2 Chronicles 30

1 And Hezekiah sent to all Israel and to Judah, and he wrote epistles to Ephraim and to Manasseh, that they should come into the house of the Lord in Jerusalem, and make pask to the Lord God of Israel. (And Hezekiah sent word to all Israel and to Judah, and also wrote letters to Ephraim and to Manasseh, that they should come to the House of the Lord in Jerusalem, and keep the Passover of the Lord God of Israel.)

2 Therefore when counsel was taken of the king, and of [the] princes, and of all the company of Jerusalem, they deemed, or purposed, to make pask in the second month. (And so when the king, and the leaders, and all the company of Jerusalem, had taken counsel together, they decided to keep the Passover in the second month.)

3 For they deemed not to be able to do this in his time, that is, the first month (For they deemed that they could not do it at that time, that is, in the first month); for the priests which might suffice thereto were not yet hallowed, and the people was not yet gathered into Jerusalem.

4 And the word pleased the king, and all the multitude. (And this decision pleased the king, and all the multitude.)

5 And they deemed to send messengers into all Israel, from Beersheba unto Dan, that they should come, and make (the) pask to the Lord God of Israel in Jerusalem; for (so) many men had not done it, as it is before-written in the law (for so many had not kept it before, as it was described in the Law).

6 And couriers went forth with epistles, by [the] commandment of the king and of his princes, into all Israel and Judah, and preached by that, that the king had commanded, (and said,) Sons of Israel, turn ye again to the Lord God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Israel; and he shall turn again to the remnant of men, that escaped the hands of the king(s) of Assyrians. (And couriers went forth with the letters, by the command of the king and of his leaders, into all Israel and Judah, and preached what the king had commanded, and said, Israelites, return ye to the Lord God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob; and he shall return to the remnant of people, who escaped from the hands, or from the power, of the kings of Assyria.)

7 Do not ye be made as your fathers and your brethren, which went away from the Lord God of their fathers; and he gave them into perishing, as ye see. (Do not ye be made like your fathers and your kinsmen, who went away from the Lord God of their fathers; and he gave them into perishing, as ye see.)

8 Do not ye make hard your nolls, as your fathers did (Do not ye be stiff-necked, or stubborn, like your fathers); give ye your hands to the Lord in promising that ye shall serve him faithfully, and come ye to his saintuary, which he hath hallowed (into) without end; serve ye the Lord God of your fathers, and the wrath of his strong vengeance shall turn away from you.

9 For if ye turn again to the Lord, your brethren and your sons shall have mercy before their lords that led them prisoners; and they shall turn again into this land (For if ye return to the Lord, your kinsmen and your children shall have mercy before their lords who led them away as prisoners; and they shall return to this land). For the Lord our God is pious, either benign, and merciful; and he will not turn away his face from you, if ye turn again to him.

10 Therefore the couriers went swiftly from city into city through the land of Ephraim and Manasseh unto Zebulun, while they scorned and bemocked them (but the people of those territories scorned and mocked them).

11 Nevertheless some men of Asher, and of Manasseh, and of Zebulun, assented to the counsel, and came into Jerusalem.

12 Forsooth the hand of the Lord was made in Judah, that he gave to them one heart, and that they did the word of the Lord, by the commandment of the king and of the princes. (But the hand of the Lord was made in Judah, so that he gave them one heart, and that they did the word of the Lord, by the command of the king and his leaders.)

13 And many peoples were gathered into Jerusalem, for to make the solemnity of therf loaves in the second month. (And many people gathered in Jerusalem to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the second month.)

14 And they rose, and destroyed the altars, that were in Jerusalem; and they destroying all things in which incense was burnt to idols, casted forth into the strand of Kidron. (And they rose up, and destroyed the altars, that were in Jerusalem; and to destroy all the things in which incense was burned to idols, they threw them forth into the Kidron Stream/into the Kidron Gorge.)

15 And they offered pask in the fourteenth day of the second month; also the priests and the deacons were hallowed at the last, and (then they) offered burnt sacrifices in the house of the Lord. (And they offered the Passover on the fourteenth day of the second month; and the priests and the Levites were ashamed, for they were not ritually clean, and so at last they consecrated themselves, and then they offered the burnt sacrifices in the House of the Lord.)

16 And they stood in their order, by the ordinance and law of Moses, the man of God. Soothly the priests took of the hands of deacons the blood to be shed out (And the priests took the blood to be shed out from the hands of the Levites),

17 for much (of the) company was not hallowed; and therefore the deacons offered pask for them, that might not be hallowed to the Lord. (for many of the people were not yet purified, and so the Levites sacrificed, or killed, the Passover lambs for those who had not yet been consecrated to the Lord.)

