2 Chronicles 29:12

We have here busy work, good work, and needful work, the cleansing of the house of the Lord.

I. The persons employed in this work were the priests and Levites, who should have kept the temple clean, but, not having done that, were concerned to make it clean. Several of the Levites are here named, two of each of the three principal houses, Kohath, Gershon, and Merari (Ch2 29:12), and two of each of the three families of singers, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun, Ch2 29:13, Ch2 29:14. We cannot think these are named merely because they were chief in place (for then surely the high priest, or some of the heads of the courses of the priests, would have been mentioned), but because they were more zealous and active than the rest. When God has work to do he will raise up leading men to preside in it. And it is not always that the first in place and rank are most fit for service or most forward to it. These Levites not only bestirred themselves, but gathered their brethren, and quickened them to do according to the commandment of the king by the word of the Lord. Observe, They did according to the king's command, but with an eye to God's word. The king commanded them what was already their duty by the word of God, and, in doing it, they regarded God's word as a rule to them and the king's commandment as a spur to them.

II. The work was cleansing the house of God, 1. From the common dirt it had contracted while it was shut up - dust, and cobwebs, and the rust of the vessels. 2. From the idols and idolatrous altars that were set up in it, which, though kept ever so neat, were a greater pollution to it than if it had been made the common sewer of the city. The priests were none of them mentioned as leading men in this work, yet none but they durst go into the inner part of the house, no, not to cleanse it, which they did, and perhaps the high priest into the holy of holies, to cleanse that. And, though the Levites had the honour to be the leaders in the work, they did not disdain to be servitors to the priests according to their office; for what filth the priests brought into the court the Levites carried to the brook Kidron. Let not men's usefulness, be it ever so eminent, make them forget their place.

III. The expedition with which they did this work was very remarkable. They began on the first day of the first month, a happy beginning of the new-year, and one that promised a good year. Thus should every year begin with the reformation of what is amiss, and the purging away, by true repentance, of all the defilements contracted the foregoing year. In eight days they cleared and cleansed the temple, and in eight days more the courts of the temple, Ch2 29:17. Let those that do good work learn to rid work and get it done. Let what is amiss be amended quickly.

IV. The report they made of it to Hezekiah was very agreeable, Ch2 29:18, Ch2 29:19. They gave him an account of what they had done, because it was he that set them on work, boasted not of their own care and pains, nor did they come to him to be paid, but to let him know that all things that had been profaned were now sanctified according to law, and were ready to be used again whenever he pleased. They knew the good king had set his heart upon God's altar, and longed to be attending that, and therefore they insisted most upon the readiness they had put that into - that the vessels for the altar were scoured and brightened. Those vessels which Ahaz, in his transgression, had cast away as vessels in which there was no pleasure, they gathered together, sanctified them, and laid them in their place before the altar. Though the vessels of the sanctuary may be profaned for a while, God will find a time and a way to sanctify them. Neither his ordinances nor his people shall be suffered to fail for ever.

Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible (1708–1710) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

THE HOUSE OF GOD CLEANSED. (2Ch. 29:12-36)

Then the Levites arose--Fourteen chiefs undertook the duty of collecting and preparing their brethren for the important work of cleansing the Lord's house. Beginning with the outer courts--that of the priests and that of the people--the cleansing of these occupied eight days, after which they set themselves to purify the interior; but as the Levites were not allowed to enter within the walls of the temple, the priest brought all the sweepings out to the porch, where they were received by the Levites and thrown into the brook Kedron. This took eight days more. At the end of this period they repaired to the palace and announced that not only had the whole of the sacred edifice, within and without, undergone a thorough purification, but all the vessels which the late king had taken away and applied to a common use in his palace, had been restored, "and sanctified."

