2 Chronicles 31:5

5 As soon as the king's command went out to the Israelites, they gave freely of the first portion of their grain, new wine, oil, honey, and everything they grew in their fields. They brought a large amount, one-tenth of everything.

2 Chronicles 31:5 Meaning and Commentary

2 Chronicles 31:5

And as soon as the commandment came abroad
Not only was published in the city of Jerusalem, but the report of it, or rather that itself, was spread throughout the cities of Judah:

the children of Israel brought in abundance the firstfruits of corn,
wine, and oil, and honey;
the three first of these are expressed in the law, ( Deuteronomy 18:4 ) but not honey; wherefore the Targum here, and the Jewish writers in general, interpret it of the "dubsa" of the palm tree, as they call it, the fruit and liquor of that, which is of a sweet taste, and which the Scenite Arabs called "dabusa", as Pliny F23 from Juba relates; for so it should be read, and not "dabulan" or "dablan", as in some copies: but though honey was forbid to be used in sacrifice, it was not forbidden to be eaten; and as the land of Judea abounded with honey, properly so called, the priests might have the firstfruits of that as of other liquors; (See Gill on Deuteronomy 8:8),

and of all the increase of the field;
of the trees of it, vines, fig trees, pomegranates as Kimchi;

and the tithe of all things;
even of herbs, as the same writer, and so the Talmud F24, which were free from tithes by the law, see ( Matthew 23:23 ) ,

brought they in abundantly;
even of all that their vineyards, oliveyards, and fields produced.


FOOTNOTES:

F23 Nat. Hist. l. 13. c. 4.
F24 T. Bab. Nedarim, fol. 55. 1.

2 Chronicles 31:5 In-Context

3 Hezekiah gave some of his own animals for the burnt offerings, which were given every morning and evening, on Sabbath days, during New Moons, and at other feasts commanded in the Lord's Teachings.
4 Hezekiah commanded the people living in Jerusalem to give the priests and Levites the portion that belonged to them. Then the priests and Levites could give all their time to the Lord's Teachings.
5 As soon as the king's command went out to the Israelites, they gave freely of the first portion of their grain, new wine, oil, honey, and everything they grew in their fields. They brought a large amount, one-tenth of everything.
6 The people of Israel and Judah who lived in Judah also brought one-tenth of their cattle and sheep and one-tenth of the holy things that were given to the Lord their God, and they put all of them in piles.
7 The people began the piles in the third month and finished in the seventh month.
Scripture taken from the New Century Version. Copyright © 1987, 1988, 1991 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.