Storehouses also for the yield of grain, wine, and oil: The storehouses were probably built in order to have emergency food available in time of war. Archaeological excavations have discovered more than 1,000 large storage containers stamped with the Hebrew words “belonging to the king.” The word yield refers to the “harvest” (New International Version) of the various food products mentioned, but this word is often left implied in English versions (so Good News Translation). For grain, wine and oil, see the comments on 2 Chr 31.5. The exact meaning of the Hebrew word translated wine is uncertain. It is not the usual Hebrew word for “wine.” It may refer to fresh wine, but not to unfermented grape juice. Some scholars suggest that the noun refers to “sweet wine.” Perhaps the best translation is “new wine” (New International Version, New Living Translation, Revised English Bible). Oil refers to “olive oil” (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, God’s Word, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch).

And stalls for all kinds of cattle: The Hebrew word translated stalls refers to stables where animals are fed and sheltered (see the comments on 2 Chr 9.25). They would have been more substantial constructions that included roofs over the heads of the cattle as opposed to the sheepfolds that had no roofs. All kinds of cattle is literally “all cattle and cattle.” This Hebrew idiom means “all different kinds of cattle.”

And sheepfolds: The Masoretic Text has “and sheep for the pens” (so New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, Nouvelle Bible Segond). The Septuagint and Vulgate have “and pens for the sheep” (so Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, Revised English Bible, Moffatt, Bible en français courant), and the ancient Syriac omits these words completely. The rendering in the Septuagint and the Vulgate is parallel to the first part of the verse, that is, he had storehouses for his grain and pens for his sheep. But Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament gives a {B} rating to “and sheep for the pens,” explaining the sense to be that Hezekiah had so many sheep that they filled up his sheep pens.