2 Chronicles
Chapter 29
Hezekiah of Judah (727-698)
Hezekiah became king at twenty-five and reigned for twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother was Abijah, daughter of Zechariah.
He did what pleased the Lord, just as his ancestor David had done.
In the first month of his first year as king, he reopened and repaired the gates of the Lord’s house.
Then he gathered the priests and Levites, arranged them in the eastern square,
and said to them:“Listen to me, Levites! Sanctify yourselves now and consecrate the house of the Lord, the God of our ancestors, and remove everything that defiles it from the house.
Your ancestors were unfaithful and did what displeased the Lord our God. They have abandoned him. They have turned their faces away from where the Lord has made his home. They have turned their backs on him.
They have even closed the doors of the vestibule. They have put out the lamps and offered neither incense nor burnt offerings to the God of Israel in the sanctuary.
So the anger of the Lord has fallen on Judah and Jerusalem; and what he has done to them has shocked and frightened everyone, as you can see for yourselves.
That is why our ancestors have fallen by the sword, and our sons, our daughters, and our wives have been taken captive.
But now I have decided to make a covenant with the Lord, the God of Israel, so that his fierce anger may be turned away from us.
My people, stop neglecting your duties, for the Lord has chosen you to stand in his presence, serve him, worship him, and offer him incense.
The Levites began their work: Mahath, son of Amasai and Joel, son of Azariah, of the Kohathites; Kish, son of Abdi and Azariah, son of Jehallelel of the Merarites; Joah, son of Zimmah and Eden son of Joah of the Gershonites;
Shimri and Jeuel of the sons of Elizaphan; Zechariah and Mattaniah of the sons of Asaph;
Jehiel and Shimei of the sons of Heman; and Shemaiah and Uzziel of the sons of Jeduthun.
They assembled their brothers and consecrated themselves. Then they went in to purify the Lord’s temple, just as the king had commanded by the word of the Lord.
The priests went inside the house of the Lord to make it clean. They brought everything unclean they found in the Sanctuary of the Lord out into the court of the Lord’s house, and the Levites collected it and carried it outside into the Kidron Valley.
They began this consecration on the first day of the first month and were able to enter the Hall of the Lord on the eighth of the month. They then took eight days to consecrate the Lord’s house and finished on the sixteenth day of the first month.
They then went into the palace of King Hezekiah and said: “We have purified the whole temple of the Lord, the altar for burnt offerings with all its furnishings, and the table on which the rows of bread are set with all its furnishings.
All the furnishings King Ahaz took away during those years, he was unfaithful to the Lord, and we have put back and consecrated. They are now in front of the altar of the Lord.”
King Hezekiah lost no time but called the city officials together and went to the Lord’s house.
They brought seven bulls, seven rams, and seven lambs, with seven he-goats as a sacrifice for sin, on behalf of the royal house, the Sanctuary, and Judah. The king then told the priests, the sons of Aaron, to offer the burnt offering on the altar of the Lord.
They slaughtered the bulls, and the priests took up the blood and poured it on the altar. They then slaughtered the rams and poured their blood on the altar.
Then they brought the he-goats, the sacrifice for sin, before the king and the assembly who laid their hands on them.
The priests slaughtered them and, with their blood on the altar, offered a sacrifice to take away the sin of all the people—since the king had ordered the burnt offering and the sacrifice for sin on behalf of all Israel.
He then ordered the Levites to stand in the Lord’s house with cymbals, harps, and lyres, by the ordinances of David, of Gad the king’s prophet, and of Nathan the prophet; the order had come from the Lord through his prophets.
When the Levites had taken their places with David’s musical instruments and the priests with their trumpets.
Hezekiah, ordered the burnt offering to begin. The hymns of the Lord began, too, and the trumpets sounded to the accompaniment of the instruments of David, king of Israel.
The whole assembly worshiped, cantors singing, trumpets sounding until the holocaust was over.
When the offering ended, the king and all there with him fell to their knees and worshiped.
Then King Hezekiah and the officials told the Levites to praise the Lord in the words of David and Asaph the prophet. They sang praises till their joy was full, and then they fell and worshiped.
Hezekiah spoke again:“Now you are dedicated to the service of the Lord. Come forward, bring sacrifices and thanksgiving offerings into the Lord’s house.”
The assembly brought sacrifices and offerings of thanksgiving. All the generous people brought burnt offerings.
The number of victims for these burnt offerings was seventy bulls, a hundred rams, and two hundred lambs, all as burnt offerings for the Lord;
six hundred bulls and three hundred sheep were sacrificed.
The priests were too few, however, and could not slaughter all these animals. Hence, the Levites assisted them until the work was completed and the other priests were sanctified, for the Levites were more knowledgeable than the priests regarding the purification requirements.
There were indeed many burnt offerings besides the fat of the peace offerings, which were to be burnt together with the drink offerings. So was completed the consecration of the Lord’s house.
Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced that God had helped the people to act so promptly.
Commentaries
The Kings of Judah Until the Exile.
The final section of the Chronicler’s work focuses on the history of the kingdom of Judah, covering from Solomon to the exile, with little mention of the Northern Kingdom. For the Chronicler, the kingdom of Judah represents the entire nation of Israel. The primary standard for judging each king is their loyalty to God. Four notable figures stand out as models of this loyalty: Asa, Jehoshaphat, Josiah, and especially Hezekiah. The prophets are also depicted alongside the kings, delivering messages that include warnings and sincere calls to stay loyal to the Lord. Ultimately, the Chronicler encourages the post-exilic community to seek God and remain faithful to the One who has remained true to his people despite their difficulties.
Hezekiah of Judah.
The Chronicler dedicates four chapters to Hezekiah’s reign, portraying him as the most important king in Judah after David and Solomon. The author follows 2 Kings 18-20, skipping 2 Kings 18:9-12, and covers the purification of the Temple and the restoration of worship (29:3-36), the celebration of Passover (30:1-27), the reorganization of the clergy (31:1-19), and Hezekiah’s prosperity (32:27-30).
Religious reform (29:1-36) involves restoring worship in the Temple, which had been closed by Ahaz. The Temple doors are reopened (29:3), and animal sacrifices are offered (29:18-24). The significance of the Levites to the priests is especially evident. During this ceremony, the Chronicler emphasizes the presence of sacred music performed by Levite singers (25-30) and the joy it brings (30b).
Passover (30:1-27) draws inspiration from Numbers 9:1-14. This Passover aims to gather all who are willing to answer the Lord’s call, guided by Hezekiah’s leadership. It seeks to revive the old ideal of unity; therefore, a key part of the text is the invitation to the feast extended to the northern tribes, with some participating (4-11). Those who are not ritually pure are still allowed to celebrate Passover (17-20), emphasizing inner purity over legal purity, which still matters. Verses 23-27 describe a second feast full of joy and spontaneity.