Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Chronicles 29:31
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.
31 36 (not in Kings). A Great Sacrifice of Burnt Offerings and Thank Offerings
31. answered and said ] i.e. answered the thoughts or expectation of the people, for no question had been asked; cp. Job 3:2 (R.V.).
ye have consecrated yourselves ] Heb. “filled your hand”; cp. 2Ch 13:9; Exo 28:41.
were of a free heart burnt offerings ] R.V. were of a willing heart brought burnt offerings.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Hezekiah addresses, not the priests, but the congregation: Now that by the atoning sacrifice which has been offered for you, you are consecrated once more to be a holy people to the Lord, approach with confidence and offer your free-will offerings as of old.
Burnt offerings – The term thus translated is applied especially to those victims which were to be wholly consumed upon the altar. In the sacrifices, or peace offerings generally, and the thank offerings – a particular kind of peace offering Lev 7:12) – the greater part of the victim belonged to, and was consumed by, the worshipper. Hence, to offer burnt offerings, was indicative of a free heart.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
2Ch 29:31
Now ye have consecrated yourselves unto the Lord.
Consecration
The reign of Hezekiah was like the spasmodic brightness of a candle about to go out for ever. The root principle in consecrating anything is the recognition of Gods exclusive ownership.
I. A real consecration is an act of free will.
II. Consecration means a giving to God Himself.
III. Nor will such consecration be complete without a personal consecration. (Bishop Charles E. Cheney.)
Worship and thank-offerings
I. The occasion referred to: it was the opening of the house of God.
1. This house was a sacred edifice, consecrated to God and typical of the body of Christ.
2. In the house they opened for God, they recognised a place of meeting between God and souls.
3. In the house that was opened for the worship of God, there was an inner court. Into this inner court we have now access by the Spirit unto the Father.
II. The nature of their worship. By sacrifice. There is no acceptable worship of God without sacrifice.
III. The expressions of thankfulness among the people. They were happy–
1. In the knowledge of their acceptance with God.
2. In the extension of the life of God in their souls.
3. In the revival of the worship of God among them publicly.
4. In the expression of their ardent concern to rival one another in the service of God–for they all brought their thankofferings. (Joseph Irons.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Now ye have consecrated yourselves unto the Lord; now that you have reconciled yourselves and the house to Gods favour, and that he is willing and ready to accept your sacrifices.
Burnt-offerings; wherein there was more generosity than in the ether sacrifices, because they were wholly burnt and offered to God, and the people had no share in them as they had in the rest.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
31. Hezekiah . . . said, Now ye haveconsecrated yourselves unto the Lord, come nearThis addresswas made to the priests as being now, by the sacrifice of theexpiation offerings, anew consecrated to the service of God andqualified to resume the functions of their sacred office (Exo 28:41;Exo 29:32).
