398) _ 'ET_ (H853) _ HAMOW`EED _ (H4150)] - and they did eat the festival seven days. [In like manner the Septuagint has: kai sunetelesan teen heorteen toon axumoon hepta heemeras, and they fulfilled (observed) the festival of unleavened bread seven days.]...

21-27 Many prayers were put up to God with the peace-offerings. In these Israel looked to God as the God of their fathers, a God in covenant with them. There was also abundance of good preaching. The Levites read and explained the Scriptures. Faith cometh by hearing, and true religion preaching has abounded. They sang psalms every day: praising God should be much of our work in religious assemblies. Having kept the seven days of the feast in this religious manner, they had so much comfort in it, that they kept other seven days also. This they did with gladness. Holy duties should be done with holy gladness. And when sinners humble themselves before the Lord, they may expect gladness in his ordinances. Those who taste this happiness will not soon grow weary of it, but will be glad to prolong their enjoyment....

Verse 2 Chronicles 30:22. _SPAKE COMFORTABLY UNTO ALL THE LEVITES_] On such occasions the priests and Levites had great fatigue, and suffered many privations; and therefore had need of that encouragement which this prudent and pious king gave. It is a fine and expressive character given of these men, "They taught the good knowledge of God to the people." This is the great work, or should be so, of every Christian minister. They should convey that knowledge of God to the people by which they may be saved; that is, _the good knowledge of the Lord_....

The “knowledge” intended is perhaps chiefly ritualistic and musical - such knowledge as enabled them to conduct the service of the sanctuary satisfactorily. THEY DID EAT THROUGHOUT THE FEAST - literally, “they did eat the feast;” i. e. “they kept the feast,” which was essentially kept by the eating of unleavened bread. The Levites kept the feast during the full term appointed for it, never failing in their duties, but taking their part day after day, both in the sacrifice of the victims and in singing praises to God....

EXPOSITION This chapter contains the account of Hezekiah's arrangements after the restoration for the observance of the Passover—arrangements more than ordinarily interesting to notice in respect of, _first, _the unusual time appointed for the celebration; and, _second, _the determined and brave attempt of the good king to win again to the worship of Jerusalem (though, as was no doubt anticipated, it subjected his royal proffers to scorn, 2 Chronicles 30:10) the separated people of "all Israel" (2 Chronicles 30:1); and further, the celebration itself, the happy omen (2 Chronicles 30:14) with which it opened, its duration; and certain several other incidents

AND HEZEKIAH SPAKE COMFORTABLY TO ALL THE LEVITES,.... Or "to the heart" u of them, such things as were very encouraging to them to go on in the work and worship of God, commending their singing, exhorting them to diligence in instructing the people, promising them his favour and protection: EVEN THOSE THAT TAUGHT THE GOOD KNOWLEDGE OF THE LORD; who instructed the people well in his word, worship, and ordinances; though some restrain this to their skill in singing the praises of God, both vocally and instrumentally, and their abilities and diligence in teaching others: AND THEY DID EAT THROUGHOUT THE FEAST: or did eat the feast; that is, the sacrifices of it; not the Levites only, but the king, and all the congregation: OFFERING PEACE OFFERINGS; part of which belonged to the Lord, another part to the priests, and a third to the offerers, on which they feasted with their friends; and t...

CHAPTER 30 THE PASSOVER _ 1. Preparations for the great Passover (2 Chronicles 30:1)_ 2. The celebration of the Passover (2 Chronicles 30:15) 3. The concluding festive days (2 Chronicles 30:23) The Passover is next celebrated. It was, so to speak, the birthday of the nation, and typified the great redemption by the blood of the true Passover-Lamb. It had not been kept for a long time and as the proper yearly time for its celebration had passed, the first month, they concluded to keep it in the second month. The law had made provision for that and therefore what they did was according to the Word. (See...

2 Chronicles 29:1 to 2 Chronicles 32:33. THE REIGN OF HEZEKIAH (see notes on 2 Kings 18:2 f., 2 Kings 18:13; 2 Kings 18:19; 2 Kings 20:1). The Chronicler in this long section writes, from his own point of view, much that is quite unhistorical. The three main subjects treated by him here are Hezekiah's reopening of the Temple, the Passover, and the appointment of the Temple officials. In...

COMFORTABLY. Compare Isaiah 40:2. OFFERING. Hebrew. _zabach._ App-43....

_that taught the good knowledge of the Lord_ R.V. THAT WERE WELL SKILLED IN THE SERVICE OF THE LORD. _and they did eat … seven days_ R.V. SO THEY DID EAT … FOR THE SEVEN DAYS, i.e. the usual seven days of unleavened bread. _pace offerings_ R.V. SACRIFICES OF PEACE OFFERINGS; cp. 1 Chronicles 16:1. _making confession_ Or "giving thanks" R.V. mg. LXX. ἐξομολογούμενοι....