2 Chronicles 30:10-20

10 1So the couriers went from city to city through the country of 2Ephraim and Manasseh, and as far as Zebulun, but 3they laughed them to scorn and mocked them.
11 However, 4some men of Asher, of Manasseh, and of Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem.
12 The hand of God was also on Judah to give them one heart to do what the king and the princes commanded 5by the word of the LORD.
13 And many people came together in Jerusalem to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread 6in the second month, a very great assembly.
14 They set to work and removed 7the altars that were in Jerusalem, and all the altars for burning incense they took away 8and threw into the Kidron Valley.
15 9And they slaughtered the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the second month. 10And the priests and the Levites were ashamed, 11so that they consecrated themselves and brought burnt offerings into the house of the LORD.
16 12They took their accustomed posts according to the Law of Moses 13the man of God. The priests threw the blood that they received from the hand of the Levites.
17 For there were many in the assembly who had not consecrated themselves. Therefore the Levites had to slaughter the Passover lamb for everyone who was not clean, to consecrate it to the LORD.
18 For a majority of the people, 14many of them from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet they ate the Passover otherwise 15than as prescribed. For Hezekiah had prayed for them, saying, "May the good LORD pardon everyone
19 16who sets his heart to seek God, the LORD, the God of his fathers, even though not according to the sanctuary's rules of cleanness."[a]
20 And the LORD heard Hezekiah and healed the people.

2 Chronicles 30:10-20 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO 2 CHRONICLES 30

Hezekiah having consulted his nobles about keeping the passover the second month, and determined upon it, sent messengers throughout Israel and Judah, to acquaint them with it, at which some mocked, and others seriously attended to it, 2Ch 30:1-12 so it was celebrated in a solemn manner, though some were not qualified for it according to the law, and for whose pardon Hezekiah prayed, and it was granted, 2Ch 30:13-20, also the feast of unleavened bread was kept seven days, and a festival of seven days more was likewise observed with great joy and gladness, 2Ch 30:21-27.

messengers to them, not only to the subjects of his own kingdom, Judah, but to all the Israelites that dwelt in it, who were come thither for the sake of religion, and the worship of God:

\\and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh\\; which are put for all the ten tribes, as appears from 2Ch 30:10,11 and are distinguished from Israel in the preceding clause:

\\that they should come to the house of the Lord at Jerusalem\\; not that he laid his commands upon them to come, they not being his subjects, namely, those of the ten tribes; but he hereby admonished them of their duty, and gave them a kind invitation, signifying the doors of the temple were open for them, and they were welcome to come thither:

\\to keep the passover unto the Lord God of Israel\\; to the glory of his name, who was the common Lord of them all, and whose command it was to keep the passover, and that at Jerusalem, and nowhere else, see De 16:1-6. 19787-950128-1141-2Ch30.2

Cross References 16

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. Hebrew not according to the cleanness of holiness
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.