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.
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.
began to reign. In the third year of Hoshea, king of Israel. Therefore in the last year but one of his father's reign. Hezekiah began his reformation in 616, the first year of his sole reign. See App-50 .
Abijah. In 2 Kings 18:2 it is given as 'Abi, here it is 'Abijah. But the "I" in the former stands for the abbreviation of "jah" in the latter.
And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that David his father had done.
the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4 .
He in the first year of his reign, in the first month, opened the doors of the house of the LORD, and repaired them.
the first year. Yea, on the first day (2 Chronicles 29:17 ). Only three verses occupied with this in Kings, but three chapters in Chronicles. For the reason and object see App-56 .
opened the doors. Compare 2 Chronicles 28:24 . Note his zeal for the house of the LORD in his "Songs of the degrees" (Psalms 122:1 , Psalms 122:9 ; Psalms 134:1 , Psalms 134:2 ). See App-67 .
And he brought in the priests and the Levites, and gathered them together into the east street,
the east street = the broad place at the east. Compare Ezra 10:9 .
And said unto them, Hear me, ye Levites, sanctify now yourselves, and sanctify the house of the LORD God of your fathers, and carry forth the filthiness out of the holy place.
ye Levites. Reformation must begin with the ministry. All priests were Levites, but not all Levites were priests.
holy. See note on Exodus 3:5 .
For our fathers have trespassed, and done that which was evil in the eyes of the LORD our God, and have forsaken him, and have turned away their faces from the habitation of the LORD, and turned their backs.
trespassed = acted unfaithfully. Hebrew. ma'al. App-44 .
evil = the evil. Hebrew. ra'a' (with Art.)
habitation = dwelling place. Hebrew. mishkan. App-40 .
Also they have shut up the doors of the porch, and put out the lamps, and have not burned incense nor offered burnt offerings in the holy place unto the God of Israel.
Also = And, carrying the Figure of speech Polysyndeton into this verse.
shut up the doors. Compare 2 Chronicles 28:24 .
offered = offered up. Hebrew. 'alah. App-43 .
Wherefore the wrath of the LORD was upon Judah and Jerusalem, and he hath delivered them to trouble, to astonishment, and to hissing, as ye see with your eyes.
was = came.
trouble = commotion.
as = according as.
For, lo, our fathers have fallen by the sword, and our sons and our daughters and our wives are in captivity for this.
for this: for the sins rehearsed in verses: 2 Chronicles 29:6-7 .
Now it is in mine heart to make a covenant with the LORD God of Israel, that his fierce wrath may turn away from us.
in mine heart. Put there by God.
My sons, be not now negligent: for the LORD hath chosen you to stand before him, to serve him, and that ye should minister unto him, and burn incense.
Then the Levites arose, Mahath the son of Amasai, and Joel the son of Azariah, of the sons of the Kohathites: and of the sons of Merari, Kish the son of Abdi, and Azariah the son of Jehalelel: and of the Gershonites; Joah the son of Zimmah, and Eden the son of Joah:
Then the Levites arose. They were from each of the three leading families (Gershorn, Kohath, and Merari); two from the family of Elizaphan (Kohath's grandson. Exodus 6:18 , Exodus 6:22 .Numbers 3:30; Numbers 3:30 ); two from the posterity of Asaph (of Gershom); two of Heman (of Kohath); two of Jeduthun (of Merari). Fourteen in all. See App-10 .
And of the sons of Elizaphan; Shimri, and Jeiel: and of the sons of Asaph; Zechariah, and Mattaniah:
And of the sons of Heman; Jehiel, and Shimei: and of the sons of Jeduthun; Shemaiah, and Uzziel.
And they gathered their brethren, and sanctified themselves, and came, according to the commandment of the king, by the words of the LORD, to cleanse the house of the LORD.
by the words: or in the business. Compare 2 Chronicles 29:30 .
And the priests went into the inner part of the house of the LORD, to cleanse it, and brought out all the uncleanness that they found in the temple of the LORD into the court of the house of the LORD. And the Levites took it, to carry it out abroad into the brook Kidron.
the inner part. All true reformation begins there, and proceeds outward. Man makes clean the outside, and never gets any farther (Matthew 15:11 , Matthew 15:17-20 ; Matthew 23:25 , Matthew 23:26 . Luke 11:39 ).
Now they began on the first day of the first month to sanctify, and on the eighth day of the month came they to the porch of the LORD: so they sanctified the house of the LORD in eight days; and in the sixteenth day of the first month they made an end.
the first day of the first month. Note the six events which took place on that day (Genesis 8:13 ).
