1And Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and also wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of Jehovah at Jerusalem, to keep the Passover unto Jehovah the God of Israel. 2For the king and his rulers and all the assembly in Jerusalem had taken counsel to keep the Passover in the second month. 3For they could not keep it at the regular time, because a sufficient number of priests had not consecrated themselves, nor had the people gathered together at Jerusalem. 4And the matter was right in the eyes of the king and all the assembly. 5So they established a decree throughout all Israel, from Beer-sheba to Dan, that they should come to keep the Passover unto Jehovah the God of Israel at Jerusalem, for they had not done it for many days as it is written. 6And the runners went throughout all Israel and Judah with the letters from the king and his rulers, and spoke according to the command of the king: O Children of Israel, return unto Jehovah the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel; then He will return to the remnant of you who have escaped from the hand of the kings of Assyria. 7And do not be like your fathers and your brethren, who have been unfaithful to Jehovah the God of their fathers, so that He gave them up to desolation, as you see. 8Now do not stiffen your necks, like your fathers, but give your hands unto Jehovah; and enter His sanctuary, which He has consecrated for all time, and serve Jehovah your God, that the fierceness of His wrath may turn away from you. 9For if you return to Jehovah, your brethren and your children shall find compassion before those holding them captive, to come back to this land; for Jehovah your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn His face from you if you return to Him. 10So the runners passed from city to city through the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, as far as Zebulun; but they laughed at them, mocking them. 11Nevertheless some from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem. 12Also the hand of God was on Judah to give them singleness of heart to obey the command of the king and the rulers, at the Word of Jehovah. 13And many people, a very great assembly, gathered at Jerusalem to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the second month. 14They arose and took away the altars that were in Jerusalem, and they took away all the incense altars and cast them into the Brook Kidron. 15Then they slaughtered the Passover on the fourteenth day of the second month. The priests and the Levites were ashamed, and consecrated themselves, and brought the burnt offerings to the house of Jehovah. 16They stood in their place according to the ordinance, according to the Law of Moses the man of God; the priests were sprinkling the blood from the hand of the Levites. 17For many in the assembly had not sanctified themselves; therefore the Levites had charge of the slaughter of the Passover for everyone who was not clean, to consecrate them to Jehovah. 18For a multitude of the people, many from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet they ate the Passover contrary to what was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, O good Jehovah, provide atonement for everyone 19who has prepared his heart to seek God, Jehovah the God of his fathers, though not according to the purification of the sanctuary. 20And Jehovah gave heed to Hezekiah and healed the people. 21So the children of Israel found at Jerusalem kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with great joy; and the Levites and the priests were praising Jehovah day by day, with loud instruments unto Jehovah. 22And Hezekiah spoke to the heart of all the Levites who were teaching the good understanding of Jehovah; and they ate throughout the feast seven days, offering peace offerings and making confession unto Jehovah the God of their fathers. 23And the whole assembly took counsel to keep the feast another seven days, and they kept it another seven days with joy. 24For Hezekiah king of Judah had given to the assembly a thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep, and the rulers had given to the assembly a thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep; and a great number of priests consecrated themselves. 25The whole assembly of Judah rejoiced, along with the priests and Levites, all the assembly that came from Israel, the sojourners who came from the land of Israel, and those dwelling in Judah. 26So there was great joy in Jerusalem, for since the days of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel, there had been nothing like this in Jerusalem. 27Then the priests, the Levites, rose up and blessed the people, and their voice was heard; and their prayer came up to His holy dwelling place, to the heavens.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 HEZEKIAH PROCLAIMS A PASSOVER. (
2Chr 30:1-12)
Hezekiah sent to all . . . Judah . . . to come to . . . Jerusalem, to keep the passover--This great religious festival had not been regularly observed by the Hebrews in their national capacity for a long time because of the division of the kingdom and the many disorders that had followed that unhappy event. Hezekiah longed extremely to see its observance revived; and the expression of his wishes having received a hearty response from the princes and chief men of his own kingdom, the preparatory steps were taken for a renewed celebration of the national solemnity.
letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh--The names of these leading tribes are used for the whole kingdom of Israel. It was judged impossible, however, that the temple, the priests, and people could be all duly sanctified at the usual time appointed for the anniversary, namely, the fourteenth day of the first month (Nisan). Therefore it was resolved, instead of postponing the feast till another year, to observe it on the fourteenth day of the second month; a liberty which, being in certain circumstances (
Num 9:6-
Num 9:13) granted to individuals, might, it was believed, be allowed to all the people. Hezekiah's proclamation was, of course, authoritative in his own kingdom, but it could not have been made and circulated in all the towns and villages of the neighboring kingdom without the concurrence, or at least the permission, of the Israelitish sovereign. Hoshea, the reigning king, is described as, though evil in some respects, yet more favorably disposed to religious liberty than any of his predecessors since the separation of the kingdom. This is thought to be the meaning of the mitigating clause in his character (
2Kgs 17:2).
