29 matching verse commentaries
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
That prepareth his heart to seek God, the Lord God of his fathers,.... Who was heartily desirous of worshipping God, and observing his ordinances, which had been enjoined their fathers, and they had kept; though Aben Ezra, as Kimchi observes, refers this to Hezekiah, whose whole heart he directed, or prepared to seek the Lord, c. by prayer and...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And the Lord hearkened to Hezekiah,.... Heard his prayer, and accepted of it, and granted what he desired: and healed his people; that is, forgave their sins, as Kimchi interprets it; forgiveness being expressed by healing, for which he refers to Psalms 41:4 to which may be added Psalms 103:3 and which was known either by a prophet sent to declare...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And the children of Israel that were present at Jerusalem kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with great gladness,.... Which, according to the law of Moses, were always to follow the passover, Exodus 12:18 and the Levites and the priests praised the Lord day by day, singing with loud instruments unto the Lord; or instruments of strength...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And Hezekiah spake comfortably to all the Levites,.... Or "to the heart" (u) of them, such things as were very encouraging to them to go on in the work and worship of God, commending their singing, exhorting them to diligence in instructing the people, promising them his favour and protection: even those that taught the good knowledge of the Lord;...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And the whole assembly took counsel to keep other seven days,.... They consulted among themselves, and with the king and his nobles about it, who all agreed to it: and they kept other seven days with gladness; not altogether in the same manner they had kept the preceding seven days; they did not slay and eat passover lambs, nor did they eat...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
For Hezekiah king of Judah did give to the congregation one thousand bullocks, and seven thousand sheep,.... He separated them, as Kimchi interprets it, from his own herds and flocks; or out of his own substance, at his own expense purchased them; or lifted them up, as the word signifies, as heave offerings to the Lord; and gave them to the people...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And all the congregation of Judah, with the priests and Levites,.... The people that were gathered together out of the several cities of Judah, which no doubt was the largest congregation, with whom the priests and Levites are joined, as being of that kingdom, and dwellers in Jerusalem, where their office lay: and all the congregation that came...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
So there was great joy in Jerusalem,.... Not merely carnal, expressed in eating and drinking, and making merry with one another, but spiritual, on account of the restoration of temple service, and the feasts of the Lord: for since the time of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel, there was not the like in Jerusalem; not the like joy, so...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Then the priests the Levites arose,.... The priests who were of the tribe of Levi; for there were some in Israel that were not, but were made of any of the people, as in the times of Jeroboam; though some supply the copulative "and"; so the Targum: "and blessed the people"; which was the proper work and business of the priests to do; though, while...