2 Chronicles 29:31

THE CONSECRATION COMPLETED BY ADDITIONAL SACRIFICES

(2Ch_29:31-36).

(31) Answered and said.—See 1Ch_12:17. The phrase is used as we should use it in Exo_4:1; 2Ki_7:13.

Ye have consecrated . . .—Literally, ye have filled your hand for Jehovah, a phrase used of the consecration of priests (Lev_7:37). Here it is addressed to the whole assembly, as the following words prove (unless the text be unsound). The congregation, as well as the sacerdotal order, had consecrated themselves anew to Jehovah, by their presence and participation in the previous solemnities. Others suppose that these words are spoken to the priests only, and that then the king turns to the congregation with the words “Come near,” &c. (There should be a semicolon after “the Lord.”)

Sacrifices and thank offerings (zebahîn we thôdôth).—The first word means “thank-offerings” ( = zébahîm shelamîm); the second, a peculiar species of thank-offering, apparently accompanied by a special kind of psalms called tôdôth (“thanksgivings”). “Sacrifices and thank-offerings” therefore means “sacrifices, that is, thank-offerings.” (See Lev_7:12; Lev_7:16, for the three kinds of thank-offerings.)

As many as were of a free heart.—Literally, Every free-hearted one (1Ch_29:6; 1Ch_29:9).

Burnt offerings were a token of greater self-denial and disinterestedness than thank-offerings, because they were wholly consumed on the altar, whereas the worshippers feasted upon the latter.

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

2Ch 29:31 Then Hezekiah answered and said, Now ye have consecrated yourselves unto the LORD, come near and bring sacrifices and thank offerings into the house of the LORD. And the congregation brought in sacrifices and thank offerings; and as many as were of a free heart burnt offerings.

Ver. 31. Come near, and bring sacrifices.] So unsatisfiable was his good heart in serving and praising God.

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_29:31

Now ye have consecrated yourselves unto the Lord.

Consecration

The reign of Hezekiah was like the spasmodic brightness of a candle about to go out for ever. The root principle in consecrating anything is the recognition of Gods exclusive ownership.

I. A real consecration is an act of free will.

II. Consecration means a giving to God Himself.

III. Nor will such consecration be complete without a personal consecration. (Bishop Charles E. Cheney.)

Worship and thank-offerings

I. The occasion referred to: it was the opening of the house of God.

1. This house was a sacred edifice, consecrated to God and typical of the body of Christ.

2. In the house they opened for God, they recognised a place of meeting between God and souls.

3. In the house that was opened for the worship of God, there was an inner court. Into this inner court we have now access by the Spirit unto the Father.

II. The nature of their worship. By sacrifice. There is no acceptable worship of God without sacrifice.

III. The expressions of thankfulness among the people. They were happy--

1. In the knowledge of their acceptance with God.

2. In the extension of the life of God in their souls.

3. In the revival of the worship of God among them publicly.

4. In the expression of their ardent concern to rival one another in the service of God--for they all brought their thankofferings. (Joseph Irons.)

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2Ch 29:31. Now ye have consecrated yourselves to the Lord — Have both made an atonement, and made a covenant by sacrifice; are solemnly reconciled and engaged to him; come near and bring sacrifices — Our covenant with God must be pursued and improved in communion with him. Having consecrated ourselves in the first place to the Lord, we must bring the sacrifices of prayer, and praise, and alms, to his house. As many as were of a free heart brought burnt-offerings — Wherein there was more generosity than in the other sacrifices, because they were wholly burned and offered to God.