the congregation broughtinthat is, the body of civic rulers present.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Then Hezekiah answered and said,…. Or proceeded to say, as follows:
now ye have consecrated yourselves unto the Lord; having entered anew on the performance of their office, filling their hands with sacrifices, as the words signify:
come near, and bring sacrifices and thank offerings into the house of the Lord; which the people were to put into their hands to offer for them:
and the congregation brought in sacrifices and thank offerings; peace offerings, part of which the offerers had to feast on with their friends so expressing their joy and thankfulness on this occasion:
and as many as were of a free heart burnt offerings; of which they had no share, but were wholly the Lord’s; and which was a greater proof of their liberality, and so of their sincere and cordial thankfulness.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The sacrifice of thank-offerings and praise-offerings and voluntary burnt-offering. – Hezekiah introduces this, the concluding act of this religious festival, with the words, “Now have ye filled your hand to the Lord,” i.e., you have again consecrated yourselves to the service of the Lord (cf. Exo 32:29 and the commentary on Lev 7:37.); “come near, and bring sacrifices and thank-offerings into the house of the Lord.” The words “Now have ye filled” are regarded by the commentators (Clericus, Ramb., Bertheau, etc.) as addressed to the priests; while the following are supposed to be directed to the congregation, and Clericus and Ramb. consequently supply before , vos vero , Israelitae . The summons can certainly only be addressed to the congregation, as is shown by the words , and the congregation brought, which correspond to the summons. But the supplying of vos vero before is quite arbitrary. If in other persons are addressed than those to whom the king formerly said, “Now have ye filled your hands,” the change in the persons addressed would have been intimated by mention of the person, or at least by , “but ye.” As the two clauses at present stand, they must be spoken to the same persons, viz., the whole assembled congregation, including the priests and Levites. We must therefore suppose that the phrase , which in its narrower sense denotes only the consecration of the priests for service at the altar (see on Lev 7:37), is here used in a wider sense, and transferred to the whole congregation. They, by their participation in the consecratory offerings, by laying on of hands and worship during the sacrificial act, had consecrated themselves anew to the service of the Lord as their God, and had anew made a covenant with the Lord (2Ch 29:10); so that only the sacrificial meal was wanting to the completion of this celebration of the covenant, and for this the offering of sacrifices was requisite. The collocation is strange. are , sacrifices of peace-offering, also called briefly . Of these, in the law, three species – praise-offerings ( ), vowed offerings, and voluntary offerings – are distinguished (Lev 7:11, Lev 7:16). therefore denotes a species of the sacrifices or peace-offerings, the praise or thank-offerings in the stricter sense; and must be taken as explicative: sacrifices, and that (or namely) praise-offerings. , and every one who was heartily willing, (brought) burnt-offerings; i.e., all who felt inwardly impelled to do so, brought of their own accord burnt-offerings.
2Ch 29:32 The number of the burnt-offerings brought spontaneously by the congregation was very large: 70 bullocks, 100 rams, and 200 lambs.
2Ch 29:33-34 , and the consecrated, i.e., the beasts brought as thank-offering (cf. 2Ch 35:13; Neh 10:34), were 600 bullocks and 3000 small cattle (sheep and goats). – In 2Ch 29:34-36 the account closes with some remarks upon these sacrifices and the festal solemnity. 2Ch 29:34. But there were too few priests, and they were not able (so that they were not able) to flay all the burnt-offerings; and their brethren the Levites helped them till the work was ended (i.e., the flaying), and until the priests had sanctified themselves. In the case of private burnt-offerings the flaying of the beast was the business of the sacrificer (Lev 1:6); while in the case of those offered on solemn occasions in the name of the congregation it was the priest’s duty, and in it, as the work was not of a specifically priestly character, the Levites might assist. The burnt-offerings which are spoken of in 2Ch 29:34 are not merely those voluntarily offered (2Ch 29:34), but also the consecratory burnt-offerings (2Ch 29:22, 2Ch 29:27). Only 2Ch 29:35 refers to the voluntary offerings alone. “For the Levites had been more upright to sanctify themselves than the priests.” , rectiores animo , had endeavoured more honestly. Perhaps the priests had taken more part in the idolatrous worship of Ahaz than the Levites, which would be quite accounted for, as Kueper, das Priesterth. des A. Bundes (1870), S. 216, remarks, by their relation to the court of the king, and their dependence upon it. They consequently showed themselves more slack even in the purification than the Levites, who forte etiam idololatricis sacris minus contaminati et impediti erant (Ramb.).
2Ch 29:35 2Ch 29:35 gives yet another reason why the Levites had to help 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.” The priests could not accomplish the flaying for this reason also, that they had, besides, to see to the proper altar service (sprinkling of the blood, and burning of the sacrifices upon the altar), which taxed their strength, since, besides the consecratory burnt-offerings, there were the voluntary burnt-offerings (2Ch 29:31), which were offered along with the thank-offerings and the drink-offerings, which belonged to the burnt-offerings of Num 15:1-15. Thus the service of the house of Jahve was arranged. is not the purification and dedication of the temple (Berth.), but only the sacrificial service, or rather all that concerned the regular temple worship, which had decayed under Ahaz, and had at length wholly ceased.
