Translation commentary on 2 Chronicles 31:3

The contribution of the king from his own possessions was for the burnt offerings …: The content of the contribution of the king is not made explicit in the text, but the context makes it clear that his possessions in this case were not silver and gold, but sacrificial animals. The most natural way to understand the grammar here is that verse 3 is not connected to the preceding verse, since the Hebrew word translated contribution does not have the sign of the direct object. But some interpreters think that Hezekiah fixed the amount for kings to contribute rather than simply having made a contribution. The fact that the next verse continues with commands that Hezekiah gave to various groups supports this interpretation. So the sense of verses 2-3 would be that “Hezekiah appointed the divisions of the priests and the Levites … and [he appointed] the contribution of the king….” Moffatt, for example, begins verse 3 with “He also fixed the amount to be contributed to the king for the burnt-offerings….” New Jerusalem Bible is similar with “He also established a king’s portion from his possessions….”

The burnt offerings of morning and evening: Burnt offerings were presented twice a day at the Temple (see 1 Chr 16.40; 2 Chr 2.4).

For sabbaths see the comments on 1 Chr 9.32; for new moons, see 1 Chr 23.31 and 2 Chr 2.4.

The appointed feasts refers to other festivals that were fixed in the calendar of the religious year of the Israelites but not already named (see the comments on 2 Chr 2.4). Some other ways that this phrase has been translated are “the other annual festivals” (New Living Translation) and “the fixed festivals” (An American Translation).

As it is written in the law of the LORD: See Num 28–29. This passive clause may be made active by saying “as the book of the law of the LORD directs.” For the law of the LORD, see the comments on 1 Chr 22.12 and 2 Chr 12.1.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Chronicles, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2014. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

SIL Translator’s Notes on 2 Chronicles 31:3

31:3a The king contributed from his own possessions for the regular morning and evening burnt offerings

Hezekiah gave the animals for the burnt offerings that were made each morning and each evening.
-or-
King Hezekiah donated animals from his herds to be completely burned sacrifices at the morning and the evening offerings.

31:3b and for the burnt offerings on the Sabbaths, New Moons

And he gave the animals for burnt offerings on the Sabbath days, and on ⌊the feasts of⌋ the new moon.
-or-
He donated the animals that ⌊the priests⌋ burned whole on the days of rest, on the New Moon festivals,

31:3c and appointed feasts, as written in the Law of the LORD.

⌊He gave the animals for these celebrations and⌋ for all the other celebrations during which Yahweh’s law required offerings.
-or-
and on other festivals, according to Yahweh’s instructions.

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