18 Also a great part of the people of Ephraim, and of Manasseh, and of Issachar, and of Zebulun, that was not hallowed, ate (the) pask not by that that is written. And Hezekiah prayed for them, and said, The good Lord shall do mercy to all men, (And a great part of the people of Ephraim, and of Manasseh, and of Issachar, and of Zebulun, who were not purified, ate the Passover not by what was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, and said, The good Lord shall do mercy to all,)

19 which seek in all their heart the Lord God of their fathers (who seek in all their hearts the Lord God of their fathers); and it shall not be areckoned to them into sin, that they be not hallowed by (the) offering of gifts.

20 And the Lord heard him, and was pleased to the people. (And the Lord heard him, and healed the people/and forgave the people.)

21 And the sons of Israel, that were found in Jerusalem, made the solemnity of therf loaves seven days in great gladness, and they praised the Lord by each day; and the deacons and [the] priests praised the Lord by organs, which accorded to their office. (And the Israelites, who were found in Jerusalem, kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days with great gladness, and they praised the Lord each day; and the Levites and the priests praised the Lord with mighty instruments.)

22 And Hezekiah spake to the heart of all the deacons, that had good understanding of the Lord; and they ate by (the) seven days of the solemnity, offering sacrifices of peaceable things, and praising the Lord God of their fathers. (And Hezekiah spoke to the hearts of all the Levites, who had a good understanding of the Lord; and they ate throughout the seven days of the Feast, offering the peace offerings, and praising the Lord God of their fathers.)

23 And it pleased all the multitude to hallow also other seven days; which thing also they did with great joy. (And it pleased all the multitude to also dedicate another seven days; and so they did that with great joy.)

24 Forsooth Hezekiah, king of Judah, gave to the multitude a thousand bulls, and seven thousand of sheep; and the princes gave to the people a thousand bulls, and ten thousand sheep (and the leaders gave the people a thousand bulls, and ten thousand sheep). Therefore a full great multitude of priests was hallowed ;

25 and all the company of Judah was filled with gladness, as well of priests and deacons, as of all the multitude that came from Israel, and of [the] converts of the land of Israel, and of [the] dwellers in Judah. (and all the congregation of Judah was filled with gladness, that is, the priests and the Levites, and all the multitude who came from Israel, and the converts in the land of Israel, and the inhabitants of Judah.)

26 And great solemnity was made in Jerusalem (And there was great joy in Jerusalem), what manner was not in that city from the days of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel.

27 And [the] priests and deacons rose up, and blessed the people; and the voice of them was heard, and their prayer came into the holy dwelling place of heaven. (And the priests and the Levites rose up, and blessed the people; and their voices were heard, and their prayers came unto the holy dwelling place of heaven.)

2 Chronicles 30 Commentary

Chapter 30

Hezekiah's passover. (1-12) The passover celebrated. (13-20) The feast of unleavened bread. (21-27)

Verses 1-12 Hezekiah made Israel as welcome to the passover, as any of his own subjects. Let us yield ourselves unto the Lord. Say not, you will do what you please, but resolve to do what he pleases. We perceive in the carnal mind a stiffness, an obstinacy, an unaptness to compel with God; we have it from our fathers: this must be overcome. Those who, through grace, have turned to God themselves, should do all they can to bring others to him. Numbers will be scorners, but some will be humbled and benefited; perhaps where least expected. The rich mercy of God is the great argument by which to enforce repentance; the vilest who submit and yield themselves to the Lord, seek his grace, and give themselves to his service, shall certainly be saved. Oh that messengers were sent forth to carry these glad tidings to every city and every village, through every land!

Verses 13-20 The great thing needful in attendance upon God in solemn ordinances, is, that we make heart-work of it; all is nothing without this. Where this sincerity and fixedness of heart are, there may yet be many things short of the purification of the sanctuary. These defects need pardoning, healing grace; for omissions in duty are sins, as well as omissions of duty. If God should deal with us in strict justice, even as to the very best of our doings, we should be undone. The way to obtain pardon, is to seek it of God by prayer; it must be gotten by petition through the blood of Christ. Yet every defect is sin, and needs forgiveness; and should be matter to humble, but not to discourage us, though nothing can make up for the want of a heart prepared to seek the Lord.

Verses 21-27 Many prayers were put up to God with the peace-offerings. In these Israel looked to God as the God of their fathers, a God in covenant with them. There was also abundance of good preaching. The Levites read and explained the Scriptures. Faith cometh by hearing, and true religion preaching has abounded. They sang psalms every day: praising God should be much of our work in religious assemblies. Having kept the seven days of the feast in this religious manner, they had so much comfort in it, that they kept other seven days also. This they did with gladness. Holy duties should be done with holy gladness. And when sinners humble themselves before the Lord, they may expect gladness in his ordinances. Those who taste this happiness will not soon grow weary of it, but will be glad to prolong their enjoyment.

Chapter Summary

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