2 Chronicles 34:8-13 Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had purged the land, and the house, he sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah… I. THE COMMISSIONERS. 1. Their names. Shaphan the son of Azaliah, the king's secretary (ver. 15); Maaseiah the governor of the city; and Josh the son of Joahaz, the recorder or chronicler. 2. Their business. To repair the house of the Lord. This had been done two centuries before by Joash (2 Chronicles 24:12), and nearly one century before by Hezekiah (2 Chronicles 29:12-19). During the reigns of Manasseh and Amon it had fallen into such disorder that it a third time demanded renovation. In this respect the temple was a melancholy symbol of all human institutions - not excepting such as are religious - which constantly exhibit a tendency as they grow old to become degenerate, and, as a consequence stand in need of periodic reformation and rejuvenescence. 3. Their procedure. Along with Hilkiah the priest - as Joash had acted in concert with Jehoiada, and the king's scribe had co-operated with the high priest's officer (2 Chronicles 24:11, 12) - they received the money which the Levites that kept the temple doors had collected from the people of Manasseh and Ephraim, and of all the remnant of Israel, and from the inhabitants of all Judah and Benjamin, who, following the plan in vogue since the days of Joash and Jehoiada, cast in their free-will offerings into a box placed in the temple court for the purpose of receiving the voluntary contributions of the faithful towards the good end the king had in view, the repairing of the temple. Having received this money, the three commissioners, along with the high priest, paid it over to the superintendents who had the oversight of the house of the Lord. II. THE OVERSEERS. 1. Their names. (1) Jahath and Obadiah, two Levites of the family of Merari; (2) Zechariah and Meshullam, two Levites of the house of Kohath: and (3) others unnamed, but specified as "Levites, all that could skill of instruments of music" (ver. 12). 2. Their duties. (1) To exercise supervision over the workmen, over the bearers of burdens, and all that wrought in any manner of service (ver. 13), over the carpenters, builders, and other artisans engaged in the undertaking (ver. 11). (2) To set forward the work (ver. 12), or "to preside over it" (margin). (3) Perhaps also to do both, i.e. incite and cheer the workmen, and so prosper the work, by music and song (Bertheau). "Orpheus and Amphion, by their music, moved the workmen to diligence and activity, and lessened and alleviated their toil. May we not suppose, then, that skilful musicians among the Levites did exercise their art among the workmen who were employed in the repairs of the house of the Lord? "(Adam Clarke). (4) To distribute the moneys received from the commissioners to the different tradesmen that these might procure the necessary materials for the building (vers. 10, 11). III. THE ARTISANS. 1. Carpenters, or workers in wood, whose business was to prepare timber for couplings and to make beams for the houses, i.e. for the temple and its courts, which the kings of Judah had permitted to fall into decay. 2. Masons, or workers in stone; not to hew, since the stones were already hewn when purchased, but to build - in this perhaps designedly following the example given in the building of the temple (1 Kings 6:7). IV. THE ASSISTANTS. 1. Scribes, who kept a record of the progress of, as well as the necessary accounts connected with, the work. 2. Officers, who served in different capacities under superiors. 3. Porters, who watched at the several gates of the temple while the work was going on. LESSONS. 1. The beauty of order, 2. The efficiency secured by division of labour. 3. The value of co-operation. - W. Parallel Verses KJV: Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had purged the land, and the house, he sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, and Maaseiah the governor of the city, and Joah the son of Joahaz the recorder, to repair the house of the LORD his God. |
    |