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2 Chronicles 31

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Idols Destroyed and Priestly Service Reorganized 1–4

1
Now when all this was finished, all Israel that were present went out to the cities of Judah, and brake in pieces the pillars, and hewed down the Asherim, and brake down the high places and the altars out of all Judah and Benjamin, in Ephraim also and Manasseh, until they had destroyed them all. Then all the children of Israel returned, every man to his possession, into their own cities. ​
2
And Hezekiah appointed the courses of the priests and the Levites after their courses, every man according to his service, both the priests and the Levites, for burnt-offerings and for peace-offerings, to minister, and to give thanks, and to praise in the gates of the camp of Jehovah. ​
3
He appointed also the king’s portion of his substance for the burnt-offerings, to wit, for the morning and evening burnt-offerings, and the burnt-offerings for the sabbaths, and for the new moons, and for the set feasts, as it is written in the law of Jehovah. ​
4
Moreover he commanded the people that dwelt in Jerusalem to give the portion of the priests and the Levites, that they might give themselves to the law of Jehovah. ​

The People Bring Tithes and Offerings 5–10

5
And as soon as the commandment came abroad, the children of Israel gave in abundance the first-fruits of grain, new wine, and oil, and honey, and of all the increase of the field; and the tithe of all things brought they in abundantly. ​
6
And the children of Israel and Judah, that dwelt in the cities of Judah, they also brought in the tithe of oxen and sheep, and the tithe of dedicated things which were consecrated unto Jehovah their God, and laid them by heaps.
7
In the third month they began to lay the foundation of the heaps, and finished them in the seventh month. ​
8
And when Hezekiah and the princes came and saw the heaps, they blessed Jehovah, and his people Israel.
9
Then Hezekiah questioned the priests and the Levites concerning the heaps.
10
And Azariah the chief priest, of the house of Zadok, answered him and said, Since the people began to bring the oblations into the house of Jehovah, we have eaten and had enough, and have left plenty: for Jehovah hath blessed his people; and that which is left is this great store. ​

Administration of the Temple Storehouses 11–19

11
Then Hezekiah commanded to prepare chambers in the house of Jehovah; and they prepared them; ​
12
and they brought in the oblations and the tithes and the dedicated things faithfully. And over them Conaniah the Levite was ruler, and Shimei his brother was second;
13
and Jehiel, and Azaziah, and Nahath, and Asahel, and Jerimoth, and Jozabad, and Eliel, and Ismachiah, and Mahath, and Benaiah, were overseers under the hand of Conaniah and Shimei his brother, by the appointment of Hezekiah the king, and Azariah the ruler of the house of God. ​
14
And Kore the son of Imnah the Levite, the porter at the east gate, was over the freewill-offerings of God, to distribute the oblations of Jehovah, and the most holy things.
15
And under him were Eden, and Miniamin, and Jeshua, and Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah, in the cities of the priests, in their office of trust, to give to their brethren by courses, as well to the great as to the small:
16
besides them that were reckoned by genealogy of males, from three years old and upward, even every one that entered into the house of Jehovah, as the duty of every day required, for their service in their offices according to their courses; ​
17
and them that were reckoned by genealogy of the priests by their fathers’ houses, and the Levites from twenty years old and upward, in their offices by their courses;
18
and them that were reckoned by genealogy of all their little ones, their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, through all the congregation: for in their office of trust they sanctified themselves in holiness.
19
Also for the sons of Aaron the priests, that were in the fields of the suburbs of their cities, in every city, there were men that were mentioned by name, to give portions to all the males among the priests, and to all that were reckoned by genealogy among the Levites. ​

Hezekiah's Faithful Leadership 20–21

20
And thus did Hezekiah throughout all Judah; and he wrought that which was good and right and faithful before Jehovah his God. ​
21
And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law, and in the commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for 2 Chronicles 31

Verse 1

brake the images in pieces — The people who had kept the Passover broke the pillars (matstsebah) and cut down the asherim ('groves') throughout Judah and Benjamin, and in Ephraim and Manasseh. The same list stands for Hezekiah's own acts in 2 Kgs 18:4, and it follows the Law's order to 'break down their images, and cut down their groves' (Deut 7:5).

