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.
He brought together the priests and Levites and told them, 'Go out to all the cities of Judah and collect money from all Israel to repair God's temple every year. Make sure you do this quickly.' But the Levites did not hurry to do it.
The writer is showing how King Joash told the religious leaders to collect money to repair God's temple, but they were slow to act on his urgent request.
📚 Historical Context
During the reign of King Joash in Judah around the 9th century BC, the Temple in Jerusalem, originally built by Solomon, had fallen into disrepair due to years of neglect and possible invasions. Joash, under the influence of the priest Jehoiada, gathered the priests and Levites to collect money from the people across Judah for the temple's restoration, emphasizing the need for urgency in this sacred task. However, the Levites delayed their response, illustrating a common biblical theme of human reluctance in fulfilling religious responsibilities.
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