2 Crônicas 31

ARC · Chapter 31/36

1E acabando tudo isto, todos os israelitas que ali se acharam sairam ás cidades de Judah e quebraram as estatuas cortaram os bosques, e derribaram os altos e altares por toda Judah e Benjamin, como tambem em Ephraim e Manasseh, até que tudo destruiram: então tornaram todos os filhos de Israel, cada um para sua possessão, para as cidades d'elles.

2E estabeleceu Ezequias as turmas dos sacerdotes e levitas, segundo as suas turmas, a cada um segundo o seu ministerio; aos sacerdotes e levitas para o holocausto e para as offertas pacificas; para ministrarem, e louvarem, e cantarem, ás portas dos arraiaes do Senhor.

3Tambem estabeleceu a parte da fazenda do rei para os holocaustos; para os holocaustos da manhã e da tarde, e para os holocaustos dos sabbados, e das luas novas, e das solemnidades: como está escripto na lei do Senhor.

4E ordenou ao povo, aos moradores de Jerusalem, que dessem a parte dos sacerdotes e levitas; para que se podessem esforçar na lei do Senhor.

5E, depois que este dito se divulgou, os filhos de Israel trouxeram muitas primicias de trigo, mosto, e azeite, e mel, e de toda a novidade do campo: tambem os dizimos de tudo trouxeram em abundancia.

6E aos filhos de Israel e de Judah, que habitavam na cidade de Judah tambem trouxeram dizimos das vaccas e das ovelhas, e dizimos das coisas sagradas que foram consagradas ao Senhor seu Deus: e fizeram muitos montões.

7No terceiro mez começaram a fazer os primeiros montões: e no setimo mez acabaram.

8Vindo pois Ezequias e os principes, e vendo aquelles montões, bemdisseram ao Senhor e ao seu povo Israel.

9E perguntou Ezequias aos sacerdotes e aos levitas ácerca d'aquelles montões.

10E Azarias, o summo sacerdote da casa de Zadok, lhe fallou, dizendo: Desde que esta offerta se começou a trazer á casa do Senhor, houve que comer e de que se fartar, e ainda sobejo em abundancia; porque o Senhor bemdisse ao seu povo, e sobejou esta abastança.

11Então disse Ezequias que se preparassem camaras na casa do Senhor, e as prepararam.

12Ali metteram fielmente as offertas, e os dizimos, e as coisas consagradas: e tinha cargo d'isto Conanias, o levita maioral, e Simei, seu irmão, o segundo.

13E Jehiel, e Azarias, e Nahath, e Asahel, e Jerimoth, e Jozabad, e Eliel, e Ismachias, e Mahath, e Benaias, eram superintendentes debaixo da mão de Conanias e Simei seu irmão, por mandado do rei Ezequias, e de Azarias, maioral da casa de Deus.

14E Kore filho de Jimna, o levita, porteiro da banda do oriente, tinha cargo das offertas voluntarias de Deus, para distribuir as offertas alçadas do Senhor e as coisas sanctissimas.

15E debaixo das suas ordens estavam Eden, e Miniamin, e Jesua, e Semaias, Amorias, e Sechanias nas cidades dos sacerdotes, para distribuirem com fidelidade a seus irmãos, segundo as suas turmas, tanto aos pequenos como aos grandes;

16Além dos que estavam contados pelas genealogias dos machos, da edade de tres annos e d'ahi para cima; a todos os que entravam na casa do Senhor, para a obra de cada dia no seu dia, pelo seu ministerio nas suas guardas, segundo as suas turmas.

17E os que estavam contados pelas genealogias dos sacerdotes, segundo a casa de seus paes; como tambem os levitas, da edade de vinte annos e d'ahi para cima, nas suas guardas, segundo as suas turmas:

18Como tambem conforme ás genealogias, com todas as suas creanças, suas mulheres, e seus filhos, e suas filhas, por toda a congregação: porque com fidelidade estes se sanctificavam nas coisas consagradas.

19Tambem d'entre os filhos d'Aarão havia sacerdotes nos campos dos arrabaldes das suas cidades, em cada cidade, homens que foram contados pelos seus nomes para distribuirem as porções a todo o macho entre os sacerdotes e a todos os que estavam contados pelas genealogias entre os levitas.

20E assim fez Ezequias em todo o Judah: e fez o que era bom, e recto, e verdadeiro, perante o Senhor seu Deus.

21E em toda a obra que começou no serviço da casa de Deus, e na lei, e nos mandamentos, para buscar a seu Deus, com todo o seu coração o fez, e prosperou.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

After the great Passover celebration, the people destroy idols and pagan altars throughout the territory, both in Judah and in the regions of the former northern kingdom. Hezekiah reorganizes the financial support of the priests and Levites, and the people contribute generously with tithes and offerings.

