And there stood before them seventy men of the ancients of the house of Israel, and in the midst of them stood Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan, with every man his censer in his hand; and a thick cloud of incense went up. Seventy men - the 70 members composing the Sanhedrim, or great council of the nation, the origination of which we find in the 70 elders, representatives of the congregation, who went up with Moses to the mount to behold the glory of Yahweh, and to witness the secret transactions relating to the establishment of the covenant; also, in the 70 elders appointed to share the Burden of the people with Moses. How awfully it aggravates the national sin, that the 70, once admitted to the Lord's secret council (Psalms 25:14), should now, "in the dark," enter "the secret" of the wicked (Genesis 49:6), those judicially bound to suppress idolatry being the ringleaders of it!
In the midst of them stood Jaazaniah - perhaps chief of the 70: son of Shaphan, the scribe who read to Josiah the Book of the law; the spiritual privileges of the son (2 Kings 22:10-14) increased his guilt. The very name means "Yahweh hears," giving the lie to the unbelief which virtually said (Ezekiel 9:9), "The Lord seeth us not," etc. (cf. Psalms 10:11; Psalms 10:14; Psalms 50:21; Psalms 94:7; Psalms 94:9.) The offering of incense belonged not to the elders, But to the priests; this usurpation added to the guilt of the former.
A thick cloud of incense went up - they spared no expense for their idols. Oh that there were the same liberality in the cause of God!