2 Chronicles 29:23 kjv
And they brought forth the he goats for the sin offering before the king and the congregation; and they laid their hands upon them:
2 Chronicles 29:23 nkjv
Then they brought out the male goats for the sin offering before the king and the assembly, and they laid their hands on them.
2 Chronicles 29:23 niv
The goats for the sin offering were brought before the king and the assembly, and they laid their hands on them.
2 Chronicles 29:23 esv
Then the goats for the sin offering were brought to the king and the assembly, and they laid their hands on them,
2 Chronicles 29:23 nlt
The male goats for the sin offering were then brought before the king and the assembly of people, who laid their hands on them.
2 Chronicles 29 23 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lev 1:4 | "He shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it shall be accepted for him..." | Act of identification and substitution in offerings. |
| Lev 4:4 | "...lay his hand on the head of the bull and kill the bull before the Lord." | Laying on hands specifically for sin offering. |
| Lev 4:15 | "And the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands on the head of the bull..." | Corporate representation in sin offerings, like Hezekiah & assembly. |
| Lev 16:9-10 | "...and the one on which the lot fell for the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the Lord to make atonement over it..." | Goats used for atonement; one carrying sin away. |
| Lev 16:15 | "Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering that is for the people..." | Goats as sin offerings for the community. |
| Num 8:12 | "And the Levites shall lay their hands on the heads of the bulls..." | Levites as representatives for the people. |
| Ezr 9:6 | "O my God, I am ashamed... for our iniquities rise higher than our heads..." | Corporate confession of sin, linking to the need for atonement. |
| Neh 9:2 | "...and stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers." | Public, corporate confession mirroring the spiritual intent of laying on hands. |
| Isa 53:6 | "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all." | Foreshadows Christ, the ultimate sin-bearer; divine substitution. |
| Isa 53:10 | "Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt..." | Christ as the ultimate guilt offering. |
| Dan 9:5 | "We have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled..." | Prophetic corporate confession. |
| Rom 3:25 | "whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith." | Christ as the propitiation/atoning sacrifice. |
| 2 Cor 5:21 | "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." | Christ becoming sin for us, paralleling sin transfer. |
| Heb 9:12 | "...not through the blood of goats and calves but through his own blood, thus entering once for all into the holy places, having secured eternal redemption." | Superiority of Christ's sacrifice over animal blood. |
| Heb 9:22 | "Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins." | Principle of blood atonement. |
| Heb 9:28 | "so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many..." | Christ bearing the sins, ultimate fulfillment. |
| Heb 10:4 | "For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins." | Highlights the limitations of animal sacrifices, pointing to Christ. |
| Heb 10:10-14 | "And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." | Completeness of Christ's singular sacrifice. |
| 1 Pet 2:24 | "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness..." | Christ's bearing of sin. |
| 1 John 2:2 | "He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world." | Christ's universal atonement. |
2 Chronicles 29 verses
2 Chronicles 29 23 Meaning
2 Chronicles 29:23 describes a crucial step in the Temple purification and re-consecration ritual initiated by King Hezekiah. This verse details the presentation of the male goats (specified for the sin offering "for all Israel" in the following verse, 2 Chron 29:24) before the king and the entire assembly, and the significant act of the assembly's representatives laying their hands upon these animals. This ritual action signifies the symbolic transfer of the sins and defilement of the people onto the sacrificial victims, identifying the community's guilt with the innocent animal intended for atonement.
2 Chronicles 29 23 Context
Chapter 29 of 2 Chronicles details the beginning of King Hezekiah's reign and his immediate efforts to reverse the idolatry and spiritual apostasy of his father, Ahaz. Hezekiah's reforms began in the first month of his first year as king. His priority was the cleansing and restoration of the Temple, which had been defiled and shut during Ahaz's reign (2 Chron 28:24).
The immediate context of verse 23 falls within the purification ritual (2 Chron 29:20-30). After cleansing the Temple, Hezekiah gathered the officials, priests, and Levites to offer sacrifices to the Lord. Specific animals were designated: "seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs, and seven male goats" (2 Chron 29:21). The bulls were for a sin offering for the kingdom, the sanctuary, and Judah. Critically, the "seven male goats" were designated as "a sin offering for all Israel" (2 Chron 29:24).
