“Hezekiah began to reign when he was five and twenty years old, and he reigned nine and twenty years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah.”
Abia. The last syllable is neglected, 4 Kings xviii. 2. (Haydock) — Some assert that she was a descendant of the high priest, who had been stoned. (St. Jerome, Trad.) (Chap. xxiv. 20.) (Tirinus)
“He in the first year of his reign, in the first month, opened the doors of the house of the LORD, and repaired them.”
Reign, in the assembly, which met to recognize his authority. (Lyranus) — Them, adorning them with plates of gold, 4 Kings xviii. 16.
“And he brought in the priests and the Levites, and gathered them together into the east street,”
Street, or court, before the eastern gate. (Calmet)
“And said unto them, Hear me, ye Levites, sanctify now yourselves, and sanctify the house of the LORD God of your fathers, and carry forth the filthiness out of the holy place.”
Sanctuary, or temple, ver. 7. The Jews suppose that idols had been placed in the very sanctuary: (Lyranus) but why then were the doors shut? (Calmet)
“Also they have shut up the doors of the porch, and put out the lamps, and have not burned incense nor offered burnt offerings in the holy place unto the God of Israel.”
Sanctuary, or court of the priests, where the victims were slain. The blood of some was taken into the most holy place, on the day of expiation. (Calmet)
“Wherefore the wrath of the LORD was upon Judah and Jerusalem, and he hath delivered them to trouble , to astonishment, and to hissing, as ye see with your eyes. trouble: Heb. commotion”
Trouble. Hebrew zuae, (Haydock) is rendered vexation, Isaias xxviii. 19. Septuagint, “ecstasy.” The Jews were frequently driven from their homes. (Menochius) — There were at a loss what to do, confounded and despised. (Haydock)
“For, lo, our fathers have fallen by the sword, and our sons and our daughters and our wives are in captivity for this.”
Wives. Chap. xxviii. 8. (Calmet) — So had the wives and family of king Joram been treated, chap. xxi. (Haydock)
“Now it is in mine heart to make a covenant with the LORD God of Israel, that his fierce wrath may turn away from us.”
Covenant, swearing to observe the law given by Moses. (Menochius)
“My sons, be not now negligent: for the LORD hath chosen you to stand before him, to serve him, and that ye should minister unto him, and burn incense. be not: or, be not now deceived burn: or, offer sacrifice”
Negligent. Hebrew adds, “now,” when every thing tends to open your eyes. (Haydock)
“And the priests went into the inner part of the house of the LORD, to cleanse it, and brought out all the uncleanness that they found in the temple of the LORD into the court of the house of the LORD. And the Levites took it, to carry it out abroad into the brook Kidron.”
Cedron, as Josias did with the idolatrous altars, 4 Kings xxiii. 12. The priests brought what was unclean from the inner temple into the porch. (Haydock) — This labour lasted eight days, as the cleansing of the porches had done. (Calmet) (Du Hamel)
“Now they began on the first day of the first month to sanctify, and on the eighth day of the month came they to the porch of the LORD: so they sanctified the house of the LORD in eight days; and in the sixteenth day of the first month they made an end.”
Month, Nisan, corresponding with our March, (Menochius) when Ezechias began his reign. (Salien, the year of the world 3309.)
“Moreover all the vessels, which king Ahaz in his reign did cast away in his transgression, have we prepared and sanctified, and, behold, they are before the altar of the LORD.”
Defiled. Hebrew, “cast out (Calmet) in his.” — Forth. Hebrew and Septuagint, “We have prepared and purified, behold they are,” &c. (Haydock)
“And they brought seven bullocks, and seven rams, and seven lambs, and seven he goats, for a sin offering for the kingdom, and for the sanctuary, and for Judah. And he commanded the priests the sons of Aaron to offer them on the altar of the LORD.”
Seven. Only one was prescribed for sins of ignorance, Leviticus iv. 13, 22. (St. Jerome, Trad.) — But the late transgressions were of a different nature; and the king consults his zeal, rather than what he was absolutely obliged to do. — Juda, to expiate the sins of the royal family, of priests, and people.
