II Chronicles 35:11 · Bible study
2 Chronicles 35:11 Commentary: Division of Labor in Temple Worship
Hebrew · 7 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why did Levites skin Passover lambs under Josiah? This verse reveals practical temple worship, priestly roles, and shared labor for massive sacrifices.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The verse describes the orderly execution of the Passover: lambs killed, priests sprinkled the blood, Levites skinned the carcasses.
- Key words: “Sprinkle” (za.raq), a technical term for blood manipulation on the altar; “hand” (yad), emphasizing the transfer of blood through the Levites to the priests.
- Main debate: Who killed the lambs? Some say the Levites (Gill), others say the people themselves (Clarke); the text does not specify.
- Theological theme: Ordered worship with distinct roles for priests and Levites, balancing divine command with practical needs of a massive assembly.
- Best use: A model for church cooperation: maintain core priestly functions while delegating support tasks to free leaders for essential ministry.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
And they slaughtered the Passover lambs, while the priests sprinkled the blood handed to them and the Levites skinned the animals.
WEB World English Bible 2000
They killed the Passover lambs, and the priests sprinkled the blood which they received from their hands, and the Levites skinned them.
KJV King James Version 1769
And they killed the passover, and the priests sprinkled the blood from their hands, and the Levites flayed them.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And they killed the passover, and the priests sprinkled the blood which they received of their hand, and the Levites flayed them.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
and they slaughter the passover-offering, and the priests sprinkle out of their hand, and the Levites are striping;
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And they slaughtered the passover, and the priests sprinkled [the blood] from their hand, and the Levites flayed them.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And the phase was immolated: and the priests sprinkled the blood with their hand, and the Levites flayed the holocausts:
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y sacrificaron la pascua; y esparcían los sacerdotes la sangre tomada de mano de los Levitas, y los Levitas desollaban.
E sacrificaram a páscoa; e espargiam os sacerdotes o sangue tomado da mão dos levitas, e os levitas tiravam os couros.
Ils immolèrent la Pâque; les sacrificateurs répandirent le sang qu’ ils recevaient de la main des Lévites, et les Lévites dépouillèrent les victimes.
Und sie schlachteten das Passah, und die Priester nahmen das Blut von ihren Händen und sprengten, und die Leviten zogen die Haut ab.
Daarna slachtte men het pascha, en de priesters sprengden het bloed uit hun handen, en de Levieten trokken de huiden af.
Poi fu immolata la Pasqua; i sacerdoti sparsero il sangue ricevuto dalle mani dei Leviti, e questi scorticarono le vittime.
I bili baranki wielkanocne, a kapłani kropili krwią ich, a Lewitowie odzierali ze skór.
и закололи пасхального агнца. И кропили священники кровью, принимая ее из рук левитов, а левиты снимали кожу;
利未人宰了 逾越節的羊羔，祭司 從他們手裡 接過血來灑在壇上；利未人 剝皮，
And they put the Passover lambs to death, the blood being drained out by the priests when it was given to them, and the Levites did the skinning.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · II Chronicles 35:11
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that II Chronicles 35:11 describes an orderly division of labor in Josiah's monumental Passover. The priests sprinkle the blood, their exclusive duty (Numbers 18:7; II Chronicles 29:22), while the Levites perform the skinning. Barnes and the Cambridge Bible note the parallel with II Chronicles 29:34, where Levites help skin burnt offerings because the priests were too few and the Levites were "more upright in heart." Adam Clarke observes that the people themselves might have slain the lambs, then presented the blood to the priests; however, Gill asserts that the Levites did the killing. The unity across views is that the verse depicts a massive, well-organized ceremony where each order served according to its calling, with practical adjustments for the immense scale. The Levites' role in skinning freed the priests to focus on the altar work, ensuring the entire congregation could celebrate together.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Levites killed the lambs (Gill): The preceding context (v.6) has Josiah telling Levites to kill the passover, and Gil argues they continued that role.
- People killed their own lambs (Clarke): Exodus 12:6 commands each household to kill its own lamb, and Clarke sees this as consistent practice here.
