2 Chronicles 31:18

And to the genealogy of all their little ones, their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, through all the congregation: for in their set office they sanctified themselves in holiness:

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(18) And to the genealogy.—After the parenthetic statements of 2Chronicles 31:16-17 the thread of the narrative, broken off at 2Chronicles 31:15, is taken up again at that point. The six Levites there named were in the priests’ cities “to give (their portions) to their brethren,” and further (2Chronicles 31:18) “for the registering in the case of all their little ones, their wives and their sons and their daughters, of the whole corporation” (of priests). The board of Levites had to keep a register of all who had claims on the provisions which they had to distribute. The general sense is the same if, as seems better, we trace the connection thus: “to give to their brethren, and to those who were registered among all their little ones” &c., explaining lĕhithyahēsh bĕkol-tappām as a relative sentence with the relative suppressed. (Comp. 2Chronicles 30:18-19, and 2Chronicles 31:19, ad fin.)

Through all the congregation.—Or, to a whole assembly—scil., of wives and children of the priests and Levites.

In their set office.—Or trust, or faithfulness (emûnah). (See Note on 1Chronicles 9:22.)

They sanctified themselves.—They used to show themselves holy (i.e., behave conscientiously) in regard to the holy (i.e., the hallowed gifts, which they had to distribute). Perhaps, however, the Authorised Version is here substantially correct, the sense being that the Levites fulfilled their trust with perfect good faith.

Benson Commentary

2 Chronicles 31:18. For in their set office they sanctified themselves unto holiness — This is alleged as a reason why their wives and children were provided for out of the holy things, because they sequestered themselves from worldly affairs, by which they might otherwise have provided for their families, and entirely devoted themselves to holy administrations.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

31:1-21 Hezekiah destroys idolatry. - After the passover, the people of Israel applied with vigour to destroy the monuments of idolatry. Public ordinances should stir us up to cleanse our hearts, our houses, and shops, from the filth of sin, and the idolatry of covetousness, and to excite others to do the same. The after-improvement of solemn ordinances, is of the greatest importance to personal, family, and public religion. When they had tasted the sweetness of God's ordinance in the late passover, they were free in maintaining the temple service. Those who enjoy the benefit of a settled ministry, will not grudge the expense of it. In all that Hezekiah attempted in God's service, he was earnest and single in his aim and dependence, and was prospered accordingly. Whether we have few or many talents intrusted to us, may we thus seek to improve them, and encourage others to do the same. What is undertaken with a sincere regard to the glory of God, will succeed to our own honour and comfort at last.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And to the genealogy of all their little ones ... - Or, "And as to the list of all their little ones, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, it extended to the whole body, for they dealt with the holy things faithfully."

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

18. for in their set office they sanctified themselves—This is the reason assigned for providing for the wives and children out of the revenues of the sanctuary, that priests, withdrawing from those secular pursuits by which they might have maintained their households, devoted themselves entirely to the functions of the ministry.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

This is alleged as a reason why their wives and children were provided for out of the holy things, because they sequestered themselves from worldly affairs, by which they might otherwise have provided for their families, and entirely devoted themselves to holy administrations.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And to the genealogy of all their little ones, their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, through all the congregation,.... These were all genealogized and registered, wives and children, sons and daughters, whether small or grown up; and a portion was distributed to them according to their number, greater or lesser:

for in their set office they sanctified themselves in holiness; which is to be understood either of the overseers, who, in their set office, faithfully distributed the holy things to the persons before described; or else to the priests, and Levites, to whom, and to whose families, the distribution was made, because they wholly devoted themselves to the holy service of God.

Geneva Study Bible

And to the genealogy of all their little ones, their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, through all the congregation: for in their {l} set office they sanctified themselves in holiness:

(l) Meaning, that either by the faithful distribution of the officers, everyone had their part in the things that were offered, or else that their wives and children were relieved, because the Levites were faithful in their office, and so depended on them.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

18. and to the genealogy of all their little ones] Render with R.V. mg. even to give to them that were reckoned by genealogy of all their little ones.

The connexion of 2 Chronicles 31:15-18 is difficult to trace and the text is perhaps faulty. Assuming however the general correctness of the text, we may regard 2 Chronicles 31:16-17 as a parenthesis stating that the ministration of Eden and his colleagues did not extend to those priests and Levites and male children of the priests who presented themselves in person at the Temple.

in their set office] R.V. mg. in their trust.

they sanctified themselves in holiness] Or, they busied themselves with the distribution of the sanctified things.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 18. - (Comp. our 2 Chronicles 20:13.) 2 Chronicles 31:18

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

The connection and interpretation of this verse is doubtful. If we take וּלחתיחשׂ as a continuation of ואת־התיהשׁ, 2 Chronicles 31:17, it gives us no suitable sense. The addition, "and also to every priest and Levite was a larger or smaller portion given according to the catalogue" (Ramb., etc.), is arbitrary, and does not fully express the בּ before כּל־טפּם. Berth., on the other hand, correctly remarks, "After the parentheses in 2 Chronicles 31:16 and 2 Chronicles 31:17, וּלחתיחשׂ may be taken as a continuation of לתת in 2 Chronicles 31:16;" but the word itself he translates wrongly thus: The men were in the priests' cities, also to register their children, etc., disregarding the construction of התיחשׂ with בּ. - From 2 Chronicles 31:19, where the same construction recurs, we learn how to interpret בּכל־ט התיחשׁ: the catalogue equals those registered in (of) all their children. According to this view, ולהתיחשׂ corresponds to the לאחיהם, 2 Chronicles 31:15 : to give to their brethren, ... and to the registered of all their children, their wives, and their sons and daughters, viz., to the whole multitude (sc., of the wives, sons, and daughters), i.e., as many of them as there were. This interpretation of the לכל־קהל seems simpler than with Schmidt and Ramb. to understand קהל to denote the coroporation of priests. There was therefore no one forgotten or overlooked; "for according to their fidelity (2 Chronicles 31:15) did they show themselves holy in regard to the holy," i.e., they acted in a holy manner with the holy gifts, distributed them disinterestedly and impartially to all who had any claim to them.