EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)
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And his princes . . . Levites.—
And his princes for a free-will offering (
Leviticus 7:16)
to the people, to the priests, and to the Levites had presented heave-offerings. How many victims they gave is not specified. Some words may have fallen out of the text. (Comp.
2Chronicles 30:24.) Hilkiah is introduced quite abruptly in the text as it stands.
Rulers of the house of God.—2Chronicles 31:13;1Chronicles 9:11. Hilkiah was high priest (2Chronicles 34:9); Zechariah perhaps his deputy, “the second priest” (2Kings 25:18); Jehiel may have been the head of the line of Ithamar, which still existed even after the return (Ezra 8:2).
Oxen,i.e.,“bullocks” (2Chronicles 35:7).
2 Chronicles 35:8.And his princes gave willingly —Not the political, but ecclesiastical princes, or the chief of the priests and Levites, whose names here follow.
Unto the people, priests, and Levites —For the use of any of the families of them, as need should be. For they supposed the thirty- thousand, which the king had given, were not sufficient for all the families.
35:1-19 The destruction Josiah made of idolatry, was more largely related in the book of Kings. His solemnizing the passover is related here. The Lord's supper resembles the passover more than any other of the Jewish festivals; and the due observance of that ordinance, is a proof of growing piety and devotion. God alone can truly make our hearts holy, and prepare them for his holy services; but there are duties belonging to us, in doing which we obtain this blessing from the Lord.
His princes - i. e. his ecclesiastical princes, the chief men of the priests and Levites. For the poor families of their own order the leading priests furnished both Passover-cattle and cattle for thank-offerings. The chief Levites acted similarly toward the poor Levitical families.
8, 9. his princes—These gave to the priests and Levites; as those of Hezekiah's princes (2Ch 30:24). They were ecclesiastical princes; namely, Hilkiah the high priest (2Ch 34:9). Zechariah, probably the second priest of the Eleazar (2Ki 16:18), and Jehiel, of the Ithamar line. And as the Levitical tribes were not yet sufficiently provided (2Ch 35:9), some of their eminent brethren who had been distinguished in Hezekiah's time (2Ch 31:12-15), gave a large additional contribution for the use of the Levites exclusively.
His princes; not the political, but ecclesiastical princes, or the chief of the priests and Levites, whose names here follow.
To the priests and to the Levites, for the use of any of the families of any of them, as need should be; for they supposed the 30,000 which the king had given were not sufficient for all the families. Or, the king gave his cattle to the people only, or principally, for they only are mentioned for that gift,
2 Chronicles 35:7. And therefore these persons here named give their cattle not only to
the people, but also
to the priests and to the Levites, as it is here expressed. And the Levites being not yet sufficiently provided for, some of their brethren, named
2 Chronicles 35:9, gave 5000 more peculiarly
unto the Levites, as is there said.
Rulers of the house of God; for so they were; Hilkiah being the high priest, and the other the two chief priests, of the two lines of Eleazar and Ithamar, who many times were to officiate in the high priest’s stead, and were in power and dignity next to him, and were in some sort joint commissioners with him in ruling the affairs of the temple.
And his princes gave willingly to the people, to the priests and the Levites,.... Besides, to some other families, they gave also to poor priests and Levites, which the king's bounty did not extend to; and these princes were not secular, but ecclesiastical princes, as follows:
Hilkiah, and Zechariah, and Jehiel, rulers of the house; of the temple; Hilkiah was high priest, and the other two were chief priests, the one of the line of Eleazar, and the other of the line of Ithamar:
these gave unto the priests for the passover lambs; 2600 small cattle; which were lambs, or kids, or both:
and three hundred oxen; for peace offerings on the seven days of unleavened bread, to feast upon.
And his princes gave willingly unto the people, to the priests, and to the Levites: Hilkiah and Zechariah and Jehiel, rulers of the house of God, gave unto the priests for the passover offerings two thousand and six hundred small cattle and three hundred oxen.
