2 Chronicles 30:17-20 sits inside this longer paragraph.
13Many people assembled at Jerusalem to keep the feast of unleavened bread in the second month, a very great assembly. 14They arose and took away the altars that were in Jerusalem, and they took away all the altars for incense and threw them into the brook Kidron. 15Then they killed the Passover on the fourteenth day of the second month. The priests and the Levites were ashamed, and sanctified themselves, and brought burnt offerings into Yahweh’s house. 16They stood in their place after their order, according to the law of Moses the man of God. The priests sprinkled the blood which they received of the hand of the Levites. 17For there were many in the assembly who had not sanctified themselves: therefore the Levites were in charge of killing the Passovers for everyone who was not clean, to sanctify them to Yahweh. 18For a multitude of the people, even many of Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet they ate the Passover other than the way it is written. For Hezekiah had prayed for them, saying, “May the good Yahweh pardon everyone 19who sets his heart to seek God, Yahweh, the God of his fathers, even if they aren’t clean according to the purification of the sanctuary.”
20Yahweh listened to Hezekiah, and healed the people. 21The children of Israel who were present at Jerusalem kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with great gladness. The Levites and the priests praised Yahweh day by day, singing with loud instruments to Yahweh. 22Hezekiah spoke encouragingly to all the Levites who had good understanding in the service of Yahweh. So they ate throughout the feast for the seven days, offering sacrifices of peace offerings, and making confession to Yahweh, the God of their fathers.
Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On vv18, 20 He knew that faith and sincerity of heart was…
He knew that faith and sincerity of heart was more agreeable to God, than the observation of the ceremonies, and therefore he prayed unto God to pardon this fault unto the people which did not offend of malice but of ignorance.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv17–20 2Ch 30:17 For [there were] many in the congregation…
2Ch 30:17 For [there were] many in the congregation that were not sanctified: therefore the Levites had the charge of the killing of the passovers for every one [that was] not clean, to sanctify [them] unto the LORD.
Ver. 17. The charge of the killing of the passovers.] That is, Not only of the paschal lamb, but of the passover offerings, {2Ch 35:7-8} called here passovers.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On vv17–20 That were not sanctified; that had more desire to…
That were not sanctified; that had more desire to come to the passover, than care and diligence to cleanse and prepare themselves for it. Now these persons were either,
1. The priests, who were before taxed with uncleanness and unpreparedness. Or rather,
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2. The people, as is implied in the word
congregation, and expressed in the next verse, and confirmed by the reason here following.
The Levites had the charge of the killing, because many of the people were unclean, and therefore many more sacrifices were to be offered for their purification than the priests could kill. Of the passovers, i.e. either,
1. The paschal lambs: which the Levites here offered, because of the impurity of many of the masters of families, who otherwise, as some think, should have killed the paschal lambs in their own houses, Exo 12:3. Or,
2. The other sacrifices which accompanied the passover, which also are called by the same name, as is evident from Deu 16:2,3, where See Poole "Deu 16:2", See Poole "Deu 16:3"; which the Levites here killed for the reason now mentioned.
For every one that was not clean; so far as they could make any discovery of their uncleanness, either by their own confession, or otherwise. But there were many whose uncleannesses were not known, and therefore did not cleanse themselves, as is said, 2Ch 30:18, as they ought to have done.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv17–20 For a multitude of the people, even many of…
For a multitude of the people, even many of Ephraim and Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun,.... All which were of the ten tribes, where idolatry had prevailed for a long time:
had not cleansed themselves; from impurity contracted by idolatry and other things:
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yet did they eat the passover otherwise than it was written; because they ate it in their uncleanness, which was not according to the law, that required that such should be clean that ate of any holy things, see Joh 18:28 but since these people came a great way off, and there was no deferring it to another month, the king chose rather they should be admitted to eat of it, though in their uncleanness:
but Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, the good Lord pardon everyone; God, who is gracious and merciful, and of his goodness, grace, and mercy, forgive such who, though ceremonially unclean, ate of the passover, and especially since they were sincere and cordial in their services; and therefore he hoped that this breach of the ceremonial law would not be laid to their charge. Goodness is such a well known attribute of God, that the very Heathens ascribe it to their deities; hence we read of a temple of the "good god", the gods being the givers of good things to men; Jupiter, or Jove, the supreme god, is supposed to be meant (s).
