2 Chronicles 29:31 - Exposition

Ye have consecrated yourselves . The Hebrew text is, "have filled your hands to Jehovah." Our somewhat awkward and somewhat misleading reproduction in English of the Hebrew text is, nevertheless, on the whole defensible. The phrase occurs some seventeen times ( Exodus 28:41 ; Exodus 29:9 , Exodus 29:29 , Exodus 29:33 , Exodus 29:35 ; Exodus 32:29 ; Le 8:33; Exodus 16:32 ; Exodus 21:10 ; Numbers 3:3 ; 17:5 , 17:12 ; 1 Kings 13:33 ; 1 Chronicles 29:5 ; 2 Chronicles 13:9 ; Ezekiel 43:26 ), and in some of these instances is most conveniently represented by the rendering "consecrate." The plural noun הַמִּלֻאִים , or חַמִּלוּאִיִם , is found thirteen times, in three of which places it is spoken of "stones to be set," as e.g. "for" or "in the ephod" ( Exodus 25:7 ; Exodus 35:9 , Exodus 35:27 ; 1 Chronicles 29:2 ); and in the other ten, of "consecration," as e.g. "a ram of consecration," "the ram of Aaron's consecration" ( Exodus 29:22 , Exodus 29:26 , Exodus 29:27 , Exodus 29:31 , Exodus 29:34 ; Le 7:37; Exodus 8:22 , Exodus 8:28 , Exodus 8:29 , Exodus 8:31 , 33). Some think our text, "Now ye have consecrated yourselves," glances at the sacrifices of a propitiatory sort, which had just been completed; others, that the reference is by anticipation—to the fact that the people invited to draw near had, in an honourable, holy, and sincerely devoted way, armed themselves with worthy offerings. The sacrifices and thank offerings were sacrifices "of thank offerings," in the nature of the peace offerings (Le 2 Chronicles 7:11-21 , 29-36). The burnt offerings marked the "free heart," inasmuch as there was nothing of them reserved from the consuming of the altar for use. As many as were of a free heart; Hebrew, וְכָל־נְרִיב לֵב . Among some sixty occurrences of this word, in its verb, noun, or (as hero) adjective form, perhaps the most touching and beautifully expressive is that of Psalms 60:12 , "Uphold me with thy free Spirit." Sacrifices ; Hebrew, זְבָחִים . This is the plural of זֶבַח —a word that expresses the generic idea, as e.g. the feast of sacrifice; again, the act of slaying and sacrificing a victim; again, the victim itself; again, those kinds of sacrifices that were expiatory or eucharistic, but not holocaustic (Le Psalms 7:12 ). Thank offerings; Hebrew, תּוֹדוֹת . This word occurs about thirty-two times; in about two-thirds of that number denoting the spiritual acts of giving of thanks, even when accompanied by the figurative idea of "sacrifices" ( Psalms 56:13 ; Psalms 107:22 ; Psalms 116:17 ), the genuine adoring praise or thanksgiving constituting the sacrifice; and in the other third denoting strictly sacrificial offerings, as several times in Leviticus (Le Leviticus 7:12 ; Leviticus 22:29 ) and here. Our 2 Chronicles 33:16 classifies these with "peace offerings" ( שְׁלָמִים ), as do many other passages with "burnt offerings" generally ( 20:26 ; 21:4 ; 1 Samuel 13:9 ; 2 Samuel 6:17 ; 1 Chronicles 16:1 ; 1 Chronicles 21:26 ).