This verse (2 Chron 29:23) describes the critical moment in the sin offering ritual for these goats. The collective "they" laying hands represents the entire congregation, indicating a corporate act of repentance and identification with the sacrifice. The inclusion of "all Israel" reflects Hezekiah's vision for a unified worship, seeking atonement not just for Judah but for the remnant of the Northern Kingdom as well. This act was essential for cleansing the people and their sacred spaces, restoring their covenant relationship with God after widespread unfaithfulness.
2 Chronicles 29 23 Word analysis
- Then (וַיַּגִּשׁוּ): A transitional conjunction indicating the immediate next step in the sacrificial ritual. It sets the sequence of events.
- they brought (וַיַּגִּשׁוּ - vayyaggishuhu): This verb means "to cause to approach" or "to present." It implies a formal and deliberate action of presenting the animals for the designated sacrificial purpose. The plural "they" likely refers to the priests or cultic officials carrying out the king's instructions for the entire assembly.
- the goats (הָעַתּוּדִים - ha'attudim): Refers specifically to "the male goats" or "he-goats." In the Levitical sacrificial system, goats were commonly used for sin offerings (Lev 4, 16) due to their association with atonement and purification for sins committed unintentionally or for corporate defilement. The specificity underscores their role as distinct offerings from bulls, rams, or lambs.
- before the king (לִפְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ - lifney hammelech): This highlights King Hezekiah's central and active role as the spiritual leader. His presence signifies his personal piety and his divinely appointed authority in orchestrating this national act of repentance and renewal, bringing the people back into alignment with God's law.
- and the assembly (וְהַקָּהָל - v'haqqahal): The term qahal refers to the entire "congregation" or "community" of Israel. This inclusion is vital, indicating that the sin offering was not a private priestly ritual but a corporate act of atonement for all the people. It implies that the sins being atoned for were the collective transgressions of the entire nation, requiring the collective acknowledgment and participation of its representatives.
- and they laid their hands on them (וַיִּסְמְכוּ יְדֵיהֶם עֲלֵיהֶם - vayyism'khu y'deyhem 'aleihem): This is the most crucial action described. Samak (to lean, lay upon) signifies an act of identification, representation, and often, symbolic transfer. In the context of sin offerings (Lev 4), laying hands on the animal's head conveyed the sins of the offerer onto the sacrifice. Here, it is the representatives of "the king and the assembly" (or the assembly's representatives guided by the king) who performed this action. It implies a public and binding declaration that these goats bore the guilt of the entire Israelite community, becoming a substitute for their deserved judgment.
2 Chronicles 29 23 Bonus section
The number "seven" (seen for the goats in 2 Chron 29:21 and also the other animals) holds significant theological weight in the Bible, representing completeness, perfection, and divine fullness. Its repeated use in this chapter emphasizes the thoroughness and perfection of the purification and consecration ritual initiated by Hezekiah, ensuring every aspect of national and spiritual defilement was addressed completely before the Lord. The focus on "all Israel" even though only Judah was represented by the king and the immediate assembly (2 Chron 29:24) highlights Hezekiah's Messianic vision for the unity of God's people, transcending the political division of the Northern and Southern Kingdoms, echoing God's continued covenant with the whole lineage of Jacob.
2 Chronicles 29 23 Commentary
2 Chronicles 29:23 concisely captures a pivotal moment in Hezekiah's restoration of true worship in Judah. The act of bringing the goats, designated specifically for the sin offering of "all Israel," before both the king and the congregation signifies the corporate nature of their sin and the communal necessity of atonement. King Hezekiah's active participation underscores his divinely appointed role in leading his people back to God. The most profound element is the laying on of hands by representatives of the king and the assembly. This ritual act, deeply rooted in Mosaic law, was a powerful visual and symbolic declaration of identification. By physically placing their hands on the goats, they corporately acknowledged the nation's collective sinfulness and, in effect, transferred that guilt onto the blameless animals. These innocent creatures were thereby consecrated as substitutes, bearing the iniquities of the people to bring about purification and restore their covenant relationship with God. While the blood of bulls and goats could not truly take away sin (Heb 10:4), these sacrifices were God-ordained types, pointing forward to the ultimate, perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who perfectly bore the sins of many (Heb 9:28, Isa 53:6) and whose blood offers complete and eternal propitiation for our transgressions (Rom 3:25).