Annotations upon the remaining historicall part of the Old Testament. The second part. to wit, the books of Joshua, Judges, the two books of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles, and the books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther : wherein first, all such passages in the text are explained as were thought likely to be questioned by any reader of ordinary capacity : secondly, in many clauses those things are discovered which are needfull and usefull to be known ... and thirdly, many places that might at first seem to contradict one another are reconciled ... / by Arthur Jackson.

CHAP. XXXI.

Vers. 1. NOw when all this was finished, all Israel that were present, went out to the cities of Judah, and brake the images in pieces, &c.] See chap. 30.14.

In Ephraim also and Manasseh, untill they had utterly destroyed them all.] To wit, in those cities of Ephraim and Manasseh that had been taken in the warres by the kings of Judah from the kings of Israel: for all this was done by the authority and command of Hezekiah. See 2. Kings 18.4.

Vers. 2. And Hezekiah appointed the courses of the priests, and the Levites, &c. to minister, and to give thanks, and to praise in the gates of the tents of the Lord.] That is, in the Temple, called the tents of the lord, because there the priests and Levites (who for their severall functions number and order are called an army or host, Levit. 4.3.) kept the watch of the Lord, and there the people assembled to∣gether in troops as souldiers in the camp, and that to pray unto the Lord, which is the chief service of our spirituall warfare.

Vers. 3. He appointed also the kings portion of his substance, for the burnt-offerings, to wit, for the morning and evening burnt-offerings, &c.] All the parti∣cular sacrifices here mentioned as is written in the law of the Lord, that is, which in the law were severally prescribed for every feast, and for the daily sacrifice, Num. 28. they were ordinarily provided by the people in generall, as it was also afterward, Nehem. 10.32, 33. Also we made ordinances for us to charge our selves yearely with the third part of a shekel, for the service of the house of our God, for the shew-bread, and for the continuall meat-offering, and for the continuall burnt-offerings of the Sabbaths, and of the new moons, &c. but now it seems to ease the people in their poverty, Hezekiah appointed a portion for and toward these services out of his own substance.

Vers. 4. He commanded the people that dwelt in Jerusalem, to give the portion of the priests, and the Levites, that they might be encouraged in the law of the Lord.] That is, that they might not be distracted with worldly cares of providing for themselves, nor follow their callings heavily for want of maintenance, but might chearfully bend themselves wholly to the service of the Lord.

Vers. 5. The children of Israel brought in abundance the first fruits of corn, wine, and oyle, &c.] To wit, those in and about Jerusalem, where the command∣ment was first given: for of the Israelites inhabiting the other cities of Judah the following verse speaks: or else in this verse there is mention of the tithes and first-fruits of such as grew out of the earth, and in the following verse of the tithes of cattell and such other things. And concerning the children of Israel and Judah that dwelt in the cities of Judah, they also brought in the tythes of oxen and sheep, and

the tithe of holy things, that is, all other tithes that were by the Law of God due; which are here called the tithe of holy things, because the tithes were to be set apart from the rest of their goods, as things consecrated and holy to the Lord: yet happe∣ly these words are specially intended of those second tithes, which were not given for the maintenance of the Levites, but separated for other holy uses, for which see Deut. 14.22. and Levit. 27.30.

Vers. 7. In the third moneth they began to lay the foundation of the heaps, and finished them in the seventh moneth.] For in the third moneth was their harvest, and therefore the feast of Pentecost, which was in that moneth, was called the feast of harvest, and in the seventh moneth they gathered all other fruits of the land, and therefore the feast of Tabernacles which was in that moneth, was called the feast of in gathering in the end of the yeare, Exod. 23.16.

Vers. 9. Then Hezekiah questioned with the priests and the Levites concern∣ing the heaps.] That is, he demanded how it came to passe that they had spent no more of that provision that was brought in for them.

Vers. 10. And Azariah the chief priest of the house of Zadok, answered him, &c.] There were still two chief priests of the two severall families of Eleazar and Ithamar, that had the chief command in the Temple under the high priest, of which it seems this Azariah was one, who is therefore also called, vers. 13. the ruler of the house of God.

For the Lord hath blessed his people; and that which is left is this great store.] That is, since they brought in their first fruits and tithes, God hath so abundantly blessed the people, that their offerings have yielded us sufficient provision, and this overplus which is left besides.

Vers. 12. And brought in the offerings and the tithes, and the dedicate things faithfully, over which Cononiah the Levite was ruler, &c.] To wit, to see the of∣ferings and the tithes, and the dedicate things safely stored up, and carefully preser∣ved in the severall garners or chambers appointed for them, and to keep an account, both of what was brought in, and what was delivered forth, according to the order established, 1. Chron. 26.20.

Vers. 14. And Kore the sonne of Imnah the Levite, the porter toward the east, was over the free-will-offerings of God, &c.] As these before mentioned, vers. 12, 13. had the charge of keeping the offerings and tithes and dedicate things; so Kore and those under him, mentioned, vers. 15. had the charge of distributing them to the priests and Levites, to whom they belonged.

Vers. 16. Beside their genealogie of males, from three years old and upward, &c.] Here is expressed more particularly who they were to whom these holy things were distributed; to wit, (besides the males of three years old and upward, but under the age of twenty years, who had also their portion allotted to them, vers. 18.) they give both to the priests and Levites, from twenty years old and upwards, as they came in their courses to do their service in the house of the Lord; yea, and besides, vers. 18. they gave to all that were registred in the genealogies of the priests and Levites, even to their little ones, their wives, and their sonnes, and their daughters through all the congregation.

Vers. 18. For in their set office they sanctified themselves in holinesse.] That is,

in this their office, to which they were sanctified and set apart, they did faithfully, and in an holy manner discharge that trust that was reposed in them, and were carefull to keep themselves from pollution, that so they might be capable of eating these holy things.

Vers. 19. Also the sonnes of Aaron the priests, which were in the fields of the suburbs of their cities, &c.] That is, besides those mentioned before, vers. 14, 15. that were to distribute the holy things to those that dwelt in Jerusalem, or that came up thither in their severall courses for the service of the Temple; there were others al∣so chosen, who were then expressed by name of the priests that dwelt in the other cities of the kingdome, that were to give portions to the priests and Levites that were then abiding in those places, and not attending in Jerusalem upon the service of God in the Temple.