(20) Rose early.--Comp. Psalm 5:3 : "Early in the j morning will I direct my prayer unto Thee."
Gathered the rulers of the city.--Hezekiah assembled the chief men of Jerusalem, because there was no time to send out a general summons to the country, as he wished to proceed at once with the sacrifices of expiation.
Verse 20. - The rulers of the city are its chief citizens - Hebrew, שָׂרֵי הָעִיר (2 Chronicles 24:17; 2 Chronicles 30:1-4) - who bring contributions of sacrificial victims, the word being generally rendered "princes,"
29:20-36 As soon as Hezekiah heard that the temple was ready, he lost no time. Atonement must be made for the sins of the last reign. It was not enough to lament and forsake those sins; they brought a sin-offering. Our repentance and reformation will not obtain pardon but in and through Christ, who was made sin, that is, a sin-offering for us. While the offerings were on the altar, the Levites sang. Sorrow for sin must not prevent us from praising God. The king and the congregation gave their consent to all that was done. It is not enough for us to be where God is worshipped, if we do not ourselves worship with the heart. And we should offer up our spiritual sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving, and devote ourselves and all we have, as sacrifices, acceptable to the Father only through the Redeemer.
(20) Rose early.--Comp. Psalm 5:3 : "Early in the j morning will I direct my prayer unto Thee."
Gathered the rulers of the city.--Hezekiah assembled the chief men of Jerusalem, because there was no time to send out a general summons to the country, as he wished to proceed at once with the sacrifices of expiation.
Went up to the house.--So 2 Kings 19:14; 2 Chronicles 9:4, and often.
and gathered the rulers of the city; the elders of the people, the chief magistrates in Jerusalem:
and went up to the house of the Lord; the temple, to worship there.