Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Chronicles 29:21
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.
21. they brought ] Acc. to Lev 4:3; Lev 4:23; Lev 4:32 the sin offering might be a bullock or a he goat or a lamb. As the sacrifice was not for an individual but for a whole people the sin offering on this occasion consisted of seven of each of four different sacrificial animals.
for the kingdom ] i.e. for the kingly house.
for the sanctuary ] i.e. for the Temple (cp. Lev 16:16), but probably inclusive of the personnel of the Temple, i.e. the priests and Levites, since otherwise they would have been passed over in the great sin offering.
on the altar of the Lord ] Not on the altar of Ahaz (2Ki 16:11).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Hezekiah commenced his restoration of the Yahweh-worship with an unusually comprehensive sin-offering, embracing the four chief kinds of sacrificial animals, and seven animals of each kind: he intended to atone for the sins, both conscious and unconscious, of the king, the priests, the people of Judah, and the people of Israel. After the completion of these expiatory rites, he proceeded to the offering of the burnt-offering 2Ch 29:27.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 21. They brought seven bullocks, c.] This was more than the law required see Le 4:13, c. It ordered one calf or ox for the sins of the people, and one he-goat for the sins of the prince but Hezekiah here offers many more. And the reason appears sufficiently evident: the law speaks only of sins of ignorance; but here were sins of every kind and every die-idolatry, apostasy from the Divine worship, profanation of the temple, c., c. The sin-offerings, we are informed, were offered, first for the KINGDOM-for the transgressions of the king and his family secondly, for the SANCTUARY, which had been defiled and polluted, and for the priests who had been profane, negligent, and unholy and, finally, for JUDAH-for the whole mass of the people, who had been led away into every kind of abomination by the above examples.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The number of seven is famous and customary in sacred matters, and is here used in regard of the vast numbers and various kinds of sins, the guilt whereof yet lay upon the kingdom, which was now to be expiated. Indeed, in case of one particular sin of ignorance done by the people, there was but one bullock to be offered, Lev 4:13,14, but here the sins were many and presumptuous, &c.
A sin-offering for the kingdom; to make atonement for the sins of the king, and the royal family, and the court.
For the sanctuary; for all the idolatry and uncleanness wherewith the temple had been polluted, which, as it had been cleansed naturally by the priests hands, so now was to be purged morally by sacrifices.
For Judah; for the sins of all the people of Judah.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
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,…. To make atonement in a typical way, having respect to the sacrifice of the Messiah, for the sins of the king, his family and court, among whom idolatry had prevailed in the times of his father; and for the cleansing of the temple, which had been polluted by the idolatries of Ahaz; and for the expiation of the whole land; seven of each sort are ordered, though only one goat was required for a sin offering by the law, because of the multitude of transgressions that had been committed, and because of the length of time in which sacrifices had been neglected:
and he commanded the priests the sons of Aaron to offer them on the altar of the Lord: the altar of burnt offerings, whose business it was to do it.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(21) Seven bullocks . . . rams . . . lambs.For a burnt offering (lah). See the legal prescriptions respecting the sin offering (Leviticus 4). On the present extraordinary occasion, an extraordinary sacrifice was offered. Balak and Balaam offered seven bullocks and seven rams as a burnt offering (Num. 23:1-2, seq.).
And seven he goats, for a sin offering.Comp. Ezr. 6:17; Ezr. 8:35; and Lev. 4:23; Lev. 4:28; also 2Ch. 29:23. The reigning house and the sanctuary and the people had all contracted defilement during the late period of idolatry.
The priests the sons of Aaron to offer.In careful accordance with the rule of the Torah.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
2Ch 29:21. And seven he-goats The word zapir, which here signifies a he-goat, Bishop Patrick observes, was never used by the Hebrews till after the Babylonish captivity; it is, therefore, an argument that this book was written by Ezra after the return of the Jews from that captivity, during which he had learned the Chaldee language. The offering which the law prescribed for the transgression of the people was a young bullock, and for the offences of the prince a goat, Lev 4:23; Lev 4:35. But Hezekiah, we find, was willing to do more than the law commanded. He was sensible that both prince and people had been guilty, not only of sins of ignorance, for which these sacrifices were instituted, but of wilful and presumptuous crimes, of gross idolatry, a profanation of the temple, and an utter extinction of the worship of God; and therefore he appointed seven bullocks for a burnt-offering, and as many goats for a sin-offering; upon the presumption that these numerous sacrifices were, if not necessary, at least highly fit and becoming, on account of the great and long neglect of divine service, and the multitude and long continuance of their other offences against God.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
2Ch 29:21 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.
Ver. 21. And they brought seven bullocks and seven rams. ] Hezekiah being to dedicate, and, as it were, anew to consecrate the temple by solemn sacrifices, bringeth seven of a sort of all kinds of clean beasts, to denote the community or whole body of the kingdom.
To offer them on the altar of the Lord.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
they brought: The law only required one bullock for the sins of the high priest, another for the sins of the people, and one he-goat for the sins of the prince, but Hezekiah offered many more, and the reason appears sufficiently evident: the law only speaks of the sins of ignorance, but here there were sins of every dye, idolatry, apostasy from the Divine worship, profanation of the temple, etc., etc. The sin offerings, we are informed, were offered, first, for the Kingdom, for the transgressions of the king and his family; secondly, for the sanctuary, which had been defiled and polluted; and for the priests, who had been profane, negligent, and unholy; and finally, for Judah, for the whole mass of the people, who had been led away into every kind of abomination by the above examples.
seven: Num 23:1, Num 23:14, Num 23:29, 1Ch 15:26, Ezr 8:35, Job 42:8, Eze 45:23
a sin offering: Lev 4:3-14, Num 15:22-24, 2Co 5:21
Reciprocal: Lev 4:21 – a sin offering Lev 16:5 – General Num 15:24 – one kid 2Ki 16:15 – the king’s burnt 2Ch 14:4 – commanded Ezr 6:17 – a sin offering
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
2Ch 29:21. They brought seven bullocks The number seven is customary in sacred matters, and is here used in regard of the vast numbers and various kinds of sins, the guilt whereof yet lay upon the kingdom, which was now to be expiated. Indeed, in case of one particular sin of ignorance committed by the people, there was but one bullock to be offered, but here the sins were many and presumptuous. For a sin-offering for the kingdom To make atonement for the sins of the king, and the royal family, and the court. And for the sanctuary For all the idolatry and uncleanness wherewith the temple had been polluted, which, as it had been cleansed naturally by the priests hands, so now it was to be purged morally by sacrifices. And for Judah For the sins of all the people of Judah. They thought it not enough to lament and forsake their sins, but they brought a sin-offering. Even our repentance and reformation will not obtain pardon, but through Christ, who was made sin, that is, a sin-offering, for us.