2 Chronicles 29:3 kjv
He in the first year of his reign, in the first month, opened the doors of the house of the LORD, and repaired them.
2 Chronicles 29:3 nkjv
In the first year of his reign, in the first month, he opened the doors of the house of the LORD and repaired them.
2 Chronicles 29:3 niv
In the first month of the first year of his reign, he opened the doors of the temple of the LORD and repaired them.
2 Chronicles 29:3 esv
In the first year of his reign, in the first month, he opened the doors of the house of the LORD and repaired them.
2 Chronicles 29:3 nlt
In the very first month of the first year of his reign, Hezekiah reopened the doors of the Temple of the LORD and repaired them.
2 Chronicles 29 3 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Chr 28:24 | And Ahaz gathered together the vessels of the house of God... shut up the doors of the house of the LORD... | Contrast with Ahaz's closure of Temple. |
| 2 Chr 29:5 | "Hear me, Levites! Sanctify yourselves... Carry out the filth from the sanctuary." | Further action of cleansing and restoration. |
| 2 Chr 29:10 | "Now it is in my heart to make a covenant with the LORD, the God of Israel..." | Hezekiah's covenant renewal initiative. |
| 2 Chr 34:3-7 | In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, Josiah began to seek the God of David... | Josiah's reform actions. |
| Ezra 6:14-15 | So the elders of the Jews built... And they finished building by command of God... | Post-exilic Temple restoration. |
| Hag 1:8 | "Go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house, that I may take pleasure in it and be glorified." | Command to rebuild God's house. |
| Zech 1:16 | "My house shall be built in it, declares the LORD of hosts, and a measuring line shall be stretched over Jerusalem." | Prophecy of Temple rebuilding. |
| Psa 119:60 | I made haste and did not delay to keep your commandments. | Emphasis on immediate obedience. |
| Ecc 9:10 | Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might... | Urgency in carrying out tasks. |
| Exod 12:2 | "This month shall be for you the beginning of months..." | Signifying new beginnings; "first month." |
| Deut 17:18-20 | When he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself... | King's duty to uphold God's law. |
| 1 Kgs 8:1-11 | Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel... to bring up the ark of the covenant... | Solomon opening the dedicated Temple. |
| Isa 2:2-3 | It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established... | Future spiritual access to God's house. |
| Ezek 43:4-5 | And the glory of the LORD came into the temple by the way of the gate... | Return of God's glory to the sanctified house. |
| John 2:13-17 | He found in the temple those who were selling oxen... and drove them all out... | Jesus' zeal for the purity of God's house. |
| Matt 27:51 | And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom... | Divine action providing access to God's presence. |
| Heb 4:16 | Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace... | Believers' access to God through Christ. |
| Heb 10:19-22 | Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus... | New covenant access to God's presence. |
| Rev 3:8 | "Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one can shut..." | Divine opportunities for ministry/access. |
| Rev 4:1 | After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! | Vision of direct access to God's heavenly throne. |
| 2 Cor 5:17 | Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away... | Spiritual renewal; making "all things new." |
| Lam 2:9 | Her gates have sunk into the ground; he has destroyed and broken her bars. | Contrast to damaged/closed gates due to sin. |
| Amos 9:11 | "In that day I will raise up the booth of David that is fallen and repair its breaches..." | Prophecy of restoring a spiritual dwelling place. |
2 Chronicles 29 verses
2 Chronicles 29 3 Meaning
King Hezekiah, immediately upon ascending the throne, wasted no time in restoring proper worship. In the very first month of his reign's first year, he opened the doors of the Lord's house, which his father King Ahaz had closed, and set about repairing them. This swift action signified a deliberate and profound reversal of the previous apostasy and a zealous commitment to re-establish true worship according to the covenant.
2 Chronicles 29 3 Context
The verse immediately follows the introduction of Hezekiah as the new king of Judah, aged twenty-five, who reigned for twenty-nine years and did "what was right in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that David his father had done." This positive evaluation sets the stage for his subsequent actions. The preceding chapter (2 Chr 28) details the apostasy and idolatry of his father, King Ahaz, who went as far as closing the doors of the Lord's house and setting up altars to pagan gods in Jerusalem. Thus, 2 Chronicles 29:3 highlights Hezekiah's pivotal act of immediate reversal, emphasizing his devotion to Yahweh and his zealous commitment to purifying the kingdom and restoring true worship at the earliest possible moment of his reign, serving as a powerful counter-narrative to his father's wicked reign.
