2 Chronicles 24:5

So he gathered the priests and Levites and said, “Go out to the cities of Judah and collect the money due annually from all Israel, to repair the house of your God. Do it quickly.” The Levites, however, did not make haste.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — King Joash addresses the priests and Levites after resolving to repair the temple, commanding them to collect annual funds from Judah and Israel. He issues the order with urgency, though the Levites fail to act promptly.

The words — The Hebrew imperative צְא֣וּ (tze'u) commands "go out," directing officials to travel to Judah's cities for the collection. The text records the Levites' delay as a factual observation, stating they "did not make haste" without supplying a reason.

The thread — This collection mandate parallels Joash’s earlier temple repair order in 2 Kings 12:4 and anticipates the later rebuke in 2 Chronicles 24:6 regarding the uncollected tax. The temple restoration motif also resurfaces in 2 Chronicles 29:3 under Hezekiah.

Why it lands — The passage requires readers to observe how administrative duty and spiritual obligation intersect, noting that royal command alone does not guarantee immediate obedience. It presents a straightforward record of institutional effort and human delay without moralizing the outcome.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וַיִּקְבֹּץ֮va/i.yik.Botzand/ he assembled אֶת־'et-<obj.>הַכֹּהֲנִ֣יםha./ko.ha.Nimthe/ priests וְהַלְוִיִּם֒ve./ha/l.vi.Yimand/ the/ Levites וַיֹּ֣אמֶרva/i.Yo.merand/ he saidלָהֶ֡םla./Hemto/ themצְא֣וּtze.'Ugo out לְעָרֵ֪יle./'a.Reito/ [the] cities of יְהוּדָ֟הye.hu.DahJudah וְקִבְצוּ֩ve./kiv.Tzuand/ collect מִכָּל־mi./kolfrom/ all יִשְׂרָאֵ֨לYis.ra.'ElIsrael כֶּ֜סֶףKe.sefmoney לְחַזֵּ֣ק׀le./cha.Zekto/ repair אֶת־'et-<obj.>בֵּ֣יתbeit[the] house of אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֗ם'e.lo.hei./KhemGod/ your מִדֵּ֤יmi./Deias/ often as שָׁנָה֙sha.Naha year בְּשָׁנָ֔הbe./sha.Nahin/ a year וְאַתֶּ֖םve./'a.Temand/ you תְּמַהֲר֣וּte.ma.ha.Ruyou will do quickly לַדָּבָ֑רla./da.Var<to> the/ matter וְלֹ֥אve./Lo'and/ not מִֽהֲר֖וּmi.ha.Ruthey acted quickly הַֽלְוִיִּֽם׃Ha/l.vi.Yimthe/ Levites

King James Version

And he gathered together the priests and the Levites, and said to them, Go out unto the cities of Judah, and gather of all Israel money to repair the house of your God from year to year, and see that ye hasten the matter. Howbeit the Levites hastened it not.

Cross-references

2 Kings 12:4 Then Joash said to the priests, “Collect all the money brought as sacred gifts into the house of the LORD—the census money, the money from vows, and the money brought voluntarily into the house of the LORD.
2 Chronicles 21:2 Jehoram’s brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat, were Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariah, Michael, and Shephatiah; these were all sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel.
2 Chronicles 29:3 In the first month of the first year of his reign, Hezekiah opened and repaired the doors of the house of the LORD.
2 Chronicles 34:8 Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, in order to cleanse the land and the temple, Josiah sent Shaphan son of Azaliah, Maaseiah the governor of the city, and Joah son of Joahaz, the recorder, to repair the house of the LORD his God.