(KJV) 2 Chronicles 311

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⥃The Destruction of Idols

[1] Now when2 all this was finished, all Israel3 that were present4 went out to the cities of Judah, and brake5 the images6 in pieces, and cut down the groves, and threw down the high places and the altars out of all Judah and Benjamin, in Ephraim7 also and Manasseh, until8 they had utterly destroyed them all. Then all the children of Israel returned, every man to his possession, into their own cities.

[2] [¶]And Hezekiah appointed the courses9 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 thanks10, and to praise in the gates of the tents of the Lord11.

⥃Contributions for Worship

[3] [He appointed] also the king’s12 portion of his substance for the burnt offerings, [to wit], for the morning13 and evening burnt offerings, and the burnt14 offerings for the sabbaths, and for the new moons15, and for the set feasts16, as [it is] written in the law of the Lord. [4] Moreover he commanded the people that dwelt in Jerusalem to give the portion17 of the priests and the Levites, that they might18 be encouraged in the law19 of the Lord.

[5] [¶]And as soon20 as the commandment came abroad21, the children of Israel brought in abundance the firstfruits of corn, wine, and oil, and honey22, and of all the increase of the field; and the tithe of all [things] brought they in abundantly. [6] And [concerning] the children23 of Israel and Judah, that dwelt in the cities of Judah, they also brought in the tithe24 of oxen and sheep, and the tithe of holy things which were consecrated unto the Lord their God, and laid [them] by heaps25. [7] In the third month they began to lay the foundation of the heaps, and finished [them] in the seventh month.26 [8] And when Hezekiah and the princes came and saw the heaps, they blessed27 the Lord, and his people28 Israel. [9] Then Hezekiah questioned with the priests and the Levites concerning the heaps. [10] And Azariah29 the chief priest of the house of Zadok answered him, and said, Since30 [the people] began to bring the offerings into the house of the Lord, we have had31 enough to eat, and have left plenty: for the Lord32 hath blessed his people; and that which is left [is] this great store.

⥃Hezekiah Organizes the Priests

[11] Then Hezekiah commanded to prepare chambers33 in the house of the Lord; and they prepared [them], [12] And brought in the offerings and the tithes and the dedicated34 [things] faithfully: over which35 Cononiah the Levite [was] ruler, and Shimei his brother [was] the next. [13] And Jehiel, and Azaziah, and Nahath, and Asahel, and Jerimoth, and Jozabad, and Eliel, and Ismachiah, and Mahath, and Benaiah, [were] overseers under36 the hand of Cononiah and Shimei his brother, at the commandment37 of Hezekiah the king, and Azariah38 the ruler of the house of God. [14] And Kore the son of Imnah the Levite, the porter39 toward the east, [was] over the freewill40 offerings of God, to distribute41 the oblations of the Lord, and the most42 holy things. [15] And next him43 [were] Eden, and Miniamin44, and Jeshua, and Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah, in the cities45 of the priests, in [their] set office46, to give to their brethren by courses, as well47 to the great as to the small: [16] Beside their genealogy of males, from three years old and upward, [even] unto every one that entereth into the house of the Lord, his daily48 portion for their service in their charges according to their courses; [17] Both to the genealogy49 of the priests by the house of their fathers, and the Levites from twenty50 years old and upward, in their charges by their courses51; [18] 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 office52 they sanctified53 themselves in holiness: [19] Also of the sons of Aaron the priests, [which were] in the fields54 of the suburbs of their cities, in every several city, the men55 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.

[20] [¶]And thus did Hezekiah throughout all Judah, and wrought56 [that which was] good and right and truth before the Lord his God. [21] And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law57, and in the commandments, to seek his God, he did [it58] with all his heart, and prospered59.

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  1. 2Chr 31:1, The people is forward in destroying idolatry; 2Chr 31:2, Hezekiah orders the courses of the priests and Levites, and provides for their work and maintenance; 2Chr 31:5, The people’s forwardness in offerings and tithes; 2Chr 31:11, Hezekiah appoints officers to dispose of the tithes; 2Chr 31:20, The sincerity of Hezekiah. ↩

  2. 2Chr 30:1-27 ↩

  3. 1Kgs 18:38-40; 2Kgs 23:2-20 ↩

  4. Heb. found, Gen 19:15; Esth 4:16 ↩

  5. 2Chr 14:3, 2Chr 23:17, 2Chr 32:12, 2Chr 34:3-7; Exod 23:24; Deut 7:5; 2Kgs 18:4 ↩

  6. Heb. statues, 2Chr 30:14 ↩

  7. 2Chr 30:1, 2Chr 30:18, 2Chr 34:6-7; 2Kgs 17:2, 2Kgs 18:4, 2Kgs 23:15 ↩

  8. etc. Heb. until to make an end ↩

  9. 2Chr 5:11, 2Chr 8:14, 2Chr 23:8; 1Chr 16:37, 1Chr 16:40, 23:1-26:32; Ezra 6:18; Luke 1:5 ↩

  10. 2Chr 29:24-26; 1Chr 16:4-6, 1Chr 16:41, 1Chr 23:30, 1Chr 25:1-3; Neh 11:17; Ps 134:1-3; Ps 135:1-3; Jer 33:11 ↩