2 Chronicles 29 3 Word analysis
- In the first year: Signifies immediate action and decisive leadership. It marks a swift turn from the preceding wickedness. Kings often waited years before initiating major reforms; Hezekiah began at once. This underscores his sincere devotion to Yahweh from the outset.
- of his reign: Indicates his official capacity and authority as king, exercising his divine mandate to lead the nation back to God.
- in the first month: Emphasizes exceptional promptness. Not just in the first year, but in the very first opportunity of that year. This rapid action underscores the urgency and priority Hezekiah placed on restoring the Temple and Yahweh worship, potentially hinting at the Passover observance, which took place in the first month (Nisan/Abib), requiring a purified temple.
- he opened: (Hebrew: pāthaḥ - פָּתַח). To unbar, unlock, inaugurate. This is an active verb indicating Hezekiah's direct and authoritative involvement. It directly reverses Ahaz's action of shutting the doors (2 Chr 28:24), symbolically unblocking the access to God. It means making accessible what was previously closed or forbidden.
- the doors: (Hebrew: delet - דֶּלֶת). Refers to the physical doors of the Temple complex. Symbolically, these doors represented the barrier or access point to God's presence and true worship. Opening them restored the physical entry to the sacred space and signified the removal of spiritual hindrances.
- of the house of the Lord: (Hebrew: bêyth Yahweh - בֵּית יְהוָה). The Temple in Jerusalem, dedicated to the worship of Yahweh, the covenant God of Israel. It was the central place of sacrifice, prayer, and divine revelation, symbolizing God's dwelling among His people. Hezekiah's focus on the "house of the Lord" underscored the centrality of covenant worship.
- and repaired them: (Hebrew: ḥāzaq - חָזַק). To strengthen, reinforce, make firm, prevail. This is more than just a casual fix. It suggests restoration from significant disrepair or neglect due to Ahaz's abandonment of the Temple. It implies active work to make them sturdy and functional again, signaling a thorough and enduring commitment to the Temple's restoration. This "repair" laid the foundation for subsequent purification and re-dedication ceremonies.
- Words-Group analysis:
- "In the first year of his reign, in the first month": This phrase strongly conveys immediate, decisive, and prioritized action. It sets Hezekiah apart from other kings who might delay reform. It is a programmatic statement indicating the tenor of his entire reign—one dedicated to re-establishing Yahweh's centrality.
- "he opened the doors of the house of the Lord and repaired them": This unified phrase represents Hezekiah's initiative to restore physical and spiritual access to God's presence. It is a powerful symbol of reversing apostasy and recommitting to the covenant. The "opening" allows entry, and the "repairing" ensures functionality and dignity for God's dwelling. This physical act prepares for the deeper spiritual cleansing and re-dedication that follows in the chapter.
2 Chronicles 29 3 Bonus section
The immediate action of Hezekiah in this verse serves as a powerful model of unhesitating obedience and fervent zeal for God's glory. It teaches that when called to spiritual reform, there should be no delay or compromise. The emphasis on "first year" and "first month" points to a principle of immediate application of divine commands. Spiritually, the opening and repairing of doors can be seen as making way for God's presence and allowing free flow between humanity and the divine. This echoes the ultimate opening of access to God through the broken body of Christ, who declared Himself "the door" (John 10:9) and whose death tore the Temple veil (Matt 27:51), providing unhindered access into the Holy of Holies. Hezekiah's physical act in 2 Chronicles foreshadows the deeper, spiritual access to God made possible in the New Covenant.
2 Chronicles 29 3 Commentary
2 Chronicles 29:3 provides a vivid snapshot of King Hezekiah's righteous character and immediate agenda. Unlike his apostate father Ahaz, who deliberately shut the Temple doors, Hezekiah wastes no time in re-establishing proper worship. The specific timeline—"In the first year of his reign, in the first month"—underscores an extraordinary zeal and an absence of procrastination. This act was not merely practical maintenance; it was a profound symbolic declaration of repentance and recommitment to Yahweh. By opening and repairing the Temple doors, Hezekiah physically removed barriers to divine communion, demonstrating a proactive stance to purify the nation's spiritual life from the outset. This initial, swift action set the tone for a major spiritual revival and reformation that unfolded throughout his reign, demonstrating that true spiritual renewal begins with accessible and properly maintained channels of worship for God's people.