2 Chronicles 30:22
in 2 Chronicles 30And Hezekiah encouraged all the Levites who performed skillfully before the LORD. For seven days they ate their assigned portion, sacrificing fellowship offerings and giving thanks to the LORD, the God of their fathers.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Hezekiah spake comfortably unto all the Levites that had good understanding in the service of Jehovah. So they did eat throughout the feast for the seven days, offering sacrifices of peace-offerings, and making confession to Jehovah, the God of their fathers.
KJV
And Hezekiah spake comfortably unto all the Levites that taught the good knowledge of the Lord: and they did eat throughout the feast seven days, offering peace offerings, and making confession to the Lord God of their fathers.
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This verse in 2 Chronicles 30
Commentary
9 notes on this versePrinces and magistrates by encouraging faithful and labourious preachers, greatly promote the kingdom of God. That taught - Who by their office were to instruct and build up the people in the knowledge and fear of God: which is mentioned as the cause of his respect and kindness to them.
This site's exposition
Hezekiah encouraged all the Levites
Hezekiah “encouraged all the Levites who performed skillfully before the LORD” after a week of their labor. For seven days the people “ate their assigned portion”, sacrificing fellowship offerings that were eaten as a shared meal. The feast closes with thanks “to the LORD, the God of their fathers”.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
They made a religious confession of their relation to God and dependence upon him, a penitent confession of their sins and infirmities, a thankful confession of God's mercies to them, and a supplicatory confession of their wants and desires; and, in all these, they had an eye to God as the God of their fathers, a God in covenant with them.
"What shall we do," says Hezekiah, "about the passover? It is a very comfortable ordinance, and has been long neglected. The time has elapsed for this year; we cannot go about it immediately; the congregation is thin, the people have not notice, the priests are not prepared,
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes
And Hezekiah spake comfortably to all the Levites,....
To keep up this part of the service, that God's altar might be abundantly regaled with the fat and blood and his priests and people with the flesh of the peace-offerings, Hezekiah gave out of his own stock 1000 bullocks and 7000 sheep, and the princes, excited by his pious example, gave the same number of bullocks and a greater number of sheep, and all for peace-offerings,
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Le 23:6]; but in consequence of its having been allowed to fall so long into desuetude, they doubled the period of celebration and kept it fourteen days with unabated satisfaction and joy. Materials for the additional sacrificial meals were supplied by the munificence of the king and the princes.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-brackets
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
Spake comfortably unto all the Levites - On such occasions the priests and Levites had great fatigue, and suffered many privations; and therefore had need of that encouragement which this prudent and pious king gave. It is a fine and expressive character given of these men, “They taught the good knowledge of God to the people.” This is the great work, or should be so, of every Christian minister. They should convey that knowledge of God to the people by which they may be saved; that is, the good knowledge of the Lord.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
The “knowledge” intended is perhaps chiefly ritualistic and musical - such knowledge as enabled them to conduct the service of the sanctuary satisfactorily. They did eat throughout the feast - literally, “they did eat the feast;” i. e. “they kept the feast,” which was essentially kept by the eating of unleavened bread. The Levites kept the feast during the full term appointed for it, never failing in their duties, but taking their part day after day, both in the sacrifice of the victims and in singing praises to God.