Explanation

The spiritual enthusiasm generated by the Passover celebration turns into lasting practical action: the people, genuinely motivated, go out destroying symbols of idolatry not only in Jerusalem but throughout the territory, including areas of the former northern kingdom. The material generosity that follows is so abundant that it surprises the priests themselves, who report having 'enough to eat, and left plenty' — a sign that material blessing naturally followed genuine spiritual renewal. The careful reorganization of the support systems for priests and Levites, with storehouses and fair distribution, shows that Hezekiah understood that spiritual reform needed solid practical structures to sustain itself long-term, not just momentary enthusiasm.

Fun facts

  • The amount of offerings was so great that special chambers had to be built inside the temple just to store the surplus tithes, showing an extraordinarily practical and concrete response of generosity to the people's spiritual renewal.
  • The chapter's final summary, stating that Hezekiah did what was 'good, and right, and truth, before the LORD his God... with all his heart,' is one of the most completely positive evaluations given to any king in the whole book of 2 Chronicles.

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. 2 Crônicas 31:1After the feast, the people spread out through the cities of Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh, tearing down sacred pillars, sacred poles, and idolatrous altars, before finally returning each to his own town.
  2. 2 Crônicas 31:2Hezekiah reorganizes the divisions of priests and Levites, each with a specific duty to offer burnt offerings, minister, give thanks, and sing praise at the gates of the temple.
  3. 2 Crônicas 31:3Hezekiah sets aside a portion of his own royal property to fund the daily burnt offerings, and those for the Sabbaths, new moons, and appointed feasts, according to the law of the Lord.
  4. 2 Crônicas 31:4He also commands the people of Jerusalem to provide the priests and Levites their due portion, so that they can devote themselves fully to the law of the Lord.
  5. 2 Crônicas 31:5As soon as word of Hezekiah’s reform spreads, the people bring so much tithe of grain, wine, oil, and honey that it all has to be stacked up in heaps — a very concrete way of showing just how much popular enthusiasm this moment stirred up.
  6. 2 Crônicas 31:6Besides the people of Judah, residents of the towns also bring tithes of cattle and sheep, along with tithes of consecrated things, forming huge heaps of offerings.
  7. 2 Crônicas 31:7This collection of offerings begins in the third month and does not end until the seventh month — a process that continues for several months.
  8. 2 Crônicas 31:8Seeing these heaps of offerings, Hezekiah and the officials bless the Lord and His people Israel for the generosity they have shown.
  9. 2 Crônicas 31:9Hezekiah asks the priests and Levites about the source and the use of that whole accumulated mass of offerings.
  10. 2 Crônicas 31:10The high priest Azariah answers that ever since the offerings began coming in, there has been food in abundance left over — the Lord blessed His people so much that a great deal still remains.
  11. 2 Crônicas 31:11Hearing this answer, Hezekiah orders special chambers to be prepared in the temple to store all this surplus.
  12. 2 Crônicas 31:12The offerings, tithes, and consecrated things are stored faithfully in these chambers, under the oversight of the Levite Conaniah and his brother Shimei.
  13. 2 Crônicas 31:13Several other Levites work as overseers under the direction of Conaniah and Shimei, following direct orders from King Hezekiah and the high priest Azariah.
  14. 2 Crônicas 31:14Kore, a Levite gatekeeper on the east side of the temple, is put in charge of managing the freewill offerings and distributing the sacred contributions.
  15. 2 Crônicas 31:15Under Kore’s oversight, a team of Levites faithfully distributes the portions to their fellow priests in their respective towns, without distinction between small and great.
  16. 2 Crônicas 31:16The distribution of the offerings follows a detailed system based on genealogy and age, including even children as young as three, to make sure every family of priests and Levites received its share fairly. It is careful administration, not just good intentions.
  17. 2 Crônicas 31:17The distribution includes priests registered by family and Levites twenty years old and up, organized according to their rotations of service.
  18. 2 Crônicas 31:18The system also covers the children, wives, sons, and daughters of the whole assembly, because all of them faithfully kept themselves consecrated in the sacred things.
  19. 2 Crônicas 31:19Even the priests who lived scattered through the fields around the towns receive their share, managed by men specifically appointed to make this distribution fair.
  20. 2 Crônicas 31:20The Chronicler’s summary of Hezekiah is glowing: throughout Judah, he did what was good, right, and faithful before the Lord his God.
  21. 2 Crônicas 31:21In everything Hezekiah undertook — in the service of the temple, in the law, in the commandments — he sought God with all his heart, and so he prospered.

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