יְחִזְקִיָּהוּ מָלַךְ בֶּן־עֶשְׂרִים וְחָמֵשׁ שָׁנָה וְעֶשְׂרִים וָתֵשַׁע שָׁנָה מָלַךְ בִּירוּשָׁלִָם וְשֵׁם אִמּוֹ אֲבִיָּה   29:1

 בַּת־זְכַרְיָהוּ׃

2Chr. 29:1   Hezekiah became king at twenty-five years of age, and reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem, and the name of his mother was Abijah daughter of Zechariah.

Echoes of this verse and the next appear in 2Kin. 18:2 and 18:3.  Only there Hezekiah’s mother is called Abi.

וַיַּעַשׂ הַיָּשָׁר בְּעֵינֵי יְהוָה כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂה דָּוִיד אָבִיו׃   29:2

2Chr. 29:2   And he did the right thing in the eyes of the Lord like everything that David, his ancestor, had done.

הוּא בַשָּׁנָה הָרִאשׁוֹנָה לְמָלְכוֹ בַּחֹדֶשׁ הָרִאשׁוֹן פָּתַח אֶת־דַּלְתוֹת בֵּית־יְהוָה וַיְחַזְּקֵם׃   29:3

2Chr. 29:3   In his reign's first year in the first month, he reopened the doors of the house of the Lord and repaired them.

Although some of the events and facts are similar to some of those appearing in 2Kings Chapter 18, the rest of this chapter is not found there.  For example, Hezekiah’s words quoted in vss. 29:5 to 29:11 are not present in 2Kings.  Nor is the description of the celebration of the Temple’s purification.

וַיָּבֵא אֶת־הַכֹּהֲנִים וְאֶת־הַלְוִיִּם וַיַּאַסְפֵם לִרְחוֹב הַמִּזְרָח׃   29:4

2Chr. 29:4   And he brought the priests and the Levites and gathered them to the east plaza

וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם שְׁמָעוּנִי הַלְוִיִּם עַתָּה הִתְקַדְּשׁוּ וְקַדְּשׁוּ אֶת־בֵּית יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵי אֲבֹתֵיכֶם וְהוֹצִיאוּ   29:5

 אֶת־הַנִּדָּה מִן־הַקֹּדֶשׁ׃

2Chr. 29:5   and said to them, “Hear me, Levites!  Sanctify yourselves now, and sanctify the house of the Lord, God of your ancestors, and bring out the filth from the sanctuary.”

The words in this verse can be interpreted in two different ways.  In one way, this verse becomes an excellent example of the reversal of event sequence in many Hebrew descriptions.  Logically, the filth in the sanctuary would have to be removed before the Levites would sanctify themselves and the Temple.  Viewed another way, the last phrase (and bring out the filth ....) might be considered a summary of what the Levites were being told to do.  I favor the first interpretation, because I believe the latter interpretation is a bit of a stretch and represents awkward logic.  Verses 29:15 and 16 provide support for my conclusion, as the inverted sequence is repeated there.

כִּי־מָעֲלוּ אֲבֹתֵינוּ וְעָשׂוּ הָרַע בְּעֵינֵי יְהוָה־אֱלֹהֵינוּ וַיַּעַזְבֻהוּ וַיַּסֵּבּוּ פְנֵיהֶם מִמִּשְׁכַּן יְהוָה וַיִּתְּנוּ־עֹרֶף׃   29:6

2Chr. 29:6   “For our ancestors had transgressed that they would do what was evil in the eyes of the Lord, our God, and had forsaken Him and turned their faces from the tabernacle of the Lord and turned the back.”

גַּם סָגְרוּ דַּלְתוֹת הָאוּלָם וַיְכַבּוּ אֶת־הַנֵּרוֹת וּקְטֹרֶת לֹא הִקְטִירוּ וְעֹלָה לֹא־הֶעֱלוּ בַקֹּדֶשׁ לֵאלֹהֵי   29:7

 יִשְׂרָאֵל׃

2Chr. 29:7   They also closed the doors of the porch and put out the lamps and did not burn incense or offer burnt offering in the sanctuary to the God of Israel.”

