Chapter 31
Now when all this was finished, all Israel that were present went out to the cities of Judah, and brake the images in pieces, and cut down the groves, and threw down the high places and the altars out of all Judah and Benjamin, in Ephraim also and Manasseh, until they had utterly destroyed them all. Then all the children of Israel returned, every man to his possession, into their own cities.
Now when
all Israel
1 Kings 18:38-40 2 Kings 23:2-20
present
Heb. found.
brake
14:3 23:17 32:12 34:3-7 Exodus 23:24 Deuteronomy 7:5 2 Kings 18:4
images
Heb. statues.
in Ephraim
30:1,18 34:6,7 2 Kings 17:2 18:4 23:15
until, etc
Heb. until to make an end.
And Hezekiah appointed the courses of the priests and the Levites after their courses, every man according to his service, the priests and Levites for burnt offerings and for peace offerings, to minister, and to give thanks, and to praise in the gates of the tents of the LORD.
the courses
5:11 8:14 23:8 1 Chronicles 16:37,40 23:1-26 Ezra 6:18 Luke 1:5
to give thanks
29:24-26 1 Chronicles 16:4-6,41 23:30 25:1-3 Nehemiah 11:17 Psalms 134:1-3 Psalms 135:1-3 Jeremiah 33:11
in the gates of the tents of the Lord
Besh‰‚rey machanoth Yehowah, "within the gates of the camps of Jehovah;" which comprehended the whole of the buildings that surrounded the temple, in which the priests and Levites were stationed, and which resembled military encampments.
He appointed also the king's portion of his substance for the burnt offerings, to wit, for the morning and evening burnt offerings, and the burnt offerings for the sabbaths, and for the new moons, and for the set feasts, as it is written in the law of the LORD.
the king's
30:24 1 Chronicles 26:26 Ezekiel 45:17 46:4-7,12-18
for the morning
Exodus 29:38-42 Numbers 28:3-8
the burnt
for the new moons
Numbers 28:11-31 29:1-40 Deuteronomy 16:1-17 Psalms 81:1-4 Colossians 2:16,17
the set feasts
Moreover he commanded the people that dwelt in Jerusalem to give the portion of the priests and the Levites, that they might be encouraged in the law of the LORD.
the portion
16 Leviticus 27:30-33 Numbers 18:8-21,26-28 Malachi 3:8-10
that they might
Nehemiah 13:10-13 1 Corinthians 9:9-14 Galatians 6:6
the law
And as soon as the commandment came abroad, the children of Israel brought in abundance the firstfruits of corn, wine, and oil, and honey, and of all the increase of the field; and the tithe of all things brought they in abundantly.
as soon
24:10,11 Exodus 35:5,20-29 36:5,6 2 Corinthians 8:2-5
came abroad
Heb. brake forth. the first fruits.
Exodus 22:29 23:19 34:22,26 Numbers 18:12 Nehemiah 10:35-39 12:44 13:12,31 Proverbs 3:9 1 Corinthians 15:20 James 1:18 Revelation 14:4
honey
or, dates. The word devash generally denotes the honey produced by bees; but as we have already observed (on Ge 43:11,) the Jewish doctors are of opinion that it here signifies dates, of the fruit of the palm tree; which the Arabians call daboos, and the honey produced from them, dibs. "This liquor," says Dr. Shaw, "which has a more luscious sweetness than honey, is of the consistence of a thin syrup, but quickly grows tart and ropy, acquiring an intoxicating quality, and giving by distillation an agreeable spirit, or ar‚ky, according to the general name of these people for all hot liquors, extracted by the alembic." Though Jehovah forbad any devash, or honey, to offered to him upon the altar, yet it appears it might be presented as first-fruits, or in the way of tithes, which were designed for the sustenance of the priests.
And concerning the children of Israel and Judah, that dwelt in the cities of Judah, they also brought in the tithe of oxen and sheep, and the tithe of holy things which were consecrated unto the LORD their God, and laid them by heaps.
the children
the tithe
Leviticus 27:30 Deuteronomy 14:28
by heaps
Heb. heaps, heaps.
In the third month they began to lay the foundation of the heaps, and finished them in the seventh month.
