What does 2 Chronicles 29:24 mean?
What is the meaning of 2 Chronicles 29:24?

And the priests slaughtered the goats

• The priests—set apart by God in Exodus 28 and Leviticus 8—step back into their ordained role during King Hezekiah’s temple restoration (2 Chronicles 29:4–5, 11).

• “Goats” point to the sin-offering prescriptions in Leviticus 4:23–24 and Numbers 28:15, emphasizing substitution: an innocent life given in place of the guilty.

• By naming the priests first, Scripture stresses that cleansing begins with spiritual leadership (cf. Leviticus 9:7).


and put their blood on the altar

Leviticus 17:11 says, “For the life of the flesh is in the blood… it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life”. Placing blood on the altar publicly displays the cost of sin.

Hebrews 9:22 echoes, “Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness,” showing that the temple ritual prefigures Christ’s ultimate sacrifice.

• The altar in Solomon’s temple (2 Chronicles 4:1) is now re-consecrated, illustrating how renewal always returns to God’s ordained means.


for a sin offering

• A sin offering addresses unintentional and defiling sins (Leviticus 4). It differs from a burnt offering, which speaks of total surrender (Leviticus 1).

• The sequence—sin offering first, then burnt offering (29:22–24)—reflects God’s pattern: forgiveness precedes deeper worship.

Isaiah 53:10 hints at the Messianic fulfillment: “Yet it pleased the LORD to crush Him, and He made His life an offering for sin.”


to make atonement for all Israel

• “Atonement” (covering, reconciliation) is corporate here, echoing Leviticus 16:30 and Numbers 15:25 where the high priest acts on behalf of the entire nation.

• Hezekiah’s reforms aim to reunify the divided kingdom spiritually (2 Chronicles 30:1–9). Even tribes in the north are invited, showing God’s heart for all His people (cf. Ezekiel 37:22–23).

Romans 5:11 celebrates the completed reality: “We now rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”


because the king had ordered the burnt offering and the sin offering for all Israel

• God-fearing leadership matters. Hezekiah “did what was right in the eyes of the LORD” (2 Kings 18:3), using his authority to lead the nation back to covenant faithfulness.

2 Chronicles 29:20–21 shows him personally assembling princes and priests, illustrating Proverbs 14:34: “Righteousness exalts a nation.”

• By specifying “burnt offering and sin offering,” the verse underlines a full spectrum of worship: removal of sin plus wholehearted devotion (Romans 12:1 connects this pattern to New-Covenant living).


summary

2 Chronicles 29:24 records priests obediently sacrificing goats, applying their blood on the altar as a sin offering so that the entire nation might be reconciled to God, all under King Hezekiah’s directive. The verse highlights three timeless truths: sin requires a blood substitute, godly leaders guide people toward repentance, and atonement opens the door to restored worship—ultimately pointing forward to the perfect, once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

Why were goats chosen for the sin offering in 2 Chronicles 29:23?
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