2 Chronicles 29 · a question people ask
29:21 names the kingdom, the sanctuary and Judah. Why does 29:24 say the offering was "for all Israel"?
The chapter gives one reason, and only one: "for the king commanded that the burnt offering and the sin offering should be made for all Israel" (29:24). It doesn't say why the king commanded it, or whom all Israel takes in here, and these notes don't say. Three verses are set beside it as they stand. The chapter before calls Ahaz "king of Israel" (28:19). 2 Chronicles has called Jehoshaphat, Judah's king, "king of Israel" too (21:2). And in the next chapter Hezekiah "sent to all Israel and Judah, and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the LORD’s house at Jerusalem" (30:1).
The verses
“They brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs, and seven male goats, for a sin offering for the kingdom, for the sanctuary, and for Judah. He commanded the priests the sons of Aaron to offer them on the LORD’s altar.”
“Then the priests killed them, and they made a sin offering with their blood on the altar, to make atonement for all Israel; for the king commanded that the burnt offering and the sin offering should be made for all Israel.”
“For the LORD brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel, because he acted without restraint in Judah and trespassed severely against the LORD.”
“He had brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat: Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariah, Michael, and Shephatiah. All these were the sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel.”