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

2Ch 29:12 Then the Levites arose, Mahath the son of Amasai, and Joel the son of Azariah, of the sons of the Kohathites: and of the sons of Merari, Kish the son of Abdi, and Azariah the son of Jehalelel: and of the Gershonites; Joah the son of Zimmah, and Eden the son of Joah:

Ver. 12. Then the Levite, arose.] How could they do less? The Popish clergy, pressed by their prince to a reformation, would have boasted of their immunities, and have given out that the king had not to do in matters of religion, &c. In the colloquy at Possiacum, a Spanish Jesuit told the queen-mother of France to her face that she did ill to meddle in matters that belonged not to her, but to the Pope, cardinals, and bishops: the zeal of which Jesuit pleased the Pope, who said he might be compared to the ancient saints, having, without respect of the young king and princes there present, maintained God’s cause, and upbraided the queen to her face. {a}

Mahath the son of Amasai, &c.] These were renowned reformers then, as of late years were Luther, Melanchthon, Bucer, Farellus, Calvin, Cranmer, Knox, and others, whose names are written in the book of life.

{a} Hist. of Coun. of Trent, 455.

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.

29:12-36 To begin the process of sanctifying the Temple, these Levites began with their own sanctification. First, they all purified themselves, probably by bringing offerings (cp. 30:15); then they began to cleanse the Temple. Two separate acts were required to restore the Temple: purification (the removal of pollution, 29:15-17) and sanctification (the rededication of the Temple for holy worship, 29:20-36).

29:12 Kohath . . . Merari . . . Gershon were the three sons of Levi; their descendants had become the three main clans of the tribe of Levites (see Exod 6:16).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

(12) Mahath the son of Amasai.—The verse enumerates two members of each of the three great Levitical subtribes—Kohath, Merari, and Gershon. Mahath and Eden recur (2Ch_31:13; 2Ch_31:15). Kish ben Abdi and Joah ben Zimmah occurred (1Ch_6:21; 1Ch_6:44). They appear to be family rather than personal names.

(12-14) The names of the Levites who received the royal charge.

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

12. the Levites] The fourteen persons mentioned in these three verses comprise (a) two representatives each of the three great branches of Levi, namely, Kohath, Merari, and Gershon, (b) two representatives of the great Kohathite family of Elizaphan (cp. Num_3:30 and 1Ch_15:8), (c) two representatives each of the three divisions of the singers, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun (1Ch_25:1).

12–19 (not in 2 Kin.). The Cleansing of the Temple

With this passage cp. 1Ma_4:36-51 (the cleansing of the Temple by Judas Maccabaeus).

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 priests went into the inner part of the house of the Lord, to cleanse it,.... Into the holy place, where the candlesticks and shewbread tables stood, into which none but priests might enter, but not into the most holy place, the innermost of all; for none but the high priest might go into that, and only on the day of atonement; though in case of necessity, as for repairs, others might go into it, and so perhaps now to cleanse it, if any pollution was there:

and brought out all the uncleanness that they found in the temple of the Lord into the court of the house of the Lord; into the court of the priests, where the Levites might be, and were:

and the Levites took it, to carry it out abroad into the brook Kidron; which ran through the valley of the son of Hinnom, into which all unclean things, and the filth of the temple and sacrifices, were usually carried and cast, see Kg2 18:12.

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

On the triple division of the Levites, see 1Ch 23:6; and on the musical Levites, see 1Ch 25:1-6.

2Ch 29:13

The descendants of Elizaphan - a grandson of Kohath Exo 6:22, and chief of the Kohathites at the time of the census in the wilderness Num 3:30 - appear at all times to have formed a distinct branch of the Kohathites with special privileges 1Ch 15:8.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Then the Levites arose. This verse gives two apiece of the three divisions or "families Gershon, Kohath, and Merari, "sons of 1Ch_6:1, 1Ch_6:2, 16-20 23:6, 7, 12, 21, 24; comp. (Gen_46:11; Exo_6:16) Though some of the names of this and the following two verses are known, they do not designate, of course, the same persons. Through many a generation of Levites, the same names were, no doubt intentionally, reproduced.

Vers. 12-19.

Doing duty.

The way in which these Levites received and executed the commission of the king may indicate to us the way in which we should enter upon and discharge our duty.

I UNDERTAKE IT IN A RIGHT SPIRIT. These men "arose" and went forth to do what Hezekiah called upon them to execute. It will not be presuming much if, judging from the account which follows, we conclude that they undertook their work in a spirit of

(1) obedience to the king, and

(2) devotion to their God. Certainly that would have become them and have honoured them.