What is clear: The Levites skinned the carcasses while the priests sprinkled the blood — a cooperative division of labor that enabled the massive Passover to proceed smoothly.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Who killed the Passover lambs? | The verse says 'they' killed, referring to the people involved, likely the Levites or the heads of households. | Gill affirms the Levites did the killing; Adam Clarke suggests the people themselves slew their own lambs. The Hebrew verb is active but the subject is ambiguous. |
| Why did the Levites skin the animals instead of the priests? | The Levites skinned to assist the priests, who were occupied with blood and fat (cf. 2 Chr 29:34). | Some see a departure from the original Passover where each household skinned its own lamb. Others see Levites simply aiding a priestly task that was too large for the priests alone during a historic gathering. |
| Was Josiah's Passover a faithful restoration or a creative adaptation? | All traditions affirm that the event was a sincere act of covenant renewal that pleased God. | Some stress the continuity with Moses (e.g., the blood-sprinkling follows Leviticus 1:5), while others highlight the flexibility shown in the Levites’ expanded role, viewing it as a model for adapting worship forms to new contexts without abandoning the law. |
| What does 'the blood which they received from their hands' mean? | The blood was physically handed from the slaughterers to the priests for sprinkling, showing a coordinated workflow. | The Cambridge Bible and cross-reference 2 Chronicles 30:16 suggest the Levites received from the killers and gave to the priests. Gill and Clarke imply the priests received directly from the people. The phrase 'from their hands' is ambiguous but implies a chain of handling. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Josiah's Passover (ca. 622 BC) was the centerpiece of his reform, described in 2 Kings 23 and II Chronicles 34, 35. After rediscovering the Book of the Law, Josiah purged idolatry and restored covenant worship. This Passover surpassed any since the days of Samuel (II Chronicles 35:18). The king personally donated 30,000 lambs and 3,000 bulls (v.7); princes and temple rulers gave additional thousands (vv.8, 9). Instructing the Levites, Josiah said “kill the passover and sanctify yourselves” (v.6), signaling a massive, communal event.
In earlier practice, the head of each household slaughtered the Passover lamb (Exodus 12:6), and the offerer skinned burnt offerings (Leviticus 1:6). But with tens of thousands of animals, the family scale gave way to temple organization. Priests alone could not handle the volume. The Levites stepped in to skin, as they had done under Hezekiah (II Chronicles 29:34). This adaptation preserved the central priestly act, sprinkling blood on the altar, while delegating preparatory work to the Levites, whose role as assistants was established in Numbers 3, 4.
The phrase “the blood which they received from their hands” (v.11) echoes II Chronicles 30:16, where Levites hand the blood to priests. This handoff ensured ritual precision while distributing the labor. The whole scene reflects a worship system that honored ancient commands but flexed to meet a historic moment of national repentance and celebration.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for II Chronicles 35:11. The Hebrew text is stable across manuscripts, with minor variations in spelling (e.g., the form of the verb “flayed”/“skinned” appears consistently as maf.shi.Tim). The Masoretic Text is supported by the Septuagint and Vulgate in the key elements: killing, sprinkling by priests, and skinning by Levites.
Reception History
Church history has generally read this verse as a straightforward narrative of Josiah's great Passover, focusing on the orderliness of worship. Medieval Jewish commentators like Rashi emphasized the Levites' role as servants of the priests. Protestant reformers such as Matthew Henry and John Calvin cited the passage to advocate for proper church order: each office (pastor, elder, deacon) should fulfill its designated function. In modern times, the verse is often used to illustrate team ministry and the principle of collegiality, with the Levites representing laity who support ordained ministers without usurping their unique liturgical roles. The Eastern Orthodox tradition incorporates the imagery of blood-sprinkling into their hymnography for Pascha, celebrating the typology of the lamb slain.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The primacy of blood. Priests alone sprinkle the blood, a non-negotiable act of atonement. The Levites support but do not replace this sacred duty.
- Shared service. Everyone has a part. Levites skin, priests sprinkle, people bring the victims. Worship is a team effort.
- Practical holiness. Repentance at scale requires organization. God honors both the heart and the hands-on work of preparation.
Five-point outline
- The context: Josiah’s reform and the greatest Passover in Israel’s history (vv.1, 10).
- The hands that kill: Levites or people, the text doesn’t specify, but the focus is on the order of service.
- The hands that sprinkle: priests, because they alone mediate atonement (Numbers 18:7).
