INTRODUCTION TO 2 CHRONICLES 30 Hezekiah having consulted his nobles about keeping the passover the second month, and determined upon it, sent messengers throughout Israel and Judah, to acquaint them with it, at which some mocked, and others seriously attended to it, 2 Chronicles 30:1 so it was cel... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HEZEKIAH SENT TO ALL ISRAEL AND JUDAH,.... Sent messengers to them, not only to the subjects of his own kingdom, Judah, but to all the Israelites that dwelt in it, who were come thither for the sake of religion, and the worship of God: AND WROTE LETTERS ALSO TO EPHRAIM AND MANASSEH; which are p... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THE KING HAD TAKEN COUNSEL, AND HIS PRINCES, AND ALL THE CONGREGATION IN JERUSALEM,.... He and his nobles, and the great sanhedrim or senate of the nation, had consulted together: TO KEEP THE PASSOVER IN THE SECOND MONTH; in the month Ijar, as the Targum, because they could not keep it in the f... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THEY COULD NOT KEEP IT AT THE TIME,.... In the month Nisan, as the Targum adds, on the fourteenth day of the month, as the law enjoined, because the cleansing of the temple was not finished until the sixteenth day, see 2 Chronicles 29:17 and, besides this, two other reasons follow: BECAUSE THE... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE THING PLEASED THE KING, AND ALL THE CONGREGATION. They all unanimously agreed to it, and determined it should be done.... [ Continue Reading ]
SO THEY ESTABLISHED A DECREE, TO MAKE PROCLAMATION THROUGHOUT ALL ISRAEL,.... Passed a vote, that heralds should be appointed and sent to proclaim it throughout the land, that all might know it, and none plead ignorance: FROM BEERSHEBA EVEN TO DAN; the one being the southern and the other the north... [ Continue Reading ]
SO THE POSTS WENT WITH THE LETTERS FROM THE KING AND HIS PRINCES THROUGHOUT ALL ISRAEL AND JUDAH,.... Both through the kingdoms of the ten tribes of Israel, and the kingdom of the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin: AND ACCORDING TO THE COMMANDMENT OF THE KING, SAYING; so they were ordered by the kin... [ Continue Reading ]
AND BE NOT YE LIKE YOUR FATHERS, AND LIKE YOUR BRETHREN, WHICH TRESPASSED AGAINST THE LORD GOD OF THEIR FATHERS,.... By worshipping the calves, and neglecting the service of God in the temple at Jerusalem; the Targum is, "which acted deceitfully with the Word of the Lord their God:'' WHO THEREFORE... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW BE YE NOT STIFFNECKED, AS YOUR FATHERS WERE,.... Obstinate and refractory, like heifers unaccustomed to the yoke, which draw back from it, and will not submit to it: BUT YIELD YOURSELVES UNTO THE LORD; be subject unto him, or "give the hand" q to him, as a token of subjection and homage, or of... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR IF YE TURN AGAIN UNTO THE LORD,.... To the fear or worship of the Lord, as the Targum: YOUR BRETHREN AND YOUR CHILDREN SHALL FIND COMPASSION BEFORE THEM THAT LEAD THEM CAPTIVE, SO THAT THEY SHALL COME AGAIN INTO THIS LAND; who had been carried away by Tiglathpileser, see Psalms 106:46, FOR THE... [ Continue Reading ]
SO THE POSTS PASSED FROM CITY TO CITY, THROUGH THE COUNTRY OF EPHRAIM AND MANASSEH, EVEN UNTO ZEBULUN,.... Through all the ten tribes, not being hindered or forbid by Hoshea king of Israel, who was one of the best of their kings, and was very willing his people should go and worship at Jerusalem if... [ Continue Reading ]
NEVERTHELESS, DIVERS OF ASHER, AND MANASSEH, AND OF ZEBULUN, HUMBLED THEMSELVES,.... Confessed their idolatries and impieties, and expressed sorrow and repentance for them, and were willing to obey the commands of God, and attend his worship and ordinances: AND CAME TO JERUSALEM; to keep the passov... [ Continue Reading ]
