2 Chronicles 23:6

2 Chronicles 23:6 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But let none come into the house of the Lord, save the priests, and they that minister of the Levites; they shall go in, for they are holy: but all the people shall keep the watch of the Lord.
• New International Version (NIV)No one is to enter the temple of the Lord except the priests and Levites on duty; they may enter because they are consecrated, but all the others are to observe the Lord’s command not to enter.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Let no one enter the house of the Lord except the priests and ministering Levites. They may enter, for they are holy, but all the people shall keep the charge of the Lord.
• New King James Version (NKJV)But let no one come into the house of the Lord except the priests and those of the Levites who serve. They may go in, for they are holy; but all the people shall keep the watch of the Lord.

Context of 2 Chronicles 23:6

4This is what you are to do: A third of you priests and Levites who come on duty on the Sabbath shall keep watch at the doors, 5a third shall be at the royal palace, and a third at the Foundation Gate, while all the others are to be in the courtyards of the house of the LORD. No one is to enter the house of the LORD except the priests and those Levites who serve; they may enter because they are consecrated, but all the people are to obey the requirement of the LORD. 7The Levites must surround the king with weapons in hand, and anyone who enters the temple must be put to death. You must stay close to the king wherever he goes.” 8So the Levites and all Judah did everything that Jehoiada the priest had ordered. Each of them took his men—those coming on duty on the Sabbath and those going off duty—for Jehoiada the priest had not released any of the divisions.

2 Chronicles 23:6 word by word

וְאַל־יָב֣וֹא בֵית־יְהוָ֗ה כִּ֤י אִם־הַכֹּֽהֲנִים֙ וְהַמְשָׁרְתִ֣ים לַלְוִיִּ֔ם הֵ֥מָּה יָבֹ֖אוּ כִּי־קֹ֣דֶשׁ הֵ֑מָּה וְכָל־הָעָ֔ם יִשְׁמְר֖וּ מִשְׁמֶ֥רֶת יְהוָֽה׃Read the interlinear

• Noאַל'al · notH408
• one is to enterבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• the houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: templeH1004
• of the LORDיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• exceptכִּי [אם]kîy · that if: exceptH3588
• except[כִּי] אם'im · if: exceptH518
• the priestsכֹּהֵןkôhên · priestH3548
• and those Levitesלֵוִיlêvîyîy lêvîy · LeviH3881
• who serveשָׁרַתshârath · to ministerH8334
• theyהֵ֫מָּהhêm hêmmâh · they(masc.)H1992
• becauseכִּיkîy · forH3588
• are consecratedקֹ֫דֶשׁqôdesh · holinessH6944
• but allכֹּלkôl kôl · allH3605
• the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• are to obeyשָׁמַרshâmar · to keep: obeyH8104
• the requirementמִשְׁמֶ֫רֶתmishmereth · chargeH4931

Cross-references for 2 Chronicles 23:6

• 2 Kings 11:6a third shall be at the gate of Sur, and a third at the gate behind the guards. You are to take turns guarding the temple—
• 1 Chronicles 23:28but their duty was to assist the descendants of Aaron with the service of the house of the LORD, being responsible for the courts and chambers, the purification of all the holy things, and the work of the service of the house of God,

Commentaries on 2 Chronicles 23:6

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 6Keep the watch of the Lord - i. e. guard against any attempt that might be made by the Baal-worshippers to force their way through the courts into the temple.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 6-7Only the priests and Levites on duty could enter the temple, so the Levites had to stop others from entering.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 4-94-9. This is the thing that ye shall do--The arrangements made for defense are here described. The people were divided into three bodies; one attended as guards to the king, while the other two were posted at all the doors and gates, and the captains and military officers who entered the temple unarmed to lull suspicion, were furnished with weapons out of the sacred armory, where David had deposited his trophies of victory and which was reopened on this…Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Chronicles 23:6

• Israel, Prophecies Concerning
• Zeal, Religious

In the dictionaries

• Covenant
• Athaliah
• Criticism
• Genealogy
• Jehoash; Joash
• Jehoiada
• Priests and Levites

Commentaries on 2 Chronicles 23

• 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
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings