2 Chronicles 31:6

And concerning the children of Israel and Judah, that dwelt in the cities of Judah, they also brought in the tithe of oxen and sheep, and the tithe of holy things which were consecrated unto the LORD their God, and laid them by heaps.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(6) Concerning.—Omit.

The children of Israel and Judah, that dwelt in the cities of Judah.—Contrasted with “the children of Israel” who dwelt in Jerusalem (2Chronicles 31:5). “The children of Israel that dwelt in the cities of Judah” are evidently those who had left the northern kingdom to settle in the south. (Comp. 2Chronicles 10:17; 2Chronicles 11:16; 2Chronicles 30:25.)

The tithe of holy things.—This expression is assumed to be equivalent to “the heave offerings of the holy things” (Numbers 18:19), which denotes such portions of the sacrificial gifts as were not consumed upon the altar. Taken literally, “tithe of things consecrated” would be a very surprising, as it is a wholly isolated, expression.

The present text of the LXX. appears to contain, not a trace of a different reading, but simply an old error of transcription, suggested probably by the words immediately preceding; for its rendering is, “and tithes of goats” (αἰγῶν for ἀγίων). The Syriac paraphrases freely, but the Vulgate follows the Hebrew (décimas sanctorum). (See also Note on 2Chronicles 31:10; 2Chronicles 31:12.) There is probably a lacuna in the text.

And laid them by heaps.—Literally, and made heaps heaps—i.e., many heaps. (Comp.Vulg., “fecerunt acervos plurimos.”)

Benson Commentary

2 Chronicles 31:6-7. They brought in the tithe of oxen and sheep — They not only brought in the same tithe which the dwellers in Jerusalem did, namely, of corn, and wine, and oil, &c., which they had in their own storehouses in that city, but also oxen and sheep, which were more proper to the country; for under the term cities of Judah, are comprehended the suburbs and territories belonging to them. And the tithe of holy things — That is, of all holy things, which were consecrated to the Lord — Whether by vow, or voluntary promise, or otherwise; as the tithes of gain by merchandise, or spoils of war, Genesis 14:20; Genesis 28:22; Numbers 31:28-30. And laid them by heaps — What the priests and Levites had occasion for, they made use of, and the overplus was laid in heaps. In the third month they began — Of the sacred year, in which month their harvest began. And finished them in the seventh month — In which their harvest ended, and the feast of tabernacles was kept.

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

By "the children of Israel" in 2 Chronicles 31:5, seem to be intended the inhabitants of Jerusalem only (see 2 Chronicles 31:4); by "the children of Israel and Judah that dwelt in the cities of Judah" in this verse, seem to be meant the Jews of the country districts and the Israelites who dwelt among them 2 Chronicles 30:25. Of these two classes, the first brought both first-fruits and tithes of "all things;" while the others, who had not been included in the command 2 Chronicles 31:4, brought in first-fruits and paid the tithe of sheep and oxen only, and of the things which they had vowed to God.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

6, 7. and laid them by heaps—The contributions began to be sent in shortly after the celebration of the passover, which had taken place in the middle of the second month. Some time would elapse before the king's order reached all parts of the kingdom. The wheat harvest occurred in the third month, so that the sheaves of that grain, being presented before any other, formed "the foundation," an under-layer in the corn stores of the temple. The first-fruits of their land produce which were successively sent in all the summer till the close of the fruit and vintage season, that is, the seventh month, continued to raise heap upon heap.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Also the tithe of oxen and sheep; they brought in not only the same tithes which the dwellers in Jerusalem did, to wit, of corn, and wine, and oil, &c., which they had in their own storehouses in that city; but also oxen and sheep, which were more proper to the country; for under the cities of Judah are comprehended the suburbs and territories adjacent and belonging to them, as is evident from the nature of the thing, and the law of God.

