10 Azariah the chief priest, of the house of Zadok, answered him and said, "Since people began to bring the offerings into the house of Yahweh, we have eaten and had enough, and have left plenty: for Yahweh has blessed his people; and that which is left is this great store."
*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.
If this Azariah was the same as he who resisted Uzziah 2-Chronicles 26:17-20, he must have held his office at least 33 years. Compare 2-Chronicles 27:1; 2-Chronicles 28:1.
The Lord hath blessed his people - i. e. God has made the harvest unusually abundant, and hence the great amount of tithes and first-fruits.
And Azariah the chief priest of the house of Zadok answered him, and said, Since [the people] began to bring the offerings into the house of the LORD, we have (i) had enough to eat, and have left plenty: for the LORD hath blessed his people; and that which is left [is] this great store.
(i) He shows that this plenteous liberality is expedient for the maintenance of the ministers and that God therefore prospers his people and increases by his blessing that which is given.
And Azariah the chief priest of the house of Zadok answered him,.... Who was the high priest of the family of Eleazar, in the line of Zadok, made high priest in Solomon's time, when Abiathar was thrust out; Jarchi takes him to be the same Azariah that was in the days of Uzziah, 2-Chronicles 26:17,
and said, since the people began to bring the offerings into the house of the Lord we have had enough to eat, and have left plenty; which were now four mouths since; and the priests and Levites, and their families, had partaken of them, and eat to satiety, and yet there was great plenty remaining:
for the Lord hath blessed his people: the Targum is,"the Word of the Lord has blessed them,''given them large crops this year, and a ready willing mind to bring in what is due for the service of the temple:
and that which is left is this great store; the heaps the king and princes saw, and inquired about; or what is left is for the great multitude of the priests and Levites, and their families, both at Jerusalem, and in the cities in the country; so Kimchi interprets it.
Azariah . . . answered . . . we have had enough--This is probably the person mentioned (2-Chronicles 26:17), and his reply was to the following purport: There has been an abundant harvest, and a corresponding plenty in the incoming of first-fruits and tithes; the people have testified their gratitude to Him who has crowned the year with His goodness by their liberality towards His servants.
*More commentary available at chapter level.