2 Chronicles 35:11

And they killed the passover, and the priests sprinkled the blood from their hands, and the Levites flayed them.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(11) The passover.—The paschal victims.

From their hands.—Heb., hand. The hand of the Levites, who caught the blood when they slaughtered the victims, and gave it to the priests.

Flayed.—Were flaying.—The exception of 2Chronicles 30:17 has become the rule here.

Benson Commentary

2 Chronicles 35:11. And the Levites flayed them — Which they did, (though properly that work belonged to the priests,) because the priests, who were sanctified, were not sufficient for it, there being so many thousands of the cattle; and they were fully employed in the killing of the sacrifices, and the sprinkling of the blood, which was more properly the priests’ work than the other.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

35:1-19 The destruction Josiah made of idolatry, was more largely related in the book of Kings. His solemnizing the passover is related here. The Lord's supper resembles the passover more than any other of the Jewish festivals; and the due observance of that ordinance, is a proof of growing piety and devotion. God alone can truly make our hearts holy, and prepare them for his holy services; but there are duties belonging to us, in doing which we obtain this blessing from the Lord.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

His princes - i. e. his ecclesiastical princes, the chief men of the priests and Levites. For the poor families of their own order the leading priests furnished both Passover-cattle and cattle for thank-offerings. The chief Levites acted similarly toward the poor Levitical families.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

10, 11. So the service was prepared, &c.—All the necessary preparations having been completed, and the appointed time having arrived for the passover, the solemnity was celebrated. One remarkable feature in the account is the prominent part that was taken by the Levites in the preparation of the sacrifices; namely, the killing and stripping of the skins, which were properly the peculiar duties of the priests; but as those functionaries were not able to overtake the extraordinary amount of work and the Levites had been duly sanctified for the service, they were enlisted for the time in this priestly employment. At the passover in Hezekiah's time, the Levites officiated in the same departments of duty, the reason assigned for that deviation from the established rule being the unprepared state of many of the people (2Ch 30:17). But on this occasion the whole people had been duly sanctified, and therefore the exceptional enlistment of the Levites' services must have been rendered unavoidably necessary from the multitudes engaged in celebrating the passover.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Which they did, though properly it belonged to the priests, because the priests, who were sanctified, were not sufficient for that work, there being so many thousands of the cattle; and they were fully employed in the killing of the sacrifices and the sprinkling of the blood, which was more properly the priests’ work than the other.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And they killed the passover,.... The lambs for the passover, which was done by the Levites:

and the priests sprinkled the blood from their hands; which they received from the Levites, see 2 Chronicles 30:16.

and the Levites flayed them; the passover lambs, took off their skins.

Geneva Study Bible

And they killed the passover, and the priests {f} sprinkled the blood from their hands, and the Levites flayed them.

(f) Meaning, of the lamb, which was called the passover, for only the priests could sprinkle, and in necessity the Levites could kill the sacrifice.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

11. sprinkled] Cp. 2 Chronicles 29:22, note.

from their hands] R.V. which they received of their hand; cp. 2 Chronicles 30:16.

the Levites flayed] Cp. 2 Chronicles 29:34.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 11. - Comp. 2 Chronicles 29:34; 2 Chronicles 30:16; Leviticus 1, 3, 4, passim. 2 Chronicles 35:11

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

And they (the Levites, cf. 2 Chronicles 35:6) slew the passover (the lambs and young goats presented for the passover meal), and the priests sprinkled (the blood of the paschal lambs) from their hand (i.e., which the Levites gave them), while the Levites flayed them; as also under Hezekiah, 2 Chronicles 30:17.