II Chronicles 35:6-9 · Bible study
2 Chronicles 35:6-9 Commentary: Sanctify and Prepare
Hebrew · 8 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
How personal sanctification meets communal responsibility in Josiah’s Passover. Hebrew verbs reveal a dual call to holiness and generous provision.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The Levites must pursue personal holiness to effectively serve and enable others in worship, supported by generous giving from all leaders.
- Key words: Sanctify (H6942 hitpael - reflexive), Prepare (H3559 hiphil - causative), Freewill offering (H5071 nedavah - voluntary gift).
- Main debate: Whether “prepare” primarily means instruct or provide materials; commentators accept both.
- Theological theme: Inseparability of personal consecration and communal responsibility in worship.
- Best use: A model for church leaders on the intersection of personal piety and pastoral service.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
6Slaughter the Passover lambs, consecrate yourselves, and make preparations for your fellow countrymen to carry out the word of the LORD given by Moses.”
7From his own flocks and herds Josiah contributed 30,000 lambs and goats plus 3,000 bulls for the Passover offerings for all the people who were present.
8His officials also contributed willingly to the people and priests and Levites. Hilkiah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, the administrators of the house of God, gave the priests 2,600 Passover offerings and 300 bulls.
9Additionally, Conaniah and his brothers Shemaiah and Nethanel, as well as Hashabiah, Jeiel, and Jozabad, officers of the Levites, donated to the Levites 5,000 Passover offerings and 500 bulls.
WEB World English Bible 2000
6Kill the Passover lamb, sanctify yourselves, and prepare for your brothers, to do according to Yahweh’s word by Moses.”
7Josiah gave to the children of the people, of the flock, lambs and young goats, all of them for the Passover offerings, to all who were present, to the number of thirty thousand, and three thousand bulls. These were of the king’s substance.
8His princes gave a free will offering to the people, to the priests, and to the Levites. Hilkiah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, the rulers of God’s house, gave to the priests for the Passover offerings two thousand six hundred small livestock, and three hundred head of cattle.
9Conaniah also, and Shemaiah and Nethanel, his brothers, and Hashabiah, Jeiel, and Jozabad, the chiefs of the Levites, gave to the Levites for the Passover offerings five thousand small livestock and five hundred head of cattle.
KJV King James Version 1769
6So kill the passover, and sanctify yourselves, and prepare your brethren, that they may do according to the word of the Lord by the hand of Moses.
7And Josiah gave to the people, of the flock, lambs and kids, all for the passover offerings, for all that were present, to the number of thirty thousand, and three thousand bullocks: these were of the king’s substance.
8And his princes gave willingly unto the people, to the priests, and to the Levites: Hilkiah and Zechariah and Jehiel, rulers of the house of God, gave unto the priests for the passover offerings two thousand and six hundred small cattle, and three hundred oxen.
9Conaniah also, and Shemaiah and Nethaneel, his brethren, and Hashabiah and Jeiel and Jozabad, chief of the Levites, gave unto the Levites for passover offerings five thousand small cattle, and five hundred oxen.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
6And kill the passover, and sanctify yourselves, and prepare for your brethren, to do according to the word of Jehovah by Moses.
7And Josiah gave to the children of the people, of the flock, lambs and kids, all of them for the passover-offerings, unto all that were present, to the number of thirty thousand, and three thousand bullocks: these were of the king’s substance.
8And his princes gave for a freewill-offering unto the people, to the priests, and to the Levites. Hilkiah and Zechariah and Jehiel, the rulers of the house of God, gave unto the priests for the passover-offerings two thousand and six hundred small cattle, and three hundred oxen.
9Conaniah also, and Shemaiah and Nethanel, his brethren, and Hashabiah and Jeiel and Jozabad, the chiefs of the Levites, gave unto the Levites for the passover-offerings five thousand small cattle, and five hundred oxen.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
6and slaughter the passover-offering and sanctify yourselves, and prepare for your brethren, to do according to the word of Jehovah by the hand of Moses.'
7And Josiah lifteth up to the sons of the people a flock of lambs and young goats, the whole for passover-offerings, for every one who is found, to the number of thirty thousand, and oxen three thousand: these are from the substance of the king.
8And his heads, for a willing-offering to the people, to the priests, and to the Levites, have lifted up; Hilkiah, and Zechariah, and Jehiel, leaders in the house of God, to the priests have given for passover-offerings two thousand and six hundred, and oxen three hundred;
9and Conaniah, and Shemaiah, and Nethaneel, his brethren, and Hashabiah, and Jeiel, and Jozabad, heads of the Levites, have lifted up to the Levites, for passover-offerings, five thousand, and oxen five hundred.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
6and slaughter the passover, and hallow yourselves, and prepare it for your brethren, that they may do according to the word of Jehovah through Moses.
7And Josiah gave for the children of the people a heave-offering of the flocks, lambs and goats, all for the passover-offerings, for all that were present — to the number of thirty thousand, and three thousand bullocks: these were of the king's substance.
