2 Chronicles 24:5

2Ch 24:5 And he gathered together the priests and the Levites, and said to them, Go out unto the cities of Judah, and gather of all Israel money to repair the house of your God from year to year, and see that ye hasten the matter. Howbeit the Levites hastened [it] not.

Ver. 5. Howbeit the Levites hastened it not.] See on 2Ki 12:6.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2Ch 24:5. Gather of all Israel — Not only of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, but of all the Israelites, belonging to any of the ten tribes, who are now resident in my kingdom: money to repair, &c., from year to year — That is, either, 1st, To repair part of it every year till the reparations were perfected: or, 2d, The money was to be gathered from year to year, till they got such a sum as might suffice for the work.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

He meaneth not the ten tribes, but only the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 5. Gather of all Israel money] As the temple was the property of the whole nation, and the services performed in it were for the salvation of the people at large, it was right that each should come forward on an occasion of this kind, and lend a helping hand. This is the first instance of such a general collection for building or repairing a house of God.

From year to year] It must have been in a state of great dilapidation, when it required such annual exertions to bring it into a thorough state of repair.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(5) Go out unto the cities of Judah, and gather of all Israel money.—This is the chronicler’s interpretation of “Let the priests take it to themselves, each from his own acquaintance” (Kings). The priests and Levites of the different districts were to collect the moneys due to the sanctuary, each in his own neighbourhood.

And see that ye hasten the matter.—Literally, and, for your part, hasten ye in regard to the matter (comp. 2Ch_18:8); and the Levites hastened not. This agrees with the statement in 2Ki_12:6; 2Ki_12:9 : “And it was so, that in the three and twentieth year of king Jehoash the priests had not repaired the breaches of the house.” The remissness of the priestly order is evidently inferable from these words.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

5. and the Levites] Not in Kings; cp. 2Ch_23:2 (note).

Go out unto the cities of Judah] Nothing is said in Kings about collecting money outside Jerusalem, but the restoration fund was to consist of a poll tax (paid at the Temple at the Great Feasts, Exo_23:14-17) and of free-will offerings paid in money.

hastened it not] In Kings, “in the three and twentieth year of king Jehoash the priests had not repaired the breaches of the house.”

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And the king called for Jehoiada the chief,.... Who was either the high priest, or the head of his course, or, however, the chief of the priests and Levites concerned in this affair, and, indeed, was the chief or prime minister of state:

and said unto him, why hast thou not required of the Levites to bring in out of Judah, and out of Jerusalem, the collection; the money to repair the house they were ordered to collect, Ch2 25:6 according to the commandment

of Moses the servant of the Lord and of the congregation of Israel, for the tabernacle of witness? for the repair of it, such as Moses required, and the people used to pay, referring to the half shekel; or to a freewill offering of the people, Moses enjoined or directed to.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Money. The half sicle, (Ex. xxx. 13., and 4 K. xii. 4.; C.) which at first was required for the tabernacle, and afterwards for the repairs of the temple. W.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Gather of all Israel, i.e. of all the Israelites that were in the kingdom of Judah. See 2Ch 15:17; 21:2. To repair the house of your God from year to year; either,

1. Repair part of it every year till the reparations be perfected; or,

2. Gather it from year to year, till you get such a sum as may suffice for the work; for he supposed one or two years’ collection would not suffice for the work, whether it were that collection of half a shekel for every man, of which see Exo 30:12,13; 2Ki 12:14; or a voluntary contribution required for the present exigence of the temple by virtue of the command and example of Moses, who made such a collection for the building of the tabernacle, Exo 35:5; see also Neh 10:32; which he thought would not be any great sum, because of the great iniquity and impiety which yet had reigned for many years, and yet continued in the generality of the people of the land, the Levites not excepted, as the last clause of this verse shows.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

To repair. The idea of this verb (qzj) is that of making strong. From year to year. The compound adverbial expression yDej; here used for "from," era-braces the idea of" unfailingly from year to year." The command given here to the priests and Levites is expressed very differently, though in no degree contadictorily, in the parallel (see its vers. 4, 5). The addition is there found, "every man of his acquaintance;" this expression may glance at the very supposable circumstance that the priest and Levite collecting deputations would naturally go respectively to the towns and cities where they had been located beforetime. A slight ambiguity is perhaps occasioned by the impression that the fourth verse (in the parallel) produces that the priests and Levites should wait to receive, e.g. , in Jerusalem. This, however, is,sot what is said, and need not, therefore, be made into a difficulty. Howbeit the Levites hastened not. We are not told why this delay was, nor does the subsequent narrative seem to elucidate it, further than this that the delay somehow seemed to rest with Jehoiada, as the king appealed to him for explanation.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

and gather money from all Israel i.e., Gather the money that the Israelites were accustomed to giving yearly, as it is written (Exod. 30:14): “Each one included in the census,” and in II Kings (12: 5): “All money of the hallowed things that is brought to the House of the Lord, in current money, etc.” There were three types of money: (1) the money of all those counted in the census, viz. the shekels for every year, as it is said (Exod. 30:14): “Each one included in the census,” lit., “[the money of anyone] who passes,” reminiscent of “each one who passes.” (2) Personal donations - money donated by individuals to reflect the value of their souls, like one who says, “My value shall be incumbent upon me to donate.” (3) All donations inspired by a person’s heart for the repairs of the Temple.

and hasten to the matter,” but the Levites did not hasten It is explained in II Kings (12:6f.) that the king said, “Let the priests take [the money] for themselves, each one from his acquaintance,” but they neglected to impose upon their acquaintances, and when the king saw this, he said to them, (ibid. verse 8): “Do not take money from your acquaintances [any longer], but deliver it for the repairs of the House.” This is what is written here: “’and hasten to the matter,’ but the Levites did not hasten.”

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.