Old Testament Commentary - 2 Chronicles 31

by Don R. Hender


Scriptural Text [& Editorial]
Commentary & Explanation
Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
Faithful portion of Israel overthrown false worship among them—People pay tithes and offerings—Levites administer in temporal matters—Hezekiah serves faithfully.
 1 NOW when all this was finished, all Israel that were present went out to the cities of Judah, and brake the aimages in pieces, and cut down the bgroves, and threw down the chigh places and the altars out of all Judah and Benjamin, in Ephraim also and Manasseha, until they had utterly destroyed them all. Then all the children of Israel returned, every man to his possession, into their own cities.  1a in Ephraim also and Manasseh As those of Ephraim and Manasseh who would retain to the faith of the Lord, they not only brought their people into Judah but also certain of their lands and cities in the south unto the pass of Romath-Gilead. It was there that the king of Israel attempted to build a border city to guard the pass and to prevent the flowage drain of the people of the nation. Thus when it speaks of Hezekiah as cutting down the groves of certain cities of Ephraim and Manasseh, it would be those cities in the south of Israel which had 'defected' unto Judah, having resorting thence for the worship of the Lord.
 2 ¶ And Hezekiah appointed the acourses of the priests and the Levites after their courses, every man according to his service, the priests and Levites for burnt offerings and for peace offerings, to minister, and to give thanks, and to praise in the gates of the btents of the LORD.
 3 He appointed also the king's portion of his substance for the burnt offerings, to wit, for the morning and evening burnt aofferings, and the burnt offerings for the bsabbaths, and for the cnew moons, and for the set dfeasts, as it is written in the law of the LORD.
 4 Moreover he commanded the people that dwelt in Jerusalem to give the portion of the priests and the Levites, that they might be encouraged in the law of the LORD.
 5 ¶ And as soon as the commandment came abroad, the children of Israel brought in abundance the firstfruits of corn, wine, and oil, and honey, and of all the increase of the field; and the atithe of all things brought they in abundantly.
 6 And concerning 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 holy things which were consecrated unto the LORD 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 the LORD, and his people Israel.
 9 Then Hezekiah questioned with 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 offerings into the house of the LORD, we have had enough to eat, and have left plenty: for the LORD hath blessed his people; and that which is left is this great store.
 11 ¶ Then Hezekiah commanded to prepare achambers in the house of the LORD; and they prepared them,
 12 And brought in the offerings and the tithes and the dedicated things faithfully: over which Cononiah the Levite was ruler, and Shimei his brother was the next.
 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 Cononiah and Shimei his brother, at the commandment of Hezekiah the king, and Azariah the ruler of the house of God.
 14 And Kore the son of Imnah the Levite, the porter toward the east, was over the freewill offerings of God, to distribute the aoblations of the LORD, and the most holy things.
 15 And anext him were Eden, and Miniamin, and Jeshua, and Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah, in the bcities of the priests, in their set office, to give to their brethren by courses, as well to the great as to the small:
 16 Beside their genealogy of males, from athree years old and upward, even unto every one that entereth into the house of the LORD, his daily bportion for their service in their charges according to their courses;
 17 Both to the genealogy of the priests by the house of their fathers, and the Levites from twenty years old and upward, in their charges by their courses;
 18 And to the genealogy of all their little ones, their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, through all the congregation: for in their set office they sanctified themselves in holiness:
 19 Also of the sons of Aaron the priests, which were in the afields of the bsuburbs of their cities, in every several city, the men that were expressed by name, to give portions to all the males among the priests, and to all that were reckoned by genealogies among the Levites.
 20 ¶ And thus did Hezekiah throughout all Judah, and wrought that which was good and right and truth before the LORD 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.