2 Chronicles 29:35

And also the burnt offerings were in abundance, with the fat of the peace offerings, and the drink offerings for every burnt offering. So the service of the house of the LORD was set in order.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(35) And also the burnt offerings were in abundance.—Another reason why the Levites helped the priests: the latter were so much occupied with the actual service of the altar.

The fat of the peace (thank) offerings—which had to be burned upon the burnt offerings (Leviticus 3:5; Leviticus 6:5).

And the drink offerings.—Numbers 15:1-16.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

29:20-36 As soon as Hezekiah heard that the temple was ready, he lost no time. Atonement must be made for the sins of the last reign. It was not enough to lament and forsake those sins; they brought a sin-offering. Our repentance and reformation will not obtain pardon but in and through Christ, who was made sin, that is, a sin-offering for us. While the offerings were on the altar, the Levites sang. Sorrow for sin must not prevent us from praising God. The king and the congregation gave their consent to all that was done. It is not enough for us to be where God is worshipped, if we do not ourselves worship with the heart. And we should offer up our spiritual sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving, and devote ourselves and all we have, as sacrifices, acceptable to the Father only through the Redeemer.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The Levites were more upright etc - See the marginal reference. Urijah, the high priest, had participated to some extent in the impieties of Ahaz 2 Kings 16:10-16. He and many of the priests may, therefore, have looked coldly on the reforming zeal of Hezekiah.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

34-36. the priests were too few, … wherefore their brethren the Levites did help them—The skins of beasts intended as peace offerings might be taken off by the officers, because, in such cases, the carcass was not wholly laid upon the altar; but animals meant for burnt offerings which were wholly consumed by fire could be flayed by the priests alone, not even the Levites being allowed to touch them, except in cases of unavoidable necessity (2Ch 35:11). The duty being assigned by the law to the priests (Le 1:6), was construed by consuetudinary practice as an exclusion of all others not connected with the Aaronic family.

for the Levites were more upright in heart to sanctify themselves than the priests—that is, displayed greater alacrity than the priests. This service was hastened by the irrepressible solicitude of the king. Whether it was that many of the priests, being absent in the country, had not arrived in time—whether from the long interruption of the public duties, some of them had relaxed in their wonted attentions to personal cleanliness, and had many preparations to make—or whether from some having participated in the idolatrous services introduced by Ahaz, they were backward in repairing to the temple—a reflection does seem to be cast upon their order as dilatory and not universally ready for duty (compare 2Ch 30:15). Thus was the newly consecrated temple reopened to the no small joy of the pious king and all the people.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

And also the burnt-offerings were in abundance; or,

for the burnt-offerings were to be offered also in abundance. So it is a reason why the priests could not flay all the burnt-offerings, as was said, 2 Chronicles 29:34, because there was so much other work for them; for the burnt-offerings were not only to be flayed, but also to be offered, to wit, wholly, and with them

the fat of peace-offerings, & c.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And also the burnt offerings were in abundance, with the fat of the peace offerings, and the drink offerings, for every burnt offering,.... Besides the abundance of burnt offerings, whose skins were to be taken off, there were meat offerings and drink offerings to each, which required many hands to prepare them; and also the fat of the peace offerings was to be burnt; which, all together, occasioned a great deal of business:

so the service of the house of the Lord was set in order: both for sacrifice and singing; a good beginning was made, and there was a good foundation laid to proceed on.

Geneva Study Bible

And also the burnt offerings were in abundance, with the fat of the peace offerings, and the drink offerings for every burnt offering. So the service of the house of the LORD was set in order.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

35. with the fat] Cp. 2 Chronicles 7:7; Leviticus 3:3; Leviticus 3:17.

drink offerings] Cp. Numbers 15:5; Numbers 15:7; Numbers 15:10. The offering was to be of wine, and the quantity used was to correspond with the size of the animal sacrificed.

was set in order] i.e. was re-established.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 35. - And the drink offerings for every burnt offering. The "drink offerings" (גֻסָכִים) have not been mentioned before in this chapter. Of these libations of wine and oil, the most particular account is given in Numbers 15:5-10, 24). The first scriptural mention of them occurs in Genesis 35:14; followed by Exodus 29:40, 41; Exodus 30:9; Leviticus 23:13, 18, 37; Numbers 6:15, 17, etc. 2 Chronicles 29:35

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

2 Chronicles 29:35 gives yet another reason why the Levites had to help the priests: "And also the burnt-offerings were in abundance, with the fat of the peace-offerings, and the drink-offerings for every burnt-offering." The priests could not accomplish the flaying for this reason also, that they had, besides, to see to the proper altar service (sprinkling of the blood, and burning of the sacrifices upon the altar), which taxed their strength, since, besides the consecratory burnt-offerings, there were the voluntary burnt-offerings (2 Chronicles 29:31), which were offered along with the thank-offerings and the drink-offerings, which belonged to the burnt-offerings of Numbers 15:1-15. Thus the service of the house of Jahve was arranged. עבודה is not the purification and dedication of the temple (Berth.), but only the sacrificial service, or rather all that concerned the regular temple worship, which had decayed under Ahaz, and had at length wholly ceased.