(30) With the words of David, and of Asaph.—Heb., in the words. This appears to mean that the singing (2Chronicles 29:28) consisted in chanting Davidic and Asaphite psalms, and it is usually so explained. But the expression “in the words of David and of Asaph” may be compared with “in the words of Jehovah,” 2Chronicles 29:15, and “in the command of David and Gad the king’s seer,” 2Chronicles 29:25; and so may be understood to assert merely that the singing was in accordance with the arrangements of David and Asaph. (1Chronicles 25:1-2; 1Chronicles 25:9.)

Asaph the seer.—So Heman is called (1Chronicles 25:5); and Jeduthun (2Chronicles 25:15).

With gladness.—Literally, unto exultation—i.e., rapturously.

And they bowed their heads.—When the song was ended (2Chronicles 29:29).

29:20-36 As soon as Hezekiah heard that the temple was ready, he lost no time. Atonement must be made for the sins of the last reign. It was not enough to lament and forsake those sins; they brought a sin-offering. Our repentance and reformation will not obtain pardon but in and through Christ, who was made sin, that is, a sin-offering for us. While the offerings were on the altar, the Levites sang. Sorrow for sin must not prevent us from praising God. The king and the congregation gave their consent to all that was done. It is not enough for us to be where God is worshipped, if we do not ourselves worship with the heart. And we should offer up our spiritual sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving, and devote ourselves and all we have, as sacrifices, acceptable to the Father only through the Redeemer.All had hitherto been preparatory. Now Hezekiah gave orders that "the burnt offering" - i. e. the daily morning sacrifice - should be offered upon the brass altar in front of the porch, thus restoring and reinstituting the regular temple-service. A burst of music gave notice to the people of the moment when the old worship recommenced. 20-30. Then Hezekiah the king rose early, and gathered the rulers of the city—His anxiety to enter upon the expiatory service with all possible despatch, now that the temple had been properly prepared for it, prevented his summoning all the representatives of Israel. The requisite number of victims having been provided, and the officers of the temple having sanctified themselves according to the directions of the law, the priests were appointed to offer sacrifices of atonement successively, for "the kingdom," that is, for the sins of the king and his predecessors; for "the sanctuary," that is, for the sins of the priests themselves and for the desecration of the temple; "and for Judah," that is, for the people who, by their voluntary consent, were involved in the guilt of the national apostasy. Animals of the kinds used in sacrifice were offered by sevens, that number indicating completeness. The Levites were ordered to praise God with musical instruments, which, although not originally used in the tabernacle, had been enlisted in the service of divine worship by David on the advice of the prophets Gad and Nathan, as well calculated to animate the devotions of the people. At the close of the special services of the occasion, namely, the offering of atonement sacrifices, the king and all civic rulers who were present joined in the worship. A grand anthem was sung (2Ch 29:30) by the choir, consisting of some of the psalms of David and Asaph, and a great number of thank offerings, praise offerings, and freewill burnt offerings were presented at the invitation of the king. No text from Poole on this verse.

Moreover Hezekiah the king and the princes commanded the Levites to sing praise unto the Lord, with the words of David, and of Asaph the seer,.... Making use of psalms composed by the one and the other; Jarchi takes it to be the one hundred and fifth psalm, which begins, "O give thanks unto the Lord, call upon his name"; as in 1 Chronicles 16:7.

and they sang praises with gladness; the king and all the people:

and they bowed their heads and worshipped; made another adoration of the Divine Being, as deeply impressed with a sense of his greatness and goodness.

Moreover Hezekiah the king and the princes commanded the Levites to sing praise unto the LORD with the {o} words of David, and of Asaph the seer. And they sang praises with gladness, and they bowed their heads and worshipped.

(o) With the psalm mentioned in 1Ch 16:8.