2 Chronicles 29
Hezekiah's Temple Cleansing
1Hezekiah began to reign when he was twenty-five years old, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah.
2He did that which was right in the LORD’s eyes, according to all that David his father had done.
3In the first year of his reign, in the first month, he opened the doors of the LORD’s house and repaired them.
4He brought in the priests and the Levites and gathered them together into the wide place on the east,
5and said to them, “Listen to me, you Levites! Now sanctify yourselves, and sanctify the house of the LORD, the God of your fathers, and carry the filthiness out of the holy place.
6For our fathers were unfaithful, and have done that which was evil in the LORD our God’s sight, and have forsaken him, and have turned away their faces from the habitation of the LORD, and turned their backs.
7Also they have shut up the doors of the porch, and put out the lamps, and have not burned incense nor offered burnt offerings in the holy place to the God of Israel.
8Therefore the LORD’s wrath was on Judah and Jerusalem, and he has delivered them to be tossed back and forth, to be an astonishment and a hissing, as you see with your eyes.
9For behold, our fathers have fallen by the sword, and our sons and our daughters and our wives are in captivity for this.
10Now it is in my heart to make a covenant with the LORD, the God of Israel, that his fierce anger may turn away from us.
11My sons, don’t be negligent now; for the LORD has chosen you to stand before him, to minister to him, and that you should be his ministers and burn incense.”
12Then the Levites arose: Mahath, the son of Amasai, and Joel the son of Azariah, of the sons of the Kohathites; and of the sons of Merari, Kish the son of Abdi, and Azariah the son of Jehallelel; and of the Gershonites, Joah the son of Zimmah, and Eden the son of Joah;
13and of the sons of Elizaphan, Shimri and Jeuel; and of the sons of Asaph, Zechariah and Mattaniah;
14and of the sons of Heman, Jehuel and Shimei; and of the sons of Jeduthun, Shemaiah and Uzziel.
15They gathered their brothers, sanctified themselves, and went in, according to the commandment of the king by the LORD’s words, to cleanse the LORD’s house.
16The priests went into the inner part of the LORD’s house to cleanse it, and brought out all the uncleanness that they found in the LORD’s temple into the court of the LORD’s house. The Levites took it from there to carry it out to the brook Kidron.
17Now they began on the first day of the first month to sanctify, and on the eighth day of the month they came to the LORD’s porch. They sanctified the LORD’s house in eight days, and on the sixteenth day of the first month they finished.
18Then they went in to Hezekiah the king within the palace and said, “We have cleansed all the LORD’s house, including the altar of burnt offering with all its vessels, and the table of show bread with all its vessels.
19Moreover, we have prepared and sanctified all the vessels which King Ahaz threw away in his reign when he was unfaithful. Behold, they are before the LORD’s altar.”
20Then Hezekiah the king arose early, gathered the princes of the city, and went up to the LORD’s house.
21They brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs, and seven male goats, for a sin offering for the kingdom, for the sanctuary, and for Judah. He commanded the priests the sons of Aaron to offer them on the LORD’s altar.
22So they killed the bulls, and the priests received the blood and sprinkled it on the altar. They killed the rams and sprinkled the blood on the altar. They also killed the lambs and sprinkled the blood on the altar.
23They brought near the male goats for the sin offering before the king and the assembly; and they laid their hands on them.
24Then the priests killed them, and they made a sin offering with their blood on the altar, to make atonement for all Israel; for the king commanded that the burnt offering and the sin offering should be made for all Israel.
25He set the Levites in the LORD’s house with cymbals, with stringed instruments, and with harps, according to the commandment of David, of Gad the king’s seer, and Nathan the prophet; for the commandment was from the LORD by his prophets.
26The Levites stood with David’s instruments, and the priests with the trumpets.
27Hezekiah commanded them to offer the burnt offering on the altar. When the burnt offering began, the LORD’s song also began, along with the trumpets and instruments of David king of Israel.
28All the assembly worshiped, the singers sang, and the trumpeters sounded. All this continued until the burnt offering was finished.
29When they had finished offering, the king and all who were present with him bowed themselves and worshiped.
30Moreover Hezekiah the king and the princes commanded the Levites to sing praises to the LORD with the words of David, and of Asaph the seer. They sang praises with gladness, and they bowed their heads and worshiped.
31Then Hezekiah answered, “Now you have consecrated yourselves to the LORD. Come near and bring sacrifices and thank offerings into the LORD’s house.” The assembly brought in sacrifices and thank offerings, and as many as were of a willing heart brought burnt offerings.
32The number of the burnt offerings which the assembly brought was seventy bulls, one hundred rams, and two hundred lambs. All these were for a burnt offering to the LORD.
