2 Chronicles 32:33

2Ch 32:33 And Hezekiah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the chiefest of the sepulchres of the sons of David: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem did him honour at his death. And Manasseh his son reigned in his stead.

Ver. 33. See 2Ki 20:21.

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 32:33. All Judah did him honour at his death — They buried him in the chiefest of the sepulchres, made as great burning for him as for Asa; or, which is a much greater honour, made great lamentation for him, as they afterward did for Josiah. Though it is to be feared that the generality of the people did not comply with those of their kings, who were pious, in their endeavours to reform the nation; yet they could not but praise those endeavours, and the memory of those kings was blessed among them. It is a debt we owe to those who have been eminently useful in their day, to do them honour at their death, when they are out of the reach of flattery, and we have seen the end of their conversation.

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

Verse 33. Chiefest of the sepulchres] This respect they paid to him who, since David, had been the best of all their kings.

I shall subjoin a few things from the Targum on this chapter.

2Ch 32:1. "After these things which Hezekiah did, and their establishment, the Lord appointed by his WORD to bring Sennacherib, king of Assyria, and his army, into the land of Israel, that he might destroy the Assyrians in the land of the house of Judah, and smite their troops on the mountains of Jerusalem, and deliver all their spoils into the hands of Hezekiah and his people: wherefore Sennacherib came with immense armies, which could not be numbered; and having pitched his camps in the land of the tribe of Judah, besieged their fortified cities with his armies, hoping to overthrow them."

2Ch 32:8. Hezekiah said - "His help is the strength of the flesh; but our auxiliary is the WORD of the Lord."

2Ch 32:16. "His (Sennacherib's) servants spoke blasphemy against the WORD of the Lord God."

2Ch 32:18. In the Jews' speech - "In the language of the holy house."

2Ch 32:21. "And the WORD of the Lord sent Michael, and the angel Gabriel, and destroyed them on the night of the passover with a destructive fire; and burnt up their breath within their bodies, and consumed every soldier, captain, and prince, in the army of the king of Assyria; and he returned with shame of face into his own land."

The destruction of God's enemies, and the support and salvation of the faithful, is in every instance in this Targum attributed to the WORD of the Lord, personally understood. 2Ch 34:27.

2Ch 32:24. "In those days was Hezekiah sick near to death; but he prayed before the Lord who spoke to him by his WORD to preserve him and to add to his life fifteen years."

2Ch 32:31. "The king of Babylon sent, that they might inquire concerning the miracle that had been done in the land; that they might see the two tables of stone which were in the ark of the covenant of the Lord which Moses had placed there with the two tables which he had broken on account of the sin of the calf which they made in Horeb. The WORD of the Lord permitted him to show them these; neither did he suffer for it; that he might try him, and see what was in his heart."

THUS God speaks after the manner of men: he either brings, or permits them to be brought, into such circumstances as shall cause them to show their prevailing propensities; and then warns them against the evils to which they are inclined, after having shown them that they are capable of those evils. To know ourselves, and our own character, is of the utmost importance to our religious growth and perfection. He who does not know where his weakness lies, is not likely to know where his strength lies. Many, by not being fully acquainted with their own character, have been unwatchful and unguarded, and so become an easy prey to their enemies. Know thyself is a lesson which no man can learn but from the Spirit of God.

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

(33) And they buried him . . . honour at his death.—Statements peculiar to the chronicler. They go to prove an authority besides the canonical books of Kings.

The chiefest.—Rather, the ascent—i.e., the way up to the royal tombs. (Comp. 2Ch_20:16.) “The sons of David” are the kings of the house of David. Hezekiah may have chosen a favourite spot for his burial-place; but, as his successors Manasseh, Amon, and Josiah likewise, were not laid in the tombs of the kings, it would appear that the old royal sepulchres were full.

Did him honour at his death.—The phrase, “did him honour” (‘asû kâbôd lô) occurs here only. (Comp. “give honour to,” 1Sa_6:5; Psa_29:1.) Probably a great burning of spices was made in honour of Hezekiah as of Asa. (See 2Ch_16:14; 2Ch_21:19.)

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

33. in the chiefest] R.V. in the ascent, LXX. ἐν ἀναβάσει.

did him honour] Cp. 2Ch_16:14; 2Ch_21:19.

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.

The chiefest of the sepulchres - Most modern commentators render - “on the ascent to the sepulchres;” but some think that an excavation above all the other tombs - in the same repository, but at a higher level (see the margin) - is intended. The catacomb of David was full; and the later princes had sepulchres quite distinct from the old burial-place (see 2Ch 33:20; 2Ki 21:18, 2Ki 21:26; 2Ki 23:30).

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

Above, for distinction’s sake: (C.) meriti prærogativa. S. Jerom, Trad. M. --- The cell was either higher than the rest, or a sort of pyramid was erected over the tomb of Ezechias. C.

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).

33. In the chiefest of the sepulchres — Or, in the ascent of the sepulchres of the sons of David — This may mean either a slope or ascent leading to the royal sepulchre, or some elevation above the sepulchre — a higher place than that where the other kings were buried. Perhaps there was no more room in the sepulchre of David.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

In the chiefest of the sepulchres; literally, in the ascent of the sepulchres; i.e. in new burial-places, either on the ascent to the old ones, probably now full, or else above, them.

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

Did him honour - It is a debt we owe to those who have been eminently useful, to do them honour at their death, when they are out of the reach of flattery, and we have seen the end of their conversation.

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

in the best - Heb. בְּמַעֲלֵה, in the best, as is explained at the end of the first chapter of Baba Kamma (16b).

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.