Then they went in to Hezekiah the king, and said, We have cleansed all the house of the LORD, and the altar of burnt offering, with all the vessels thereof, and the shewbread table, with all the vessels thereof.
in = inside.
Moreover all the vessels, which king Ahaz in his reign did cast away in his transgression, have we prepared and sanctified, and, behold, they are before the altar of the LORD.
Ahaz . . . cast away. Compare 2 Kings 16:14 , 2 Kings 16:17 .
transgression = defection. Hebrew. ma'al. App-44 .
Then Hezekiah the king rose early, and gathered the rulers of the city, and went up to the house of the LORD.
rose early . . . went up. Note the zeal of Hezekiah for the house of Jehovah in his Songs of the degrees. See Psalms 122:1 , Psalms 122:9 ; Psalms 134:1 , Psalms 134:2 ; and compare Isaiah 37:1 , Isaiah 37:14 ; Isaiah 38:20 . 2 Kings 20:8 , and App-67 .
rulers = princes.
And they brought seven bullocks, and seven rams, and seven lambs, and seven he goats, for a sin offering for the kingdom, and for the sanctuary, and for Judah. And he commanded the priests the sons of Aaron to offer them on the altar of the LORD.
So they killed the bullocks, and the priests received the blood, and sprinkled it on the altar: likewise, when they had killed the rams, they sprinkled the blood upon the altar: they killed also the lambs, and they sprinkled the blood upon the altar.
on = toward.
sprinkled the blood. According to Leviticus 4:30-34 .
And they brought forth the he goats for the sin offering before the king and the congregation; and they laid their hands upon them:
forth = near.
congregation = assembly.
laid their hands. According to Leviticus 4:15 ; Leviticus 8:22 ; Leviticus 16:21 .
And the priests killed them, and they made reconciliation with their blood upon the altar, to make an atonement for all Israel: for the king commanded that the burnt offering and the sin offering should be made for all Israel.
reconciliation = cleansing.
atonement. See note on Exodus 29:33 .
for all Israel. Note the reference to this in Hezekiah's "Songs of the degrees" (Psalms 133 , and Compare 2 Chronicles 30:1-3 , 2Ch 30:5 , 2 Chronicles 30:6 , 2 Chronicles 30:11 , 2 Chronicles 30:12 , 2 Chronicles 30:14 , 2 Chronicles 30:18 , 2 Chronicles 30:25 , 2 Chronicles 30:26 ). See note on 1 Kings 12:17 and App-67 .
And he set the Levites in the house of the LORD with cymbals, with psalteries, and with harps, according to the commandment of David, and of Gad the king's seer, and Nathan the prophet: for so was the commandment of the LORD by his prophets.
David. Compare 1 Chronicles 15:16 ; 1 Chronicles 23:5 ; 1 Chronicles 25:1 .
seer. Hebrew. chozeh. See note on 1 Chronicles 29:29 .
of = by the hand of.
by = by the hand of.
And the Levites stood with the instruments of David, and the priests with the trumpets.
of. Genitive of Relation = appointed by. Compare 2 Chronicles 29:27 .
And Hezekiah commanded to offer the burnt offering upon the altar. And when the burnt offering began, the song of the LORD began also with the trumpets, and with the instruments ordained by David king of Israel.
And all the congregation worshipped, and the singers sang, and the trumpeters sounded: and all this continued until the burnt offering was finished.
And when they had made an end of offering, the king and all that were present with him bowed themselves, and worshipped.
Moreover Hezekiah the king and the princes commanded the Levites to sing praise unto the LORD with the words of David, and of Asaph the seer. And they sang praises with gladness, and they bowed their heads and worshipped.
Then Hezekiah answered and said, Now ye have consecrated yourselves unto the LORD, come near and bring sacrifices and thank offerings into the house of the LORD. And the congregation brought in sacrifices and thank offerings; and as many as were of a free heart burnt offerings.
consecrated. See note on verb (Exodus 28:41 .Leviticus 9:17; Leviticus 9:17 ).
And the number of the burnt offerings, which the congregation brought, was threescore and ten bullocks, an hundred rams, and two hundred lambs: all these were for a burnt offering to the LORD.
And the consecrated things were six hundred oxen and three thousand sheep.
consecrated things = holy things. See note on Exodus 3:5 .
But the priests were too few, so that they could not flay all the burnt offerings: wherefore their brethren the Levites did help them, till the work was ended, and until the other priests had sanctified themselves: for the Levites were more upright in heart to sanctify themselves than the priests.
And also the burnt offerings were in abundance,with the fat of the peace offerings, and the drink offerings for every burnt offering. So the service of the house of the LORD was set in order.
And Hezekiah rejoiced, and all the people, that God had prepared the people: for the thing was done suddenly.