2 Chronicles 35:3
in 2 Chronicles 35To the Levites who taught all Israel and were holy to the LORD, Josiah said: “Put the holy ark in the temple built by Solomon son of David king of Israel. It is not to be carried around on your shoulders. Now serve the LORD your God and His people Israel.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And he said unto the Levites that taught all Israel, that were holy unto Jehovah, Put the holy ark in the house which Solomon the son of David king of Israel did build; there shall no more be a burden upon your shoulders. Now serve Jehovah your God, and his people Israel;
KJV
And said unto the Levites that taught all Israel, which were holy unto the Lord, Put the holy ark in the house which Solomon the son of David king of Israel did build; it shall not be a burden upon your shoulders: serve now the Lord your God, and his people Israel,
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This verse in 2 Chronicles 35
Commentary
8 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Put the holy ark etc - The ark of the covenant may have been temporarily removed from the holy of holies while Josiah effected necessary repairs. It shall not be a burden upon your shoulders - The removing and replacing the ark Josiah means “shall not henceforth be your duty. The ark shall remain undisturbed in the holy of holies. You shall return to your old employments, to the service of God and the instruction of the people.”
This site's exposition
Josiah celebrated the Passover to the LORD
on 2 Chronicles 35:1-3
Kings gives this Passover three verses, 2 Kings 23:21-23, and Chronicles gives it nineteen, the same expansion the book gave Hezekiah's Passover in chapter 30. From here the Levites' charge is teaching and service, the order David set right at 1 Chronicles 15:2.
This site's exposition
It is not to be carried around on your shoulders.
Carrying the ark on their shoulders was the Levites' charge in the wilderness, Numbers 4:15 and 1 Chronicles 15:15. Albert Barnes reads Josiah's words as releasing them from that duty for good, so they could return to serving the LORD and teaching the people.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
), and not carry it about from place to place, as perhaps of late they had done, justifying themselves therein by the practice before the temple was built.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
And said unto the Levites that taught all Israel,.... Whose business it was to go through the several tribes, and instruct them in the knowledge of God, his word and worship, statutes and ordinances.
Ministers must look upon themselves as servants both to Christ and to his church for his sake, 2 Cor. iv. They must take care, and take pains, and lay out themselves to the utmost, (1.) For the glory and honour of God, and to advance the interests of his kingdom among men.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
The Levites, the ministers or instructors of the people in all matters pertaining to the divine worship, were commanded (2Ch 35:3) to "put the holy ark in the house which Solomon did build." Their duty was to transport the ark from place to place according to circumstances.
Put the holy ark in the house - It is likely that the priests had secured this when they found that the idolatrous kings were determined to destroy every thing that might lead the people to the worship of the true God. And now, as all appears to be well established, the ark is ordered to be put into its own place. For an ample account of this passover and the reformation that was then made, see on 2Ki 23:1 (note), etc., and the places marked in the margin.
The words behind it
31 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֣אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לַ֠לְוִיִּם | lalviyim | to the Levites | H3881 → | 291 times |
| הַמְּבִינִ֨ים | hamevunim | those teaching | H995 → | 170 times |
| לְכָל־ | lekhol | <to> all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| הַקְּדוֹשִׁ֣ים | hakedoshim | <the> holy | H6918 → | |
| לַיהוָ֗ה | layahweh | to Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| תְּנ֤וּ | tenu | put | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אֲרוֹן־ | ʾaron- | [the] ark of | H727 → | 202 times |
| הַקֹּ֙דֶשׁ֙ | hakodesh | <the> holiness | H6944 → | 469 times |
| בַּ֠בַּיִת | babayit | in the house | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֨ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| בָּנָ֜ה | banah | he built | H1129 → | 376 times |
| שְׁלֹמֹ֤ה | shelomoh | Solomon | H8010 → | 291 times |
