2 Chronicles 31:5

5 As soon as Hezekiah's orders had gone out, the Israelites responded generously: firstfruits of the grain harvest, new wine, oil, honey - everything they grew. They didn't hold back, turning over a tithe of everything.

2 Chronicles 31:5 Meaning and Commentary

2 Chronicles 31:5

And as soon as the commandment came abroad
Not only was published in the city of Jerusalem, but the report of it, or rather that itself, was spread throughout the cities of Judah:

the children of Israel brought in abundance the firstfruits of corn,
wine, and oil, and honey;
the three first of these are expressed in the law, ( Deuteronomy 18:4 ) but not honey; wherefore the Targum here, and the Jewish writers in general, interpret it of the "dubsa" of the palm tree, as they call it, the fruit and liquor of that, which is of a sweet taste, and which the Scenite Arabs called "dabusa", as Pliny F23 from Juba relates; for so it should be read, and not "dabulan" or "dablan", as in some copies: but though honey was forbid to be used in sacrifice, it was not forbidden to be eaten; and as the land of Judea abounded with honey, properly so called, the priests might have the firstfruits of that as of other liquors; (See Gill on Deuteronomy 8:8),

and of all the increase of the field;
of the trees of it, vines, fig trees, pomegranates as Kimchi;

and the tithe of all things;
even of herbs, as the same writer, and so the Talmud F24, which were free from tithes by the law, see ( Matthew 23:23 ) ,

brought they in abundantly;
even of all that their vineyards, oliveyards, and fields produced.


FOOTNOTES:

F23 Nat. Hist. l. 13. c. 4.
F24 T. Bab. Nedarim, fol. 55. 1.

2 Chronicles 31:5 In-Context

3 He also designated his personal contribution for the Whole-Burnt-Offerings for the morning and evening worship, for Sabbaths, for New Moon festivals, and for the special worship days set down in The Revelation of God.
4 In addition, he asked the people who lived in Jerusalem to be responsible for providing for the priests and Levites so they, without distraction or concern, could give themselves totally to The Revelation of God.
5 As soon as Hezekiah's orders had gone out, the Israelites responded generously: firstfruits of the grain harvest, new wine, oil, honey - everything they grew. They didn't hold back, turning over a tithe of everything.
6 They also brought in a tithe of their cattle, sheep, and anything else they owned that had been dedicated to God. Everything was sorted and piled in mounds.
7 They started doing this in the third month and didn't finish until the seventh month.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.