2 Chronicles 31:5

5 As soon as the order was given, the people of Israel brought gifts of their finest grain, wine, olive oil, honey, and other farm produce, and they also brought the tithes of everything they had.

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 From his own flocks and herds he provided animals for the burnt offerings each morning and evening, and for those offered on the Sabbath, at the New Moon Festival, and at the other festivals which are required by the Law of the Lord.
4 In addition, the king told the people of Jerusalem to bring the offerings to which the priests and the Levites were entitled, so that they could give all their time to the requirements of the Law of the Lord.
5 As soon as the order was given, the people of Israel brought gifts of their finest grain, wine, olive oil, honey, and other farm produce, and they also brought the tithes of everything they had.
6 All the people who lived in the cities of Judah brought tithes of their cattle and sheep, and they also brought large quantities of gifts which they dedicated to the Lord their God.
7 The gifts started arriving in the third month and continued to pile up for the next four months.

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. gifts . . . tithes: [The gifts were for the priests, and the tithes for the Levites (see Nu 18).]
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.