2 Chronicles 31:11

_THEN HEZEKIAH COMMANDED TO PREPARE CHAMBERS IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD; AND THEY PREPARED THEM,_ Hezekiah commanded to prepare chambers - store-houses, granaries, or cellars. Either the old ones, which had been allowed through neglect to fall into decay, were to be repaired, or additional ones built. Private individuals brought their own first-fruits to the temple; but the tithes were levied by the Levites, who kept a faithful account of them in their several places of abode, and transmitted the allotted proportion to the priests. Officers were appointed to distribute equal rations to all in the cities of the priests who, from age or other reasons, could not repair to the temple. With the exception of children under three years of age-an exception made probably from their being considered unfit to receive solid food-lists were kept of the number and age of every male, of priests accordin...

Verse 2 Chronicles 31:11. _TO PREPARE CHAMBERS_] To make granaries to lay up this superabundance....

EXPOSITION This chapter, after its first verse (which holds an intermediate place with relation to the enthusiastic devoutness of the people recorded in the last verse of the former chapter, and what now followed of the doings of the king), tells how Hezekiah once more settles, first, the courses of the priests and Levites, and the offerings for their support (2 Chronicles 31:2); and, secondly, both the offices and officers needful for rightly attending to the business. The Book of Kings gives us no parallel to this chapter. 2 CHRONICLES 31:1 As much as the last verse of the foregoing chapter was all of the religious fervour of the occasion, this verse is all of the, practical honest work of the people and their leaders. All Israel th

THEN HEZEKIAH COMMANDED TO PREPARE CHAMBERS IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD,.... Either to build new ones, or fit up those that were built: AND THEY PREPARED [THEM]; got them ready to lay up the stores in....

CHAPTER 31 THE RESULTS OF THE REVIVAL _ 1. The destruction of the false worship (2 Chronicles 31:1)_ 2. The king's appointments (2 Chronicles 31:2) All was done by Hezekiah for the orderly continuance of the service in the house of the LORD. The order of the courses of the priests, after David's arrangement, which had been abandoned during the preceding apostasy, was once more settled. What was needed for the public sacrifices of the congregation was willingly given, as well as other things, by the king and the people. “For the personal support of the ministering priests and Levites nothing more was required than the re-enactment of the ancient provision of firstfruits, tithes, and firstlings ...

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...

CHAMBERS. storehouses....

_chambers_ Cp. 1 Chronicles 9:26, note....

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

REIGN OF HEZEKIAH (CONTINUED) This chapter gives an account of Hezekiah's reorganisation of the Temple service....