8And his princes gave a voluntary heave-offering for the people, for the priests, and for the Levites: Hilkijah and Zechariah and Jehiel, rulers of the house of God, gave to the priests for the passover-offerings two thousand six hundred [small cattle] and three hundred oxen;
9and Conaniah, and Shemaiah and Nethaneel, his brethren, and Hashabiah and Jeiel and Jozabad, chief of the Levites, gave as heave-offering to the Levites for the passover-offerings five thousand [small cattle] and five hundred oxen.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
6And being sanctified kill the phase, and prepare your brethren, that they may do according to the words which the Lord spoke by the hand of Moses.
7And Josias gave to all the people that were found there in the solemnity of the phase, of lambs and of kids of the flocks, and of other small cattle thirty thousand, and of oxen three thousand, all these were of the king's substance.
8And his princes willingly offered what they had vowed, both to the people and to the priests and the Levites. Moreover Helcias, and Zacharias, and Jahiel rulers of the house of the Lord, gave to the priests to keep the phase two thousand six hundred small cattle, and three hundred oxen.
9And Chonenias, and Semeias and Nathanael, his brethren, and Hasabias, and Jehiel, and Jozabad princes of the Levites, gave to the rest of the Levites to celebrate the phase five thousand small cattle, and five hundred oxen.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · II Chronicles 35:6
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
The commentators agree that Josiah’s command in verse 6 links personal consecration directly to service for others. The Hebrew verb “sanctify yourselves” (הִתְקַדְּשׁוּ) is a reflexive hitpael imperative: the Levites must set themselves apart for God. Yet immediately they are told to “prepare your brethren”, a hiphil form of הָכִין, meaning to cause something to be ready. Barnes explains this as instructing the people “how they are to eat the Passover acceptably,” since many would be ignorant of the law. Gill adds that it required both washing themselves and providing a lamb for each family. Jamieson-Fausset-Brown note that poverty from Assyrian devastation meant many could not afford a lamb, so the Levites had to organize distribution. Thus the consensus holds that personal holiness is not an end in itself; it equips one to serve others. The contributions in verses 7-9, from king, princes, and Levite chiefs, extend this principle: leaders gave generously from their own substance to ensure everyone could participate. Worship is both inward preparation and outward provision.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: Personal sanctification and generous communal provision are both commanded and modeled in this passage, and neither can be neglected in faithful worship.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning of 'prepare your brethren' | It includes both instructing the people how to keep the Passover and providing the physical sacrifice for those who lacked it. | Commentators differ on emphasis: Barnes stresses instruction, while Jamieson-Fausset-Brown highlight material provision for the poor. |
| Identity of 'his princes' | They are ecclesiastical princes, the high priest and chief priests, not secular officials. | No significant debate; all supplied sources identify them as temple leaders. |
| Purpose of the contributions | The gifts ensured that all present, especially poor families, could participate in the Passover. | Some interpret the king’s 30,000 lambs as only for the poor, while others see it as a general provision for all the people present. |
| Role of freewill offering | The term nedavah indicates a voluntary, uncoerced gift. | No substantial disagreement across traditions. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Josiah’s Passover occurred in his eighteenth year (2 Chron 35:1), after the book of the law was rediscovered and the king had purged idolatry. This celebration was unprecedented in scale: it included remnants of the northern tribes who had suffered Assyrian deportation (2 Kings 17). Jamieson-Fausset-Brown note that many came impoverished. The Passover required each household to slaughter a lamb, but families without means could not comply. So Josiah provided 30,000 lambs and 3,000 bulls from his own property (v.7, “of the king’s substance”). The princes added freewill offerings (נְדָבָה, voluntary gifts, not tax), and temple leaders gave specifically to priests and Levites. The Levites’ role was hands-on: they killed the lambs (v.11), flayed them, and passed the blood to the priests. Their preparation involved both ritual purity (Numbers 19:11-20) and logistical organization. This context shows that the command to “sanctify yourselves and prepare your brethren” was a practical necessity: the Levites had to be ritually clean to handle holy things, and they had to ensure every family could celebrate. The scale of giving, from the king down to the Levite chiefs, underscores that worship is a communal act sustained by generous provision.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for these verses. Ellicott’s Commentary suggests that in verse 8 “some words may have fallen out of the text” regarding the exact number of animals the princes contributed, but the broader meaning remains clear and the numbers are consistent across manuscripts. The primary interpretive work relies on the grammar and lexical data rather than textual differences.
Reception History
This passage has been read across church history as a paradigm for generous giving and pastoral care. The Reformers, particularly Calvin, saw here that true worship requires both inner holiness and outward service to the community. Many traditions cite Josiah’s provision as a model for supporting the poor at religious festivals. The early church fathers noted the typological significance of the Passover itself, but also commended the voluntary contributions as an example for Christian generosity. In more recent centuries, preachers have used these verses to encourage church leaders to attend to their own spiritual lives before ministering to others, and to ensure that no one is excluded from worship due to economic hardship.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Personal holiness precedes service. The reflexive “sanctify yourselves” (hitpael) insists that leaders must first attend to their own walk with God before they can help others.