6 the posts--that is, runners, or royal messengers, who were taken from the king's bodyguard (
2Chr 23:1-2). Each, well mounted, had a certain number of miles to traverse. Having performed his course, he was relieved by another, who had to scour an equal extent of ground; so that, as the government messengers were despatched in all directions, public edicts were speedily diffused throughout the country. The proclamation of Hezekiah was followed by a verbal address from himself, piously urging the duty, and setting forth the advantages, of a return to the pure faith and institutions which God had delivered to their ancestors through Moses.
the remnant of you, that are escaped out of the hand of the kings of Assyria--This implies that several expeditions against Israel had already been made by Assyrian invaders--by Pul (
2Kgs 15:19), but none of the people were then removed; at a later period by Tiglath-pileser, when it appears that numbers among the tribes east of Jordan (
1Chr 5:26), and afterwards in the northern parts of Israel (
2Kgs 15:20), were carried into foreign exile. The invasion of Shalmaneser cannot be alluded to, as it did not take place till the sixth year of Hezekiah's reign (
2Kgs 17:6;
2Kgs 18:9-12).
10 the posts passed from city to city--It is not surprising that after so long a discontinuance of the sacred festival, this attempt to revive it should, in some quarters, have excited ridicule and opposition. Accordingly, among the tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Zebulun, Hezekiah's messengers met with open insults and ill usage. Many, however, in these very districts, as well as throughout the kingdom of the ten tribes, generally complied with the invitation; while, in the kingdom of Judah, there was one unanimous feeling of high expectation and pious delight. The concourse that repaired to Jerusalem on the occasion was very great, and the occasion was ever after regarded as one of the greatest passovers that had ever been celebrated.
14 THE ASSEMBLY DESTROYS THE ALTARS OF IDOLATRY. (
2Chr 30:13-27)
they arose and took away the altars that were in Jerusalem--As a necessary preparation for the right observance of the approaching solemnity, the removal of the altars, which Ahaz had erected in the city, was resolved upon (
2Chr 28:24); for, as the people of God, the Hebrews were bound to extirpate all traces of idolatry; and it was a happy sign and pledge of the influence of the Spirit pervading the minds of the people when they voluntarily undertook this important preliminary work.
15 the priests and the Levites were ashamed--Though the Levites are associated in this statement, the priests were principally referred to; those of them who had been dilatory or negligent in sanctifying themselves (
2Chr 29:34) were put to the blush and stimulated to their duty by the greater alacrity and zeal of the people.
16 the priests sprinkled the blood, which they received of the hand of the Levites--This was a deviation from the established rules and practices in presenting the offerings of the temple. The reason was, that many present on the occasion having not sanctified themselves, the Levites slaughtered the paschal victims (see on
2Chr 35:5) for everyone that was unclean. At other times the heads of families killed the lambs themselves, the priests receiving the blood from their hands and presenting it on the altar. Multitudes of the Israelites, especially from certain tribes (
2Chr 30:18), were in this unsanctified state, and yet they ate the passover--an exceptional feature and one opposed to the law (
Num 9:6); but this exception was allowed in answer to Hezekiah's prayer (
2Chr 30:18-20).
20 the Lord . . . healed the people--We imagine the whole affair to have been the following: In consequence of their transgressions they had cause to fear disease and even death (
Lev 15:31). Hezekiah prayed for the nation, which was on the point of being diseased, and might therefore be regarded as sick already [BERTHEAU].
21 the children of Israel . . . kept the feast--The time appointed by the law for the continuance of the feast was seven days [
Exod 12:15;
Exod 13:6;
Lev 23:6]; but in consequence of its having been allowed to fall so long into desuetude, they doubled the period of celebration and kept it fourteen days with unabated satisfaction and joy. Materials for the additional sacrificial meals were supplied by the munificence of the king and the princes.
24 and a great number of priests sanctified themselves--so that there would be a sufficient number of hands for the additional services.