2 Chronicles 29 21

2 Chronicles 29:21 kjv

And they brought seven bullocks, and seven rams, and seven lambs, and seven he goats, for a sin offering for the kingdom, and for the sanctuary, and for Judah. And he commanded the priests the sons of Aaron to offer them on the altar of the LORD.

2 Chronicles 29:21 nkjv

And they brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs, and seven male goats for a sin offering for the kingdom, for the sanctuary, and for Judah. Then he commanded the priests, the sons of Aaron, to offer them on the altar of the LORD.

2 Chronicles 29:21 niv

They brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven male lambs and seven male goats as a sin offering for the kingdom, for the sanctuary and for Judah. The king commanded the priests, the descendants of Aaron, to offer these on the altar of the LORD.

2 Chronicles 29:21 esv

And they brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs, and seven male goats for a sin offering for the kingdom and for the sanctuary and for Judah. And he commanded the priests, the sons of Aaron, to offer them on the altar of the LORD.

2 Chronicles 29:21 nlt

They brought seven bulls, seven rams, and seven male lambs as a burnt offering, together with seven male goats as a sin offering for the kingdom, for the Temple, and for Judah. The king commanded the priests, who were descendants of Aaron, to sacrifice the animals on the altar of the LORD.

2 Chronicles 29 verses

2 Chronicles 29 21 Meaning

King Hezekiah initiates a comprehensive purification of the defiled temple and nation by presenting an extensive sin offering, underscoring the necessity of atonement for the kingdom, the sanctuary, and the people of Judah due to past unfaithfulness. The ritual's specific elements emphasize the totality of the sin and the complete nature of the required expiation, performed strictly according to divine command through the Aaronic priests.

2 Chronicles 29 21 Context

The historical setting for 2 Chronicles 29:21 is the very beginning of King Hezekiah's reign in Judah, following the deeply apostate and idolatrous rule of his father, Ahaz (2 Chr 28). Ahaz had shut the doors of the temple, disregarded the sacrifices, and built altars to foreign gods throughout Jerusalem, bringing widespread defilement and spiritual decay upon the nation. Hezekiah's reign marks a radical shift: he immediately initiates a national spiritual reform, starting with the cleansing and reconsecration of the defiled temple and the restoration of proper Yahweh worship. Verse 21 occurs amidst the purification rituals where the Levites and priests are preparing the temple for the re-establishment of the Mosaic cult. This verse specifies the first of several waves of sacrificial offerings mandated by Hezekiah to atone for the cumulative national sin and re-establish covenant relationship with God. The events underscore the Chronicler's central theological theme: that national well-being and blessing are directly linked to covenant faithfulness and proper worship in the temple.

2 Chronicles 29 21 Word analysis

• "And they brought" (וַיָּבִאוּ - wayyāvî'û): Denotes an immediate action, likely referring to those commissioned by Hezekiah (the Levites), signifying prompt obedience and the urgency of reform.

• "seven" (שִׁבְעָה - shiv'ah): Repeated four times (totaling 28 animals). A potent symbolic number in biblical numerology, indicating completeness, perfection, or divine order. Its repetition here underscores the thorough and exhaustive nature of the atonement being sought and performed for national restoration.

• "bulls" (פָרִים - pārîm): Adult male cattle. Often designated for the most significant offerings, particularly for major sins of the whole congregation or the high priest, symbolizing substantial propitiation.

• "rams" (אֵילִים - ’êlîm): Adult male sheep. Used in various offering types, including burnt offerings and sometimes sin offerings (e.g., for Nazirite purification). Their presence here indicates broader reconciliation needs.

• "lambs" (כְּבָשִׂים - kəvāšîm): Young sheep. Commonly used for individual or congregational sin offerings, as well as burnt offerings, signifying widespread and diverse cleansing.

• "he goats" (צְפִירִים - ṣəfîrîm): Male goats. Crucial for sin offerings, especially in rituals like the Day of Atonement (Lev 16), bearing the iniquities of the people, hinting at transference of sin.

• "for a sin offering" (לְחַטָּאָה - lĕkhaṭṭā'ah): Specifically indicates the chaṭṭāʾāh sacrifice. This offering’s primary purpose was to purify from ritual impurity or atone for unintentional sins that defiled the sanctuary or the community, addressing the deep uncleanness incurred during Ahaz's reign.

• "for the kingdom" (לַמַּמְלָכָה - lam-mamlākāh): Refers to the Davidic kingship and the ruling administration. This implies atonement was needed for the corporate sins originating from the leadership's apostasy under Ahaz, ensuring the kingdom's divine favor.

• "and for the sanctuary" (וְלַמִּקְדָּשׁ - wĕlam-miqdāš): Directly addresses the sacred temple itself, which had been physically desecrated and ritually profaned by the previous reign's idolatry and neglect. It needed thorough purification to become a dwelling place for God once more.