(s) Pausan. Arcadica, sive, l. 8. p. 513. Vid. Ciceronem de Nat. Deor. l. 3. prope finem.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain On vv19–20 The sanctuary - With that purification which was required…
The sanctuary - With that purification which was required of them that came in God's sanctuary. So he calls it to distinguish from that internal purity which they are here acknowledged to have. The great thing required in our attendance on God's ordinances is, that we prepare our heart to seek him; that the inward man be engaged, that we make heart work of it. All is nothing without this.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On v18 Verse 18. A multitude of the people - had…
Verse 18. A multitude of the people - had not cleansed themselves] As there were men from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, they were excusable, because they came from countries that had been wholly devoted to idolatry.
The good Lord pardon every one] "The Lord, who is good, have mercy on this people who err." - T.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On vv18–20 2Ch 30:18. A multitude of the people had not…
2Ch 30:18. A multitude of the people had not cleansed themselves — Either they did not know, after such a long night of ignorance and superstition, what ceremonies were required, in order to their purification, or they had not time to use them. Yet having an eager and pious desire to commemorate their wonderful deliverance out of the Egyptian bondage, they were permitted, in their uncleanness, to eat the passover, lest they should be discouraged if they were denied it, in this their return to the true religion. But Hezekiah prayed for them — It was his zeal that had called them together in such haste, and he would not that they should fare the worse for being straitened for time in their preparation. He therefore thought himself concerned to be an intercessor for those that ate the passover otherwise than it was written. And he had confidence that God was so gracious that he would not, on account of the omission of some prescribed ceremony, be wroth with men whose hearts were upright before him.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On vv17, 18, 20 For. Prot. "for every one that was not clean,…
For. Prot. "for every one that was not clean, to sanctify them unto the Lord." Sept. "not able to be purified to the Lord." H. --- The priests alone continued to pour the blood on the altar, till the destruction of the temple. C.
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain On v20 the Lord . . . healed the people--We imagine…
the Lord . . . healed the people--We imagine the whole affair to have been the following: In consequence of their transgressions they had cause to fear disease and even death (Lev 15:31). Hezekiah prayed for the nation, which was on the point of being diseased, and might therefore be regarded as sick already [BERTHEAU].
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On vv17, 18, 20 17. The Levites had the charge of the killing…
17. The Levites had the charge of the killing — This was because the people were not sufficiently sanctified to slay their own paschal lambs. Ordinarily the offerer slew his own victim.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv17, 18, 20 17. were not sanctified] R.V. had not sanctified themselves.
17. were not sanctified] R.V. had not sanctified themselves.
of the killing of the passovers] R.V. of killing the passovers. “Passovers” (plur. rare) = “Paschal victims”; cp. 2Ch_30:15, 2Ch_35:8 (“passover offerings” A.V. & R.V.).
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On vv17–20 (17) There were many in the congregation that were…
(17) There were many in the congregation that were not sanctified.—Comp. 2Ch_35:6; 2Ch_35:10-11, where the Levites are again represented as doing the same work, but not as an exception. The precedent of Hezekiah’s Passover would seem to have become the rule. (Comp. also Ezr_6:20.)
To sanctify them—i.e., the lambs, which would have been ceremonially unclean if slain by unclean hands. (Comp. 2Ch_2:4, “to dedicate it unto Him;” the same verb.)
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On vv17, 18, 20 Therefore the Levites had the charge (see Le 1,…
Therefore the Levites had the charge (see Le 1, etc., which repeatedly affirms that the original directions of Moses were that the person who brought the victim to offer it was to slay it, and to bring the blood).
Vers. 17-20.
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The one essential thing.