33The consecrated things were six hundred head of cattle and three thousand sheep.
34But the priests were too few, so that they could not skin all the burnt offerings. Therefore their brothers the Levites helped them until the work was ended, and until the priests had sanctified themselves, for the Levites were more upright in heart to sanctify themselves than the priests.
35Also the burnt offerings were in abundance, with the fat of the peace offerings and with the drink offerings for every burnt offering. So the service of the LORD’s house was set in order.
36Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced because of that which God had prepared for the people; for the thing was done suddenly.
King Hezekiah begins his reign at age twenty-five and immediately initiates comprehensive temple reforms, reversing the religious neglect of previous generations. He calls upon the priests and Levites to sanctify themselves and cleanse the Lord's house, removing all defilement accumulated during years of abandonment. The cleansing process takes sixteen days to complete, restoring proper worship and preparing for renewed covenant relationship with God.
Context
This chapter marks a dramatic reversal from the idolatrous reign of Ahaz (chapter 28), beginning Hezekiah's major religious reforms.
Key Themes
Outline
- 1-2Hezekiah's Righteous BeginningIntroduction of Hezekiah as a king who did right in the Lord's eyes like David.
- 3-11Call for Temple RestorationHezekiah opens the temple doors and charges the Levites to sanctify themselves and cleanse the house of God.
- 12-15Levitical Response and OrganizationNamed Levites from various clans respond to the king's call and organize for the cleansing work.
- 16-19Temple Cleansing ProcessThe systematic sixteen-day purification of the temple and restoration of all sacred vessels.
- 20-36Restoration of WorshipHezekiah leads the people in renewed sacrificial worship with great joy and thanksgiving.
Hezekiah's Temple Cleansing
29:1–29:36King Hezekiah begins religious reforms by reopening and cleansing the temple, calling the Levites to sanctify themselves and restore proper worship. His covenant renewal represents a decisive break from his father's apostasy and a return to faithful worship of God.
person_contrast
Hezekiah's immediate temple cleansing in his first month contrasts sharply with Solomon's seven-year temple construction timeline, emphasizing urgent spiritual restoration over architectural grandeur.
2 Chronicles 29:1
2 Kings 18:2lexicalHe was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name wa…
2 Chronicles 25:1lexicalAmaziah was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s na…
2 Kings 14:2lexicalHe was twenty-five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name wa…
2 Chronicles 20:31lexicalSo Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah. He was thirty-five years old when he began to reign. He reigned twenty-five years in…
2 Kings 23:36lexicalJehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name…
2 Chronicles 29:3
Isaiah 45:1lexicalThe LORD says to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have held to subdue nations before him and strip kings of th…
2 Chronicles 29:7
2 Chronicles 13:11lexicalThey burn to the LORD every morning and every evening burnt offerings and sweet incense. They also set the show bread in…
Exodus 30:7lexicalAaron shall burn incense of sweet spices on it every morning. When he tends the lamps, he shall burn it.
Exodus 30:8lexicalWhen Aaron lights the lamps at evening, he shall burn it, a perpetual incense before the LORD throughout your generation…
Ezekiel 46:2lexicalThe prince shall enter by the way of the porch of the gate outside, and shall stand by the post of the gate; and the pri…
1 Kings 7:50lexicalthe cups, the snuffers, the basins, the spoons, and the fire pans, of pure gold; and the hinges, both for the doors of t…
2 Chronicles 29:9
Ezekiel 30:17lexicalThe young men of Aven and of Pibeseth will fall by the sword. They will go into captivity.