ALSO IN JUDAH THE HAND OF GOD WAS TO GIVE THEM ONE HEART,.... To make them unanimous in this service, hearty and willing to it, to a man, which was owing to the power and efficacy of divine grace: TO DO THE COMMANDMENT OF THE KING AND OF THE PRINCES, BY THE WORD OF THE LORD; to keep the passover, w... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THERE ASSEMBLED AT JERUSALEM MUCH PEOPLE,.... Out of the several tribes: TO KEEP THE FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD: the passover, which was eaten with unleavened bread: IN THE SECOND MONTH: the month Ijar: A VERY GREAT CONGREGATION; such as had not been seen on such an occasion for many years.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY AROSE,.... Before they slew and ate the passover: AND TOOK AWAY THE ALTARS THAT WERE IN JERUSALEM; which Ahaz had set up in every corner of Jerusalem, to offer sacrifices upon, 2 Chronicles 28:24 AND ALL THE ALTARS FOR INCENSE TOOK THEY AWAY; for as there were some to offer sacrifices on,... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN THEY KILLED THE PASSOVER ON THE FOURTEENTH DAY OF THE SECOND MONTH,.... For though they could not keep it in the month in which it should have been kept, for the reasons before given, yet they kept it on the day of the month in which it was observed: AND THE PRIESTS AND THE LEVITES WERE ASHAME... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY STOOD IN THEIR PLACE AFTER THEIR MANNER, ACCORDING TO THE LAW OF MOSES THE MAN OF GOD,.... The priests in their place, and the Levites in theirs, in which they were ordered to stand when they offered sacrifice: THE PRIESTS SPRINKLED THE BLOOD, which they received of the hand of the Levites... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THERE WERE MANY IN THE CONGREGATION THAT WERE NOT SANCTIFIED,.... Or purified from uncleanness, contracted either by idolatry, or through such things which, according to the ceremonial law, made them unclean, and from which they had not now time to cleanse themselves according to the law: THERE... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR A MULTITUDE OF THE PEOPLE, EVEN MANY OF EPHRAIM AND MANASSEH, ISSACHAR AND ZEBULUN,.... All which were of the ten tribes, where idolatry had prevailed for a long time: HAD NOT CLEANSED THEMSELVES; from impurity contracted by idolatry and other things: YET DID THEY EAT THE PASSOVER OTHERWISE TH... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT PREPARETH HIS HEART TO SEEK GOD, THE LORD GOD OF HIS FATHERS,.... Who was heartily desirous of worshipping God, and observing his ordinances, which had been enjoined their fathers, and they had kept; though Aben Ezra, as Kimchi observes, refers this to Hezekiah, WHOSE WHOLE HEART HE DIRECTED,... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE LORD HEARKENED TO HEZEKIAH,.... Heard his prayer, and accepted of it, and granted what he desired: AND HEALED HIS PEOPLE; that is, forgave their sins, as Kimchi interprets it; forgiveness being expressed by healing, for which he refers to Psalms 41:4 to which may be added Psalms 103:3 and w... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL THAT WERE PRESENT AT JERUSALEM KEPT THE FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD SEVEN DAYS WITH GREAT GLADNESS,.... Which, according to the law of Moses, were always to follow the passover, Exodus 12:18 AND THE LEVITES AND THE PRIESTS PRAISED THE LORD DAY BY DAY, SINGING WITH LOUD INST... [ Continue Reading ]
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 T... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE WHOLE ASSEMBLY TOOK COUNSEL TO KEEP OTHER SEVEN DAYS,.... They consulted among themselves, and with the king and his nobles about it, who all agreed to it: AND THEY KEPT OTHER SEVEN DAYS WITH GLADNESS; not altogether in the same manner they had kept the preceding seven days; they did not sl... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR HEZEKIAH KING OF JUDAH DID GIVE TO THE CONGREGATION ONE THOUSAND BULLOCKS, AND SEVEN THOUSAND SHEEP,.... He separated them, as Kimchi interprets it, from his own herds and flocks; or out of his own substance, at his own expense purchased them; or lifted them up, as the word signifies, as heave o... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
SO THERE WAS GREAT JOY IN JERUSALEM,.... Not merely carnal, expressed in eating and drinking, and making merry with one another, but spiritual, on account of the restoration of temple service, and the feasts of the Lord: FOR SINCE THE TIME OF SOLOMON THE SON OF DAVID, KING OF ISRAEL, THERE WAS NOT... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN THE PRIESTS THE LEVITES AROSE,.... The priests who were of the tribe of Levi; for there were some in Israel that were not, but were made of any of the people, as in the times of Jeroboam; though some supply the copulative "and"; so the Targum: "and blessed the people"; which was the proper work... [ Continue Reading ]