How the passage was read
On 2 Chronicles 30:1-27On 2 Chronicles 30:1-27
The Passover held a month late
Hezekiah's great Passover is kept in the SECOND month, and that is not an irregularity he invented: the Law itself provides a one-month make-up date for those unclean or far off (Numbers 9:10–11, the “Second Passover”). Hezekiah applies the provision nationally because the priests and the people could not be ready in time. Notice the chapter's heart: many northerners ate the Passover ritually unclean, and the king prays for them, “may the good LORD pardon everyone who sets his heart to seek God,” and the LORD heals the people. The feast's paperwork bends; the seeking heart is heard.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Sources: Numbers 9:10–11 (the Second-Passover provision) · Mishnah Pesachim 9:1 (the provision in the oral law)
The words behind it
22 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר | vaydaber | and he spoke | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| יְחִזְקִיָּ֗הוּ | yechizkiyahu | Hezekiah | H2396 → | 127 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | to | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| לֵב֙ | lev | [the] heart of | H3820 → | 595 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הַלְוִיִּ֔ם | halviyim | the Levites | H3881 → | 291 times |
| הַמַּשְׂכִּילִ֥ים | hamaskilim | who were understanding | H7919 → | |
| שֵֽׂכֶל־ | sekhel- | understanding | H7922 → | |
| ט֖וֹב | tov | good | H2896 → | 538 times |
| לַיהוָ֑ה | layahweh | to Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| וַיֹּאכְל֤וּ | vaiyokhelu | and they ate | H398 → | 810 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַמּוֹעֵד֙ | hamoed | the appointed feast | H4150 → | 223 times |
| שִׁבְעַ֣ת | shivat | [the] seven | H7651 → | 394 times |
| הַיָּמִ֔ים | haiyamim | the days | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| מְזַבְּחִים֙ | mezabechim | sacrificing | H2076 → | 134 times |
| זִבְחֵ֣י | zivchei | sacrifices of | H2077 → | 162 times |
| שְׁלָמִ֔ים | shelamim | peace offerings | H8002 → | 87 times |
| וּמִ֨תְוַדִּ֔ים | umitvadim | and giving thanks | H3034 → | 114 times |
| לַיהוָ֖ה | layahweh | to Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹהֵ֥י | ʾelohei | [the] God of | H430 → | 2601 times |
| אֲבוֹתֵיהֶֽם׃ ס | ʾavoteihem | ancestors their | H1 → | 1212 times |
וַיְדַבֵּ֣רand he spoke
vaydaberH1696 →1141 times
יְחִזְקִיָּ֗הוּHezekiah
yechizkiyahuH2396 →127 times
עַל־to
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
לֵב֙[the] heart of
levH3820 →595 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
הַלְוִיִּ֔םthe Levites
halviyimH3881 →291 times
הַמַּשְׂכִּילִ֥יםwho were understanding
hamaskilimH7919 →
שֵֽׂכֶל־understanding
sekhel-H7922 →
ט֖וֹבgood
tovH2896 →538 times
לַיהוָ֑הto Yahweh
layahwehH3068 →6520 times
וַיֹּאכְל֤וּand they ate
vaiyokheluH398 →810 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַמּוֹעֵד֙the appointed feast
hamoedH4150 →223 times
שִׁבְעַ֣ת[the] seven
shivatH7651 →394 times
הַיָּמִ֔יםthe days
haiyamimH3117 →2304 times
מְזַבְּחִים֙sacrificing
mezabechimH2076 →134 times
זִבְחֵ֣יsacrifices of
zivcheiH2077 →162 times
שְׁלָמִ֔יםpeace offerings
shelamimH8002 →87 times
וּמִ֨תְוַדִּ֔יםand giving thanks
umitvadimH3034 →114 times
לַיהוָ֖הto Yahweh
layahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹהֵ֥י[the] God of
ʾeloheiH430 →2601 times
אֲבוֹתֵיהֶֽם׃ סancestors their
ʾavoteihemH1 →1212 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
2 Chronicles 15:3For many years Israel has been without the true God, without a priest to instruct them, and without the law.
it leads to
- Nehemiah 8:9
Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to all of them, “This day is holy to the LORD your God. Do not mourn or…
- 2 Chronicles 17:8–9
accompanied by certain Levites—Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tob-adonijah—along with the priests Elishama and Jehoram.
- Leviticus 10:11
so that you may teach the Israelites all the statutes that the LORD has given them through Moses.”
- Jeremiah 10:10
But the LORD is the true God; He is the living God and eternal King. The earth quakes at His wrath, and the nations cannot endure His indignation.
- Malachi 2:7
For the lips of a priest should preserve knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, because he is the messenger of the LORD of Hosts.
- Nehemiah 8:9
Through
Ezra 10:11Now, therefore, make a confession to the LORD, the God of your fathers, and do His will. Separate yourselves from the people of the land and from your foreign wives.”
it leads to
- Romans 12:2
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of…
- Proverbs 28:13
He who conceals his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them will find mercy.
- Leviticus 26:40–42
But if they will confess their iniquity and that of their fathers in the unfaithfulness that they practiced against Me, by which they have also walked in hostility toward Me—
- Romans 12:2
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 2 Chronicles
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.