- The hands that skin: Levites, who become the “muscle” of temple worship, freeing priests for altar work.
- The lesson for today: God works through coordinated, humble service, especially in seasons of renewal.
Illustration hooks
- A church potluck where the cook team chops vegetables while the head chef platers the main dish, different roles, one meal.
- A disaster relief effort: some drive trucks, some serve food, some coordinate. Everyone’s job matters, but each stays within their competence.
- A sports team: the star scorer needs the offensive line, the passers, the trainers. No single player does it all.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why did the Levites do the skinning instead of the people? Was that a change from the original Passover?
- What does this division of labor teach us about how we should organize church work today?
- Does the large scale of Josiah’s Passover diminish its sincerity, or does it show the power of united worship?
Leading a Discussion
This verse captures a moment when the entire community worked together to celebrate the Passover under Josiah. The Levites skin the animals while the priests sprinkle the blood, a practical arrangement for an enormous gathering. As you discuss, think about how roles in worship can shift to meet real needs while faithful to God's commands.
Discussion questions
- Read II Chronicles 35:1, 11. What do we learn about the scale of this Passover from verses 7, 9?
- Who is “they” in verse 11 who killed the Passover? How might the identity affect how we see the division of labor?
- Why do you think the Levites handled the skinning rather than the priests? (Consider II Chronicles 29:34 as a parallel.)
- In what ways does this scene show both continuity with the law of Moses and adaptation for the situation?
- What does the hand-off of blood from the Levites to the priests (implied by “from their hands”) teach about cooperation in worship?
- How does your church or group divide responsibilities during large events? What principles from this chapter could guide that planning?
- Josiah’s Passover was the greatest since Samuel (v.18). What makes worship truly great, size, organization, heart, or something else?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Leviticus 1:5 | He shall kill the bull before Yahweh. Aaron’s sons, the priests, shall present the blood and sprinkle the blood around on the altar that is at the door of the Tent of Meeting. |
| Leviticus 1:6 | He shall skin the burnt offering and cut it into pieces. |
| Numbers 18:3 | They shall keep your commands and the duty of the whole Tent; only they shall not come near to the vessels of the sanctuary and to the altar, that they not die, neither they nor you. |
| Numbers 18:7 | You and your sons with you shall keep your priesthood for everything of the altar, and for that within the veil. You shall serve. I give you the service of the priesthood as a gift. The stranger who comes near shall be put to death.” |
| II Chronicles 29:22 | So they killed the bulls, and the priests received the blood and sprinkled it on the altar. They killed the rams and sprinkled the blood on the altar. They also killed the lambs and sprinkled the blood on the altar. |
| II Chronicles 29:24 | 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. |
| II Chronicles 29:34 | 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. |
| II Chronicles 30:16 | They stood in their place after their order, according to the law of Moses the man of God. The priests sprinkled the blood which they received of the hand of the Levites. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
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What the Commentators Say
6 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke observes that in this Passover, the people themselves slew the lambs, not the priests or Levites. The blood was then presented to the priests for sprinkling at the altar, while the Levites handled flaying and dressing the sacrifices. This detail shows the specific division of labor in the ritual.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes clarifies that the "princes" in this passage are the leading priests and Levites, not civil rulers. Their action was to provide both Passover lambs and thank-offering cattle for the poorer families among the priests and Levites.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
This commentator draws attention to specific details of the sacrificial ritual, noting that the phrase "from their hands" can be read as "which they received of their hand" in the Revised Version. He also cross-references the actions of sprinkling and flaying by the Levites to parallel accounts in Chronicles.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note highlights the careful division of labor in the Passover ritual: the people killed the lamb, the priests alone sprinkled the blood, and the Levites handled the flaying. Each group had a specific, non-interchangeable duty in the ceremony.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill highlights the precise division of labor in the Passover sacrifice: Levites killed the lambs, handed the blood to the priests who sprinkled it, and then the Levites removed the skins. This careful assignment of duties shows the orderliness of temple worship.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry highlights that Josiah's Passover was not just a ritual but a carefully restored act of obedience to God's law, carried out with order and generous provision from the king and leaders. For Henry, the detail shows that true reform requires both proper structure and willing, cheerful support from those in authority.