וַיְהִי קֶצֶף יְהוָה עַל־יְהוּדָה וִירוּשָׁלִָם וַיִּתְּנֵם (לִזְוָעָה) [לְזַעֲוָה] לְשַׁמָּה וְלִשְׁרֵקָה כַּאֲשֶׁר אַתֶּם רֹאִים   29:8

 בְּעֵינֵיכֶם׃

2Chr. 29:8   “So the ‘wrath’ of the Lord was upon Judah and Jerusalem that He delivered them for a horror, for a waste, and for a hissing, as you are seeing with your own eyes.”

The word in the parentheses, translated as for a horror, is misspelled.  The positions of the vav and the ayin are reversed.  The correct spelling is in the brackets.

וְהִנֵּה נָפְלוּ אֲבוֹתֵינוּ בֶּחָרֶב וּבָנֵינוּ וּבְנוֹתֵינוּ וְנָשֵׁינוּ בַּשְּׁבִי עַל־זֹאת׃   29:9

2Chr. 29:9   “So lo, our fathers have fallen by the sword, and our sons and our daughters and our wives are in captivity because of this.”

עַתָּה עִם־לְבָבִי לִכְרוֹת בְּרִית לַיהוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְיָשֹׁב מִמֶּנּוּ חֲרוֹן אַפּוֹ׃   29:10

2Chr. 29:10   “Now it is with my heart to make a covenant to the Lord, God of Israel, that He turn back the ferocity of His ‘anger’ from us.”

בָּנַי עַתָּה אַל־תִּשָּׁלוּ כִּי־בָכֶם בָּחַר יְהוָה לַעֲמֹד לְפָנָיו לְשָׁרְתוֹ וְלִהְיוֹת לוֹ מְשָׁרְתִים וּמַקְטִרִים׃   29:11

2Chr. 29:11   “My sons, now you must not be negligent, for the Lord has decided on you to stand before Him for His ministry and to be ministers to Him and incense offerers.”

וַיָּקֻמוּ הַלְוִיִּם מַחַת בֶּן־עֲמָשַׂי וְיוֹאֵל בֶּן־עֲזַרְיָהוּ מִן־בְּנֵי הַקְּהָתִי וּמִן־בְּנֵי מְרָרִי קִישׁ בֶּן־עַבְדִּי   29:12

  וַעֲזַרְיָהוּ בֶּן־יְהַלֶּלְאֵל וּמִן־הַגֵּרְשֻׁנִּי יוֹאָח בֶּן־זִמָּה וְעֵדֶן בֶּן־יוֹאָח׃

2Chr. 29:12   And the Levites rose, Mahath son of Amasai, and Joel son of Azariah, from the sons of the Kohathite, and from the sons of the Morari Kish son of Abdi, and Azariah son Jehallelel, and from the Gershonite Joah son of Zimmah, and Eden son of Joah,

וּמִן־בְּנֵי אֱלִיצָפָן שִׁמְרִי (וִיעוּאֵל) [וִיעִיאֵל] וּמִן־בְּנֵי אָסָף זְכַרְיָהוּ וּמַתַּנְיָהוּ׃   29:13

2Chr. 29:13   and from the sons of Elizaphan Shimri and Jeiel, and from the sons of Asaph Zechariah and Mattaniah,

The name of Jeiel is misspelled in the parentheses.  The correction in the brackets replaces the second vav with a yad.

וּמִן־בְּנֵי הֵימָן (יְחוּאֵל) [יְחִיאֵל] וְשִׁמְעִי וּמִן־בְּנֵי יְדוּתוּן שְׁמַעְיָה וְעֻזִּיאֵל׃   29:14

2Chr. 29:14   and from the sons of Heman Jehiel and Shimei, and from the sons of Jeduthun Shemaiah and Uzziel.

The name in the parentheses in this verse is similar to the name in the preceding verse, the ayin there being a chet here.  The name is Jehiel (which is considered a variation on the name Jeiel).  The corrected spelling is in the brackets, where the vav is replaced by a yad.