2Ch 29:36 Hezekiah and the whole people rejoiced because of it. , over that which God had prepared for the people (by the purification of the temple and the restoration of the Jahve worship), not “because God had made the people ready” (Ramb., Berth.). The article with represents the relative pronoun ; see on 1Ch 26:28. The joy was heightened by the fact that the thing was done suddenly.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
THE CONSECRATION COMPLETED BY ADDITIONAL SACRIFICES
(2Ch. 29:31-36).
(31) Answered and said.See 1Ch. 12:17. The phrase is used as we should use it in Exo. 4:1; 2Ki. 7:13.
Ye have consecrated . . .Literally, ye have filled your hand for Jehovah, a phrase used of the consecration of priests (Lev. 7:37). Here it is addressed to the whole assembly, as the following words prove (unless the text be unsound). The congregation, as well as the sacerdotal order, had consecrated themselves anew to Jehovah, by their presence and participation in the previous solemnities. Others suppose that these words are spoken to the priests only, and that then the king turns to the congregation with the words Come near, &c. (There should be a semicolon after the Lord.)
Sacrifices and thank offerings (zebahn we thdth).The first word means thank-offerings ( = zbahm shelamm); the second, a peculiar species of thank-offering, apparently accompanied by a special kind of psalms called tdth (thanksgivings). Sacrifices and thank-offerings therefore means sacrifices, that is, thank-offerings. (See Lev. 7:12; Lev. 7:16, for the three kinds of thank-offerings.)
As many as were of a free heart.Literally, Every free-hearted one (1Ch. 29:6; 1Ch. 29:9).
Burnt offerings were a token of greater self-denial and disinterestedness than thank-offerings, because they were wholly consumed on the altar, whereas the worshippers feasted upon the latter.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
DISCOURSE: 423
AFTER CONFIRMATION
2Ch 29:31. 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.
RELIGION is the brightest ornament of every state. Solomon was never more truly encircled with glory, than when he led the devotions of his people at the dedication of the temple: nor was Hezekiah at any period of his reign more honourably employed, than when he was purifying that temple from the abominations which had been introduced into it by his father Ahaz. The exhortation in our text was delivered by him to the whole congregation of Israel, after that the sacrifices for the purification of the temple had been offered. And to you who are of the younger part of our audience they may with great propriety be addressed, after the services which you have this day been called to perform.
With a more immediate view to your benefit, we will consider,
I.
The act in which you have been engaged
You have been to the bishop to be confirmed: and this is,
1.
A solemn act
[From the levity of too many who attend on these occasions, it may be thought to be a ceremony of no importance. But it is a most solemn transaction between God and your souls. You have this day been taking upon yourselves the vows which were made in your behalf at your baptism; and have been devoting yourselves to God as his servants: and, whether you have been sincere or not in the performance of the duty, the consequences of it will be very important: if you have given yourselves to the Lord in sincerity and truth, he has accepted you to his favour, and numbered you among his children: but, if you have lied unto God with your lips, you have riveted upon your souls your former iniquities, and provoked God to give you up to greater obduracy [Note: Isa 28:22. Rom 1:21.] ]
2.
A reasonable act
[The first-fruits of every thing were the Lords: nor could any man appropriate them to his own use without the greatest impiety. Thus are the first-fruits of your time and strength to be given up to God. It is generally thought that the Jewish children at about twelve years of age went up to Jerusalem to be presented to the Lord in a more solemn manner: and we know that our blessed Lord went thither at this age, that he might in a more peculiar way than he had ever before done, engage in the services of his Fathers house. We cannot do better than follow his example in this particular. As soon as we have arrived at an age when we are capable of understanding and executing the vows that are upon us, we should go up to the house of the Lord, and there solemnly acknowledge our obligations to serve our God, and implore from him the grace and strength that shall be needful for us. This, we are expressly told, is a reasonable service [Note: Rom 12:1.].]
3.
