Ezra 6:22

Ezra 6:22 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy: for the Lord had made them joyful, and turned the heart of the king of Assyria unto them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.
• New International Version (NIV)For seven days they celebrated with joy the Festival of Unleavened Bread, because the Lord had filled them with joy by changing the attitude of the king of Assyria so that he assisted them in the work on the house of God, the God of Israel.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And they kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with joy, for the Lord had made them joyful and had turned the heart of the king of Assyria to them, so that he aided them in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And they kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with joy; for the Lord made them joyful, and turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.

Context of Ezra 6:22

20For the priests and the Levites had purified themselves together; all of them were [ceremonially] clean. So they slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the exiles, for their brothers the priests, and for themselves. 21The Passover was eaten by the sons (descendants) of Israel (Jacob) who returned from exile and by all those who had separated themselves from the [ceremonial] uncleanness of the nations of the land to join them, in order to seek the Lord God of Israel. They observed the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days with joy, for the Lord had caused them to rejoice and had turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them, so that he encouraged them and strengthened their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.

Ezra 6:22 word by word

וַיַּֽעֲשׂ֧וּ חַג־מַצּ֛וֹת שִׁבְעַ֥ת יָמִ֖ים בְּשִׂמְחָ֑ה כִּ֣י׀ שִׂמְּחָ֣ם יְהוָ֗ה וְֽהֵסֵ֞ב לֵ֤ב מֶֽלֶךְ־אַשּׁוּר֙ עֲלֵיהֶ֔ם לְחַזֵּ֣ק יְדֵיהֶ֔ם בִּמְלֶ֥אכֶת בֵּית־הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים אֱלֹהֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ פRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And keptעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
• the feastחַגchag châg · feastH2282
• of unleavened breadמַצָּהmatstsâh · unleavened breadH4682
• sevenשֶׁ֫בַעsheba‛ shib‛âh · sevenH7651
• daysיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• with joyשִׂמְחָהώimchâh · joyH8057
• for the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• had made them joyfulשָׂמַחώâmach · to rejoiceH8055
• and turnedסָבַבsâbab · to turn: turnH5437
• the heartלֵבlêb · heartH3820
• of the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• of Assyriaאַשּׁוּר'ashshûr 'ashshûr · AssyriaH804
• unto them, to strengthenחָזַקchâzaq · to strengthen: strengthenH2388
• their handsיָדyâd · hand: themselvesH3027
• in the workמְלָאכָהmelâ'kâh · workH4399
• of the houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: templeH1004
• of Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478

Cross-references for Ezra 6:22

• Exodus 12:15[In the celebration of the Passover in future years,] seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, but on the first day you shall remove the leaven from your houses [because it represents the spread of sin]; for whoever eats leavened bread on the first day through the seventh day, that person shall be cut off and excluded from [the atonement made for] Israel.
• Exodus 13:6For seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to the Lord.
• 2 Chronicles 30:21The Israelites who were present in Jerusalem celebrated the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days with great joy. The Levites and priests praised the Lord day after day, singing to the Lord with loud instruments.
• 2 Chronicles 35:17Thus the sons of Israel who were present celebrated the Passover at that time, and the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days.
• Matthew 26:17Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread (Passover Week) the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?”
• 1 Corinthians 5:7Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new batch, just as you are, still unleavened. For Christ our Passover Lamb has been sacrificed.
• Ezra 7:27Blessed be the Lord, the God of our fathers [said Ezra], who put such a thing as this in the king’s heart, to adorn and glorify the house of the Lord in Jerusalem,
• Proverbs 16:7When a man’s ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.
• Proverbs 21:1The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord; He turns it whichever way He wishes.
• John 19:11Jesus answered, “You would have no authority over Me at all if it had not been given to you from above. For this reason the sin and guilt of the one who handed Me over to you is greater [than your own].”
• Ezra 6:6“Now therefore, Tattenai, governor of the province west of the [Euphrates] River, Shethar-bozenai and your associates, the officials who are west of the River, keep far away from there.
• Ezra 1:1Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia [that is, the first year he ruled Babylon], in order to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah [the prophet], the Lord stirred up (put in motion) the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he sent a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying:
• 2 Kings 23:29In his days Pharaoh Neco (Necho) king of Egypt went up to the king of Assyria to the river Euphrates [to help him fight Nabopolassar the king of Babylon]. King Josiah went out to meet him, but Pharaoh killed Josiah at Megiddo when he saw him.
• 2 Chronicles 33:11So the Lord brought the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria against them, and they captured Manasseh with hooks [through his nose or cheeks] and bound him with bronze [chains] and took him to Babylon.
• Zechariah 10:10I will bring them (all Israel) back home again from the land of Egypt And gather them from Assyria, And I will bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon [the land on the east and on the west of the Jordan] Until no room can be found for them.

Commentaries on Ezra 6:22

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 22Turned the heart of the king of Assyria - I am of Calmet's mind, that king of Assyria is here put for king of Persia. Cyrus and his successors possessed all the rights and estates of the ancient kings of Assyria, and therefore the same monarch may be styled king of Assyria as well as king of Persia. Darius had a very high character, as a wise, just, and merciful prince. To strengthen his title to the crown, he married two of the daughters of Cyrus, and…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 22The king of Assyria - i. e., Darius. Assyria had so long been the great monarchy of western Asia that the sacred writers continue the title to those who had inherited the old Assyrian power, as first to the Babylonians 2 Kings 23:29, and secondly to the Persians. With similar inexactness we find Herodotus calling Cyrus “king of the Medes.”Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 13-22Verses 13-22 The gospel church, that spiritual temple, is long in the building, but it will be finished at last, when the mystical body is completed. Every believer is a living temple, building up himself in his most holy faith: much opposition is given to this work by Satan and our own corruptions. We trifle, and proceed in it with many stops and pauses; but He that has begun the good work, will see it performed. Then spirits of just men will be made…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 22Passover marked the start of the seven-day Festival of Unleavened Bread (see Exodus 12:15–20; Leviticus 23:6–8). This festival celebrated the unleavened bread eaten when Israel left Egypt. the LORD had made: Although Darius I ruled a large empire, God guided him to help rebuild the temple of God.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2222. kept the feast ... with joy: for the Lord ... turned the heart of the king of Assyria unto them--that is, king of the Persian empire, which now included the possessions, and had surpassed the glory, of Assyria. The favorable disposition which Darius had evinced towards the Jews secured them peace and prosperity and the privileges of their own religion during the rest of his reign. The religious joy that so remarkably characterized the celebration of…Read the comment

Topics related to Ezra 6:22

• Feasts
• Fellowship
• Heart
• Joy
• Liberality

In the dictionaries

• Assyria
• God
• Israel
• Assyria, Assyrian, Assyrian Empire
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• House of God
• unleavened bread
• Pentateuch

Commentaries on Ezra 6

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings