2 Chronicles 29 24

2 Chronicles 29:24 kjv

And the priests killed them, and they made reconciliation with their blood upon the altar, to make an atonement for all Israel: for the king commanded that the burnt offering and the sin offering should be made for all Israel.

2 Chronicles 29:24 nkjv

And the priests killed them; and they presented their blood on the altar as a sin offering to make an atonement for all Israel, for the king commanded that the burnt offering and the sin offering be made for all Israel.

2 Chronicles 29:24 niv

The priests then slaughtered the goats and presented their blood on the altar for a sin offering to atone for all Israel, because the king had ordered the burnt offering and the sin offering for all Israel.

2 Chronicles 29:24 esv

and the priests slaughtered them and made a sin offering with their blood on the altar, to make atonement for all Israel. For the king commanded that the burnt offering and the sin offering should be made for all Israel.

2 Chronicles 29:24 nlt

The priests then killed the goats as a sin offering and sprinkled their blood on the altar to make atonement for the sins of all Israel. The king had specifically commanded that this burnt offering and sin offering should be made for all Israel.

2 Chronicles 29 verses

2 Chronicles 29 24 Meaning

This verse describes a pivotal moment in King Hezekiah's religious reforms, where the Levite priests, following Hezekiah’s command, ritually slaughtered burnt offerings and sin offerings. They then applied the blood of these sacrifices to the altar, as prescribed by the Mosaic Law, to accomplish a comprehensive atonement for the collective sins of the entire nation of Israel. It signifies the cleansing and reconciliation of Israel with God after a period of apostasy and neglect of the Temple under King Ahaz.

2 Chronicles 29 24 Context

This verse is situated within King Hezekiah’s significant religious reforms detailed in 2 Chronicles 29. Following his accession to the throne, Hezekiah immediately acted to rectify the severe spiritual decay left by his idolatrous father, King Ahaz. The Temple had been neglected, its services ceased, and idolatry had permeated the kingdom of Judah. Verses 29:1-19 describe the initial purification of the Temple by the Levites, who cleansed it from all defilement. Verses 20-24 then focus on the restoration of proper worship through comprehensive sacrificial offerings. Hezekiah's proactive leadership, indicated by his direct command, demonstrates his zeal to restore the covenant relationship between God and Israel, underscoring the vital role of the king in the nation's spiritual health. The offerings and subsequent atonement were for "all Israel," emphasizing the corporate nature of their national sin and the required national purification.

2 Chronicles 29 24 Word analysis

• And the priests slaughtered them:
  • slaughtered (וַיִּשְׁחָטוּ - vayishchatu): Derived from the root שָׁחַט (shaḥaṭ), meaning to kill, sacrifice, or slaughter, especially in a ritual context. This term highlights that the act was a religiously prescribed killing, essential for purification and atonement, and not merely a secular butchery. "Them" refers to the specific sin offerings and burnt offerings of 2 Chr 29:21 (seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs, and seven male goats).
• and they made atonement with their blood on the altar:
  • made atonement (וַיְכַפְּרוּ - vayekapperu): From the verb כָּפַר (kaphar), which means to cover, purge, expiate, reconcile, or make reconciliation. This fundamental biblical concept signifies the act of providing a covering or means by which sin can be pardoned and the covenant relationship restored, often involving both propitiation (appeasing wrath) and expiation (removal of guilt).
  • blood (בְּדָמָם - bedamam): From דָּם (dam), meaning blood. In the Old Testament, blood represents life (Lev 17:11) and is the exclusive medium for atonement given by God, indicating that life must be offered for the removal of sin, symbolizing the penalty paid.
  • on the altar (עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּחַ - ‘al-hammizbeach): Refers to the altar of burnt offering in the Temple, the divinely appointed locus for sacrificial atonement. It was the central place where reconciliation between God and humanity was achieved through prescribed rituals, symbolizing God's acceptance of the substitutionary sacrifice.
• to make atonement for all Israel:
  • to make atonement: The repetition of kaphar in various forms emphasizes the primary and singular purpose of these extensive sacrifices – the complete expiation and reconciliation of the nation.
  • for all Israel (כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵל - kol-Yisrael): This phrase underscores the comprehensive and corporate nature of the atonement. It was not for individual sin in isolation but for the collective guilt and spiritual defilement that had permeated the entire covenant nation, highlighting national repentance and reconciliation with God.
• for the king commanded and all Israel:
  • for the king commanded (כִּי מִצְוַת־הַמֶּלֶךְ - ki mitzvat-hammelekh): This explicitly highlights Hezekiah’s divinely sanctioned authority and proactive leadership in initiating this religious revival. His "command" demonstrates his commitment to upholding the Mosaic Law and leading his people back to proper worship, distinguishing his reign from his ungodly predecessor.
  • and all Israel: This implies not only that the king issued the command but also that the people, as "all Israel," responded obediently and unitedly in the performance of these vital rites. It signifies a collective participation in the return to covenant faithfulness.

2 Chronicles 29 24 Bonus section

The meticulous details in 2 Chronicles 29 regarding the precise ritual acts, the roles of the priests and Levites, and Hezekiah's active oversight underscore the Old Testament emphasis on specific divine commands for worship and atonement. The inclusion of specific types and numbers of animals for different offerings (2 Chr 29:21) — for burnt offerings and sin offerings, seven of each — is not arbitrary. The number seven in biblical numerology often signifies completeness or perfection, indicating the thorough and all-encompassing nature of this atonement and purification for the entire nation. This precise adherence to the Law of Moses served to counteract the disorder and profanity of the preceding reign of Ahaz and to re-establish a complete and unblemished covenant relationship between God and Israel, ensuring that every aspect of national sin was addressed.

2 Chronicles 29 24 Commentary

2 Chronicles 29:24 is a foundational verse illustrating King Hezekiah's determined efforts to restore purity and proper worship in Judah. It showcases the Levitical priesthood meticulously executing the ritual of atonement by slaughtering sacrifices and applying their blood to the altar, in precise accordance with God's commands in the Law. The crucial point here is that these specific and numerous sin offerings were for "all Israel," signifying a comprehensive national cleansing from the pervasive idolatry and spiritual negligence of the past reign. The repeated emphasis on "atonement" underscores its critical importance as the means of re-establishing fellowship with God. Hezekiah's role, expressed through his direct "command," highlights his exemplary leadership in bringing the nation back to covenant faithfulness. These Old Testament sacrificial acts, while temporarily effective, pointed forward to the ultimate, perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ, whose single offering provides full and final atonement for all sin, surpassing the limitations of animal blood.

Practical usage examples:

• The importance of identifying and addressing systemic or communal sin within a group.
• Understanding that genuine repentance involves both confession and tangible actions to rectify wrongs.
• Recognizing leadership's responsibility to guide and encourage spiritual restoration among their people.