An irrevocable act
[It was an established law, that if anything whatsoever had been devoted to the Lord, it could not be recalled. Least of all then can you be liberated from the engagement which you have this day entered into, and which would have been binding upon you, even though you had never obeyed the call of your diocesan in relation to it ]
But confirmation is to be the commencement of a new and more determined course of devotedness to God. I will therefore proceed to mark,
II.
The duty which yet remains to be performed
The act in which you have this day been engaged must be,
1.
Continued
[The whole remainder of your lives is the time for the performance of your vows. There never will arrive a period when you are absolved from them, or when you are at liberty to relax your attention to them. Every morning and evening were the sacrifices offered in the temple, and a double number on the seventh day: so must every day begin and end with fresh surrenders of yourselves to God; and the Sabbath in particular must be a day of more than ordinary communion with him. If you look back, after having put your hand to the plough, you are not fit for the kingdom of God: yea, if you draw back, it is to certain and everlasting perdition [Note: Luk 9:62. Heb 10:38-39.].]
2.
Progressive
[After all had been done that was necessary for the purification of the temple, Hezekiah called on the people to present sacrifices and thank-offerings unto the Lord: and, in consequence of this exhortation, they were presented in great numbers. The sacrifices which God desires of you, are, not sheep and oxen, but the offering of a free, a contrite, a devoted heart [Note: See Rom 12:1. before cited.]. And, as the first offerings which were presented, were from duty and necessity, and the last from a superabundant zeal for God, and gratitude to his name, so are your surrenders of your hearts to God to be daily more willing, more grateful, more entire [Note: Isa 44:3-5. Jer 50:4-5.] ]
Application
1.
To the young, we recommend the counsel of Hezekiah
[Never think you can do enough for Him, who has bought you with his blood ]
2.
To the more advanced we recommend his admirable example
[Whatever influence you have, use it diligently for the Lord ]
Fuente: Charles Simeon’s Horae Homileticae (Old and New Testaments)
How beautiful and interesting to behold the joy both of king and people in the view they now had of the house of God being cleansed; and that peace being made with God, they had now free access to the temple service as heretofore. But Reader! how infinitely more beautiful is this subject considered as typical and figurative, with an eye to Jesus. Having peace with God (saith an apostle) in the blood of his cross, we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Rom 5:1-2 . Seen with an eye to gospel times, and to gospel mercies in Jesus, how truly interesting the Old Testament church history appears, and how evidently the whole proves that it was God prepared the people, and that God the Spirit hereby glorified Christ Jesus.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
2Ch 29:31 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.
Ver. 31. Come near, and bring sacrifices. ] So unsatisfiable was his good heart in serving and praising God.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
consecrated. See note on verb (Exo 28:41. Lev 9:17).
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
2Ch 29:31-36
2Ch 29:31-36
ALL ISRAEL BRINGS ABUNDANT THANK-OFFERINGS TO JEHOVAH
“Then Hezekiah answered and said, Now ye have consecrated yourselves unto Jehovah; come near and bring sacrifices and thank-offerings into the house of Jehovah. And the assembly brought in sacrifices and thank-offerings; and as many as were of a willing heart brought burnt-offerings. And the number of the burnt-offerings which the assembly brought was threescore and ten bullocks, a hundred rams, and two hundred lambs; all these were for a burnt-offering unto Jehovah. And the consecrated things were six hundred oxen and three thousand sheep. 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 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 with the drink-offerings for every burnt-offering. So the service of the house of Jehovah was set in order. And Hezekiah rejoiced, and all the people, because of that which God had prepared for the people: for this thing was done suddenly.”
“The Levites were more upright … than the priests” (2Ch 29:34). That this opinion of the Levites might be, “A reflection of the Chronicler’s personal bias,” is unacceptable. The truth of what he said had already been demonstrated before all Israel in the subservience of the priest Urijah to king Ahaz (2Ki 16:16).