  11. Beshaarey 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. ↩

  12. 2Chr 30:24; 1Chr 26:26; Ezek 45:17, Ezek 46:4-7, Ezek 46:12-18 ↩

  13. Exod 29:38-42; Num 28:3-8 ↩

  14. Num 28:9-10 ↩

  15. Num 28:11-31, Num 29:1-40; Deut 16:1-17; Ps 81:1-4; Col 2:16-17 ↩

  16. Lev 23:2-44 ↩

  17. 2Chr 31:16; Lev 27:30-33; Num 18:8-21, Num 18:26-28; Mal 3:8-10 ↩

  18. Neh 13:10-13; 1Cor 9:9-14; Gal 6:6 ↩

  19. Mal 2:7 ↩

  20. 2Chr 24:10-11; Exod 35:5, Exod 35:20-29, Exod 36:5-6; 2Cor 8:2-5 ↩

  21. Heb. brake forth, the first fruits, Exod 22:29, Exod 23:19, Exod 34:22, Exod 34:26; Num 18:12; Neh 10:35-39, Neh 12:44, Neh 13:12, Neh 13:31; Prov 3:9; 1Cor 15:20; Jas 1:18; Rev 14:4 ↩

  22. or, dates, The word devash generally denotes the honey produced by bees; but as we have already observed (on Gen 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 araky, 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. ↩

  23. 2Chr 11:16-17 ↩

  24. Lev 27:30; Deut 14:28 ↩

  25. Heb. heaps and heaps. ↩

  26. Lev 23:16-24 ↩

  27. Gen 14:20; Judg 5:9; 1Kgs 8:14-15; 1Chr 29:10-20; Ezra 7:27; 2Cor 8:16; Eph 1:3; Phil 4:10, Phil 4:19; 1Thess 3:9; 1Pet 1:3 ↩

  28. 2Chr 6:3; Gen 14:19; 2Sam 6:18; 1Kgs 8:55 ↩

  29. 2Chr 26:17; 1Kgs 2:35; 1Chr 6:8, 1Chr 6:14; Ezek 44:15 ↩

  30. Prov 3:9; Hag 2:18; Mal 3:10; 1Tim 4:8 ↩

  31. 2Kgs 4:43-44; Matt 15:37; Phil 4:18 ↩

  32. Gen 26:12, Gen 30:27-30, Gen 39:5, Gen 39:23; Lev 25:21, Lev 26:4-5; Deut 28:8; Prov 10:22; 2Cor 9:8-11 ↩

  33. or, store-houses, Neh 10:38-39, Neh 13:5, Neh 13:12-13 ↩

  34. 2Kgs 12:15 ↩

  35. 1Chr 26:20-26 ↩

  36. Heb. at ↩

  37. 2Chr 31:4, 2Chr 31:11, 2Chr 30:12 ↩

  38. 2Chr 31:10; 1Chr 9:11, 1Chr 24:5; Neh 11:11 ↩

  39. 1Chr 26:12, 1Chr 26:14, 1Chr 26:17 ↩

  40. Lev 22:18, Lev 23:38; Num 29:39; Deut 12:6, Deut 12:17, Deut 16:10; Ezra 1:4, Ezra 3:5, Ezra 7:16; Ps 119:108 ↩

  41. Neh 13:13 ↩

  42. Lev 2:10, Lev 6:16-17, Lev 7:1-6, Lev 10:12-13, Lev 27:28 ↩

  43. Heb. at his hand, 2Chr 31:13 *marg. ↩

  44. Instead of Miniamin, Benjamin is the reading of three manuscripts, and of the Syriac, Arabic, LXX, and Vulgate. ↩

  45. Josh 21:9-19; 1Chr 6:54-60 ↩

  46. or, trust, 1Chr 9:22 *marg. ↩

  47. 1Chr 25:8 ↩

  48. Lev 21:22-23 ↩

  49. Num 3:15, Num 3:20, Num 4:38, Num 4:42, Num 4:46, Num 17:2-3; Ezra 2:59 ↩

  50. Num 4:3, Num 8:24; 1Chr 23:24, 1Chr 23:27 ↩

  51. 2Chr 31:2; 1Chr 24:20-31, 25:1-26:32 ↩

  52. or, trust, 2Chr 31:15; 1Chr 9:22 *marg. ↩

  53. Isa 5:16; Rom 15:16 ↩

  54. 2Chr 31:15; Lev 25:34; Num 35:2-5; 1Chr 6:54, 1Chr 6:60 ↩

  55. 2Chr 31:12-15, 2Chr 28:15 ↩

  56. 1Kgs 15:5; 2Kgs 20:3, 2Kgs 22:2; John 1:47; Acts 24:16; 1Thess 2:10; 3John 1:5 ↩

  57. Ps 1:2-3 ↩

  58. Deut 6:5, Deut 10:12; 1Kgs 2:4; 1Chr 22:19; Eccl 9:10; Jer 29:13 ↩

  59. 2Chr 14:7, 2Chr 20:26, 2Chr 26:5; Josh 1:7-8; 1Chr 22:13; Ps 1:3; Matt 6:33, Matt 7:24-27 ↩