Verse 2

appointed the courses of the priests and the Levites — 'Courses' (machlaqoth) are the divisions of the sons of Aaron listed in 1 Chr 24:1. The Levites' work included 'to stand every morning to thank and praise the LORD, and likewise at even' (1 Chr 23:30), which matches the 'to give thanks, and to praise' of this verse.

Verse 3

the king's portion of his substance — The king gave from his own goods for the burnt offerings the Law lists: the morning and evening offering ('two lambs of the first year … day by day', Num 28:3), the sabbaths, the new moons and the set feasts. In Ezek 45:17 the same duty falls on the prince, so Hezekiah's gift is the Law's pattern.

Verse 4

the portion of the priests and the Levites — 'Portion' is the word of v.3, mena: the king gave his, and the people were commanded to give theirs, as Num 18:8, 21 assigns the heave offerings to the priests and the tenth to the Levites. 'Encouraged' is chazaq, to be made strong, the verb of 'repaired' in 29:3.

Verse 5

the firstfruits of corn, wine, and oil — The Law gives the priest 'the firstfruit … of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil' (Deut 18:4). Reshith, the first, is the firstfruits and ma'aser the tithe, and the people brought both 'in abundance'. Honey and 'all the increase of the field' are added beyond the three named in Deuteronomy.

Verse 7

the third month … the seventh month — The gifts began to be heaped up in the third month, when the feast of weeks, 'of the firstfruits of wheat harvest' (Ex 34:22), fell, and were finished in the seventh, the month of the feast of tabernacles on its fifteenth day (Lev 23:34). The 'heaps' (arem) are the piles of gifts of vv.6–9.

Verse 10

we have had enough to eat, and have left plenty — Azariah the chief priest of the house of Zadok answers Hezekiah's question about the heaps (v.9). The LORD'S word in Mal 3:10 is, 'Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, … and prove me now herewith', and he promises a blessing 'that there shall not be room enough to receive it'.

Verse 11

prepare chambers — The verb is kun, to set up or prepare, used here twice, 'to prepare chambers … and they prepared them'. It is the verb of 29:36 and 30:19, where God prepares the people and the one who prepares his heart is pardoned. The chambers (lishkoth) were store rooms in the house of the LORD for the tithes and gifts.

Verse 13

overseers under the hand of Cononiah — Ten overseers are named, under Cononiah, the Levite who was 'ruler' of the offerings (v.12), and Shimei his brother, and under the command of Hezekiah and of Azariah, 'the ruler of the house of God'. They had charge of receiving the offerings, the tithes and the dedicated things.

Verse 16

from three years old and upward — The daily portion reached every male who 'entereth into the house of the LORD', registered from three years old. The Levites' own service was counted from twenty (v.17; 1 Chr 23:24, 27, 'by the last words of David'), so the portion was given to the family before the age of service, with wives and children in v.18.

Verse 19

in the fields of the suburbs of their cities — Priests who lived outside Jerusalem, in the pasture-lands round their cities, received their share too. The Law gave the Levites cities with 'suburbs' (Num 35:2–5), and the 'field of the suburbs of their cities may not be sold; for it is their perpetual possession' (Lev 25:34). Men 'expressed by name' were appointed to distribute it.

Verse 20

good and right and truth — Three words, tov, yashar and emet: good, upright and true. Yashar is the 'right' of 29:2, the measure of David. Hezekiah himself later says, 'I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight' (2 Kgs 20:3).

Verse 21

to seek his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered — 'Seek' (darash) and 'prospered' (tsalach) are the two verbs of 2 Chr 26:5, 'as long as he sought the LORD, God made him to prosper'. 'With all his heart' is the measure of Deut 6:5, and the word of Josh 1:8, 'then thou shalt make thy way prosperous'.