2 Chronicles 29:16

And the priests went into the inner part of the house of the LORD, to cleanse it, and brought out all the uncleanness that they found in the temple of the LORD into the court of the house of the LORD. And the Levites took it, to carry it out abroad into the brook Kidron.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(16) The priests went into the inner part.—Ezekiel 41:3. The interior of the Temple proper is meant, which the Levites might not enter, but only the priests, according to the legal rule.

Brought out all the uncleanness.—Tum’ah (Leviticus 5:3; Judges 13:7). See the Note on the synonymous expression niddah (2Chronicles 29:5).

Took.—Received it; from the hands of the priests (qibb ̓ēl a late word).

Abroad.—Outside (of the Temple precincts).

Into the brook Kidron.—Rather, the Wady of Kidron (2Kings 23:12; 2Chronicles 15:16; 2Chronicles 30:14).

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

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.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The "inner part" means here, not the holy of holies in particular, but the interior generally. The priests alone might enter the temple building. The Levites might penetrate no further than the inner court.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

2Ch 29:12-36. The House of God Cleansed.

12-19. Then the Levites arose—Fourteen chiefs undertook the duty of collecting and preparing their brethren for the important work of cleansing the Lord's house. Beginning with the outer courts—that of the priests and that of the people—the cleansing of these occupied eight days, after which they set themselves to purify the interior; but as the Levites were not allowed to enter within the walls of the temple, the priest brought all the sweepings out to the porch, where they were received by the Levites and thrown into the brook Kedron. This took eight days more. At the end of this period they repaired to the palace and announced that not only had the whole of the sacred edifice, within and without, undergone a thorough purification, but all the vessels which the late king had taken away and applied to a common use in his palace, had been restored, "and sanctified."

Matthew Poole's Commentary

The inner part of the house of the Lord; not the holy of holies, into which only the high priest might enter, and that but once in a year; but the holy place.

Into the court, to wit, the priests’ court, called here the court, by way of eminency.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And the priests went into the inner part of the house of the Lord, to cleanse it,.... Into the holy place, where the candlesticks and shewbread tables stood, into which none but priests might enter, but not into the most holy place, the innermost of all; for none but the high priest might go into that, and only on the day of atonement; though in case of necessity, as for repairs, others might go into it, and so perhaps now to cleanse it, if any pollution was there:

and brought out all the uncleanness that they found in the temple of the Lord into the court of the house of the Lord; into the court of the priests, where the Levites might be, and were:

and the Levites took it, to carry it out abroad into the brook Kidron; which ran through the valley of the son of Hinnom, into which all unclean things, and the filth of the temple and sacrifices, were usually carried and cast, see 2 Kings 18:12.

Geneva Study Bible

And the priests went into the inner part of the house of the LORD, to {f} cleanse it, and brought out all the uncleanness that they found in the temple of the LORD into the court of the house of the LORD. And the Levites took it, to carry it out abroad into the brook Kidron.

(f) From the pollution and filth that Ahaz had brought in.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

16. the priests] The work was so divided between priests and Levites that only the priests went into the house.

into the inner part of the house] Render, within the house. The reference is not to the Holy of Holies specially, but to the whole interior of the house.

uncleanness] Cp. 2 Chronicles 29:5; Isaiah 30:22.

into the brook] R.V. to the brook. The brook Kidron is the deep valley on the east of Jerusalem separating it from the Mount of Olives; 2 Samuel 15:23; John 18:1.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 16. - The inner part. That is to say, only the priests were warranted to enter inside the temple, while the Levites' sphere of work and service lay in the courts and round about the temple. Kidron, as we have seen (note 2 Chronicles 27:3), lay on the east of the temple mount. 2 Chronicles 29:16

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

The priests went into the inner part of the house of the Lord (into the holy place, probably also into the most holy place) to cleanse it, and removed all the uncleanness which was there into the court, whence the Levites carried it out into the valley of the brook Kidron (חוּצה, out of the precincts of the temple). The Levites were forbidden by the law to enter the holy place, and this command was strictly observed. Of what nature the uncleannesses were which the priests found in the holy place (היכל) cannot be accurately ascertained. Owing to the prevalence of idolatry under Ahaz, vessels, e.g., sacrificial bowls, which were used in the worship, may have come into the holy place; and besides, all vessels of the holy place would require to be cleaned, and their filth removed. The closing of the temple doors (2 Chronicles 28:24) occurred only in the last year of Ahaz, while idolatry had been practised from the beginning of his reign. On the Kidron, see on 2 Kings 23:4.