2 Chronicles 13:9

9 Did you not drive out the priests of Yahweh, the sons of Aaron, the Levites? Have you [not] made for yourselves priests like all the peoples of the lands? All who come {to be consecrated for priestly service} with a young bull or seven rams becomes a priest of [what is] not a god.

2 Chronicles 13:9 Meaning and Commentary

2 Chronicles 13:9

Have ye not cast out the priests of the Lord the sons of
Aaron, and the Levites
Because they would not sacrifice to his idols, and that they might not instruct the people in the pure worship of God, and that he and his people might be free from the payment of tithes, firstfruits and their cities fall into his hands:

and have made you priests after the manner of the nations of [other]
lands?
after the manner of the Gentiles, without any regard to any particular tribe, which God had appointed those to be taken from:

so that whosoever cometh to consecrate himself with a young bullock and
seven rams;
which were five more than what were required by the law of Moses for the consecration of a priest, ( Exodus 29:1 ) , the same

may be a priest of [them that are] no gods; by nature, only nominal and
fictitious deities, as the calves were, which had no divinity in them, see ( 1 Kings 13:31 ) .

2 Chronicles 13:9 In-Context

7 and worthless men, {sons of wickedness}, were gathered about him and became hostile against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was a boy and gentle of heart and was not strong enough [to stand] before them.

8 So now you yourselves are considering [that you are] strong before the kingdom of Yahweh [which is] in the hand the sons of David, since you yourselves are a great multitude and you have bull calves of gold that Jeroboam has made for idols.

9 Did you not drive out the priests of Yahweh, the sons of Aaron, the Levites? Have you [not] made for yourselves priests like all the peoples of the lands? All who come {to be consecrated for priestly service} with a young bull or seven rams becomes a priest of [what is] not a god.

10 But as for us, Yahweh [is] our God, and we have not forsaken him. The priests serving Yahweh [are] the sons of Aaron, the Levites, according to their service.

11 They offer burnt offerings to Yahweh {every morning} and {every evening}, sweet spices of incense, and the rows of bread upon the pure table. And the golden lampstand with its lamps [they] keep kindled {every evening}, for we are keeping the requirement of Yahweh our God, but you yourselves have forsaken him.

Footnotes

• [a]. Literally "to fill his hand" (a Hebrew idiom for ordination)