What does 2 Chronicles 29:23 mean?
"And they brought forth the he goats for the sin offering before the king and the congregation; and they laid their hands upon them:" - 2 Chronicles 29:23
The verse 2 Chronicles 29:23 from the King James Version of the Bible reads, "And they brought forth the he goats for the sin offering before the king and the congregation; and they laid their hands upon them." This verse is found in the Old Testament and is part of the story of King Hezekiah's reign and his efforts to restore true worship in Judah.
To fully understand the meaning and significance of this verse, it is important to provide some context. King Hezekiah was a righteous king who sought to undo the idolatry and corruption that had plagued Judah during the reign of his father, King Ahaz. In 2 Chronicles 29, we see Hezekiah's efforts to cleanse and purify the temple of the Lord, which had been neglected and defiled.
In this particular verse, the focus is on the sin offering that was being made in the temple. The sin offering was a central part of the sacrificial system in ancient Israel, and it was meant to atone for the sins of the people. The offering of he goats for the sin offering was a solemn and sacred act, as the animals were being offered in place of the people to cleanse them from their sins.
The act of laying hands upon the goats was a symbolic gesture that was meant to transfer the sins of the people onto the animals. By laying their hands upon the goats, the people were acknowledging their own guilt and need for atonement. This act served as a reminder of the seriousness of sin and the need for repentance and forgiveness.
The presence of the king and the congregation at this ceremony highlights the communal nature of the sin offering. The entire community was called to participate in this act of repentance and renewal. It was a collective acknowledgment of their need for God's mercy and forgiveness.
This verse also underscores the importance of proper worship and obedience to God's commands. King Hezekiah's actions in restoring the temple and reinstating the sacrificial system were a reflection of his desire to lead the people back to a right relationship with God. The sin offering was an integral part of this process, as it represented the people's desire to be reconciled with God and to be purified from their sins.
Symbolically, the he goats in this verse represent the substitutionary atonement for the sins of the people. In the New Testament, this concept is fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ, who becomes the ultimate sacrifice for the sins of humanity. The laying on of hands also foreshadows the idea of transfer of sin and guilt onto Jesus, who takes on the sins of the world.
Overall, 2 Chronicles 29:23 presents a powerful image of the need for repentance and atonement. It serves as a reminder of the seriousness of sin and the importance of seeking God's forgiveness. Through the sin offering, the people of Judah were able to express their desire for reconciliation with God and their commitment to worship Him in truth and purity. This verse also points to the ultimate fulfillment of atonement in the person of Jesus Christ, who offers himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of humanity.
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2 Chronicles 29:23 - "And they brought forth the he goats for the sin offering before the king and the congregation; and they laid their hands upon them:"
"And they brought forth the he goats for the sin offering before the king and the congregation; and they laid their hands upon them:" - 2 Chronicles 29:23
1 Chronicles 29:23 - "Then Solomon sat on the throne of the LORD as king instead of David his father, and prospered; and all Israel obeyed him."
2 Chronicles 29:29 - "And when they had made an end of offering, the king and all that were present with him bowed themselves, and worshipped."
1 Chronicles 23:29 - "Both for the shewbread, and for the fine flour for meat offering, and for the unleavened cakes, and for that which is baked in the pan, and for that which is fried, and for all manner of measure and size;"
2 Chronicles 29:26 - "And the Levites stood with the instruments of David, and the priests with the trumpets."
2 Chronicles 23:10
2 Chronicles 35:23
2 Chronicles 23:17
2 Chronicles 23:17
2 Chronicles 23:10
2 Chronicles 29:13 - "And of the sons of Elizaphan; Shimri, and Jeiel: and of the sons of Asaph; Zechariah, and Mattaniah:"
2 Chronicles 34:29 - "¶ Then the king sent and gathered together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem."
2 Chronicles 29:14 - "And of the sons of Heman; Jehiel, and Shimei: and of the sons of Jeduthun; Shemaiah, and Uzziel."
2 Chronicles 29:2 - "And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that David his father had done."
2 Chronicles 29:33 - "And the consecrated things were six hundred oxen and three thousand sheep."
2 Chronicles 29:4 - "And he brought in the priests and the Levites, and gathered them together into the east street,"
1 Chronicles 2:29 - "And the name of the wife of Abishur was Abihail, and she bare him Ahban, and Molid."
2 Samuel 23:29 - "Heleb the son of Baanah, a Netophathite, Ittai the son of Ribai out of Gibeah of the children of Benjamin,"
2 Chronicles 29:20 - "¶ Then Hezekiah the king rose early, and gathered the rulers of the city, and went up to the house of the LORD."
2 Chronicles 29:36 - "And Hezekiah rejoiced, and all the people, that God had prepared the people: for the thing was done suddenly."
1 Chronicles 23:2 - "¶ And he gathered together all the princes of Israel, with the priests and the Levites."
2 Chronicles 29:9 - "For, lo, our fathers have fallen by the sword, and our sons and our daughters and our wives are in captivity for this."
2 Chronicles 29:28 - "And all the congregation worshipped, and the singers sang, and the trumpeters sounded: and all this continued until the burnt offering was finished."
2 Chronicles 29:15 - "And they gathered their brethren, and sanctified themselves, and came, according to the commandment of the king, by the words of the LORD, to cleanse the house of the LORD."
2 Chronicles 29:3 - "¶ He in the first year of his reign, in the first month, opened the doors of the house of the LORD, and repaired them."
2 Chronicles 23:2 - "And they went about in Judah, and gathered the Levites out of all the cities of Judah, and the chief of the fathers of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem."
2 Chronicles 20:29 - "And the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of those countries, when they had heard that the LORD fought against the enemies of Israel."
2 Kings 8:23 - "And the rest of the acts of Joram, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?"
2 Chronicles 23:21 - "And all the people of the land rejoiced: and the city was quiet, after that they had slain Athaliah with the sword."