And that is, undoubtedly, the spirit in which we should go forth to any duty with which we are charged; we should

(1) realize our obligation to man to do what is just and fair toward him;

(2) our responsibility to God; for in diligence and fidelity we may do everything unto him also. (Col_3:23)

II BE UNDISTURBED BY ITS UNPLEASANTNESS. This duty laid upon the Levites and upon the priests was not inviting work. To "bring out all the uncleanness" from the temple, and to "carry it out into the brook Kidron," could not be very agreeable occupation. But they did not hesitate to do it. And, indeed, they could not possibly have been better occupied. In that act they were carrying forth a curse; they were bearing away the wrath of their God. They were not merely cleansing an edifice; they were clearing their conscience; they were righting their record in the books of heaven.

No fair hand was doing that week in Jerusalem any work of refinement that more graced its owner than did the hands of those Levites as they stripped the false altar of its clothing, or as they swept the accumulated dust from the courts of the sanctuary. Let us not despise any true work of any kind. Even if it is not of a kind that answers to our taste or to our training; even if it should be uncongenial to our spirit. If it be that work which the emergency requires of us, or if it be that which Divine providence assigns us at the time; if it be that which our Master himself asks of us in order to serve his cause or to help one of his little ones, it is honourable employment, it should be accounted holy in our esteem.

Do thy little; though it be Dreariness and drudgery. They whom Christ apostles made Gathered fragments when he bade.

The twelve apostles gathering broken bits of bread and fish, or Paul going about the island of Malta gathering sticks, in these incidents we have illustrations of the truth that all work which is timely and helpful is work that is honourable and excellent.

III CALL TO OUR AID EVERY WILLING WORKER. It may be taken that those whose names are given (vers. 12-14) were the foremost in offering themselves for the work required. But they did not propose to do it by themselves; they called in all who would join them (ver. 15), and then, as a strong united band, they set about their task. In the work of the Lord we should engage all who have a heart and a hand to help. We should do so:

1. For the works sake; that it may be more rapidly and more effectually done.

2. For their sake; because they will be blessed in their deed, and after 2:3. For our own sake; that we may not be overburdened, and may do all that we do more carefully and thoroughly.

IV KNOW WHEN TO STOP, AND WHEN TO PROCEED; when to draw a boundary-line, and when to cross it. These dutiful Levites understood their duty well.

1. They did not intrude into the priests" domain; they stopped short "at theinner part of the house" (ver. 16).

2. At the same time, they went beyond the actual letter of instruction by"preparing and sanctifying the vessels which Ahaz had cast away," and by bringing these "before the altar of the Lord." It is a great thing to know what are the limits beyond which it is not right or wise for us to go. But it is a still greater thing to have so deep an interest in our work and so fervent a love for our Lord that we are not to be confined to any limits by literal instructions; that we gladly and eagerly go beyond these, if we can only render a larger and fuller service to our Master and to his cause.

V DO OUR WORK THOROUGHLY AND SPEEDILY. "They sanctified the house of the Lord in eight days" (ver. 17). "We have cleansed all the house of the Lord, with all the vessels thereof" (ver. 18). To do all that is required, leaving nothing undone because it is trivial or because it is not likely to be observed; and to do all without delay, losing no time, accomplishing everything within the days expected of us; this is the way to do Christian work, to do our duty as disciples of Jesus Christ.

VI HAVE THE DAY OF ACCOUNT IN VIEW. "They went in to Hezekiah the king," etc. (ver. 18). We may not be accountable to any human master; but to a Divine One we are (Rom_14:12; 2Co_5:10) Then "every work" will be "brought into judgment." Let us therefore labour, that we may then be "accepted of him. C.

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

General Information:

These verses list the names of the Levites who began to do the work that Hezekiah had ordered them to do. These are all men's names. (See: How to Translate Names)

the Levites arose

Here the word "arose" is an idiom that means that the Levites began to act. AT: "the Levites began to work" (See: Idiom)

translationWords

Levi

people group

Azariah

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.