intrepretive commemntary 2 chron

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Dec 6, 2023

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Interpretive Commentary of 2 Chronicles 26 – 29 Nathan Mitchell OBST515: Old Testament Orientation I November 3, 2023
Contents Introduction 1 Historical Setting and Date 1 Authorship and Audience 1 Major Theological Themes 3 2 Chronicles 26:1-23, Uzziah Reigns in Judah 4 26:1-15, Uzziah's Military, Civil, and Agricultural Achievements 4 26:16-23, Uzziah's Pride and Punishment 5 2 Chronicles 27:1-9, Jotham Reigns in Judah 7 2 Chronicles 27:1-27, Ahaz Reigns in Judah 8 27:1-4, Ahaz's Wicked Activities 8 27:5-15, Judah's War with Syria and Israel 8 27:16-27, Ahaz Aligns with Assyria 10 2 Chronicles 29:1-36, Hezekiah Reigns in Judah 11 29:1-19, Hezekiah Cleanses the Temple 11 29:20-36, Hezekiah Restores Temple Worship 12 Conclusion 13 Bibliography 16
1 Introduction Historical Setting and Date 2 Chronicles 26-29 covers the historical landscape of Judah from 790-715 BC. The kingdom was divided after Solomon's reign into Israel and Judah, and the events in these four chapters highlight the reigns of four successive kings of Judah during this period. These kings were Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. These chapters highlight a time of regional instability, including conflicts with the Ammonites, Philistines, Assyrians, Syrians, and Israelites. During the reign of Uzziah, Judah enjoyed a time of prosperity and protection against neighboring nations. His son Jotham ruled after him with relative stability and continued success. Ahaz, his son, plunged the nation into expanding military conflicts, as Judah became a vassal state to the Assyrian Empire during his reign. These chapters' historical religious setting is noteworthy, as Uzziah and Jotham, while described as good kings, still did not remove high places, and the people still "followed corrupt practices" (2 Chron. 27:2, English International Version). Ahaz adopted idolatrous practices, worshipping the gods of surrounding nations. Hezekiah initiated significant religious reforms and cleansed the temple to restore worship and renew the covenant. Chapter 26 begins with Uzziah's accession to the throne, and chapter 29 ends with Hezekiah consecrating the temple and priests in his first year. Authorship and Audience Like the rest of the book, the authorship of 2 Chronicles 26-29 is unknown but traditionally attributed to the "Chronicler." Jewish tradition identifies the prophet Ezra as the author, but no author is explicitly stated in the text. 1 The Chronicler likely compiled historical 1 Louis C. Jonker, 1 & 2 Chronicles (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2013), 17.
2 records, genealogies, and accounts from prophets such as Isaiah as sources and shaped them into a coherent narrative. With the decree of Cyrus of Persia to allow exiled Jews to return to Judah included in 2 Chronicles 36:22-23 and Zerubbabel's lineage in 1 Chronicles 3:19-21, the date of composition would have been about 500 BC. 2 Writing to an audience that was a post-exilic Jewish community, the Chronicler detailed how they connected to the past and what they needed to do now. 3 Most of the Chronicler's work focused on Judah's history since it was mainly Judah returning from exile. The audience comprised the people who were rebuilding Jerusalem and the temple after the Babylonian exile. Understanding their history was crucial for this community as it connected them to the Davidic line and reminded them of the importance of moral and spiritual purity. God was reminding this community that in the past, He had given them divinely chosen political and religious leaders who provided the means necessary to worship God, and there were severe consequences for these leaders who forgot God's call to holiness and exhibited examples of unfaithfulness. 4 This post-exilic community was returning to rebuild the temple, so by recounting the faithfulness of certain kings in chapters 26-29, the Chronicler reinforced the importance of obedience to God's commandments, worship in the temple, and faithfulness to the covenant, urging them to remain steadfast in their obedience to God despite the challenges they faced during the process of rebuilding the temple and reinstituting worship. 5 2 Victor P. Hamilton, Handbook on the Historical Books: Joshua, Judges, Ruth, Samuel, Kings, Chronicles, Ezra-Nehemiah, Esther (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2008), 478. 3 Tremper Longman III, Introducing the Old Testament: A Short Guide to Its History and Message (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2012), 73. 4 Hamilton, Handbook on the Historical Books , 495. 5 Gary M. Burge and Andrew E. Hill, The Baker Illustrated Bible Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2012), 356.