A very interesting and instructive incident occurred in the celebration of this great Passover. Many who presented themselves and brought their lamb had not gone through the prescribed purifications before engaging in an act of sacrifice, and they were disqualified to slay the lamb. So the Levites, under the peculiar circumstances, took this part for them. It was a formal irregularity; it was not according to the letter of the Law; there had been a breach of the enactment. But Hezekiah prayed God on behalf of those who had transgressed, and his prayer was heard, and the Lord "healed the people" who had so done. There is one lesson which stands out from the others; but before we learn that, we may gather on our way the truths
I THAT SUBSTITUTION AND INTERCESSION HAVE THEIR PLACE IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD. The Levites were permitted to take the parents" place on this occasion, and Hezekiah"s prayer for the pardon of the irregularity was granted. We may do some things for our fellow-men, and we do well to pray God for their enlightenment and restoration. But it is not far that either of these two principles can be permitted. "Every man must bear his own Burden" of responsibility before God; must repent of his own sin; must approach his Maker in the spirit of self-surrender; must enter by himself the kingdom of Christ. The work we can do for others, though not without its value, is narrow in its range. To every human soul it belongs to realize his position, to hearken when Heaven is speaking, to make his final and decisive choice, to take his place among the friends or among the foes of Jesus Christ. We may not build on a brother"s help, nor presume even on a mother"s prayers.
II THAT PRIVATION OF PRIVILEGE IS TAKEN INTO THE DIVINE CONSIDERATION. The principal if not the only defaulters here were the men of "Ephraim and Manasseh," etc. (ver. 18); i.e. those who had been living in the idolatrous kingdom of Israel, those who had been far from the temple of Jerusalem, and had lived with little (if any) instruction in the Divine Law. Much leniency might justly be accorded to these; and much allowance was made for them. God requireth of us "not according to that we have not, hut according to that we have." From those to whom hut little privilege and opportunity are given, the slighter service will be demanded. Our God is just, considerate, gracious.
III THAT SIN IS A VERY DISABLING THING. "The Lord healed the people." By their offence against the Law they had lest their wholeness, their health, and needed to "be healed." Sin is a moral sickness; it is the disorder of the spirit; it is that which weakens, which disables, which makes the sinner unable to be and to do what he was created to be and to do. But the main lesson is this
IV THAT THE ESSENTIAL THING IS SPIRITUAL INTEGRITY. These transgressors were forgiven partly in virtue of Hezekiah"s prayer. But may we not say principally because the righteous Lord discerned in them the spirit of obedience.t They had come up to Jerusalem that they might return upon Jehovah their God. It was in their heart to cast off their old and evil practices, and to begin a new life of uprightness before God: was their ceremonial irregularity to outweigh, in the estimate of the Just One, the integrity of their heart before him? The purpose of their soul was toward God and toward his service: was not that to be accepted, in spite of a legal impropriety or negligence? Certainly it was; and these men went down to their homes in Israel justified before the Lord. It is the spirit of obedience which our God demands of us, for which he looks in us. If that be absent, nothing else of any kind or magnitude will suffice. If that be present, we may be defaulters in many small particulars, but neither we nor our offering will be refused. To have a pure, deep, fixed desire to seek and to serve the Lord Christ that is the one essential thing. C.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain On v17 For them were many in the congregation that were…
2Ch_30:17-20
For them were many in the congregation that were not sanctified.
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Unfitness for the Communion
I. There are seasons when we feel unfit for the sacred ordinance of the Lords house. Let us think of the ways in which the Israelites were rendered unfit for the Passover and see how far they tally with our unfitness for the Supper.
1. Some were kept away by defilement.
(1) The dead in sin lie all around us; contact with their ways and motives, unless we are continually cleansed by Divine grace, is defiling in many ways.
(2) The mass of sin within our own selves is a constant source of defilement.
2. When a man was on a journey he could not keep the Passover. The hearts blood of the Eucharist, is nearness to God; and when we are afar off, it is a poor dead ceremony.
