Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament · 2 Chronicles Kabanata 30

The celebration of the passover. - 2 Chronicles 30:1-12. The preparations for this celebration. - 2 Chronicles 30:1. Hezekiah invited all Israel and Judah to it; “and he also wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh,” the two chief tribes of the northern kingdom, which here, as is manifest from 2 Chronicles 30:5, 2 Chronicles 30:10, are named instar omnium . But the whole sentence serves only to elucidate כּל־שׂראל על ישׁלה . To all Israel (of the ten tribes) he sent the invitation, and this he did by letters. The verse contains a general statement as to the matter, which is further described in what follows.

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They established the matter ( דּבר יעמידוּ , Vulg. rightly, according to the sense, decreverunt ), to make proclamation throughout all Israel, from Beersheba to Dan (cf. Judges 20:1), that they should come to keep the passover. לרב לא כּי , for not in multitude had they celebrated it, as it is written. These words were interpreted as early as by Rashi thus: they had not celebrated it for a long time according to the precepts of the law, and were referred to the time of the division of the kingdom. But to this Berth. has rightly objected that the use of לרב of time is unusual, and has correctly referred the words to the Israelites: they had not celebrated it in multitude, i.e., in the assembly of the whole people, as the law required. The words consequently tell us nothing as to the length of time during which it had not been celebrated in multitude: as to that, see 2 Chronicles 30:26. Still less does it follow from the words that under Hezekiah, after the restoration of the temple worship, the passover had not been yearly held.

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“The runners (whether soldiers of the royal body-guard, cf. 2 Chronicles 12:10, or other royal couriers, as Esther 3:13, Esther 3:15, cannot be determined) went with letters from the hand of the king, ... and according to the commandment of the king to say.” Tot he written invitation of the king and his princes they were to add words of exhortation: “Turn again to Jahve, ... that He may return (turn Himself) to the remnant which remains to you from the hand of the kings of Assyria,” i.e., of Tiglath-pileser and Shalmaneser.

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Be not like your fathers, your brethren, i.e., those carried away by Tiglath and Shalmaneser. On לשׁמּה יתּגם cf. 2 Chronicles 29:8.

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Be not stiff-necked; cf. 2 Kings 17:14. “Give the hand to the Lord,” i.e., here, not submit yourselves, as 1 Chronicles 29:24, construed with תּחת ; it denotes the giving of the hand as a pledge of fidelity, as in 2 Kings 10:15; Ezra 10:19; Ezekiel 17:18.

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If ye return to the Lord, your brethren and your sons (who are in exile) shall be for mercy, i.e., shall find mercy of them who carried them away, and for returning, i.e., and they shall return into this land. וגו חנּוּן כּי , cf. Exodus 34:6.

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Also upon Judah came the hand of God, to give them one heart, to do... The phrase בּ היתה יהוה יד has usually a punitive signification (cf. Exodus 9:3; Deuteronomy 2:15, etc.), but here it is the helping hand of God. God wrought powerfully upon Judah to make them of one mind. יהוה בּדבר as in 2 Chronicles 29:15.

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