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

Ye have consecrated yourselves. The Hebrew text is (with the margin of both Authorized and Revised Versions), "have filled your hands to Jehovah." Our somewhat awkward and somewhat misleading reproduction in English of the Hebrew text is, nevertheless, on the whole defensible. The phrase occurs some seventeen times (Exo_28:41 Exo_29:9, Exo_29:29, Exo_29:33, 35 32:29; Lev_8:33 Lev_16:32 Lev_21:10; Num_3:3; Jud_1:17:5, 12; 1Ki_13:33; 1Ch_29:5; 2Ch_13:9; Eze_43:26) and in some of these instances is most conveniently represented by the rendering "consecrate." The plural noun or is found thirteen times, in three of which places it is spoken of "stones to be set," as e.g. "for" or "in the ephod" (Exo_25:7 Exo_35:9, Exo_35:27; 1Ch_29:2) and in the other ten, of "consecration," as e.g. "a ram of consecration," "the ram of Aaron"s consecration" (Exo_29:22, Exo_29:26, Exo_29:27, Exo_29:31, Exo_29:34; Lev_7:37 Lev_8:22, Lev_8:28, Lev_8:29, Lev_8:31, Lev_8:33) Some think our text, "Now ye have consecrated yourselves," glances at the sacrifices of a propitiatory sort, which had just been completed; others, that the reference is by anticipation to the fact that the people invited to draw near had, in an honourable, holy, and sincerely devoted way, armed themselves with worthy offerings. The sacrifices and thank offerings were sacrifices "of thank offerings," in the nature of the peace offerings. (Lev_7:11-21, Lev_7:29-36) The burnt offerings marked the "free heart," inasmuch as there was nothing of them reserved from the consuming of the altar for use. As many as were of a free heart; Hebrew, ble byrinAlkw. Among some sixty occurrences of this word, in its verb, noun, or (as hero) adjective form, perhaps the most touching and beautifully expressive is that of Psa_60:12, "Uphold me with thy free Spirit." Sacrifices; Hebrew, This is the plural of jbz a word that expresses the generic idea, as e.g. the feast of sacrifice; again, the act of slaying and sacrificing a victim; again, the victim itself; again, those kinds of sacrifices that were expiatory or eucharistic, but not holocaustic. (Lev_7:12) Thank offerings; Hebrew, twOdwOT. This word occurs about thirty-two times; in about two-thirds of that number denoting the spiritual acts of giving of thanks, even when accompanied by the figurative idea of "sacrifices", (Psa_56:13 Psa_107:22 Psa_116:17) the genuine adoring praise or thanksgiving constituting the sacrifice; and in the other third denoting strictly sacrificial offerings, as several times in Leviticus (vii. 12; 22:29) and here. Our, (2Ch_33:16 classifies these with "peace offerings" ( v) as do many other passages with "burnt offerings" generally (Jud_1:20:26 21:4; 1Sa_13:9; 2Sa_6:17; 1Ch_16:1 1Ch_21:26)

The revival of religion in Church or state.

I PREPARATORY STEPS. In order to secure such an awakening of religious life as took place in Judah under Hezekiah, three things are indispensable.

1. Confession of sin. "Our fathers have trespassed," etc. (ver. 6). As all religion begins with saying, "Father, I have sinned", (Luk_15:18) so the first symptoms of reviving life in souls that have been apathetic is acknowledgment of their trespass. (Psa_51:3)

2. Cleansing of the sanctuary. "We have cleansed all the house of the Lord" (ver. 18). As the visible Church is a temple of the Lord (Psa_132:14; Mat_18:20; Eph_2:21, Eph_2:22; 1Ti_3:15; Heb_3:6) this may symbolize the removing from its doctrine, worship, and practice of everything that is contrary to the mind and will of God as revealed in the Scriptures; and again, as the individual heart is a habitation of the living God, (1Co_6:19) it may suggest the duty, of purging... it from every known sin". (2Co_7:1)

3. Renewal of the covenant. Now it is in mine heart to make a covenant with the Lord God of Israel" (ver. 10); and the same must be done by all, whether communities or individuals, who would experience a quickening in their religious life. Unnecessary now, as in the days of Hezekiah, to offer slain victims and make propitiation for sin, that having been done once for all by Jesus Christ, (Heb_9:11-14) it is still indispensable to appropriate the reconciliation and make the self-surrender to which Hezekiah"s offerings pointed.

II CERTAIN RESULTS. A revived condition of the religious life of either Church or individual will discover itself in three things, as it did with Hezekiah and his people.