וַיַּאַסְפוּ אֶת־אֲחֵיהֶם וַיִּתְקַדְּשׁוּ וַיָּבֹאוּ כְמִצְוַת־הַמֶּלֶךְ בְּדִבְרֵי יְהוָה לְטַהֵר בֵּית יְהוָה׃   29:15

2Chr. 29:15   And they assembled their brethren and they sanctified themselves and entered according to the command of the king with the words of the Lord to purify the house of the Lord.

וַיָּבֹאוּ הַכֹּהֲנִים לִפְנִימָה בֵית־יְהוָה לְטַהֵר וַיּוֹצִיאוּ אֵת כָּל־הַטֻּמְאָה אֲשֶׁר מָצְאוּ בְּהֵיכַל יְהוָה לַחֲצַר   29:16

 בֵּית יְהוָה וַיְקַבְּלוּ הַלְוִיִּם לְהוֹצִיא לְנַחַל־קִדְרוֹן חוּצָה׃

2Chr. 29:16   And the priests came in to the interior of the house of the Lord to purify, and they brought out all the uncleanness that they found in the Temple of the Lord to the court of the house of the Lord, that the Levites received to carry outside to the brook Kidron.

וַיָּחֵלּוּ בְּאֶחָד לַחֹדֶשׁ הָרִאשׁוֹן לְקַדֵּשׁ וּבְיוֹם שְׁמוֹנָה לַחֹדֶשׁ בָּאוּ לְאוּלָם יְהוָה וַיְקַדְּשׁוּ   29:17

  אֶת־בֵּית־יְהוָה לְיָמִים שְׁמוֹנָה וּבְיוֹם שִׁשָּׁה עָשָׂר לַחֹדֶשׁ הָרִאשׁוֹן כִּלּוּ׃

2Chr. 29:17   And they began on the first month's first to sanctify, and on the month's eighth day they came to the porch of the Lord, and they sanctified the house of the Lord for eight days and on the first month's sixteenth day they finished.

Notice, no mention of Passover, which should have been celebrated on the 15th of the month.  We’ll find out more about this in the next chapter.

וַיָּבוֹאוּ פְנִימָה אֶל־חִזְקִיָּהוּ הַמֶּלֶךְ וַיֹּאמְרוּ טִהַרְנוּ אֶת־כָּל־בֵּית יְהוָה אֶת־מִזְבַּח הָעוֹלָה   29:18

  וְאֶת־כָּל־כֵּלָיו וְאֶת־שֻׁלְחַן הַמַּעֲרֶכֶת וְאֶת־כָּל־כֵּלָיו׃

2Chr. 29:18   And they entered within to Hezekiah, the king, and said, “We have purified the entire house of the Lord and the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils and the table of show bread and all its implements.”

וְאֵת כָּל־הַכֵּלִים אֲשֶׁר הִזְנִיחַ הַמֶּלֶךְ אָחָז בְּמַלְכוּתוֹ בְּמַעֲלוֹ הֵכַנּוּ וְהִקְדָּשְׁנוּ וְהִנָּם לִפְנֵי מִזְבַּח יְהוָה׃   29:19

2Chr. 29:19   “And we have prepared and sanctified all the implements that the king, Ahaz, had cast away during his reign in his treachery, and behold, they are before the altar of the Lord.”

וַיַּשְׁכֵּם יְחִזְקִיָּהוּ הַמֶּלֶךְ וַיֶּאֱסֹף אֵת שָׂרֵי הָעִיר וַיַּעַל בֵּית יְהוָה׃   29:20

2Chr. 29:20   And Hezekiah, the king, arose early and assembled the princes of the city and went up to the house of the Lord.

וַיָּבִיאוּ פָרִים־שִׁבְעָה וְאֵילִים שִׁבְעָה וּכְבָשִׂים שִׁבְעָה וּצְפִירֵי עִזִּים שִׁבְעָה לְחַטָּאת עַל־הַמַּמְלָכָה   29:21

 וְעַל־הַמִּקְדָּשׁ וְעַל־יְהוּדָה וַיֹּאמֶר לִבְנֵי אַהֲרֹן הַכֹּהֲנִים לְהַעֲלוֹת עַל־מִזְבַּח יְהוָה׃

2Chr. 29:21   And they brought seven bullocks and seven rams and seven lambs and seven male goats for a sin offering for the kingdom and for the sanctuary and for Judah, that he said to the sons of Aaron, the priests, to offer on the altar of the Lord.