| בֶן־ | ven- | [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| דָּוִיד֙ | david | David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| מֶ֣לֶךְ | melekh | [the] king of | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| אֵין־ | ʾein- | not | H369 → | 789 times |
| לָכֶ֥ם | lakhem | [will belong] to you | ||
| מַשָּׂ֖א | masa' | a burden | H4853 → | 66 times |
| בַּכָּתֵ֑ף | bakatef | on the shoulder | H3802 → | 67 times |
| עַתָּ֗ה | ʾatah | now | H6258 → | 433 times |
| עִבְדוּ֙ | ʾivdu | serve | H5647 → | 288 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| יְהוָ֣ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֔ם | ʾeloheikhem | God your | H430 → | 2601 times |
| וְאֵ֖ת | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| עַמּ֥וֹ | amo | people his | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
וַיֹּ֣אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
לַ֠לְוִיִּםto the Levites
lalviyimH3881 →291 times
הַמְּבִינִ֨יםthose teaching
hamevunimH995 →170 times
לְכָל־<to> all
lekholH3605 →5413 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֜לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
הַקְּדוֹשִׁ֣ים<the> holy
hakedoshimH6918 →
לַיהוָ֗הto Yahweh
layahwehH3068 →6520 times
תְּנ֤וּput
tenuH5414 →2011 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
אֲרוֹן־[the] ark of
ʾaron-H727 →202 times
הַקֹּ֙דֶשׁ֙<the> holiness
hakodeshH6944 →469 times
בַּ֠בַּיִתin the house
babayitH1004 →2046 times
אֲשֶׁ֨רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
בָּנָ֜הhe built
banahH1129 →376 times
שְׁלֹמֹ֤הSolomon
shelomohH8010 →291 times
בֶן־[the] son of
ven-H1121 →4930 times
דָּוִיד֙David
davidH1732 →999 times
מֶ֣לֶךְ[the] king of
melekhH4428 →2525 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
אֵין־not
ʾein-H369 →789 times
לָכֶ֥ם[will belong] to you
lakhem
מַשָּׂ֖אa burden
masa'H4853 →66 times
בַּכָּתֵ֑ףon the shoulder
bakatefH3802 →67 times
עַתָּ֗הnow
ʾatahH6258 →433 times
עִבְדוּ֙serve
ʾivduH5647 →288 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
יְהוָ֣הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֔םGod your
ʾeloheikhemH430 →2601 times
וְאֵ֖תand <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
עַמּ֥וֹpeople his
amoH5971 →1873 times
יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃Israel
yisraelH3478 →2507 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
Malachi 2:7For 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.
it leads to
- Leviticus 10:11
so that you may teach the Israelites all the statutes that the LORD has given them through Moses.”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 2 Timothy 2:24–25
And a servant of the Lord must not be quarrelsome, but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, and forbearing.
- Deuteronomy 21:5
And the priests, the sons of Levi, shall come forward, for the LORD your God has chosen them to serve Him and pronounce blessings in His name and to give a ruling in every…
- 2 Corinthians 5:20
Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ: Be reconciled to God.
- Ezra 7:10
For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the LORD, to practice it, and to teach its statutes and ordinances in Israel.
- Leviticus 10:11
Through
Deuteronomy 33:10He will teach Your ordinances to Jacob and Your law to Israel; he will set incense before You and whole burnt offerings on Your altar.
it leads to
- Psalms 51:19
Then You will delight in righteous sacrifices, in whole burnt offerings; then bulls will be offered on Your altar.
- Psalms 51:19
Through
1 Chronicles 23:26So now the Levites no longer need to carry the tabernacle or any of the articles for its service.”
it leads to
- Numbers 4:5
Whenever the camp sets out, Aaron and his sons are to go in, take down the veil of the curtain, and cover the ark of the Testimony with it.
- Numbers 4:5
Through
2 Chronicles 30:22And 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.
it leads to
- Nehemiah 9:3
While they stood in their places, they read from the Book of the Law of the LORD their God for a quarter of the day, and they spent another quarter of the day in…
- Nehemiah 9:3
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies3
About 2 Chronicles

Who and where
3 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonUnited MonarchyDavidSecond king of united Israel, shepherd-turned-monarch, ancestor of the Messiah, and traditional author of many Psalms.
- PersonSolomonDavid's son and the third king of Israel; the temple-builder and wisdom-king, to whom Psalms 72 and 127 are ascribed.
- PersonLate monarchyJosiahThe boy-king who found the book of the law in the temple, tore his clothes, and led Judah's last great reformation and Passover be…
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil, The Books of the Chronicles and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