2 Chronicles 29:10
2 Chronicles 30:8lexicalNow don’t be stiff-necked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves to the LORD, and enter into his sanctuary, which h…
2 Chronicles 28:11lexicalNow hear me therefore, and send back the captives that you have taken captive from your brothers, for the fierce wrath o…
2 Chronicles 29:12
Numbers 26:57lexicalThese are those who were counted of the Levites after their families: of Gershon, the family of the Gershonites; of Koha…
2 Chronicles 34:12lexicalThe men did the work faithfully. Their overseers were Jahath and Obadiah the Levites, of the sons of Merari; and Zechari…
1 Chronicles 15:17lexicalSo the Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel; and of his brothers, Asaph the son of Berechiah; and of the sons of Mera…
2 Chronicles 31:13lexicalJehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismachiah, Mahath, and Benaiah were overseers under the hand…
2 Chronicles 29:13
2 Chronicles 20:14lexicalThen the LORD’s Spirit came on Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah…
Nehemiah 12:35lexicaland some of the priests’ sons with trumpets: Zechariah the son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, t…
2 Chronicles 29:14
2 Chronicles 35:15lexicalThe singers, the sons of Asaph, were in their place, according to the commandment of David, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun t…
1 Chronicles 25:1lexicalMoreover, David and the captains of the army set apart for the service certain of the sons of Asaph, of Heman, and of Je…
1 Chronicles 16:41lexicaland with them Heman and Jeduthun and the rest who were chosen, who were mentioned by name, to give thanks to the LORD, b…
1 Chronicles 25:6lexicalAll these were under the hands of their father for song in the LORD’s house, with cymbals, stringed instruments, and har…
2 Chronicles 5:12lexicalalso the Levites who were the singers, all of them, even Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, and their sons and their brothers, arra…
2 Chronicles 29:16
2 Kings 23:4lexicalThe king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, and the priests of the second order, and the keepers of the threshold, to br…
2 Kings 23:6lexicalHe brought out the Asherah from the LORD’s house, outside of Jerusalem, to the brook Kidron, and burned it at the brook…
2 Kings 23:12lexicalThe king broke down the altars that were on the roof of the upper room of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made, and t…
2 Chronicles 29:17
2 Chronicles 34:3lexicalFor in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David his father; and in…
2 Kings 15:8lexicalIn the thirty-eighth year of Azariah king of Judah, Zechariah the son of Jeroboam reigned over Israel in Samaria six mon…
Numbers 3:28lexicalAccording to the number of all the males from a month old and upward, there were eight thousand six hundred keeping the…
2 Chronicles 31:7lexicalIn the third month, they began to lay the foundation of the heaps, and finished them in the seventh month.
Exodus 36:30lexicalThere were eight boards and their sockets of silver, sixteen sockets—under every board two sockets.
2 Chronicles 29:18
2 Chronicles 13:11lexicalThey burn to the LORD every morning and every evening burnt offerings and sweet incense. They also set the show bread in…
Ezekiel 40:42lexicalThere were four cut stone tables for the burnt offering, a cubit and a half long, a cubit and a half wide, and one cubit…
Numbers 3:31lexicalTheir duty shall be the ark, the table, the lamp stand, the altars, the vessels of the sanctuary with which they ministe…
2 Chronicles 4:19lexicalSolomon made all the vessels that were in God’s house: the golden altar, the tables with the show bread on them,
1 Kings 7:48lexicalSolomon made all the vessels that were in the LORD’s house: the golden altar and the table that the show bread was on, o…
2 Chronicles 29:19
2 Chronicles 28:24lexicalAhaz gathered together the vessels of God’s house, cut the vessels of God’s house in pieces, and shut up the doors of th…
2 Chronicles 29:21
Ezra 8:35lexicalThe children of the captivity, who had come out of exile, offered burnt offerings to the God of Israel: twelve bulls for…
Numbers 7:87lexicalall the cattle for the burnt offering twelve bulls, the rams twelve, the male lambs a year old twelve, and their meal of…
Ezekiel 45:23lexicalThe seven days of the feast he shall prepare a burnt offering to the LORD, seven bulls and seven rams without defect dai…
Numbers 7:88lexicaland all the cattle for the sacrifice of peace offerings: twenty-four bulls, sixty rams, sixty male goats, and sixty male…
Numbers 28:11lexical“‘In the beginnings of your months, you shall offer a burnt offering to the LORD: two young bulls, one ram, seven male l…
2 Chronicles 29:22
Exodus 29:16lexicalYou shall kill the ram, and you shall take its blood, and sprinkle it around on the altar.
Exodus 29:20lexicalThen you shall kill the ram, and take some of its blood, and put it on the tip of the right ear of Aaron, and on the tip…
Leviticus 9:18lexicalHe also killed the bull and the ram, the sacrifice of peace offerings, which was for the people. Aaron’s sons delivered…
Leviticus 1:5lexicalHe shall kill the bull before the LORD. Aaron’s sons, the priests, shall present the blood and sprinkle the blood around…
Leviticus 8:19lexicalHe killed it; and Moses sprinkled the blood around on the altar.
