2 Chronicles 34:12

And the men did the work faithfully: and the overseers of them were Jahath and Obadiah, the Levites, of the sons of Merari; and Zechariah and Meshullam, of the sons of the Kohathites, to set it forward; and other of the Levites, all that could skill of instruments of musick.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(12) And the men did the work faithfully.—Literally, And the men were working (or dealing) in good faith in the work. In 2Kings 22:7 Josiah bids the High Priest not to require any account of the money delivered to the master-workmen, “because they work in good faith.”

And the overseers of them were.—And over them were set. The names of the overseers, and the details added in next verse, are peculiar to and characteristic of the chronicler.

To set it forward.—To lead, conduct, preside; usually a musical term. (Comp. 1Chronicles 23:4.)

And other . . . music.—Literally, and the Levites, to wit, every one skilled in the instruments of song. (Comp. 1Chronicles 15:16; 1Chronicles 25:7.)

Benson Commentary

2 Chronicles 34:12. All that could skill of instruments of music — All these, here named, were skilful in instruments of music — Which may be here mentioned, to intimate, that as they were skilful, so they were exercised in both employments, and did successively oversee the work, and praise God with their voices and instruments.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

34:1-33 Josiah's good reign in Judah. - As the years of infancy cannot be useful to our fellow-creatures, our earliest youth should be dedicated to God, that we may not waste any of the remaining short space of life. Happy and wise are those who seek the Lord and prepare for usefulness at an early age, when others are pursuing sinful pleasures, contracting bad habits, and forming ruinous connexions. Who can express the anguish prevented by early piety, and its blessed effects? Diligent self-examination and watchfulness will convince us of the deceitfulness and wickedness of our own hearts, and the sinfulness of our lives. We are here encouraged to humble ourselves before God, and to seek unto him, as Josiah did. And believers are here taught, not to fear death, but to welcome it, when it takes them away from the evil to come. Nothing hastens the ruin of a people, nor ripens them for it, more than their disregard of the attempts made for their reformation. Be not deceived, God is not mocked. The current and tide of affections only turns at the command of Him who raises up those that are dead in trespasses and sins. We behold peculiar loveliness, in the grace the Lord bestows on those, who in tender years seek to know and to love the Saviour. Hath Jesus, the Day-spring from on high, visited you? Can you trace your knowledge of this light and life of man, like Josiah, from your youth? Oh the unspeakable happiness of becoming acquainted with Jesus from our earliest years!

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The "houses" intended are either the "chambers" which surrounded the temple on three sides 1 Kings 6:5, or out-buildings attached to the courts. The "kings of Judah" intended are, no doubt, Manasseh and Amon.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

2Ch 34:8-18. He Repairs the Temple.

8. in the eighteenth year of his reign … he sent Shaphan—(See on [474]2Ki 22:3-9).

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Or, all these here named were skilful in instruments of music; which may be here mentioned, either to their commendation, that they were fit for and careful and diligent in this employment, wherewith they were now intrusted, no less than in their own proper work; or to intimate, that as they were skilful, so they were exercised in both their employments, and did successively oversee the work, and praised God with their voices and instruments for his gracious and powerful help in carrying on the work.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And the men did that work faithfully,.... The labouring men, as also their inspectors, see 2 Kings 22:7.

and the overseers of them were Jahath and Obadiah, the Levites, of the sons of Merari; the third son of Levi:

and Zechariah and Meshullam, of the sons of the Kohathites; who had their name from Kohath, the second son of Levi:

to set it forward; to urge and animate the men to their work, to keep them constant to it, and see that they did it well:

and other of the Levites, all that could skill of instruments of music; these, when they were not employed in singing in the temple, attended this service, to look after the workmen at the repairs of it; and perhaps they might play, as some think, on their instruments of music, while the men were at work, that they might go on in it the more pleasantly and cheerfully.

Geneva Study Bible

And the men did the work {g} faithfully: and the overseers of them were Jahath and Obadiah, the Levites, of the sons of Merari; and Zechariah and Meshullam, of the sons of the Kohathites, to set it forward; and other of the Levites, all that could skill of instruments of musick.

(g) Meaning that they were in such credit for their fidelity that they made no accounts of that which they received, 2Ki 22:7,9.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

12. the overseers] There is no parallel in 2 Kin. for the rest of this verse and for 2 Chronicles 34:13.

to set it forward] The same Heb. word is used in 1 Chronicles 23:4.

could skill] “Skill” is used as a verb also in 2 Chronicles 2:7-8. skill of instruments = “play skilfully upon instruments.”

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 12. - Faithfully, Refer back to note, 2 Chronicles 31:12. To set... forward; Hebrew, לְנַצֶּהַ; the idea, of course, not so much that of expediting, as of guiding and instructing. The mention of those Levites whoso business was music is rather a surprise, and is not found in the parallel. 2 Chronicles 34:12

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

They, together with the high priest, gave the money which had been received for the repair of the temple to the overseers of the building, who then gave it to workmen to procure building materials and for wages, just as was done when the temple was repaired by Joash, 2 Chronicles 24:11-13. The Keri ויּשׁבוּ is a correction resulting from a misinterpretation of the Keth. וישׁבי, "and of the dwellers in Jerusalem." The enumeration, "from the hand of Manasseh, Ephraim," etc., is rhetorical. In ויּתּנוּ, 2 Chronicles 34:10, the verb of 2 Chronicles 34:9 is again taken up: they handed it to the overseers of the building, and they to the workmen. הם עשׂה is a rare form of the plur. עשׁי; see on 1 Chronicles 23:24. The overseers of the building (המפקדים - עשׁי) are the subject of the second ויּתּנוּ; and before the following עשׂי ל, which stands in 2 Kings, is to be supplied. בדוק is a denom. from בּדק, and signifies to repair what has been damaged. The statement of 2 Chronicles 34:10 is made more definite by 2 Chronicles 34:11 : they gave it, namely, to the workers in stone and wood, and to the builders to buy hewn stones and timber for couplings, and for the beams of the houses (לקרות, to provide with beams; הבּתים are the various buildings of the temple and its courts), which the kings of Judah had allowed to decay (השׁחית, not of designed destroying, but of ruining by neglect). - In 2 Chronicles 34:12 we have still the remark that the people did the work with fidelity, and the money could consequently be given to them without reckoning, cf. 2 Kings 22:7; and then the names of the building inspectors follow. Two Levites of the family of Merari, and two of the family of Kohath, were overseers; לנצּח, i.e., to lead in the building, to preside over it as upper overseers; and besides them, the Levites, all who were skilled in instruments of song (cf. 1 Chronicles 25:6.). As men who by their office and their art occupied a conspicuous place among the Levites, the oversight of the workmen in the temple was committed to them, not "that they might incite and cheer the workmen by music and song" (Berth.).