Charles Ellicott Commentary 2 Chronicles 31:18

"and them that were reckoned by genealogy of all their little ones, their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, through all the congregation: for in their office of trust they sanctified themselves in holiness." — 2 Chronicles 31:18 (ASV)

And to the genealogy. —After the parenthetic statements of 2 Chronicles 31:16–17 the thread of the narrative, broken off at 2 Chronicles 31:15, is taken up again at that point. The six Levites there named were in the priests’ cities “to give (their portions) to their brethren,” and further (2 Chronicles 31:18) “for the registering in the case of all their little ones, their wives and their sons and their daughters, of the whole corporation” (of priests).

The board of Levites had to keep a register of all who had claims on the provisions which they had to distribute. The general sense is the same if, as seems better, we trace the connection thus: “to give to their brethren, and to those who were registered among all their little ones” etc., explaining lĕhithyahçsh bĕkol-tappâm as a relative sentence with the relative suppressed. (Compare to 2 Chronicles 30:18–19, and 2 Chronicles 31:19, to the end.)

Through all the congregation. —Or, to a whole assembly — namely, of wives and children of the priests and Levites.

In their set office. —Or trust, or faithfulness (emûnah). (See Note on 1 Chronicles 9:22.)

They sanctified themselves. — They used to show themselves holy (that is, behave conscientiously) in regard to the holy (that is, the hallowed gifts, which they had to distribute). Perhaps, however, the Authorised Version is here substantially correct, the sense being that the Levites fulfilled their trust with perfect good faith.