וַיִּשְׁחֲטוּ הַבָּקָר וַיְקַבְּלוּ הַכֹּהֲנִים אֶת־הַדָּם וַיִּזְרְקוּ הַמִּזְבֵּחָה וַיִּשְׁחֲטוּ הָאֵלִים וַיִּזְרְקוּ הַדָּם הַמִּזְבֵּחָה   29:22

 וַיִּשְׁחֲטוּ הַכְּבָשִׂים וַיִּזְרְקוּ הַדָּם הַמִּזְבֵּחָה׃

2Chr. 29:22   So they slaughtered the cattle and the priests received the blood and sprinkled the altar, and they slaughtered the rams and sprinkled the blood on the altar, and they slaughtered the lambs and sprinkled the blood on the altar.

וַיַּגִּישׁוּ אֶת־שְׂעִירֵי הַחַטָּאת לִפְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ וְהַקָּהָל וַיִּסְמְכוּ יְדֵיהֶם עֲלֵיהֶם׃   29:23

2Chr. 29:23   And they brought the goats of the sin offering near before the king and the congregation, and they laid their hands upon them,

וַיִּשְׁחָטוּם הַכֹּהֲנִים וַיְחַטְּאוּ אֶת־דָּמָם הַמִּזְבֵּחָה לְכַפֵּר עַל־כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵל כִּי לְכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵל אָמַר הַמֶּלֶךְ   29:24

הָעוֹלָה וְהַחַטָּאת׃

2Chr. 29:24   and the priests slaughtered them and made a sin offering with their blood on the altar to atone for all Israel, because the king had said the burnt offering and the sin offering were for all Israel.

וַיַּעֲמֵד אֶת־הַלְוִיִּם בֵּית יְהוָה בִּמְצִלְתַּיִם בִּנְבָלִים וּבְכִנֹּרוֹת בְּמִצְוַת דָּוִיד וְגָד חֹזֵה־הַמֶּלֶךְ וְנָתָן   29:25

 הַנָּבִיא כִּי בְיַד־יְהוָה הַמִּצְוָה בְּיַד־נְבִיאָיו׃

2Chr. 29:25   And he appointed the Levites to the house of the Lord with cymbals, with psalteries, and with harps according to the command of David and Gad, the seer of the king, and Nathan, the prophet, for the commandment was by the hand of the Lord by the hand of His prophets.

וַיַּעַמְדוּ הַלְוִיִּם בִּכְלֵי דָוִיד וְהַכֹּהֲנִים בַּחֲצֹצְרוֹת׃   29:26

2Chr. 29:26   And the Levites stood with the instruments of David, and the priests with the trumpets.

וַיֹּאמֶר חִזְקִיָּהוּ לְהַעֲלוֹת הָעֹלָה לְהַמִּזְבֵּחַ וּבְעֵת הֵחֵל הָעוֹלָה הֵחֵל שִׁיר־יְהוָה וְהַחֲצֹצְרוֹת   29:27

 וְעַל־יְדֵי כְּלֵי דָּוִיד מֶלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵל׃

2Chr. 29:27   And Hezekiah said to bring up the burnt offering to the altar, and at the time of the start of the burnt offering, a song of the Lord began, with the trumpets that were at the sides of the instruments of David, king of Israel.

וְכָל־הַקָּהָל מִשְׁתַּחֲוִים וְהַשִּׁיר מְשֹׁורֵר וְהַחֲצֹצְרֹות (מַחֲצֹצְרִים) [מַחְצְרִים] הַכֹּל עַד לִכְלֹות הָעֹלָה׃   29:28

2Chr. 29:28   And all the congregation were bowing down, and the song was being sung, and the trumpets were being sounded, the whole thing up to the completion of the burnt offering.

We have here an error we’ve seen before in 1Chr. 15:24.  The word in the parentheses, translated as were being sounded, has an extra tsadi.  The correction is in the brackets.  I suspect the repetition of this peculiar error demonstrates that the same scribe wrote both books of Chronicles.

