2 Chronicles 30:18

18 for a multitude of the people, many from Ephraim and Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, have not been cleansed, but have eaten the passover otherwise than it is written; but Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, `Jehovah, who [is] good, doth receive atonement for every one

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 And they stand on their station according to their ordinance; according to the law of Moses the man of God the priests are sprinkling the blood out of the hand of the Levites,
17 for many [are] in the assembly who have not sanctified themselves, and the Levites [are] over the slaughtering of the passover-offerings for every one not clean, to sanctify [him] to Jehovah:
18 for a multitude of the people, many from Ephraim and Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, have not been cleansed, but have eaten the passover otherwise than it is written; but Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, `Jehovah, who [is] good, doth receive atonement for every one
19 who hath prepared his heart to seek God -- Jehovah, God of his fathers -- yet not according to the cleansing of the sanctuary;'
20 and Jehovah hearkeneth unto Hezekiah, and healeth the people.
Young's Literal Translation is in the public domain.