• "and for Judah" (וְלִיהוּדָה - wĕlîhūḏâ): Refers to the entire people of the kingdom. Atonement was required for the corporate unfaithfulness, idolatry, and general sinfulness of the populace, who had strayed from the covenant with Yahweh. This completes the comprehensive scope of atonement—leadership, sacred space, and people.

• "And he commanded" (וַיְצַו - wayṣaw): Signifies King Hezekiah's royal authority and active initiation of the religious reform, asserting his divinely appointed role in overseeing national spiritual welfare.

• "the priests the sons of Aaron" (הַכֹּהֲנִים בְּנֵי אַהֲרֹן - hakkohǎnîm bənê ’Aharon): Emphasizes the requirement for divinely ordained personnel to perform the sacrifices, affirming the sanctity of the Mosaic Law and the Aaronic priesthood. Hezekiah respected the proper order of worship.

• "to offer them" (לְהַעֲלוֹת - ləha‘ălôṯ): Literally "to cause to ascend" or "to bring up." Refers to the act of presenting and sacrificing the animals on the altar, allowing their essence (in fire and smoke) to ascend to God.

• "on the altar of the Lord" (עַל מִזְבַּח יְהוָה - ‘al mizbaḥ YHWH): Designates the legitimate central place of sacrifice in the Jerusalem Temple. This specifies the restoration of pure, monotheistic worship of Yahweh alone, rejecting the altars to foreign gods erected by Ahaz.

• "seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs, and seven he goats": This quadrupled enumeration of "seven" creates a powerful rhetorical and theological statement. It signals an unparalleled level of thoroughness and completeness in dealing with the pervasive national sin. Each type of animal had a specific function in Israelite sacrificial theology, but here their combined offering indicates that atonement was needed across all aspects and magnitudes of transgression, encompassing collective guilt and the depth of defilement.

• "for a sin offering for the kingdom, and for the sanctuary, and for Judah": This phrase precisely defines the objects of atonement. It reveals a sophisticated understanding of corporate sin and its layered impact: spiritual corruption within the ruling body ("the kingdom"), desecration of God's holy dwelling ("the sanctuary"), and the collective disobedience of the covenant people ("Judah"). The "sin offering" itself (חַטָּאָה, chaṭṭāʾāh) highlights the ritual purpose of cleansing and expiation from defilement and unintentional (or often implicitly understood) offenses that polluted the covenant relationship.

• "And he commanded the priests the sons of Aaron to offer them on the altar of the Lord": This concluding part of the verse underlines both royal authority and divine protocol. Hezekiah, as king, initiated this sweeping religious reform. However, he correctly understood his boundaries, entrusting the sacred sacrificial rites to the legitimate, divinely appointed Aaronic priesthood. This obedience to established divine order further authenticates the reform and contrasts sharply with the irreverence and usurpation often seen in Israelite and Judean kings. Offering on "the altar of the Lord" specifically validates the restoration of centralized, monotheistic worship, repudiating Ahaz's pluralism and pagan practices.

2 Chronicles 29 21 Bonus section

• The large quantity of animals (28 in total for this single act) indicates not only the severity of past sins but also Hezekiah’s willingness to expend significant national resources for spiritual restoration, valuing divine favor above all else. This contrasts sharply with Ahaz's impoverished spiritual priorities.
• This verse highlights the theological principle of corporate responsibility and corporate atonement. The actions of the king and the state priesthood impact the spiritual standing of the entire nation, necessitating comprehensive purification rituals for collective restoration.
• The emphasis on "sin offering" rather than merely "burnt offering" underscores the specific need for cleansing from ritual impurity and the making of atonement for sin that directly affected the holy spaces and the covenant relationship. This differentiates it from offerings purely for worship or gratitude.

2 Chronicles 29 21 Commentary

Hezekiah's immediate act of providing this extensive sin offering (28 animals) at the dawn of his reign is a monumental statement of national repentance and dedication. The profound symbolism of "seven" reiterated across multiple animal categories emphasizes the comprehensive nature of the atonement, aiming for a total cleansing from the spiritual malaise brought on by Ahaz's idolatry. This detailed enumeration and the explicit recipients of the offering—the kingdom, the sanctuary, and Judah—reveal the pervasive impact of sin and the meticulous scope of Hezekiah’s reform. It signifies that no aspect of national life, from its governance to its spiritual center and its people, was exempt from the need for divine reconciliation. This costly and ritualistically precise act sets the stage for a spiritual renewal centered on faithful worship of Yahweh, executed by His chosen priests on His consecrated altar. Ultimately, this detailed process anticipates the perfect, once-for-all atonement provided through the sacrifice of the Christ.