Limitless Word

2 Chronicles 30:18

Most of those who came from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun had not purified themselves. But King Hezekiah prayed for them, and they were allowed to eat the Passover meal anyway, even though this was contrary to the requirements of the Law. For Hezekiah said, “May the Lord, who is good, pardon those
2 Chronicles 30:18 · New Living Translation
Parallel translations
  • WEB For a multitude of the people, even many of Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet they ate the Passover other than the way it is written. For Hezekiah had prayed for them, saying, “May the good Yahweh pardon everyone
  • KJV For a multitude of the people, even many of Ephraim, and Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet did they eat the passover otherwise than it was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, The good LORD pardon every one
  • BSB A large number of the people—many from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun—had not purified themselves, yet they ate the Passover, contrary to what was written. But Hezekiah interceded for them, saying, “May the LORD, who is good, provide atonement for everyone
  • NKJV For a multitude of the people, many from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet they ate the Passover contrary to what was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, “May the good Lord provide atonement for everyone
  • NASB For a multitude of the people, many from Ephraim and Manasseh, and Issachar and Zebulun, had not purified themselves, yet they ate the Passover contrary to what was written. For Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, “May the good Lord pardon

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

Many from the northern tribes ate the Passover without proper cleansing, and Hezekiah prayed that God would pardon them. It matters because the king interceded for sincere but ceremonially deficient worshipers.

Overview

A great number had not purified themselves yet ate the Passover contrary to the written requirement. Rather than condemn them, Hezekiah prayed for God's pardon, appealing to His goodness. This intercession for imperfect worshipers points to Christ, our great Intercessor, who prays for His people and makes their worship acceptable.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 19

  • Jas 5:15–16and the prayer of faith will heal him who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.
  • 1 Cor 11:28But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread, and drink of the cup.
  • Num 9:10–14“Say to the children of Israel, ‘If any man of you or of your generations is unclean by reason of a dead body, or is on a journey far away, he shall still keep the Passover to Yahweh.
  • Dan 9:19Lord, hear; Lord, forgive; Lord, listen and do; don’t defer, for your own sake, my God, because your city and your people are called by your name.
  • 2 Chr 6:21Listen to the petitions of your servant, and of your people Israel, when they pray toward this place. Yes, hear from your dwelling place, even from heaven; and when you hear, forgive.
  • 2 Chr 30:25All the assembly of Judah, with the priests and the Levites, and all the assembly who came out of Israel, and the foreigners who came out of the land of Israel, and who lived in Judah, rejoiced.
  • 2 Chr 30:11Nevertheless some men of Asher and Manasseh and of Zebulun humbled themselves, and came to Jerusalem.
  • Gen 20:7Now therefore, restore the man’s wife. For he is a prophet, and he will pray for you, and you will live. If you don’t restore her, know for sure that you will die, you, and all who are yours.”
  • Num 19:20But the man who shall be unclean, and shall not purify himself, that soul shall be cut off from the middle of the assembly, because he has defiled the sanctuary of Yahweh. The water for impurity has not been sprinkled on him. He is unclean.
  • Ps 25:8Good and upright is Yahweh, therefore he will instruct sinners in the way.
  • Exod 12:43–51Yahweh said to Moses and Aaron, “This is the ordinance of the Passover. No foreigner shall eat of it,
  • 1 Jn 5:16If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life for those who sin not leading to death. There is a sin leading to death. I don’t say that he should make a request concerning this.
  • Exod 34:6–9Yahweh passed by before him, and proclaimed, “Yahweh! Yahweh, a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness and truth,
  • Job 42:8–9Now therefore, take to yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you, for I will accept him, that I not deal with you according to your folly. For you have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job has.”
  • Gen 20:17Abraham prayed to God. God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his female servants, and they bore children.
  • Ps 119:68You are good, and do good. Teach me your statutes.
  • Ps 86:5For you, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive; abundant in loving kindness to all those who call on you.
  • Num 14:18–20‘Yahweh is slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness, forgiving iniquity and disobedience; and that will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and on the fourth generation.’
  • Ps 36:5Your loving kindness, Yahweh, is in the heavens. Your faithfulness reaches to the skies.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (7)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

Christ at the center

Temple, priesthood, and the repeated need for a faithful king who seeks the LORD all point past every imperfect reign to the King and Temple who finally and fully dwell with God's people.

How 2 Chronicles 30:18 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.