2 Chronicles 30 10

2 Chronicles 30:10 kjv

So the posts passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh even unto Zebulun: but they laughed them to scorn, and mocked them.

2 Chronicles 30:10 nkjv

So the runners passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, as far as Zebulun; but they laughed at them and mocked them.

2 Chronicles 30:10 niv

The couriers went from town to town in Ephraim and Manasseh, as far as Zebulun, but people scorned and ridiculed them.

2 Chronicles 30:10 esv

So the couriers went from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, and as far as Zebulun, but they laughed them to scorn and mocked them.

2 Chronicles 30:10 nlt

The runners went from town to town throughout Ephraim and Manasseh and as far as the territory of Zebulun. But most of the people just laughed at the runners and made fun of them.

2 Chronicles 30 verses

2 Chronicles 30 10 Meaning

2 Chronicles 30:10 depicts the widespread rejection of King Hezekiah's sincere invitation to celebrate the Passover in Jerusalem by many of the northern tribes of Israel. Despite the earnest efforts of the couriers who travelled extensively through the land of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Zebulun, they were met with extreme contempt and derision. This response reveals the deeply entrenched spiritual apathy, rebellion, and idolatry that characterized the former Northern Kingdom, highlighting their refusal to turn back to the Lord.

2 Chronicles 30 10 Context

The events of 2 Chronicles 30 take place during the early reign of King Hezekiah of Judah. His father, Ahaz, had been a wicked king who promoted idolatry and closed the temple doors, leading Judah into spiritual and moral decay. Hezekiah, in contrast, initiated a major spiritual revival shortly after ascending the throne (2 Chr 29). This included cleansing and consecrating the Temple and reinstituting proper worship according to the Law of Moses. Following these initial reforms, Hezekiah took the unprecedented step of inviting all Israel, including the remaining tribes of the northern kingdom which had largely fallen to Assyria (specifically Samaria was taken in 722 BC, though some territories remained occupied), to come to Jerusalem and celebrate the Passover. This was a bold move, symbolizing a desire for national reunification and a turning back to the one true God, bridging the centuries-old divide between Judah and Israel. Verse 10 specifically describes the disheartening response of many within these northern territories to Hezekiah's earnest, Spirit-led call.

2 Chronicles 30 10 Word analysis

• So the couriers: The word for "couriers" is רָצִים (ratsim), meaning 'runners' or 'swift messengers.' This highlights the urgency and personal nature of Hezekiah's appeal. It suggests great effort and dispatch in extending the invitation. Their swiftness was to ensure a timely response for the Passover, indicating Hezekiah's commitment.
• passed from city to city: Emphasizes the extensive scope and determined effort of Hezekiah's mission. The invitation was not casual but widely distributed, reaching into the heart of the territories of the fragmented northern kingdom, demonstrating a genuine desire for reunification in worship.
• through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh: These tribes represented the historical heartland and largest components of the former Northern Kingdom of Israel. They were traditionally strong tribes that led the rebellion against Rehoboam (1 Ki 12). Their inclusion signifies Hezekiah's broad vision for all Israel to worship the Lord, despite their history of idolatry and political separation.
• and as far as Zebulun: Zebulun was one of the more northern tribes. Including Zebulun demonstrates the extraordinary extent of Hezekiah's outreach, going deep into areas most affected by Assyrian conquest and spiritual desolation.
• but they laughed them to scorn: The phrase combines two Hebrew verbs: שָׂחַק (sachaq), which can mean 'to laugh' in a positive or negative sense, but here it is explicitly negative, 'to mock' or 'to make sport of,' and לָעַג (la'ag), which specifically means 'to scoff' or 'to deride' with contempt. This indicates a deeply disrespectful and disdainful reaction, showing an ingrained hardness of heart and a total rejection of the spiritual invitation.
• and scoffed at them: The second verb here, הָתֵל (hatel), means 'to mock,' 'to deceive,' or 'to delude.' Its use here reinforces the depth of their derision, suggesting not just lighthearted mockery but contemptuous ridicule. It shows not merely disinterest, but an active, malicious dismissal of God's messengers and the divine invitation.
• laughed... scoffed: This repetition and choice of strong verbs highlight the intensity of the opposition and the severe contempt faced by Hezekiah's messengers. It's a forceful portrayal of spiritual blindness and rebellion. The Northern Kingdom, separated for centuries from Jerusalem and often steeped in syncretism or outright idolatry, was largely unaccustomed to true worship and likely viewed Judah's religious fervor with suspicion, if not open hostility.

2 Chronicles 30 10 Bonus section

The profound spiritual disconnect portrayed in 2 Chronicles 30:10 reveals the long-term consequences of persistent national apostasy that began centuries earlier with the division of the kingdom and Jeroboam's establishment of rival worship centers (1 Kings 12). By this point, in the time of Hezekiah, many of the northern Israelites had lived under paganizing influences, severed from the true Levitical priesthood and the Jerusalem Temple for so long that the call to celebrate Passover at Jerusalem was foreign and laughable to them. This historical context illuminates the extent of spiritual hardening, which was far beyond mere negligence; it was an active rejection rooted in deeply ingrained traditions and anti-Jerusalem sentiment. The account of the couriers facing mockery serves as a testament to the fact that faithfully delivering God's message, even one of reconciliation and blessing, often elicits contempt from those comfortable in their rebellion. This parallels the experiences of prophets throughout Israel's history (e.g., Jeremiah, Ezekiel) and later, even Christ and His apostles, who also faced scorn for their invitations to repentance and faith.

2 Chronicles 30 10 Commentary

2 Chronicles 30:10 serves as a stark illustration of the resistance God's gracious invitations often encounter due to spiritual apathy and hardened hearts. Hezekiah's unprecedented Passover call was not merely a political move but a heartfelt attempt to bring the divided kingdom back to Yahweh worship. The couriers represented this divine grace, traversing difficult terrain to deliver a message of restoration and forgiveness. However, many in Ephraim, Manasseh, and Zebulun, burdened by generations of idolatry and the influence of paganism, chose scorn over repentance. Their laughter and scoffing were not simply against the couriers or King Hezekiah, but implicitly against the Lord who had extended the invitation. This episode vividly demonstrates the deep spiritual decline in the northern kingdom, foreshadowing their eventual downfall and showing how prolonged rebellion can render hearts impervious to grace. It reminds us that even sincere calls to righteousness can be met with derision by those unwilling to turn from their ways, emphasizing human culpability in rejecting God's persistent overtures. This account underscores the recurring biblical theme that while God calls all to repentance, only those with receptive hearts will respond (e.g., the remnant in v. 11).