2 Chronicles 35:6

So kill the passover, and sanctify yourselves, and prepare your brethren, that they may do according to the word of the LORD by the hand of Moses.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(6) And sanctify yourselves.—Probably by washing the hands before handing the blood of sprinkling to the priests. (See 2Chronicles 30:16 seq.)

Prepare your brethren.—Prepare (the passover) for your brethren of the laity.

That they may do.—So as to do. The Levites themselves are to obey the prescriptions of the Mosaic Law.

Benson Commentary

2 Chronicles 35:6-7. Prepare your brethren — By purifying them, and exciting them to fit themselves for so great and solemn a work. Josiah gave to the people lambs and kids — For either of these might be used for the paschal- offering. And three thousand bullocks — Which were to be offered after the lambs upon the several days of the feast of unleavened bread.

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

Prepare your brethren ... - i. e. "as you minister to your brethren the people, by killing and flaying their offerings and handing the blood to the priests, instruct them how they are to eat the Passover acceptably." It is implied that many would be ignorant of the requirements of the Law.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

6. So kill the passover, &c.—The design of the minute directions given here was to facilitate the distribution of the paschal lambs. These were to be eaten by the respective families according to their numbers (Ex 12:3). But multitudes of the people, especially those from Israel, having been reduced to poverty through the Assyrian devastations, were to be provided with the means of commemorating the passover. Therefore, the king enjoined the Levites that when the paschal lambs were brought to them to be killed (2Ch 35:7-9) they should take care to have everything put in so orderly a train, that the lambs, after due presentation, might be easily delivered to the various families to be roasted and eaten by themselves apart.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Prepare your brethren, by purifying them, and quickening them to fit themselves for so great and solemn a work.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

So kill the passover,.... In the manner, time, and place, and for the persons it should be killed:

and sanctify yourselves: by washing themselves and garments, that they might be fit for this service:

and prepare your brethren; prepare a lamb for your brethren, or instruct them how to perform their office that needed instruction:

that they may do according to the word of the Lord by the hand of Moses; celebrate the ordinance of the passover in all its rites, according to the law of Moses, at least in every rite in which they were more peculiarly concerned.

Geneva Study Bible

So kill the passover, and sanctify yourselves, and {d} prepare your brethren, that they may do according to the word of the LORD by the hand of Moses.

(d) Exhort everyone to examine themselves to ensure that they are not unfit to eat the passover.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

6. prepare your brethren that they may do] R.V. prepare for your brethren, to do. Cp. 2 Chronicles 35:12-13.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 6. - Prepare your brethren; i.e. as betokened by the wording of the foregoing verse, their brethren, the people. The Levites were to purify themselves, perform their other duties of killing the victims, and withal to use their opportunities of instructing the people to the better order and performance of the whole solemn service. 2 Chronicles 35:6

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

Kill the passover, and sanctify yourselves, and prepare it (the passover) for your brethren (the laymen), doing according to the word of the Lord by Moses (i.e., according to the law of Moses). The sanctification mentioned between the killing and the preparation of the passover probably consisted only in this, that the Levites, after they had slain the lamb, had to wash themselves before they gave the blood to the priest to sprinkle upon the altar (cf. 2 Chronicles 35:11 and 2 Chronicles 30:16). As to the slaying of the lamb by the Levites, cf. the remarks on 2 Chronicles 30:16.