2 Chronicles 29:24 - Exposition

They made reconciliation with their blood upon the altar ; Revised Version, and they made a sin offering with their blood. etc.; Hebrew, piel future of חָמָא . The piel conjugation occurs in all fourteen times—seven times rendered "cleanse;" twice, "purify;" twice, "offer for sin;" once, "purge;" once, as here, "make reconciliation;" and once ( Genesis 31:39 , "I bare the loss of it"), to "bear loss." This last instance, being the very first occurrence of the word in this conjugation, beautifully harmonizes with the simple and most elementary idea of the doctrine or facts underlying the word. To make … atonement; Hebrew, לְכַפֵד , piel infinitive. This word, which in the one kal occurrence of it ( Genesis 6:14 ) means "to pitch, or cover with pitch," occurs in piel eighty-six times, and is rendered "atone" or "make atonement" sixty-six times, seven times "reconcile" or "make reconciliation," the other renderings being such as "pacify," "purge," "forgive," "cleanse," "be merciful," "put it off," i.e. "expiate" (margin). We are so distinctly twice told that these sacrifices were for all Israel, that it may be taken for granted that the desire of Hezekiah was to include the northern kingdom—with which, under Hoshea, in subjection to the Assyrian king, times were now very hard and ominous of the end—in the benefits of the expiatory offerings now made (so see 2 Chronicles 30:5 , 2 Chronicles 30:6 , 2 Chronicles 30:10-12 of next chapter).