And Hezekiah appointed the courses of the priests and the Levites after their courses, every man according to his service, the priests and Levites for burnt offerings and for peace offerings, to minister, and to give thanks, and to praise in the gates of the tents of the LORD.
Hezekiah appointed the courses of the priests ... The king now turned his attention to provide for the orderly performance of the temple worship-arranging the priests and Levites in their courses, assigning to each one his proper place and functions-and issuing edicts for the regular payment of these dues from which the revenues of the sanctuary were derived.
In the gates of the tents of the Lord, х bªsha`areey (H8179) machªnowt (H4264) Yahweh (H3069)] - in the gates of the camps of the Lord; i:e., the area enclosed by the outer wall of the temple. To set a proper example to his subjects, his own proportion was announced in the first instance, for to the king it belonged, out of his privy purse, to defray the expenses of the altar, both stated and occasional (Numbers 28:3-4; Numbers 28:9; Numbers 28:11; Numbers 28:19); and in making this contribution from his own means, Hezekiah followed the course which David and Solomon had taken before him (see the notes at 2 Chronicles 8:14; 1 Kings 9:25).
Afterward he re-appointed the people's dues to the temple; and from its being necessary to issue a royal mandate in reference to this matter, it appears that the sacred tribute had been either totally neglected, or as the idolatrous princes were known to appropriate it to their own purposes, the people had in many cases refused or evaded the duty. But in the improved state of public feeling Hezekiah's commandment was readily obeyed, and contributions of first-fruits and tithes were poured in with great liberality from all parts of Judah, as well as from Israel.
The first-fruits, even of some articles of produce that were unfit for sacrifice (Leviticus 2:11), such as х dªbash (H1706)] honey of bees (margin, dates: see the note at Genesis 43:11), were appropriated to the priests (Numbers 18:12-13; Deuteronomy 18:4); the tithes (Leviticus 27:31) were intended for the support of the whole Levitical tribe (Numbers 18:8; Numbers 18:20; Numbers 18:24).