וּכְכַלּוֹת לְהַעֲלוֹת כָּרְעוּ הַמֶּלֶךְ וְכָל־הַנִּמְצְאִים אִתּוֹ וַיִּשְׁתַּחֲווּ׃   29:29

2Chr. 29:29   And after the ending to the offering the king and all who were present with him knelt and prostrated themselves.

וַיֹּאמֶר יְחִזְקִיָּהוּ הַמֶּלֶךְ וְהַשָּׂרִים לַלְוִיִּם לְהַלֵּל לַיהוָה בְּדִבְרֵי דָוִיד וְאָסָף הַחֹזֶה וַיְהַלְלוּ   29:30

 עַד־לְשִׂמְחָה וַיִּקְּדוּ וַיִּשְׁתַּחֲווּ׃

2Chr. 29:30   And Hezekiah, the king, said along with the princes, to the Levites to sing praise to the Lord in the words of David and Asaph, the seer, and they sang praises until in joyfulness, and they bowed and prostrated themselves.

וַיַּעַן יְחִזְקִיָּהוּ וַיֹּאמֶר עַתָּה מִלֵּאתֶם יֶדְכֶם לַיהוָה גֹּשׁוּ וְהָבִיאוּ זְבָחִים וְתוֹדוֹת לְבֵית יְהוָה וַיָּבִיאוּּ   29:31

 הַקָּהָל זְבָחִים וְתוֹדוֹת וְכָל־נְדִיב לֵב עֹלוֹת׃

2Chr. 29:31   And Hezekiah responded and said, “Now you have consecrated your hand to the Lord.  Come near and bring sacrifices and thank offerings to the house of the Lord.”  And the congregation brought sacrifices and thank offerings, and everyone willing of heart, burnt offerings.

וַיְהִי מִסְפַּר הָעֹלָה אֲשֶׁר הֵבִיאוּ הַקָּהָל בָּקָר שִׁבְעִים אֵילִים מֵאָה כְּבָשִׂים מָאתָיִם לְעֹלָה לַיהוָה   29:32

 כָּל־אֵלֶּה׃

2Chr. 29:32   And the number of the burnt offering that the congregation brought was seventy cattle, a hundred rams, two hundred lambs, all these for a burnt offering to the Lord.

וְהַקֳּדָשִׁים בָּקָר שֵׁשׁ מֵאוֹת וְצֹאן שְׁלֹשֶׁת אֲלָפִים׃   29:33

2Chr. 29:33   And what were consecrated were six hundred oxen and three thousand sheep.

רַק הַכֹּהֲנִים הָיוּ לִמְעָט וְלֹא יָכְלוּ לְהַפְשִׁיט אֶת־כָּל־הָעֹלוֹת וַיְּחַזְּקוּם אֲחֵיהֶם הַלְוִיִּם עַד־כְּלוֹת   29:34

 הַמְּלָאכָה וְעַד יִתְקַדְּשׁוּ הַכֹּהֲנִים כִּי הַלְוִיִּם יִשְׁרֵי לֵבָב לְהִתְקַדֵּשׁ מֵהַכֹּהֲנִים׃

2Chr. 29:34   Only the priests were too few, and they were not able to flay all the burnt offerings, so their brethren, the Levites, reinforced them until the completion of the work, and until the priests had sanctified themselves, for the Levites were more upright of heart to sanctify themselves than the priests.

וְגַם־עֹלָה לָרֹב בְּחֶלְבֵי הַשְּׁלָמִים וּבַנְּסָכִים לָעֹלָה וַתִּכּוֹן עֲבוֹדַת בֵּית־יְהוָה׃   29:35

2Chr. 29:35   And the burnt offering was also in abundance, with the fat of the peace offerings and with the drink offerings for a burnt offering.  So the service of the house of the Lord was reestablished.

וַיִּשְׂמַח יְחִזְקִיָּהוּ וְכָל־הָעָם עַל הַהֵכִין הָאֱלֹהִים לָעָם כִּי בְּפִתְאֹם הָיָה הַדָּבָר׃   29:36

2Chr. 29:36   And Hezekiah rejoiced, along with all the people, over what God had provided for the people, for the thing happened suddenly.

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