2 Chronicles 30:25

_AND ALL THE CONGREGATION OF JUDAH, WITH THE PRIESTS AND THE LEVITES, AND ALL THE CONGREGATION THAT CAME OUT OF ISRAEL, AND THE STRANGERS THAT CAME OUT OF THE LAND OF ISRAEL, AND THAT DWELT IN JUDAH, REJOICED._ NO JFB COMMENTARY ON THIS VERSE....

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 30:25. _THE STRANGERS THAT COME OUT OF THE LAND OF ISRAEL_] That is, the _proselytes_ of the _covenant_ who had embraced Judaism, and had submitted to the rite of _circumcision_, for none others could be permitted to eat of the passover....

THE STRANGERS - See the 2 Chronicles 15:9 note....

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 ALL THE CONGREGATION OF JUDAH, WITH THE PRIESTS AND LEVITES,.... The people that were gathered together out of the several cities of Judah, which no doubt was the largest congregation, with whom the priests and Levites are joined, as being of that kingdom, and dwellers in Jerusalem, where their office lay: AND ALL THE CONGREGATION THAT CAME OUT OF ISRAEL; out of the ten tribes, particularly Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, 2 Chronicles 30:18, and the strangers that came out of the land of Israel, and that dwelt in Judah, rejoiced; the proselytes, even such as were circumcised, who ate of the passover, and kept the feast of unleavened bread, as well as the other days of rejoicing, the former of which none might partake of but circumcised persons; and it can hardly be thought that any other would come out of Israel on such an occasion, see...

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...

STRANGERS. sojourners. Exodus 12:48; Exodus 12:49....

_the strangers_ i.e. men of alien descent dwelling in Israel with certain conceded, not inherited, rights, and with most of the obligations of the native Israelite. LXX. οἱ προσήλυτοι. Cp. 2 Chronicles 2:17; 1 Chronicles 22:2 for the unfavourable side of a "stranger's" position....