“For the thing was done suddenly” (2Ch 29:36). “This change from apostasy to loyalty to Jehovah took place almost immediately upon Hezekiah’s accession to the throne. It was the result of a common impulse both of the king and of the people, apparently without any preparation (or delay).”
E.M. Zerr:
2Ch 29:31. Hezekiah commended the people for their good conduct. Thank offerings would be the sacrifices they offered to express their thankful feelings for the good things of God. The ones who took part in the services are said to have been of a free heart. That agrees with the teaching of Paul in 2Co 9:7. Any gift offered to God that comes from a regretful heart will be fruitless as far as any reward from the Lord is concerned. Only a cheerful giver will be rewarded.
2Ch 29:32-33. God does not have any personal need of the gifts from man. Neither does the great number of such gifts signify anything just because the number is large. The point of interest is in what the large number indicates. Verse 31 had said that the ones making the sacrifices or gifts were the people with a free heart. The large number, therefore, tells us that there were great numbers of the people who had the right attitude toward God, a fact worthy of rejoicing.
2Ch 29:34. The distinction is again made between the priests and the Levites. The former were those particular Levites who were descended from Aaron. They had not made themselves fit for the service in sufficient numbers to do the work. They were supposed to flay or skin the animals. While that was primarily a work expected of the priests, yet any Levite could lawfully do it. And as there was a shortage of qualified priests, the other Levites helped them. It is said that the Levites were more upright in qualifying themselves for the work than were the priests. It often occurs today that the people from whom we have the right to expect the most, are the least forward in doing it.
2Ch 29:35. Burnt offerings and peace offerings are terms of the major sacrifices provided for in the law of Moses. Details of them may be read in Leviticus 1, 3. The fat was one of the parts of animals that must never be eaten (Lev 7:23-24), but must be burnt on the altar. The verse closes with a statement that includes all of the activities described in the chapter. In this summing up statement no distinction is made between the various parts of the building; it is all called house of the Lord.
2Ch 29:36. Hezekiah rejoiced over the general conditions. The people were prepared, which means they were put in condition to render acceptable service, and the king gave God the honor for it. Done suddenly refers to the readiness of the people.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
consecrated yourselves: or, filled your hand, 2Ch 13:9
sacrifices: Lev 1:1 – Lev 3:17
thank: Lev 7:12
and as many: etc. As the burnt offerings were wholly consumed on the altar, the offering of them evinced greater zeal and liberality than the oblation of peace offerings, the greater part of which was eaten by the officer and his friends. Lev 1:3, Lev 23:38, Ezr 1:4
Reciprocal: 2Ch 29:33 – the consecrated 2Ch 35:8 – his princes Ezr 3:5 – willingly Ezr 6:17 – offered Ezr 8:35 – offered burnt Jer 33:11 – sacrifice Eze 46:12 – a voluntary Mal 3:4 – as Heb 13:15 – the sacrifice
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
2Ch 29:31. Now ye have consecrated yourselves to the Lord Have both made an atonement, and made a covenant by sacrifice; are solemnly reconciled and engaged to him; come near and bring sacrifices Our covenant with God must be pursued and improved in communion with him. Having consecrated ourselves in the first place to the Lord, we must bring the sacrifices of prayer, and praise, and alms, to his house. As many as were of a free heart brought burnt-offerings Wherein there was more generosity than in the other sacrifices, because they were wholly burned and offered to God.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
2Ch 29:1 to 2Ch 32:33. The Reign of Hezekiah (see notes on 2Ki 18:2 f., 2Ki 18:13-37; 2Ki 18:19; 2Ki 20:1-21).The Chronicler in this long section writes, from his own point of view, much that is quite unhistorical. The three main subjects treated by him here are Hezekiahs reopening of the Temple, the Passover, and the appointment of the Temple officials. In 2Ch 32:1-23 the invasion of Sennacherib is described; this, though corresponding to a large extent with 2Ki 18:13 to 2Ki 19:37, seems to be an independent account; it is probable that another source (or sources?) was utilised by the Chronicler, but he himself is evidently responsible for many of the variations.