1. Self-consecration. Already expressed in the act of covenant-making, this will reveal itself in the life that proceeds therefrom. Christian individuals in the Church, recognizing themselves to be not their own, but bought with a price, will lay themselves upon the altar as a willing sacrifice. (Rom_12:1)

1. Gladness. "And all the congregation worshipped, and the singers sang," etc. (ver. 28). Joy an invariable accompaniment of a revived condition of

2. religion in the soul or in the Church (Psa_149:2, Psa_149:5; Isa_65:14; Hab_3:18; Eph_5:18; 1Jn_1:4)

3. Liberality. "And the congregation brought in sacrifices," etc. (ver. 31). Generosity in giving almost necessarily follows on a heightened experience of Divine grace. "Freely ye have received, freely give. W.

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

29:31-36 The purification and rededication of the Temple was followed by individual offerings and sacrifices by the people. • The thanksgiving offerings were also called praise offerings, peace offerings, or offerings of well-being (see Lev 3).

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

Hebrew, filled your hands.

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

Hezekiah . . . said, Now ye have consecrated yourselves unto the Lord, come near--This address was made to the priests as being now, by the sacrifice of the expiation offerings, anew consecrated to the service of God and qualified to resume the functions of their sacred office (Exo 28:41; Exo 29:32).

the congregation brought in--that is, the body of civic rulers present.

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

31–36 (not in Kings). A Great Sacrifice of Burnt Offerings and Thank Offerings

31. answered and said] i.e. answered the thoughts or expectation of the people, for no question had been asked; cp. Job_3:2 (R.V.).

ye have consecrated yourselves] Heb. “filled your hand”; cp. 2Ch_13:9; Exo_28:41.

were of a free heart burnt offerings] R.V. were of a willing heart brought burnt offerings.

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.

But the priests were too few, so that they could not flay all the burnt offerings,.... Take off the skins of them, which used to be done by the priests, Lev 1:6,

wherefore their brethren the Levites did help them till the work was ended; assisted in the flaying of the sacrifices, until they had gone through the service of this time, and the skins of all the sacrifices were flayed off:

and until the other priests had sanctified themselves; who had been negligent of it, or had defiled themselves by idolatry:

for the Levites were more upright in heart to sanctify themselves than the priests; were more ready to do it, and did it with greater cheerfulness and good will; were not backward to do it, but did it at once.

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

Hezekiah addresses, not the priests, but the congregation: “Now that by the atoning sacrifice which has been offered for you, you are consecrated once more to be a holy people to the Lord, approach with confidence and offer your free-will offerings as of old.”

Burnt offerings - The term thus translated is applied especially to those victims which were to be wholly consumed upon the altar. In the “sacrifices,” or peace offerings generally, and the “thank offerings” - a particular kind of peace offering Lev 7:12) - the greater part of the victim belonged to, and was consumed by, the worshipper. Hence, to offer “burnt offerings,” was indicative of a “free heart.”

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

Added. Heb. and Sept. "answered," a term used in Scripture, though no question had been proposed. H. --- Filled. You are, in some sense, priests. Prot. "you have consecrated yourselves." The people brought victims but the priests poured the blood round the altar, v. 34. H.

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).

Now ye have consecrated yourselves unto the Lord; now that you have reconciled yourselves and the house to God’s favour, and that he is willing and ready to accept your sacrifices.

Burnt-offerings; wherein there was more generosity than in the ether sacrifices, because they were wholly burnt and offered to God, and the people had no share in them as they had in the rest.

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

Consecrated - Now that you have reconciled yourselves and the house to God, and that he is willing and ready to accept your sacrifices. Burnt-offerings - Wherein there was more generosity than in the other sacrifices, because they were wholly burnt and offered to God.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

thank offerings

These were offerings of thanksgiving.

the house of Yahweh

The word "house" represents the temple. AT: "the temple of Yahweh" (See: Metonymy)

who had a willing heart

Here the word "heart" represents the person who was willing. AT: "who were willing" or "who desired" (See: Synecdoche)

translationWords

heart

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

and the congregation brought [peace] offerings and thanksgiving offerings which are permissible for the owner to eat.

and every generous-hearted one - burnt offerings Some of them, whoever was moved by his heart, brought burnt-offerings, but not all of them [i.e., not all the people brought burnt-offerings], because the owner has no permission to eat them.

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.