“And they brought forth the he goats for the sin offering before the king and the congregation; and they laid their hands upon them: forth: Heb. near”
They laid. The king and princes of the people confessed their sins, Leviticus iv. 15.
“And he set the Levites in the house of the LORD with cymbals, with psalteries, and with harps, according to the commandment of David, and of Gad the king's seer, and Nathan the prophet: for so was the commandment of the LORD by his prophets. commandment of the LORD: Heb. commandment by the hand of the LORD by: Heb. by the hand of”
Prophet. Moses had not required music, except on some occasions, Numbers x. 10. But David acted by God’s authority. The institution was designed to promote piety, and a love for religious meetings. Such sacred ceremonies are not to be considered as human inventions, for it was, &c. They command our utmost respect. (Calmet)
“And Hezekiah commanded to offer the burnt offering upon the altar. And when the burnt offering began, the song of the LORD began also with the trumpets, and with the instruments ordained by David king of Israel. when: Heb. in the time the instruments: Heb. hands of instruments”
Prepared, or ordained. (Menochius) — Hebrew, “with the instruments, by David.”
“Moreover Hezekiah the king and the princes commanded the Levites to sing praise unto the LORD with the words of David, and of Asaph the seer. And they sang praises with gladness, and they bowed their heads and worshipped.”
Princes of the priests. (Haydock) — Words; psalms. (Tirinus) — Asaph, so famous for music. He had composed some psalms, (Calmet) and twelve bear his name. (Tirinus) — But he might only have set them to music, (Haydock) or his band sung them. (Du Hamel) — Knee. Protestants, “head.” Septuagint, “they prostrated themselves.”
“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. consecrated: or, filled your hand”
Added. Hebrew and Septuagint, “answered,” a term used in Scripture, though no question had been proposed. (Haydock) — Filled. You are, in some sense, priests. Protestants, “you have consecrated yourselves.” The people brought victims but the priests poured the blood round the altar, ver. 34. (Haydock)
“And the consecrated things were six hundred oxen and three thousand sheep.”
Sheep, for peace-offerings. (Junius) (Calmet) — They destined these victims for the use of the temple, (Tirinus) that none might be wanting afterwards. (Calmet)
“But the priests were too few, so that they could not flay all the burnt offerings: wherefore their brethren the Levites did help them, till the work was ended, and until the other priests had sanctified themselves: for the Levites were more upright in heart to sanctify themselves than the priests. did help: Heb. strengthened them”
Holocausts, as the law required, Leviticus i. 6. See chap. xxxv. 11. The skin might be taken off other victims, by laics. — Priests. Syriac, “The Levites were more timid, or reserved than the priests, to purify themselves.” (Calmet) — Both are indirectly accused of negligence, chap. xxx. 15. The Hebrew seems to give the preference to the latter, “for the Levites were more upright of heart, (Septuagint, willing) to purify themselves than the priests.” But the Alexandrian Septuagint may well agree with the Vulgate. The ceremonies attending the purification of both, may be seen [in] Exodus xxix. 1., and Numbers viii. 6. (Haydock) — The priests had not sufficient time to collect themselves with the purity required, on such a short warning; and the paucity induced the king to put off the Passover till the next month, chap. xxx. 3, 15.
“And Hezekiah rejoiced, and all the people, that God had prepared the people: for the thing was done suddenly.”
Because. Hebrew and Septuagint, “that the Lord had disposed his people, for the thing was done suddenly,” (Haydock) to place no obstacle to this sudden change from one extreme to the other, at a time when the king was scarcely established on the throne. (Calmet) — Thus the people of England rejoiced, when the Catholic religion was re-established by the means of queen Mary and cardinal Pole. (Philips. 9.) — But the minds of the people are very fickle. Regis ad exemplum totus componitur orbis. Still the joy may show, that all love for truth is “not extinct,” as the Cardinal argued from the people’s conduct. (Poli. ep.) (Haydock)