2 Chronicles 29:23
Leviticus 16:21lexicalAaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of…
Leviticus 4:24lexicalHe shall lay his hand on the head of the goat, and kill it in the place where they kill the burnt offering before the LO…
Leviticus 8:14lexicalHe brought the bull of the sin offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the bull of the sin offe…
2 Chronicles 29:24
Leviticus 8:15lexicalHe killed it; and Moses took the blood, and put it around on the horns of the altar with his finger, and purified the al…
Leviticus 14:19lexical“The priest shall offer the sin offering, and make atonement for him who is to be cleansed because of his uncleanness. A…
Leviticus 5:10lexicalHe shall offer the second for a burnt offering, according to the ordinance; and the priest shall make atonement for him…
Numbers 6:11lexicalThe priest shall offer one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering, and make atonement for him, because h…
Exodus 29:36lexicalEvery day you shall offer the bull of sin offering for atonement. You shall cleanse the altar when you make atonement fo…
2 Chronicles 29:25
Nehemiah 12:27lexicalAt the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, they sought the Levites out of all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem…
1 Chronicles 15:16lexicalDavid spoke to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brothers as singers with instruments of music, stringed instrum…
2 Chronicles 5:12lexicalalso the Levites who were the singers, all of them, even Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, and their sons and their brothers, arra…
1 Chronicles 29:29lexicalNow the acts of David the king, first and last, behold, they are written in the history of Samuel the seer, and in the h…
1 Chronicles 16:5lexicalAsaph the chief, and second to him Zechariah, then Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-Edom, an…
2 Chronicles 29:27
2 Chronicles 5:13lexicalwhen the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when t…
2 Chronicles 23:13lexicalThen she looked, and behold, the king stood by his pillar at the entrance, with the captains and the trumpeters by the k…
1 Chronicles 16:42lexicaland with them Heman and Jeduthun with trumpets and cymbals for those that should sound aloud, and with instruments for t…
2 Chronicles 29:28
2 Chronicles 5:13lexicalwhen the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when t…
2 Chronicles 23:13lexicalThen she looked, and behold, the king stood by his pillar at the entrance, with the captains and the trumpeters by the k…
Psalms 149:1lexicalPraise the LORD! Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise in the assembly of the saints.
2 Chronicles 29:30
2 Chronicles 35:15lexicalThe singers, the sons of Asaph, were in their place, according to the commandment of David, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun t…
Ezra 3:10lexicalWhen the builders laid the foundation of the LORD’s temple, they set the priests in their vestments with trumpets, with…
2 Chronicles 30:21lexicalThe children of Israel who were present at Jerusalem kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with great gladness.…
2 Chronicles 31:2lexicalHezekiah appointed the divisions of the priests and the Levites after their divisions, every man according to his servic…
1 Chronicles 15:16lexicalDavid spoke to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brothers as singers with instruments of music, stringed instrum…
2 Chronicles 29:31
Jeremiah 17:26lexicalThey will come from the cities of Judah, and from the places around Jerusalem, from the land of Benjamin, from the lowla…
2 Chronicles 29:32
Ezra 8:35lexicalThe children of the captivity, who had come out of exile, offered burnt offerings to the God of Israel: twelve bulls for…
Numbers 7:15lexicalone young bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering;
Numbers 7:57lexicalone young bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering;
Numbers 7:21lexicalone young bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering;
Leviticus 23:18lexicalYou shall present with the bread seven lambs without defect a year old, one young bull, and two rams. They shall be a bu…
2 Chronicles 29:33
Job 42:12lexicalSo the LORD blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels,…
2 Chronicles 35:8lexicalHis princes gave a free will offering to the people, to the priests, and to the Levites. Hilkiah, Zechariah, and Jehiel,…
2 Chronicles 35:7lexicalJosiah gave to the children of the people, of the flock, lambs and young goats, all of them for the Passover offerings,…
Job 1:3lexicalHis possessions also were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female do…
Exodus 38:26lexicala beka a head, that is, half a shekel, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, for everyone who passed over to those w…
2 Chronicles 29:34
1 Kings 14:8lexicaland tore the kingdom away from David’s house, and gave it to you; and yet you have not been as my servant David, who kep…
2 Chronicles 25:2lexicalHe did that which was right in the LORD’s eyes, but not with a perfect heart.
Deuteronomy 7:22lexicalThe LORD your God will cast out those nations before you little by little. You may not consume them at once, lest the an…
2 Chronicles 7:7lexicalMoreover Solomon made the middle of the court that was before the LORD’s house holy; for there he offered the burnt offe…
1 Chronicles 28:20lexicalDavid said to Solomon his son, “Be strong and courageous, and do it. Don’t be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD God,…
2 Chronicles 29:35
Ezekiel 45:17lexicalIt shall be the prince’s part to give the burnt offerings, the meal offerings, and the drink offerings, in the feasts, a…
Numbers 29:39lexical“‘You shall offer these to the LORD in your set feasts—in addition to your vows and your free will offerings—for your bu…
2 Kings 16:13lexicalHe burned his burnt offering and his meal offering, poured his drink offering, and sprinkled the blood of his peace offe…
1 Kings 8:64lexicalThe same day the king made the middle of the court holy that was before the LORD’s house; for there he offered the burnt…
2 Chronicles 7:7lexicalMoreover Solomon made the middle of the court that was before the LORD’s house holy; for there he offered the burnt offe…
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