three thousand sheep. 34But the priests were too few, so that they could not flay all the burnt offerings: wherefore their brethren the Levites did help them, till the work was ended, and until the priests had sanctified themselves: for the Levites were more upright in heart to sanctify themselves than the priests. 35And also the burnt offerings were in abundance, with the fat of the peace offerings, and with the drink offerings for every burnt offering. So the service of the house of the LORD was set in order. 36And Hezekiah rejoiced, and all the people, because of that which God had prepared for the people: for the thing was done suddenly.
34. the priests] According to Lev. i. 5 f. the task of flaying the sacrifice was to be performed by the offerer. Either this passage marks a later stage in the customary ritual, or perhaps this occasion was regarded by the Chronicler as exceptional because the offerings were brought on behalf of the "congregation" in general. The verse presents other difficult features. Who were the priests who had not yet sanctified themselves? What is the significance of the evident contrast between the attitude of the priests and that of the Levites, to the disadvantage of the former? It would seem that there were priests who had deliberately or slackly failed to comply with Hezekiah's injunction (vv. 4, 5) and were therefore still ritually unclean from the pollution of the previous reign. In general we infer that the Levites had either been less deeply involved in the idolatries of Ahaz or at least were more zealous than the priests for the restoration of the worship of Jehovah alone· Possibly this tradition may truly represent the historical facts; or it may be an inference derived from 2 Kin. xvi. 16 where the subservience of the high-priest Urijah to king Ahaz is mentioned (so Kittel). Less probable is the view of Benzinger that this verse has been added by the Chronicler to the midrashic source upon which he is here depending, and that it represents merely the Chronicler's personal predilection for the Levites as distinct from the priests.
35. with the fat] Cp. vii. 7; Lev. iii. 3, 17.
the peace offerings] i.e. the thank offerings (ver. 31)·
drink offerings] Cp. Num. xv. 5, 7, 10. The offering was to be of wine, and the quantity used was to correspond with the size of the animal sacrificed.
was set in order] i.e. was re-established.
36. that which God had prepared for the people] It was God, not Hezekiah, who had done it all.
suddenly] In the very first year of Hezekiah's reign (ver. 3).