And when Hezekiah and the princes came and saw the heaps, they blessed the LORD, and his people Israel.
blessed
Genesis 14:20 Judges 5:9 1 Kings 8:14,15 1 Chronicles 29:10-20 Ezra 7:27 2 Corinthians 8:16 Ephesians 1:3 Philippians 4:10,19 1 Thessalonians 3:9 1 Peter 1:3
and his people
6:3 Genesis 14:19 2 Samuel 6:18 1 Kings 8:55
And Azariah the chief priest of the house of Zadok answered him, and said, Since the people began to bring the offerings into the house of the LORD, we have had enough to eat, and have left plenty: for the LORD hath blessed his people; and that which is left is this great store.
Azariah
26:17 1 Kings 2:35 1 Chronicles 6:8,14 Ezekiel 44:15
Since
Proverbs 3:9 Haggai 2:18 Malachi 3:10 1 Timothy 4:8
we have had
2 Kings 4:43,44 Matthew 15:37 Philippians 4:18
the Lord
Genesis 26:12 30:27-30 39:5,23 Leviticus 25:21 26:4,5 Deuteronomy 28:8 Proverbs 10:22 2 Corinthians 9:8-11
Then Hezekiah commanded to prepare chambers in the house of the LORD; and they prepared them,
chambers
or, store-houses.
And brought in the offerings and the tithes and the dedicated things faithfully: over which Cononiah the Levite was ruler, and Shimei his brother was the next.
the dedicated
over which
And Jehiel, and Azaziah, and Nahath, and Asahel, and Jerimoth, and Jozabad, and Eliel, and Ismachiah, and Mahath, and Benaiah, were overseers under the hand of Cononiah and Shimei his brother, at the commandment of Hezekiah the king, and Azariah the ruler of the house of God.
under
Heb. at. at the commandment.
Azariah
10 1 Chronicles 9:11 24:5 Nehemiah 11:11
And Kore the son of Imnah the Levite, the porter toward the east, was over the freewill offerings of God, to distribute the oblations of the LORD, and the most holy things.
the porter
the free-will
Leviticus 22:18 23:38 Numbers 29:39 Deuteronomy 12:6,17 16:10 Ezra 1:4 3:5 7:16 Psalms 119:108
to distribute
the most
Leviticus 2:10 6:16,17 7:1-6 10:12,13 27:28
And next him were Eden, and Miniamin, and Jeshua, and Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah, in the cities of the priests, in their set office, to give to their brethren by courses, as well to the great as to the small:
next him
Heb. at his hand.
13 *marg:
Miniamin
Instead of Miniamin, Benjamin is the reading of three MSS., and of the Syriac, Arabic, LXX., and Vulgate.
the cities
Joshua 21:9-19 1 Chronicles 6:54-60
set office
or, trust.
1 Chronicles 9:22 *marg:
as well
Beside their genealogy of males, from three years old and upward, even unto every one that entereth into the house of the LORD, his daily portion for their service in their charges according to their courses;
his daily
Both to the genealogy of the priests by the house of their fathers, and the Levites from twenty years old and upward, in their charges by their courses;
genealogy
Numbers 3:15,20 4:38,42,46 17:2,3 Ezra 2:59
twenty
Numbers 4:3 8:24 1 Chronicles 23:24,27
by their courses
2 1 Chronicles 24:20-31 25:1-26
And to the genealogy of all their little ones, their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, through all the congregation: for in their set office they sanctified themselves in holiness:
set office
or, trust.
15 1 Chronicles 9:22 *margins
they sanctified
Also of the sons of Aaron the priests, which were in the fields of the suburbs of their cities, in every several city, the men that were expressed by name, to give portions to all the males among the priests, and to all that were reckoned by genealogies among the Levites.
the fields
15 Leviticus 25:34 Numbers 35:2-5 1 Chronicles 6:54,60
the men
And thus did Hezekiah throughout all Judah, and wrought that which was good and right and truth before the LORD his God.
wrought
1 Kings 15:5 2 Kings 20:3 22:2 John 1:47 Acts 24:16 1 Thessalonians 2:10 3 John 1:5
And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law, and in the commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered.
in the law
he did it
Deuteronomy 6:5 10:12 1 Kings 2:4 1 Chronicles 22:19 Ecclesiastes 9:10 Jeremiah 29:13
prospered
14:7 20:26 26:5 Joshua 1:7,8 1 Chronicles 22:13 Psalms 1:3 Matthew 6:33 7:24-27