3. You may have been in an evil case from unknown causes. You feel it is not with you as in days past. Marring influences not mentioned in the Book of Numbers may have been preventing you from eating the spiritual Passover to your hearts content. Among these causes are--
(1) Little faith.
(2) The absence of overflowing joy.
(3) Spiritual weakness at all points.
(4) A feeling of uselessness. Whatever your disqualifications, bring them and turn them into confessions of sin.
II. Though we feel and lament our want of preparation we may still come to the feast. Let us to some extent follow in the track of the men in Hezekiahs time.
1. They forgot their differences.
2. They removed the idols.
3. They endeavoured to prepare their hearts.
4. They made open and explicit confession unto God.
5. Confession made, let prayer ascend to heaven.
III. In so coming we may expect a blessing. At the Passover in Hezekiahs days there was--
1. Great gladness.
2. Great praise to God.
3. Great communion with God.
4. A great enthusiasm.
5. Great liberality.
6. Another great breaking of idols. (C. H. Spurgeon.)
Personal sanctification requisite for acceptable worship
I. The principle which is essential to acceptable worship.
Sanctification (Heb_10:22). Sanctification of heart is necessary if you consider--
1. The character of God who is worshipped (Isa_6:1-5).
2. The nature of the worship required.
3. The design of all religious worship.
(1) To glorify God.
(2) To promote our increasing likeness to God.
II. The assertion that in many this principle was wanting. This charge is--
1. Comprehensive.
2. Tremendously awful.
Connect it with the declaration of the Saviour, If I wash thee not thou hast no part with Me. (Essex Congregational Remembrancer.)
The peoples state and condition
This text, though it speaketh of the celebration of the Passover, yet will well enough befit the solemnity of the Lords Supper.
I. The indisposition or unpreparedness of the people. A multitude of the people had not cleansed themselves.
1. In these times in which there is much care had about the right celebration of a sacrament, there are many yet that are unworthy.
(1) Because there is a great deal of laziness in people, and an unwillingness against such a soul-searching ordinance as the sacrament.
(2) There is a great deal of hypocrisy in many men, and it is possible that they may carry their naughtiness so secretly that they may hide it from the most discerning eye.
2. If when much care is taken about the ordinances, many are unworthy to come, it serveth,
(1) To show what need we in this land have to humble ourselves, as for other sins, so especially for our sacramental sins.
(2) For a double exhortation:
(a) To pastors, that they should use all diligent care to prevent this unworthiness, by instructing the people in the nature of the ordinances, and by admonishing them of the danger of their unprepared coming.
(b) To the people. To stir them up every one to look unto himself whether he be not one of the number. A gracious heart is apt to suspect itself (Mat_26:22). The unprepared, unworthy receiver is he that doth not come with answerable meet affections, and so holy and reverent a frame of spirit as God requires we should bring into His presence. They are--All ignorant persons that cannot discern the Lords body. Those that do not judge and condemn themselves (1Co_11:31-32). A gracious prepared heart is a self-judging heart: a wicked heart is loth to come to trial. Those that come in uncharitableness and malice.
3. There is no cause why men should abstain from the use of ordinances, for fear of communicating with wicked and profane men.
II. Their practice notwithstanding. Yet they did eat the Passover otherwise than was written. Many rush on ordinances notwithstanding their unpreparedness. The reasons are--
1. The remissness, or abuse of the censures, of the Church, that do not restrain such persons from coming.
2. It proceedeth from ourselves, because--
(1) There is a great deal of ignorance and unbelief in the hearts of most men.
(2) Custom prevaileth with most rather than conscience. Custom usually eateth out the strength of any performance, and dissolves it into a mere formality.
III. The fault of their practice. They ate otherwise than was written. Gods service is a written service. We offend in our duties when we do otherwise than is written. We do this--
1. When we do too much.
1. The essentials of a sacrament are set down in the institution; there is the rule. If we seek to patch it up with some zealous additions and pieces of our own, we go beyond the rule.
