Bible Strands
2 Chronicles 29:21
They brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs, and seven male goats as a sin offering for the kingdom, for the sanctuary, and for Judah. And the king commanded the priests, the descendants of Aaron, to offer them on the altar of the LORD.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — King Hezekiah gathers city officials and ascends to the house of the LORD to initiate a corporate purification ritual. He commands Aaronic priests to present sacrifices on the altar for the kingdom, the sanctuary, and Judah.
The words — The verse specifies וַיָּבִיאוּ (va/yavi'u, "and they brought") and שִׁבְעָה (shiv'ah, "seven") alongside פָרִים (parim, "young bulls"), אֵילִים (elim, "rams"), כְבָשִׂים (kevashim, "lambs"), and צְפִירֵי (tze'irei, "he-goats"). These terms precisely enumerate the animal types and counts designated for the sin offering.
The thread — This sacrificial structure parallels Leviticus 4:3, which mandates a young bull for priestly guilt, and aligns with Job 42:8 and Ezekiel 45:23, both of which prescribe seven bulls and seven rams for offerings.
Why it lands — The text requires the reader to observe how exact numerical offerings are deployed to address systemic corruption across political, religious, and national spheres. It demonstrates the mechanism by which royal authority enforces ritual compliance to restore covenant standing.
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
King James Version
And they brought seven bullocks, and seven rams, and seven lambs, and seven he goats, for a sin offering for the kingdom, and for the sanctuary, and for Judah. And he commanded the priests the sons of Aaron to offer them on the altar of the Lord.
Cross-references
- Leviticus 4:3 If the anointed priest sins, bringing guilt on the people, he must bring to the LORD a young bull without blemish as a sin offering for the sin he has committed.
- Job 42:8 So now, take seven bulls and seven rams, go to My servant Job, and sacrifice a burnt offering for yourselves. Then My servant Job will pray for you, for I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly. For you have not spoken accurately about Me, as My servant Job has.”
- Ezekiel 45:23 Each day during the seven days of the feast, he shall provide seven bulls and seven rams without blemish as a burnt offering to the LORD, along with a male goat for a sin offering.
- Numbers 23:1 Then Balaam said to Balak, “Build for me seven altars here, and prepare for me seven bulls and seven rams.”
- Numbers 23:14 So Balak took him to the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, where he built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
- Numbers 23:29 Then Balaam said, “Build for me seven altars here, and prepare for me seven bulls and seven rams.”
- 1 Chronicles 15:26 And because God helped the Levites who were carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams.
- Ezra 8:35 Then the exiles who had returned from captivity sacrificed burnt offerings to the God of Israel: 12 bulls for all Israel, 96 rams, 77 lambs, and a sin offering of 12 male goats. All this was a burnt offering to the LORD.
- Numbers 15:22 Now if you stray unintentionally and do not obey all these commandments that the LORD has spoken to Moses—
- 2 Corinthians 5:21 God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.