But the priests were too few, so that they could not flay all the burnt offerings: wherefore their brethren the Levites did help them, till the work was ended, and until the other priests had sanctified themselves: for the Levites were more upright in heart to sanctify themselves than the priests.
But there weren't enough priests to skin all the burnt offerings, so their relatives the Levites helped them until the work was finished and until the other priests had made themselves ceremonially clean. The Levites had been more sincere in their hearts about making themselves holy than the priests had been.
The writer is showing how the Levites stepped up to help when there weren't enough priests available, and they had been more faithful about preparing themselves spiritually for God's service.
📚 Historical Context
During the reign of King Hezekiah of Judah, the temple in Jerusalem had been neglected and defiled by previous kings who turned to idolatry, leading to a period of spiritual decline. Hezekiah initiated reforms to purify the temple and restore proper worship, including the offering of burnt sacrifices as a sign of renewed devotion to God. In this verse, the shortage of sanctified priests meant the Levites had to step in to help with the tasks, underscoring the Levites' greater eagerness to prepare themselves for service.
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