2 Chronicles 29:12

Then the Levites arose, Mahath the son of Amasai, and Joel the son of Azariah, of the sons of the Kohathites: and of the sons of Merari, Kish the son of Abdi, and Azariah the son of Jehalelel: and of the Gershonites; Joah the son of Zimmah, and Eden the son of Joah:

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(12-14) The names of the Levites who received the royal charge.

(12) Mahath the son of Amasai.—The verse enumerates two members of each of the three great Levitical subtribes—Kohath, Merari, and Gershon. Mahath and Eden recur (2Chronicles 31:13; 2Chronicles 31:15). Kish ben Abdi and Joah ben Zimmah occurred (1Chronicles 6:21; 1Chronicles 6:44). They appear to be family rather than personal names.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

29:1-19 When Hezekiah came to the crown, he applied at once to work reform. Those who begin with God, begin at the right end of their work, and it will prosper accordingly. Those that turn their backs upon God's ordinances, may truly be said to forsake God himself. There are still such neglects, if the word be not duly read and opened, for that was signified by the lighting the lamps, and also if prayers and praise be not offered up, for that was signified by the burning incense. Neglect of God's worship was the cause of the calamities they had lain under. The Lord alone can prepare the heart of man for vital godliness: when much good is done in a little time, the glory must be ascribed to him; and all who love him or the souls of men, will rejoice therein. Let those that do good work, learn to do it well.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

On the triple division of the Levites, see 1 Chronicles 23:6; and on the musical Levites, see 1 Chronicles 25:1-6.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

2Ch 29:12-36. The House of God Cleansed.

12-19. Then the Levites arose—Fourteen chiefs undertook the duty of collecting and preparing their brethren for the important work of cleansing the Lord's house. Beginning with the outer courts—that of the priests and that of the people—the cleansing of these occupied eight days, after which they set themselves to purify the interior; but as the Levites were not allowed to enter within the walls of the temple, the priest brought all the sweepings out to the porch, where they were received by the Levites and thrown into the brook Kedron. This took eight days more. At the end of this period they repaired to the palace and announced that not only had the whole of the sacred edifice, within and without, undergone a thorough purification, but all the vessels which the late king had taken away and applied to a common use in his palace, had been restored, "and sanctified."

Matthew Poole's Commentary

No text from Poole on this verse.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Then the Levites arose,.... Whose names are mentioned; of the Kohathites two, Mahath the son of Amashai, and Joel the son of Azariah; of the Merarites two, Kish the son of Abdi, and Azariah the son of Jehalelel; of the Gershonites two, Joah the son of Zimmah, and Eden the son of Joah; and of the family of Elizaphan, a Kohathite, two, Shimri and Jehiel; and of the family of Asaph, one of the chief singers in the times of David, two, Zechariah and Mattaniah; and of the family of Heman, another principal singer in the same times, two, Jehiel and Shimei; and of the family of Jeduthun, the third principal singer, the same with Ethan, two, Shemaiah and Uzziel, in all fourteen.

Geneva Study Bible

Then the Levites arose, Mahath the son of Amasai, and Joel the son of Azariah, of the sons of the Kohathites: and of the sons of Merari, Kish the son of Abdi, and Azariah the son of Jehalelel: and of the Gershonites; Joah the son of Zimmah, and Eden the son of Joah:

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

12. the Levites] The fourteen persons mentioned in these three verses comprise (a) two representatives each of the three great branches of Levi, namely, Kohath, Merari, and Gershon, (b) two representatives of the great Kohathite family of Elizaphan (cp. Numbers 3:30 and 1 Chronicles 15:8), (c) two representatives each of the three divisions of the singers, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun (1 Chronicles 25:1).

12–19 (not in 2 Kin.). The Cleansing of the Temple

With this passage cp. 1Ma 4:36-51 (the cleansing of the Temple by Judas Maccabaeus).

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 12. - Then the Levites arose. This verse gives two apiece of the three divisions or "families" - Gershon, Kohath, and Merari, "sons of Levi" (1 Chronicles 6:1, 2, 16-20; 1 Chronicles 23:6, 7, 12, 21, 24; comp. Genesis 46:11; Exodus 6:16). Though some of the names of this and the following two verses are known, they do not designate, of course, the same persons. Through many a generation of Levites, the same names were, no doubt intentionally, reproduced. 2 Chronicles 29:12

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

This address was heard with gladness. The Levites present assembled their brethren, and set to work, after they had all sanctified themselves, to purify the temple. In 2 Chronicles 29:12-14 fourteen names are mentioned as those of the audience, viz.: two Levites of each of the great families of Kohath, Merari, and Gershon; two of the family of Elizaphan, i.e., Elzaphan the son of Uzziel, the son of Kohath, Exodus 6:18, who in the time of Moses was prince of the family of Kohath, Numbers 3:30; and then two Levites of the descendants of Asaph (of the family of Gershon); two of Heman's descendants (of the family of Kohath); and two of Jeduthun's (of the family of Merari): see on 1 Chronicles 6:18-32. Of these names, Mahath, Eden, and Jehiel occur again in 2 Chronicles 31:13-15; several others, Joah ben Zimmah and Kish ben Abdi, have occurred already in the genealogy, 1 Chronicles 6:5. and 2 Chronicles 29:29, for in the various families the same name often repeats itself.