2 Chronicles 29:9
For, lo, our fathers have fallen by the sword, and our sons and our daughters and our wives are in captivity for this. For, lo, our fathers have fallen by the sword, and our sons and our daughters and our wives are in captivity for this.
The verse belongs to the history in Chronicles running from the beginning of the reign of Joash to the Babylonian captivity, understandable in itself and made fuller by comparison with the parallel account in 2 Kings, giving a concrete example of God dealing with principles and of His earnest regard in searching to show Himself strong for those whose heart is perfect toward Him. It falls within the reign of Hezekiah, a good king, in the account of his purifying the temple and restoring its worship by cleansing the house of God and putting away idolatry.
It describes the very bad condition Hezekiah found when he came to the throne at twenty-five as the son of a bad father, with the temple of the Lord forsaken and worship interrupted and the people worshiping idols. Evil beliefs and practices left from the reigns of his father and grandfather were still strong upon them even though they were dissatisfied with their condition. Turning away from God and Judah's sins and unfaithfulness brought defeat and national calamity, with fathers fallen by the sword and killed in battle and war and sons and daughters and wives in captivity. The verse thus illustrates the strife, captivity, and loss that followed departure from God and shows the urgent need for thorough reformation.
While the people were worshiping idols they did not pay their tithe, so the treasury was empty until Hezekiah revived the ancient worship and brought the priests and Levites back to their service in the temple. Hezekiah responded by seeking thorough reform and national revival, making his first work to open the temple and re-establish the worship of the true God, which took ability and determination. He acted in the civil and political life of the nation to promote religious reform for God's glory, cleansing the house of God and putting away idolatry.
His faithful course pleased the Lord and made it possible for God to bless and prosper him for His own glory. After the temple was cleared of accumulated rubbish he sent letters by messengers from city to city throughout the northern kingdom inviting the people to forsake idols and return to the true God and come to Jerusalem, with some mocking and some coming. The result was a great Passover feast lasting fourteen days with many sacrifices and great gladness, the greatest revival since Solomon, after which the people under his direction broke down idols, cut down groves, and destroyed high places and altars.