2 Chronicles 30:27

2Ch 30:27 Then the priests the Levites arose and blessed the people: and their voice was heard, and their prayer came [up] to his holy dwelling place, [even] unto heaven.

Ver. 27. Arose and blessed the people.] Which was a part of their office. See the form. {Num 6:23}

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 30:27. Then the priests the Levites arose, and blessed the people — That is, those of the Levites who were priests also, for to them only this work belonged, 1Ch 23:13. In performing this office, they were both the people’s mouth to God, by way of prayer, and God’s mouth to the people, by way of promise; for the blessing included both. And in it they testified both their desire of the people’s welfare, and their dependance upon God and the word of his grace, to which they commended them. And their prayer came up to his holy dwelling-place — The voice of the priests, when they thus blessed the people, as God had commanded, was heard in heaven. God said amen to their prayer, and perhaps gave some sensible token of the ratification of the blessing which they had pronounced. The prayer that comes up to heaven in a cloud of incense, will come down again to this earth in showers of blessings.

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

According to that which is written, Num. 6:23, when they should dismiss the people.

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

Verse 27. And their voice was heard] God accepted the fruits of that pious disposition which himself had infused.

And their prayer came up] As the smoke of their sacrifices ascended to the clouds, so did their prayers, supplications, and thanksgivings, ascend to the heavens. The Targum says: "Their prayer came up to the dwelling-place of his holy shechinah, which is in heaven." Israel now appeared to be in a fair way of regaining what they had lost; but alas, how soon were all these bright prospects beclouded for ever!

It is not for the want of holy resolutions and heavenly influences that men are not saved but through their own unsteadiness; they do not persevere, they forget the necessity of continuing in prayer, and thus the Holy Spirit is grieved, departs from them, and leaves them to their own darkness and hardness of heart. When we consider the heavenly influences which many receive who draw back to perdition, and the good fruits which for a time they bore, it is blasphemy to say they had no genuine or saving grace; they had it, they showed it, they trifled with it, sinned against it, continued in their rebellions, and therefore are lost.

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

(27) Then the priests the Levites.—And the Levitical priests; not any irregular ministrants. Some Hebrew MSS., the LXX., Syriac, and the Vulg. read, “And the priests and the Levites”: but comp. 2Ch_23:18.

And their voice was heard.—The priestly blessing was a prayer that Jehovah would bless. (See Num_6:22-27.) That the prayer was heard on the present occasion, the writer infers from the progress of reform among the people, and the wonderful deliverance from Assyria, as related in the ensuing chapters.

Their prayer came up.—Entered into His holy dwelling (comp. Isa_18:6) into the heavens. Notice the characteristic omission of the sacred Name.

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

27. the priests the Levites] So in 2Ch_23:18, but only in these two places in Chron. The phrase is Deuteronomic, and has been taken to imply that all Levites were potentially priests. Such was not in any case the view of the Chronicler, and perhaps we ought to read “the priests and the Levites” both here and in 2Ch_23:18.

his holy dwelling place] R.V. his holy habitation; so Deu_26:15.

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.

Levites. These only applauded the solemn blessings, which were given by the priests, Num. vi. 24. C. --- God is said to reside in heaven, because he there displays his glory to the blessed. D.

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).

The priests the Levites; those of the Levites who were priests also; for to them only this work belonged, 1Ch 23:13. Or, the priests and the Levites; for as the Levites did some other part of the priests’ work at this time, it is not strange if they did this also. Or the priests might bless by solemn pronunciation of the blessing, and the Levites by their acclamations, or with their musical instruments.

Blessed the people; either commended them for their great zeal and diligence in God’s service; or rather, solemnly prayed to God to bless them; and their prayer was not in vain, as the following words show.

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

The priests the Levites; i.e. the priest-Levites, and not other Levites (Deu_17:18; Jos_3:3) The Septuagint, therefore, is wrong in inserting "and." A parallel expression in the New Testament is "Men brethren". (Act_1:16 Act_2:29, etc.) The priests were those authorized to bless (Num_6:23-26; 1Ch_23:13)

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

The Levites - Those of the Levites who were priests also; for to them only this work belonged.

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

and they blessed the people If you wish, you may say that they blessed them with this [blessing] that they begged to return from the land of their captors, and the Lord hearkened to their voice and returned them. Another possible explanation: and He hearkened to their voice, and so it is written above (v. 20): “and the Lord hearkened to Hezekiah and healed the people.”

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.