2 Chronicles 30:6
in 2 Chronicles 30So the couriers went throughout Israel and Judah with letters from the king and his officials, which read: “Children of Israel, return to the LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, so that He may return to those of you who remain, who have escaped the grasp of the kings of Assyria.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
So the posts went with the letters from the king and his princes throughout all Israel and Judah, and according to the commandment of the king, saying, Ye children of Israel, turn again unto Jehovah, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, that he may return to the remnant that are escaped of you out of the hand of the kings of Assyria.
KJV
So the posts went with the letters from the king and his princes throughout all Israel and Judah, and according to the commandment of the king, saying, Ye children of Israel, turn again unto the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, and he will return to the remnant of you, that are escaped out of the hand of the kings of Assyria.
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This verse in 2 Chronicles 30
Commentary
8 notes on this verseSo the posts went - רצים ratsim, the runners or couriers; persons who were usually employed to carry messages; men who were light of foot, and confidential.
This site's exposition
pleased the king and the whole assembly
on 2 Chronicles 30:4-6
The decree gives formal shape to what the king and “the whole assembly” had already agreed. Its reach, “from Beersheba to Dan”, is the border language of the united kingdom, spoken to a north divided. Verse 5 gives the reason: “they had not observed it as a nation as prescribed”.
This site's exposition
return to the LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel
Jamieson, Fausset and Brown take the couriers for runners drawn from the royal guard. The letter turns on one verb: if Israel returns to the LORD, He will return to those who remain. Matthew Henry reads the letter as a call to repentance.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
) turning to the Lord God; for they had forsaken him, and worshipped other gods. Repent now, and be converted. Thus those who through grace have turned to God themselves should do all they can to bring others back to him. [2.] What arguments he uses to persuade them to do this.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
), and therefore are concerned to put yourselves under the protection of the God of your fathers, that you be not quite swallowed up." Fifthly, "This is the only way of turning away the fierceness of God's anger from you (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation
So the posts went with the letters from the king and his princes throughout all Israel and Judah,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
the posts--that is, runners, or royal messengers, who were taken from the king's bodyguard (2Ch 23:1, 2). Each, well mounted, had a certain number of miles to traverse.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
The posts went - The bearers of the letters were probably the “runners” who formed a portion of the king’s body-guard (2Ki 10:25 note). The kings of Assyria - Pul, Tiglath-pileser, and Shalmaneser may all be referred to in this passage (compare the marginal reference and 2Ki 17:3). The passage by no means implies that the fall of Samaria and final captivity of the Israelites had as yet taken place.
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
29 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֵּלְכוּ֩ | vaiyelekhu | and they went | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| הָרָצִ֨ים | haratzim | the runners | H7323 → | 103 times |
| בָּֽאִגְּר֜וֹת | baigerot | with <the> letters | H107 → | |
| מִיַּ֧ד | miyad | from [the] hand of | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| וְשָׂרָ֗יו | vesarav | and officials his | H8269 → | 421 times |
| בְּכָל־ | bekhol | in all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| וִֽיהוּדָ֔ה | vihudah | and Judah | H3063 → | 819 times |
| וּכְמִצְוַ֥ת | ukhemitzvat | and according to [the] command of | H4687 → | 181 times |
| הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| לֵאמֹ֑ר | lemor | <to> saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| בְּנֵ֣י | benei | O people of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| שׁ֚וּבוּ | shuvu | return | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| יְהוָ֗ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹהֵי֙ | ʾelohei | [the] God of | H430 → | 2601 times |
| אַבְרָהָם֙ | ʾavraham | Abraham | H85 → | |
| יִצְחָ֣ק | yitzchak | Isaac | H3327 → | |
| וְיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל | veyisrael | and Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| וְיָשֹׁב֙ | veyasho | so he may return | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הַפְּלֵיטָ֔ה | hapeleitah | the escaped remnant | H6413 → | 28 times |
