5 and said to them, "Listen to me, you Levites! Now sanctify yourselves, and sanctify the house of Yahweh, the God of your fathers, and carry out the filthiness out of the holy place.
*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.
Sanctify now yourselves - Compare the marginal reference. Hezekiah follows David's example, knowing, probably, that the priests had in the preceding time of idolatry contracted many defilements.
The "filthiness," or "uncleanness" 2-Chronicles 29:16, might consist, in part, of mere dust and dirt, in part, of idolatrous objects introduced by Ahaz before he finally shut up the temple 2-Kings 16:10-16.
And said unto them, Hear me, ye Levites, sanctify now yourselves, and sanctify the house of the LORD God of your fathers, and carry forth (c) the filthiness out of the holy [place].
(c) Meaning, all the idols, altar groves and whatever was occupied in their service and with which the temple was polluted.
And said unto them, hear me, ye Levites; sanctify yourselves,.... By washing their bodies and their garments, that no pollution might attend them in their service, see Isaiah 52:11.
and sanctify the house of the Lord God of your fathers; by carrying out of it all manner of uncleanness, as they did, 2-Chronicles 29:16,
and carry forth the filthiness out of the holy place; or the abomination; the altar, like that at Damascus, which Ahaz, removing the altar of the Lord, had placed in the court of the priests; or, as Kimchi thinks, an idol, which he had set upon that altar.
Filthiness - That filthy altar, which Ahaz had put in the place of God's altar, 2-Kings 16:11, and the idols, or other abominable things which were there.
*More commentary available at chapter level.