2 Chronicles 31:5

5 And when the order was made public, straight away the children of Israel gave, in great amounts, the first-fruits of their grain and wine and oil and honey, and of the produce of their fields; and they took in a tenth part of everything, a great store.

2 Chronicles 31:5 Meaning and Commentary

2 Chronicles 31:5

And as soon as the commandment came abroad
Not only was published in the city of Jerusalem, but the report of it, or rather that itself, was spread throughout the cities of Judah:

the children of Israel brought in abundance the firstfruits of corn,
wine, and oil, and honey;
the three first of these are expressed in the law, ( Deuteronomy 18:4 ) but not honey; wherefore the Targum here, and the Jewish writers in general, interpret it of the "dubsa" of the palm tree, as they call it, the fruit and liquor of that, which is of a sweet taste, and which the Scenite Arabs called "dabusa", as Pliny F23 from Juba relates; for so it should be read, and not "dabulan" or "dablan", as in some copies: but though honey was forbid to be used in sacrifice, it was not forbidden to be eaten; and as the land of Judea abounded with honey, properly so called, the priests might have the firstfruits of that as of other liquors; (See Gill on Deuteronomy 8:8),

and of all the increase of the field;
of the trees of it, vines, fig trees, pomegranates as Kimchi;

and the tithe of all things;
even of herbs, as the same writer, and so the Talmud F24, which were free from tithes by the law, see ( Matthew 23:23 ) ,

brought they in abundantly;
even of all that their vineyards, oliveyards, and fields produced.


FOOTNOTES:

F23 Nat. Hist. l. 13. c. 4.
F24 T. Bab. Nedarim, fol. 55. 1.

2 Chronicles 31:5 In-Context

3 And he gave the king's part of his private property for the burned offerings, that is, for the morning and evening offerings, and the offerings for the Sabbath and the new moons and the regular feasts, as it is recorded in the law of the Lord.
4 In addition, he gave orders to the people of Jerusalem to give to the priests and Levites that part which was theirs by right, so that they might be strong in keeping the law of the Lord.
5 And when the order was made public, straight away the children of Israel gave, in great amounts, the first-fruits of their grain and wine and oil and honey, and of the produce of their fields; and they took in a tenth part of everything, a great store.
6 And the children of Israel and Judah, who were living in the towns of Judah came with the tenth part of their oxen and sheep, and a tenth of all the holy things which were to be given to the Lord their God, and put them in great masses.
7 The first store of things was put down in the third month, and in the seventh month the masses were complete.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.