3 Major Theological Themes Many theological themes are present in 2 Chronicles 26-29, including God's favor for humility and obedience, the importance of worship and the temple, and the immediate consequences of sin. The goodness of the kings mentioned in these four chapters refers to their obedience to the Lord. Uzziah, Jotham, and Hezekiah are described as doing what was right in the eyes of the Lord. In contrast, Ahaz was described as not doing what was right in the eyes of the Lord. These chapters emphasize God's favor upon obedient leaders as righteous behavior was rewarded with prosperity and military success. At the same time, defeats were tied to spiritual failure. 6 On the relationship between blessings and obedience, 2 Chronicles 26:5 notes about Uzziah, "As long as he sought the Lord, God made him prosper." With the initial audience being the returning Jews who are rebuilding the temple, the importance of the temple and proper worship are highlighted in these four chapters. Both good and bad examples are included, and several times, the author uses the Hebrew word ma'al to describe these examples of unfaithfulness to God's temple laws, such as Uzziah offering incense inside the temple and Ahaz when he decimated the temple utensils and locked the doors. 7 These are contrasted with Hezekiah cleaning out the temple. The Chronicler gives the temple prominence, and with the backdrop of the temple being built, this should motivate the audience to not only rebuild the temple but also maintain proper worship. As a warning for the people returning from exile, the Chronicler showed how there is immediate retribution for sin. 8 When Uzziah failed to humble himself; he was struck with 6 Burge and Hill, The Baker Illustrated Bible Commentary , 390. 7 Tremper Longman III and Mark L. Strauss, The Baker Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2023), 861. 8 Longman, Introducing the Old Testament , 72.
4 leprosy. 9 What the Lord did for him should have produced humility and worship, but he was now excluded from the temple due to his pride. 10 Ahaz foolishly violated worship requirements, gave away temple treasures, and aligned with foreign kings instead of trusting Yahweh, leading to disaster for the whole nation. The people did not need to be reminded why they were sent into exile, but they needed a picture of the immediacy in which they would face consequences for not honoring the temple or aligning with other nations instead of demonstrating trust in God. 2 Chronicles 26:1-23, Uzziah Reigns in Judah 26:1-15, Uzziah's Military, Civil, and Agricultural Achievements Following a conspiracy against Amaziah, king of Judah, his son Uzziah was made king at sixteen. The text indicates that he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord; however, the complementary account in 2 Kings 15:14 indicates that he did not eliminate the high places where Jewish people would worship. These high places were convenient places for people to worship, but they were also sites of idolatry, as many were devoted to pagan deities. The Chronicler notes a critical relationship Uzziah had with an otherwise unknown character, Zechariah, who instructs Uzziah on how to fear God. Uzziah doing right in the eyes of Yahweh is qualified by the reference to Zechariah's mentoring influence. 11 The fear of God and dedication to Him enables Uzziah to prosper in multiple areas, as evidence for the theme in Chronicles that righteous behavior is rewarded with prosperity. 9 John L. Mackay, Gary Millar, and John Olley, ESV Expository Commentary: Vol. III. 1 Samuel - 2 Chronicles , ed. Iain M. Duguid, James M. Hamilton, and Jay Sklar (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2019), 1725. 10 Warren W. Weirsbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary: Old Testament History (Colorado Springs, CO: David C Cook, 2003), 560. 11 Burge and Hill, The Baker Illustrated Bible Commentary , 390.
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