2 Chronicles 30 Study Notes

30:1 The Assyrians had conquered Israel, so there was no longer any Israelite king to enforce separation from Judah. This enabled Hezekiah to invite everyone—citizens of Judah and Israel alike—to come to Jerusalem and participate in the Passover he was planning.

30:2-5 The Passover was prescribed to be observed the first month every year, but that did not allow enough time for preparations, so the Passover observance was postponed until the second month. The law had a provision that it could be held a month later if necessary (Nm 9:9-11). Beer-sheba to Dan encompasses all of Judah and Israel.

30:6-12 The invitation to people from the northern kingdom to come to Jerusalem for the Passover expressed God’s gracious willingness to extend mercy to those who repent and return. It met with mixed results (see note at v. 1). Some mocked the messengers and declined the invitation, but a few people decided to make the trip to Jerusalem for the Passover.

30:13-14 The Kidron Valley was where garbage was dumped and burned.

30:15-17 The priests and Levites who had been reluctant to participate became ashamed and consecrated themselves in order to return to their duties. Still, there was a shortage of purified priests, so the division of responsibilities by which Levites assisted the priests continued.

30:18-20 Many people from the north did not realize that before they were allowed to eat the Passover lamb or the unleavened bread, they had to go through personal purification. When King Hezekiah prayed for the people who had accidentally contaminated the feast, God did not hold it against them; the occasion remained joyous.

30:21-22 Once again, the Chronicler emphasizes that joyful music was an important part of the celebration.

30:23-24 Hezekiah and a number of his officials contributed numerous animals to be offered as sacrifices. This eased the economic burden on some members of the congregation and also contributed to the joy of the celebration, so by popular acclaim it was extended for another week.

30:25 Even the resident aliens—some of the people who had just been resettled into the former northern kingdom by the Assyrian conquerors—came to Jerusalem and took part in the celebration. This added an evangelistic aspect to the festival.

30:26 The Chronicler states that Hezekiah’s reign represented the revival of the kingdoms of David and Solomon. Hezekiah was a righteous man who was devoted to the Lord. He was the first king since Solomon to have positive influence over all of Israel since, with the conquest of the northern kingdom by Assyria, there was no longer a divided kingdom.

30:27 When God heard them, it fulfilled the petition Solomon had made at the dedication of the temple (6:21).