2 Chronicles 29 · a question people ask
Why were the Levites "more upright in heart to sanctify themselves than the priests"?
The chapter says it and doesn't explain it: "But the priests were too few, so that they could not skin all the burnt offerings. Therefore their brothers the Levites helped them until 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" (29:34). It doesn't say why the priests were slower, and these notes don't guess. The next chapter says the Passover was kept in the second month, "For they could not keep it at that time, because the priests had not sanctified themselves in sufficient number" (30:3), and later, "The priests and the Levites were ashamed, and sanctified themselves" (30:15). The chapter's word for upright is the word of its second verse, where Hezekiah "did that which was right in the LORD’s eyes" (29:2) (tap right).
The verses
“But the priests were too few, so that they could not skin all the burnt offerings. Therefore their brothers the Levites helped them until 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.”
“For the king had taken counsel with his princes and all the assembly in Jerusalem to keep the Passover in the second month. For they could not keep it at that time, because the priests had not sanctified themselves in sufficient number, and the people had not gathered themselves together to Jerusalem.”
“Then they killed the Passover on the fourteenth day of the second month. The priests and the Levites were ashamed, and sanctified themselves, and brought burnt offerings into the LORD’s house.”
“He did that which was right in the LORD’s eyes, according to all that David his father had done.”