2 Chronicles 30:18

18 For a multitude of the people, 1even many from Ephraim and Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun, had not purified themselves, 2yet they ate the Passover 3otherwise than prescribed. For Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, "May the good LORD pardon

2 Chronicles 30:18 Meaning and Commentary

2 Chronicles 30:18

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:

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 ( John 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 F19.


FOOTNOTES:

F19 Pausan. Arcadica, sive, l. 8. p. 513. Vid. Ciceronem de Nat. Deor. l. 3. prope finem.

2 Chronicles 30:18 In-Context

16 They stood at their stations after their custom, according to the law of Moses the man of God; the priests sprinkled the blood which they received from the hand of the Levites.
17 For there were many in the assembly who had not consecrated themselves; therefore, the Levites were over the slaughter of the Passover lambs for everyone who was unclean , in order to consecrate them to the LORD .
18 For a multitude of the people, even many from Ephraim and Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun, had not purified themselves, yet they ate the Passover otherwise than prescribed. For Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, "May the good LORD pardon
19 everyone who prepares his heart to seek God, the LORD God of his fathers, though not according to the purification rules of the sanctuary."
20 So the LORD heard Hezekiah and healed the people.

Cross References 3

  • 1. 2 Chronicles 30:11, 25
  • 2. Numbers 9:10
  • 3. Exodus 12:43-49

Footnotes 1

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