2. In the outward part of duty, in corporal service, and in the pomp and solemnity of his worship, there we may do too much--more than we need to have done. It is easy to be too pompous in a sacrament, and to sin against the plainness of the ordinance. Duties are like your coats of arms, best when they are plainest, and not overcharged with too many fillings; or like wine, then most generous and sprightly, when it is pure and uncompounded. The sacraments were to feed mens hearts, not to please their eyes, or tickle their ears. Ordinances nourish best when they come nearest their primitive institution. We may, then, do too much here. A sense-pleasing religion is dangerous, it is too much suitable to our natural inclinations; and that is the reason why country people are so much taken with these shows; they do not love the native beauty that is in duties half so well as they do the painting of them. It is a miserable thing when you will place religion in that for which you have no ground nor warrant. If you will find yourselves work, and not take that which is cut out for you, you know who must pay you your wages. Mark the question of the Saviour (Mat_15:3).
2. When we do too little. When we come not up to the spiritual part of the commandment. Consider what is required about duty--
(1) Something about the heart before duty. Preparation (verse 19). We must come with faith and repentance and other qualifications; we must come with a desire to find the Lord (Psa_93:1).
(2) Something about the heart in duty. Stirring it up. A duty done without life and efficacy is as a duty not done at all. We come short of the rule if we come not with holy life and activity, with a working waiting spirit that will warm our hearts within us, and make them burn under the ordinances. See what a qualification James requireth in prayer (Jam_5:16). There is an expression (Act_27:7). Instantly serving God day and night, which means in the original, with the forcible putting to of all their might and strength, with their stretched-out strength. There can never be too much done in respect of the spiritual part of the commandment.
3. Something to be done after duty. Recollecting and running over all the carriage of the heart towards God in the duty, and the gracious intercourse that the soul had with God. (T. Manton, D. D.)
Hezekiahs prayer for the Israelites
I. The irregularity which some of the people were guilty of.
II. Hezekiahs prayer for them.
III. The success of this praying. Application:
1. Let this history engage us to seek the God of our fathers, by observing all His ordinances.
2. Let this subject make us solicitous to prepare our hearts for every religious solemnity.
3. Let this subject encourage those whose hearts are prepared to seek God.
4. Let this subject excite those who have the care of others to watch over them and pray for them. (J. Orton.)
.
The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On v18 Ephraim and Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun
Ephraim and Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun
These are the names of some of the tribes that lived in the northern part of Israel. See how you translated "Zebulun" in 2 Chronicles 30:10. (See: How to Translate Names)
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against the written instructions
To do something "against" instructions means to do something that is not in obedience to the instructions. If needed, the instructions can be stated clearly. AT: "even though the written instructions said that they must purify themselves first" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
the good Yahweh
The word "good" here is a reminder to the people that Yahweh is kind. AT: "Yahweh, who is good" (See: Distinguishing versus Informing or Reminding)
everyone who sets his heart to seek God
Here "sets his heart" is a metaphor for being determined to do something, and "to seek God" is a metaphor for knowing, worshiping, and obeying him. AT: "everyone who is determined to obey God" or "everyone who truly wants to honor God" (See: Metaphor)
So Yahweh listened to Hezekiah
This implies that Yahweh responded favorably to Hezekiah. AT: "So Yahweh responded favorably to Hezekiah" or "So Yahweh did what Hezekiah asked" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
healed the people
Here "healed the people" is a metaphor for forgiving the people and not punishing them. AT: "forgave the people" or "did not punish the people" (See: Metaphor)
translationWords
Issachar
written
Hezekiah
pray
good
forgive
cure
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv17, 20 30:17-19 A large number of pilgrims who traveled great…
30:17-19 A large number of pilgrims who traveled great distances from foreign lands did not have an opportunity to receive the proper purification ceremonies and were unfit to participate in the ceremony. Hezekiah allowed the pilgrims to eat the Passover without participating in the sacrificial ritual and in an impure state, and he prayed that God would accept their worship. Hezekiah was following the formula for restoration (see 7:14).
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.