And the tithe of holy things: this may be taken either,

1. By way of explication, even the tithe of holy things, &c. Or rather,

2. By way of addition,

the tithe of all holy things which were consecrated unto the Lord, whether by vow, or voluntary promise, or otherwise; as the tithes of gains by merchandise, or spoils of war, &c.; of which see Genesis 14:20 28:22 Numbers 31:28,30.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And concerning the children of Israel and Judah, that dwelt in the cities of Judah,.... As for the supplement "concerning", I see no need of it; the sense is, that when the king's edict was known by the inhabitants of the cities in the country, as well as at Jerusalem:

they also brought in the tithes of oxen, and sheep; according to the law in Leviticus 27:32.

and the tithe of holy things, which were consecrated unto the Lord their God; which Jarchi understands of the second tithe the Levites were to give to the priests; but Kimchi of things consecrated to sacred uses, and no longer for their own, and which were even free from tithing:

and laid them by heaps: heaps upon heaps, such large quantities were brought in.

Geneva Study Bible

And concerning the children of Israel and Judah, that dwelt in the cities of Judah, they also brought in the tithe of oxen and sheep, and the tithe of holy things {f} which were consecrated unto the LORD their God, and laid them by {g} heaps.

(f) Which they had dedicated to the Lord by a vow.

(g) For the relief of the priests, Levites, widows, pupils, fatherless, strangers, and such as were in need.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

6. And concerning the children] R.V. And the children. Cp. 2 Chronicles 11:16.

holy things] R.V. dedicated things (as 2 Chronicles 31:12).

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 6. - That dwelt in the cities of Judah. As vers. 4 and 5 referred to the dwellers in Jerusalem, so this verse tells of the dwellers in other cities, villages, etc., of the surrounding country (so 2 Chronicles 30:25). Their tithes of holy things probably denote the "heave offerings" of Aaron (Numbers 18:8; for other references to the matter of this verse, see Leviticus 27:30; Deuteronomy 14:28). 2 Chronicles 31:6

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

When the word (the royal command) went forth (spread abroad), the Israelites brought in abundance the first-fruits which had been assigned to the priests (2 Chronicles 18:12.), and the tithes, which were paid to the whole tribe of Levi (Numbers 18:21-24). ישׂראל בּני, 2 Chronicles 31:6, are not the inhabitants of the northern kingdom, but the Israelites who had emigrated from that kingdom into Judah (as 2 Chronicles 30:25; 2 Chronicles 11:16; 2 Chronicles 10:17). קדשׁים מעשׂר, the tenth from the holy gifts which were consecrated to Jahve, is surprising, since in the law, Numbers 18:8., it is not the tenth of the consecrated gifts which is spoken of, but only הקּדשׁים תרוּמות (Numbers 18:19). Proceeding upon the assumption that all קדשׁים which were consecrated to Jahve were given over to the tribe of Levi, Bertheau finds no correspondence between the law and the statement of our verse, that the tenth of the holy things was given, and points out that the lxx seem to have read והקּשׁים ועז instead of קדשׁים m`sr, without, however, himself deciding in favour of that reading. But the lxx have rendered the words hmqdsym קדשׁים קדשׁים by ἐπιδέκατα αἰγῶν, καὶ ἡγίασαν, and consequently cannot have read ועז for מעשׂר, since in their translation epide'kata corresponds to m`sr. But the deviation of the statement in our verse from the law, Numbers 18, arises partly from an incorrect or inexact interpretation of the provisions of the law, Numbers 18:8. In the law, קדשׁים as such were not assigned to the tribe of Levi, or more correctly to the priests (Aaron and his sons), but only the לכל־קדשׁים תּרוּמות, the heave-offerings of all the holy gifts of the sons of Israel, i.e., the pieces or parts of the sacrificial gifts of the Israelites which were not burnt upon the altar, consequently the greater part of the meal, and oil, and flesh of the oblations, the sin-offerings, the trespass-offerings, and of the peace-offerings, the wave-breast and wave-thigh, and whatever else was waved in wave-offerings; see on Numbers 18:8. These Therumoth of the consecrated gifts are in our verse designated קדשׁים מעשׂר, because they were only a fragment of that which was consecrated to the Lord, just as the tenth was a fragment of the whole herd, and of the field produce. The statement of our verse, therefore, differs only in expression from the prescription of the law, but in substance it completely agrees with it. ער ערמות ויּתּנוּ, and they made many heaps, i.e., they brought the first-fruits and tithes in heaps.