291 Hezekiah became king when he was twenty-five e years old ; and he reigned twenty-nine e years in Jerusalem . And his mother's name was Abijah , the daughter of Zechariah . 2 He did right in the sight of the Lord , according to all that his father David had done .
3 In the first year of his reign , in the first month , he opened the doors of the house of the Lord and repaired them. 4 He brought in the priests and the Levites and gathered them into the square on the east . 5 Then he said to them, "Listen to me, O Levites . Consecrate yourselves now , and consecrate the house of the Lord , the God of your fathers , and carry the uncleanness out from the holy place. 6 "For our fathers have been unfaithful and have done evil in the sight of the Lord our God , and have forsaken Him and turned their faces away from the dwelling place of the Lord , and have turned their backs . 7 "They have also shut the doors of the porch and put out the lamps , and have not burned incense or offered burnt offerings in the holy place to the God of Israel . 8 "Therefore the wrath of the Lord was against Judah and Jerusalem , and He has made them an object of terror , of horror , and of hissing , as you see with your own eyes . 9 "For behold , our fathers have fallen by the sword , and our sons and our daughters and our wives are in captivity for this . 10 "Now it is in my heart to make a covenant with the Lord God of Israel , that His burning anger may turn away from us. 11 "My sons , do not be negligent now , for the Lord has chosen you to stand before Him, to minister to Him, and to be His ministers and burn incense ."
12 Then the Levites arose : Mahath , the son of Amasai and Joel the son of Azariah , from the sons of the Kohathites ; and from the sons of Merari , Kish the son of Abdi and Azariah the son of Jehallelel ; and from the Gershonites , Joah the son of Zimmah and Eden the son of Joah ; 13 and from the sons of Elizaphan , Shimri and Jeiel ; and from the sons of Asaph , Zechariah and Mattaniah ; 14 and from the sons of Heman , Jehiel and Shimei ; and from the sons of Jeduthun , Shemaiah and Uzziel . 15 They assembled their brothers , consecrated themselves, and went in to cleanse the house of the Lord , according to the commandment of the king by the words of the Lord . 16 So the priests went in to the inner part of the house of the Lord to cleanse it, and every unclean thing which they found in the temple of the Lord they brought out to the court of the house of the Lord . Then the Levites received it to carry out to the Kidron valley . 17 Now they began the consecration on the first day of the first month , and on the eighth day of the month they entered the porch of the Lord . Then they consecrated the house of the Lord in eight days , and finished on the sixteenth e day of the first month . 18 Then they went in to King Hezekiah and said , "We have cleansed the whole house of the Lord , the altar of burnt offering with all of its utensils , and the table of showbread with all of its utensils . 19 "Moreover, all the utensils which King Ahaz had discarded during his reign in his unfaithfulness , we have prepared and consecrated ; and behold , they are before the altar of the Lord ."
Matthew Henry's Commentary on 2 Chronicles 29:1-19
Commentary on 2 Chronicles 29:1-19
(Read 2 Chronicles 29:1-19)
When Hezekiah came to the crown, he applied at once to work reform. Those who begin with God, begin at the right end of their work, and it will prosper accordingly. Those that turn their backs upon God's ordinances, may truly be said to forsake God himself. There are still such neglects, if the word be not duly read and opened, for that was signified by the lighting the lamps, and also if prayers and praise be not offered up, for that was signified by the burning incense. Neglect of God's worship was the cause of the calamities they had lain under. The Lord alone can prepare the heart of man for vital godliness: when much good is done in a little time, the glory must be ascribed to him; and all who love him or the souls of men, will rejoice therein. Let those that do good work, learn to do it well.