| הַנִּשְׁאֶ֣רֶת | hanisheret | which remains | H7604 → | 133 times |
| לָכֶ֔ם | lakhem | to you | ||
| מִכַּ֖ף | mikaf | from [the] hand of | H3709 → | 192 times |
| מַלְכֵ֥י | malkhei | [the] kings of | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| אַשּֽׁוּר׃ | ʾashur | Assyria | H804 → | 151 times |
וַיֵּלְכוּ֩and they went
vaiyelekhuH1980 →1546 times
הָרָצִ֨יםthe runners
haratzimH7323 →103 times
בָּֽאִגְּר֜וֹתwith <the> letters
baigerotH107 →
מִיַּ֧דfrom [the] hand of
miyadH3027 →1618 times
הַמֶּ֣לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
וְשָׂרָ֗יוand officials his
vesaravH8269 →421 times
בְּכָל־in all
bekholH3605 →5413 times
יִשְׂרָאֵל֙Israel
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
וִֽיהוּדָ֔הand Judah
vihudahH3063 →819 times
וּכְמִצְוַ֥תand according to [the] command of
ukhemitzvatH4687 →181 times
הַמֶּ֖לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
לֵאמֹ֑ר<to> saying
lemorH559 →5305 times
בְּנֵ֣יO people of
beneiH1121 →4930 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֗לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
שׁ֚וּבוּreturn
shuvuH7725 →1056 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
יְהוָ֗הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹהֵי֙[the] God of
ʾeloheiH430 →2601 times
אַבְרָהָם֙Abraham
ʾavrahamH85 →
יִצְחָ֣קIsaac
yitzchakH3327 →
וְיִשְׂרָאֵ֔לand Israel
veyisraelH3478 →2507 times
וְיָשֹׁב֙so he may return
veyashoH7725 →1056 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הַפְּלֵיטָ֔הthe escaped remnant
hapeleitahH6413 →28 times
הַנִּשְׁאֶ֣רֶתwhich remains
hanisheretH7604 →133 times
לָכֶ֔םto you
lakhem
מִכַּ֖ףfrom [the] hand of
mikafH3709 →192 times
מַלְכֵ֥י[the] kings of
malkheiH4428 →2525 times
אַשּֽׁוּר׃Assyria
ʾashurH804 →151 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
Jeremiah 4:1“If you will return, O Israel, return to Me,” declares the LORD. “If you will remove your detestable idols from My sight and no longer waver,
it leads to
- Joel 2:12
“Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “return to Me with all your heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning.”
- Jeremiah 3:22
“Return, O faithless children, and I will heal your faithlessness.” “Here we are. We come to You, for You are the LORD our God.
- Jeremiah 3:12
Go, proclaim this message toward the north: ‘Return, O faithless Israel,’ declares the LORD. ‘I will no longer look on you with anger, for I am merciful,’ declares the LORD. ‘I will not be…
- Ezekiel 43:9
Now let them remove far from Me their prostitution and the funeral offerings for their kings, and I will dwell among them forever.
- Jeremiah 3:1
“If a man divorces his wife and she leaves him to marry another, can he ever return to her? Would not such a land be completely defiled? But you have played the harlot with…
- Joel 2:12
Through
2 Kings 15:29In the days of Pekah king of Israel, Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria came and captured Ijon, Abel-beth-maacah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, Gilead, and Galilee, including all the land of Naphtali, and he took the people…
it leads to
- 1 Chronicles 5:26
So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria (that is, Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria) to take the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh into exile. And…
- 2 Kings 17:6
In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and carried away the Israelites to Assyria, where he settled them in Halah, in Gozan by the Habor River, and in the…
- 1 Chronicles 5:26
Through
Jeremiah 51:31One courier races to meet another, and messenger follows messenger, to announce to the king of Babylon that his city has been captured from end to end.
it leads to
- 2 Samuel 18:19–31
Then Ahimaaz son of Zadok said, “Please let me run and tell the king the good news that the LORD has avenged him of his enemies.”
- 2 Samuel 18:19–31
Where this verse is studied
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About 2 Chronicles
Who and where
4 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonPatriarchsJudahJacob's fourth son who pledges himself for Benjamin; the tribe that carries the scepter to Shiloh (49:10) and the line to Christ (…
- PersonPatriarchsAbrahamCalled out of Ur, the father of all who believe, justified by faith, and the friend of God through whose seed all nations are bles…
- PersonPatriarchsIsaacThe son of promise and of laughter — bound on Moriah, the quiet inheritor of the covenant.
- PlaceUpper MesopotamiaAssyriaMesopotamian empire whose capital Nineveh repented at Jonah's preaching and fell to Nahum's burden in 612 BC; the rod of God's ang…
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; 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) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.