- Holiness overflows into care for others. “Prepare your brethren” (hiphil, causative) means both instructing and supplying. The Levites do not simply teach; they enable participation by organizing and distributing.
- Generous giving enables corporate worship. The king, princes, and Levite chiefs all give from their own resources. Worship happens when everyone, especially leaders, contributes to make the feast accessible.
Five-point outline
- Josiah sets the pattern by giving from his own substance.
- Ecclesiastical princes (Hilkiah, Zechariah, Jehiel) follow with freewill offerings.
- Levite chiefs (Conaniah and his brothers) give specifically for their own order.
- No one is excluded: provision is made for “all who were present.”
- All worship is unified: preparation and celebration flow from shared holiness and resources.
Illustration hooks
- Organizing a large family holiday meal: one person prays and cleans the kitchen (sanctify), another shops and cooks (prepares). Both are essential.
- A church that sets up chairs and also prays over the space, inner and outer preparation.
- Community potluck where those with means bring extra for those who can’t.
Questions your congregation is asking
- “Why do I need to get my own spiritual life in order before I help others in church?”
- “How much of my resources should I give so that everyone can worship?”
- “What if I feel too distracted or poor to participate meaningfully?”
Leading a Discussion
This passage presents worship as a partnership between personal holiness and communal generosity. The Levites must sanctify themselves and then prepare their brethren. The leaders give so that no one is left out. Use these questions to explore how your group lives out this balance.
Discussion questions
- What does the reflexive verb “sanctify yourselves” tell us about the Levites’ responsibility? How is this different from being sanctified by someone else?
- Why do you think “prepare your brethren” includes both instruction and provision? Which aspect is easier to practice?
- Look at the list of contributions in verses 7-9. What does it say that the king gave from his own substance, and the princes gave “willingly”?
- How does this passage challenge the idea that faith is only a private matter?
- What tensions arise between taking time for personal holiness and rushing to serve others? How can those tensions be healthy?
- If our church were to apply this principle, what would change about how we prepare for worship?
- What would it look like to ensure no one in our community misses out on worship due to lack of resources?
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)
| Genesis 35:2 | Then Jacob said to his household, and to all who were with him, “Put away the foreign gods that are among you, purify yourselves, and change your garments. |
| Exodus 12:6 | You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month; and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at evening. |
| Exodus 12:21 | Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, and said to them, “Draw out, and take lambs according to your families, and kill the Passover. |
| Exodus 12:22 | You shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two door posts with the blood that is in the basin. None of you shall go out of the door of his house until the morning. |
| Exodus 19:10 | Yahweh said to Moses, “Go to the people, and sanctify them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments, |
| Exodus 19:15 | He said to the people, “Be ready by the third day. Don’t have sexual relations with a woman.” |
| Numbers 19:11 | “He who touches the dead body of any man shall be unclean seven days. |
| Numbers 19:20 | But the man who shall be unclean, and shall not purify himself, that soul shall be cut off from among the assembly, because he has defiled the sanctuary of Yahweh. The water for impurity has not been sprinkled on him. He is unclean. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
7 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes explains that the command to prepare your brethren means instructing the people on how to keep the Passover acceptably, since many were ignorant of the law. He clarifies that the princes were the chief priests and Levites who supplied Passover and thank-offering cattle for the poorer families of their own order.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible notes focus on textual and translation differences in this passage, comparing the Authorized and Revised Versions. It suggests that names such as Conaniah and Shemaiah likely represent families rather than individuals, given the nearly sixty years separating the reigns of Hezekiah and Josiah.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes emphasize that Josiah and his leaders followed the Passover instructions to the letter, killing the lamb and sanctifying themselves exactly as Moses commanded. Their generous giving from personal resources shows that true obedience to God's word requires both careful preparation and willing sacrifice.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill emphasizes the careful distribution of offerings: Josiah personally provided 30,000 lambs and 3,000 bullocks from his own flocks for the people, while the temple rulers and Levite chiefs gave separate portions to the priests and poorer Levites. He distinguishes the Passover lambs from the bullocks used for the feast that followed.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB notes that Josiah's detailed Passover instructions focused on practical logistics, especially helping the poor who had been impoverished by Assyrian invasions. The king ordered the Levites to manage orderly distribution so families could easily receive and roast their lambs. The princes and leading Levites also gave extra contributions specifically for the Levites.
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.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley clarifies that the princes here are not political rulers but the chief priests and Levites overseeing temple service. He notes that the thirty thousand workers the king provided were considered insufficient, so additional Levites were assigned to meet the needs of all the families.