Matthew Poole and continuators on 2 Chronicles 29

3 He, in the first year of his reign, in the first month, opened the doors of the house of the LORD , and repaired them.

Which Ahaz his Father had shut up, ch. 28. 24.

4 And he brought in the priests, and the Levites, and gathered them together into the east-street .

Which was before the Eastern Gate of the Temple.

5 And said unto them, Hear me, ye Levites, sanctifie now your selves, and sanctifie the house of the LORD God of your fathers, and carry forth the filthiness out of the holy place .

That filthy Altar, which Ahaz had put in the Place of Gods Altar, 2 King. 16. 11, &c. and the Idols or other abominable or polluting things which were there.

The Temple: or the Priests Court, which also is called an holy Place, Levit. 6. 16. & 10. 13. Numb. 28. 7.

6 For our fathers have trespassed, and done that which was evil in the eyes of the LORD our God, and have forsaken him, and have turned away their faces from the habitation of the LORD, and turned their backs .

Either 1. Metaphorically; they have wilfully, and obstinately, and contumeliously forsaken me and my House and Worship; that posture being a signification of Contempt. Or, 2. Literally and properly. For Ahaz having removed the Altar of God into a By-place, 2 King. 14. and directing his Worship towards the East, after the manner of the Heathens, whom he designed to follow; and not to the West, as the Israelites did by Gods Command, in which Quarter the Ark was, he must needs consequently turn his Back upon the Altar, and House, and Ark of God.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 word]. [illegible: 1 word]. [illegible: 1 word] Gr.; [illegible: 1 word]. [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 word].

8 Wherefore the wrath of the LORD was upon Judah and Jerusalem, and he hath delivered them to trouble, to astonishment, and to hissing , as ye see with your eyes.

i. e. To such Calamities as all that see and hear of shall be astonished at and hiss at those who by their own Sin and Folly have brought such Miseries upon themselves. See on 1 King. 9. 8.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 word]. [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 word]; [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 word]. 25. Kin. 9. 8.

9 For lo, our fathers have fallen by the sword, and our sons, and our daughters, and our wives are in captivity for this.

Or, were, though they were presently released, ch. 28. 5, 14, 15.

11 My sons , be not now negligent : for the LORD hath chosen you to stand before him, to serve him, and that ye should minister unto him, and burn incense.

So he calls them indifferently, though many of them were elder than himself, because he was by his tender Love and Affection as he was by his Office obliged to be a Nursing Father to them. See Isa. 49. 23.

In sanctifying your selves and the Temple, v. 5. and in quickning and preparing your selves and the People to Gods Service.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 word] no[illegible: 1+ letters] [illegible: 1 word].; [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1+ letters]. 14. [illegible: 1 word] 2, 6.; [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 word]

16 And the priests went into the inner part of the house of the LORD , to cleanse it, and brought out all the uncleanness that they found in the temple of the LORD, into the court of the house of the LORD. And the Levites took it to carry it out abroad into the brook Kidron.

Not the Holy of Holies, into which onely the Highpriest might enter, and that but once in a year, but the Holy Place.

To wit▪ the Priests Court, called here the Court, by way of Eminency.

17 Now they began on the first day of the first month to sanctifie, and on the eighth day of the month came they to the porch of the LORD; so they sanctified the house of the LORD in eight days, and in the sixteenth day of the first month they made an end .

In 16 Days purging the House, and Porch, and Courts, and all the Chambers belonging to the Temple. This is noted to imply partly the Universal Abuse and Defilement of all the Parts of it by Ahaz, which required so much time to remove; and partly the Diligence of the Priests in this Work.

21 And they brought seven bullocks, and seven rams, and seven lambs, and seven he-goats for a sin-offering for the kingdom , and for the sanctuary , and for Judah : and he commanded the priests the sons of Aaron to offer them on the altar of the LORD.

The Number of seven is famous and customary in Sacred matters, and is here used in regard of the vast Numbers and various Kinds of Sins, the Guilt whereof yet lay upon the Kingdom which was now to be expiated. Indeed in case of one particular Sin of Ignorance done by the People, there was but one Bullock to be offered, Levit. 4. 13, 14. but here the Sins were many and presumptuous, &c.

To make Atonement for the Sins of the King and the Royal Family, and the Court.

For all the Idolatry and Uncleanness wherewith the Temple had been polluted, which, as it had been cleansed naturally by the Priests Hands, so now was to be purged morally by Sacrifices.

For the Sins of all the People of Judah.

Marginal references: Lev. 4. 3, 14.

23 And they brought forth the he goats for the sin-offering, before the king and the congregation, and they laid their hands upon them.

i. e. The King and the Elders of the Congregation in the Name of the whole Congregation.

Marginal references: Heb. near.; Lev. 4. 15, 24

24 And the priests killed them, and [illegible: 1 word] made reconciliation with their blood upon the [illegible: 1+ letters]tar, to make an atonement for all Israel : for the king commanded that the burnt-offering and the sin offering should be made for all Israel.

i. e. For Judah and Benjamin, and all the rest of the Tribes, whereof a considerable Number were now in his Dominions.

31 Then Hezekiah answered and said, Now ye have consecrated your selves unto the LORD , come near, and bring sacrifices, and thankofferings into the house of the LORD. And the congregation brought in sacrifices, and thank-offerings, and as many as were of a free heart, burntofferings .

Now that you have reconciled your selves and the House to Gods Favour, and that he is willing and ready to accept your Sacrifices.

Wherein there was more generosity than in the other Sacrifices, because they were wholly burnt and offered to God, and the People had no share in them as they had in the rest.

Marginal references: Or, filled your hand.; Heb. thanks.; Lev. 7. 12.; Heb. thanks.

33 And the consecrated things were six hundred oxen, and three thousand sheep.

i. e. All the Offerings consecrated to God besides the Burntofferings already mentioned.

34 But the priests were too few, so that they could not flay all the burnt-offerings wherefore their brethren the Levites did help them till the work was ended, and untill the other priests had sanctified themselves: for the Levites were more upright in heart, to sanctifie themselves, than the priests.

To wit, such as were sanctified and fit for their Work, as the following words shew: for otherwise the Number of the Priests was more than sufficient for this Employment.

And much less all the other Sacrifices, which were more numerous; the flaying whereof was the Priests proper Work, Levit. 1. 5, 6.

Necessity excusing their deviation from the Rule, as it hath excused others in like Cases.

Marginal references: Heb. strengthened them.

35 And also the burnt-offerings were in abundance , with the fat of the peace-offerings, and the drink-offerings for every burnt-offering. So the service of the house of the LORD was set in order.

Or, For the Burnt-offerings were to be offered also in abundance. So it is a reason why the Priests could not stay all the burntofferings, as was said v. 34. Because there was so much other work for them, for the Burnt-offerings were not onely to be flayed, but also to be offered, to wit, wholly, and with them the Fat of Peaceofferings, &c.

36 And Hezekiah rejoyced, and all the people, that God had prepared the people: for the thing was [illegible: 1 word] suddenly .

It was, as a very great, so a sudden Change that the People, who but the other day were so ready to comply with wicked Ahaz in his Idolatrous and Impious Prescriptions, were now so free and forward in Gods Service: whereby it plainly appeared to be the Work of the Almighty God changing their Hearts by his Holy Spirit.

Marginal references: 1 Chr. 29. 18.