The Portions, and the Heaps
1 Now when all this was finished, all Israel who were present went out to the cities of Judah and broke the pillars in pieces, cut down the Asherah poles, and broke down the high places and the altars out of all Judah and Benjamin, also in Ephraim and Manasseh, until they had destroyed them all. Then all the children of Israel returned, every man to his possession, into their own cities. 2 Hezekiah appointed the divisions of the priests and the Levites after their divisions, every man according to his service, both the priests and the Levites, for burnt offerings and for peace offerings, to minister, to give thanks, and to praise in the gates of Yahweh’s camp. 3 He also appointed the king’s portion of his possessions for the burnt offerings: for the morning and evening burnt offerings, and the burnt offerings for the Sabbaths, for the new moons, and for the set feasts, as it is written in Yahweh’s law. 4 Moreover he commanded the people who lived in Jerusalem to give the portion of the priests and the Levites, that they might give themselves to Yahweh’s law. 5 As soon as the commandment went out, the children of Israel gave in abundance the first fruits of grain, new wine, oil, honey, and of all the increase of the field; and they brought in the tithe of all things abundantly. 6 The children of Israel and Judah, who lived in the cities of Judah, also brought in the tithe of cattle and sheep, and the tithe of dedicated things which were consecrated to Yahweh their God, and laid them in heaps. 7 In the third month, they began to lay the foundation of the heaps, and finished them in the seventh month. 8 When Hezekiah and the princes came and saw the heaps, they blessed Yahweh and his people Israel. 9 Then Hezekiah questioned the priests and the Levites about the heaps. 10 Azariah the chief priest, of the house of Zadok, answered him and said, “Since people began to bring the offerings into Yahweh’s house, we have eaten and had enough, and have plenty left over, for Yahweh has blessed his people; and that which is left is this great store.” 11 Then Hezekiah commanded them to prepare rooms in Yahweh’s house, and they prepared them. 12 They brought in the offerings, the tithes, and the dedicated things faithfully. Conaniah the Levite was ruler over them, and Shimei his brother was second. 13 Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismachiah, Mahath, and Benaiah were overseers under the hand of Conaniah and Shimei his brother, by the appointment of Hezekiah the king and Azariah the ruler of God’s house. 14 Kore the son of Imnah the Levite, the gatekeeper at the east gate, was over the free will offerings of God, to distribute Yahweh’s offerings and the most holy things. 15 Under him were Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah, in the cities of the priests, in their office of trust, to give to their brothers by divisions, to the great as well as to the small; 16 in addition to those who were listed by genealogy of males, from three years old and upward, even everyone who entered into Yahweh’s house, as the duty of every day required, for their service in their offices according to their divisions; 17 and those who were listed by genealogy of the priests by their fathers’ houses, and the Levites from twenty years old and upward, in their offices by their divisions; 18 and those who were listed by genealogy of all their little ones, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, through all the congregation; for in their office of trust they sanctified themselves in holiness. 19 Also for the sons of Aaron the priests, who were in the fields of the pasture lands of their cities, in every city, there were men who were mentioned by name to give portions to all the males among the priests and to all who were listed by genealogy among the Levites. 20 Hezekiah did so throughout all Judah; and he did that which was good, right, and faithful before Yahweh his God. 21 In every work that he began in the service of God’s house, in the law, and in the commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart and prospered.
The festival ends and the administration begins, and the surplus is so large that rooms have to be built to hold it.
The first thing the congregation does after the feast is go home by way of the shrines. They break the pillars and cut down the poles out of all Judah and Benjamin, also in Ephraim and Manasseh 2 Chronicles 31:1 — including territory outside the king's authority, done by people returning to their own towns.
That is the pattern of this reign. Hezekiah opens doors and issues invitations; the demolition is done by whoever was at the feast, on their way back.
Then the chapter turns to something no reform in the book had yet addressed: how the arrangement is paid for. The divisions are appointed, and the king assigns the king's portion of his possessions for the daily, weekly, monthly and annual offerings 2 Chronicles 31:3. He funds the schedule out of his own estate before asking anyone else.
The command to the people carries its reason inside it. They are to give the priests' portion that they might give themselves to Yahweh's law 2 Chronicles 31:4. Support is not a courtesy owed to a class; it is what buys the clergy the time to do the one thing Judah had most conspicuously lacked, which is teaching.
The response overwhelms the system. First fruits of grain, wine, oil, honey and every increase; the tithe of herds; dedicated things — and laid them in heaps 2 Chronicles 31:6. The piles take from the third month to the seventh to accumulate 2 Chronicles 31:7.
The king's question about them, and the answer, make the finest exchange in the chapter. He asks what the heaps are. The chief priest replies: since people began to bring the offerings into Yahweh's house, we have eaten and had enough, and have plenty left over, for Yahweh has blessed his people; and that which is left is this great store 2 Chronicles 31:10.
The surplus is what remains after everyone was fed. It is not evidence of hoarding but of a shortage ending, and the priest attributes it past the givers to the one who gave them the increase.
The administration that follows is precise about the thing that usually goes wrong. Storerooms are built; two brothers are put over them with ten named overseers, appointed jointly by the king and the chief priest 2 Chronicles 31:12–13; a gatekeeper is put over the freewill offerings with six men under him in the country towns 2 Chronicles 31:14–15.
And the distribution rule is stated in five words: to the great as well as to the small. The registers extend to children from three years old, to wives, sons and daughters 2 Chronicles 31:16–18, so the food reaches households and not only office-holders.
The verdict on the reign is given here rather than at his death, and it uses the book's verb one last time about him. In everything he began, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart and prospered 2 Chronicles 31:21.
settled What this mark means