5 He gathered together the priests and the Levites, and said to them, "Go out to the cities of Judah, and gather money to repair the house of your God from all Israel from year to year. See that you expedite this matter." However the Levites didn't do it right away.
*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.
Gather of all Israel money - As the temple was the property of the whole nation, and the services performed in it were for the salvation of the people at large, it was right that each should come forward on an occasion of this kind, and lend a helping hand. This is the first instance of such a general collection for building or repairing a house of God.
From year to year - It must have been in a state of great dilapidation, when it required such annual exertions to bring it into a thorough state of repair.
And he gathered together the priests and the Levites, and said to them, Go out unto the cities of Judah, and gather of all (b) 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.
(b) He does not mean the ten tribes but only the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin.
And he gathered together the priests and Levites,.... To communicate his mind unto, and give them a charge and instructions:
and said unto 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; what money he means is more fully explained in 2-Kings 12:4,
and see that ye haste the matter; for he was very desirous of having this work accomplished, it being the place of the worship of God, and where he had been preserved in his infancy:
howbeit, the Levites hastened it not; either through negligence in them to collect the money, or backwardness in the people to give, or through an avaricious disposition to keep it, and use it for themselves; so that it was delayed unto the twenty third year of his reign 2-Kings 12:6.
*More commentary available at chapter level.