Ezra 2:63

Ezra 2:63 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the Tirshatha said unto them, that they should not eat of the most holy things, till there stood up a priest with Urim and with Thummim.
• New International Version (NIV)The governor ordered them not to eat any of the most sacred food until there was a priest ministering with the Urim and Thummim.
• English Standard Version (ESV)The governor told them that they were not to partake of the most holy food, until there should be a priest to consult Urim and Thummim.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And the governor said to them that they should not eat of the most holy things till a priest could consult with the Urim and Thummim.

Context of Ezra 2:63

61And from among the priests: the descendants of Hobaiah, the descendants of Hakkoz, and the descendants of Barzillai (who had married a daughter of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called by their name). 62These men searched for their family records, but they could not find them and so were excluded from the priesthood as unclean. The governor ordered them not to eat the most holy things until there was a priest to consult the Urim and Thummim. 64The whole assembly numbered 42,360, 65in addition to their 7,337 menservants and maidservants, as well as their 200 male and female singers.

Ezra 2:63 word by word

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר הַתִּרְשָׁ֙תָא֙ לָהֶ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹא־יֹאכְל֖וּ מִקֹּ֣דֶשׁ הַקֳּדָשִׁ֑ים עַ֛ד עֲמֹ֥ד כֹּהֵ֖ן לְאוּרִ֥ים וּלְתֻמִּֽים׃Read the interlinear

• The governorתִּרְשָׁתָאtirshâthâ' · governorH8660
• orderedאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• ·אֲשֶׁר'ăsher · whichH834
• notלֹאlô' lô' lôh · notH3808
• to eatאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
• the most holy thingsקֹ֫דֶשׁqôdesh · holinessH6944
• untilעַד‛ad · tillH5704
• untilעָמַד‛âmad · to stand: appointH5975
• there was a priestכֹּהֵןkôhên · priestH3548
• to consult the Urimאוּרִים'ûrîym · UrimH224
• and Thummimתֻּמִּיםtûmmîym · ThummimH8550

Cross-references for Ezra 2:63

• Nehemiah 7:65The governor ordered them not to eat the most holy things until there was a priest to consult the Urim and Thummim.
• Nehemiah 8:9Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to all of them, “This day is holy to the LORD your God. Do not mourn or weep.” For all the people were weeping as they heard the words of the Law.
• Nehemiah 10:1Now these were the ones who sealed the document: Nehemiah the governor, son of Hacaliah, and also Zedekiah,
• Leviticus 2:3The remainder of the grain offering shall belong to Aaron and his sons; it is a most holy part of the food offerings to the LORD.
• Leviticus 6:17It must not be baked with leaven; I have assigned it as their portion of My food offerings. It is most holy, like the sin offering and the guilt offering.
• Leviticus 7:16If, however, the sacrifice he offers is a vow or a freewill offering, it shall be eaten on the day he presents his sacrifice, but the remainder may be eaten on the next day.
• Leviticus 10:17“Why didn’t you eat the sin offering in the holy place? For it is most holy; it was given to you to take away the guilt of the congregation by making atonement for them before the LORD.
• Leviticus 22:2“Tell Aaron and his sons to treat with respect the sacred offerings that the Israelites have consecrated to Me, so that they do not profane My holy name. I am the LORD.
• Numbers 18:9A portion of the most holy offerings reserved from the fire will be yours. From all the offerings they render to Me as most holy offerings, whether grain offerings or sin offerings or guilt offerings, that part belongs to you and your sons.
• Numbers 18:32Once you have presented the best part of it, you will not incur guilt because of it. But you must not defile the sacred offerings of the Israelites, or else you will die.’”
• Exodus 28:30And place the Urim and Thummim in the breastpiece of judgment, so that they will also be over Aaron’s heart whenever he comes before the LORD. Aaron will continually carry the judgment of the sons of Israel over his heart before the LORD.
• Leviticus 8:8Then he put the breastpiece on him and placed the Urim and Thummim in the breastpiece.
• Numbers 27:21He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who will seek counsel for him before the LORD by the judgment of the Urim. At his command, he and all the Israelites with him—the entire congregation—will go out and come in.”
• Deuteronomy 33:8Concerning Levi he said: “Give Your Thummim to Levi and Your Urim to Your godly one, whom You tested at Massah and contested at the waters of Meribah.
• 1 Samuel 28:6He inquired of the LORD, but the LORD did not answer him by dreams or Urim or prophets.

Commentaries on Ezra 2:63

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 63The Tirshatha - This is generally supposed to be Nehemiah, or the person who was the commandant; see Nehemiah 8:9; Nehemiah 10:1, for the word appears to be the name of an office. The Vulgate and Septuagint write it Atershatha, the Syriac and Arabic render it the princes of Judah. Some suppose the word to be Persian, but nothing like it of the same import occurs in that language at present. If, as Castel supposed, it signifies austerity, or that fear…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 63The Tirshatha - i. e., Zerubbabel. See margin. The word is probably old Persian, though it does not occur in the cuneiform inscriptions. Some derive it from a root “to fear.” See the introduction to the Book of Ezra, first note. A priest with Urim and with Thummim - See Exodus 28:30 note. According to the rabbinical writers, the second temple permanently lacked this glory of the first. Zerubbabel, it would seem by the present passage (compare Nehemiah…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 36-63Verses 36-63 Those who undervalue their relation to the Lord in times of reproach, persecution, or distress, will have no benefit from it when it becomes honourable or profitable. Those who have no evidence that they are, by the new birth, spiritual priests unto God, through Jesus Christ, have no right to the comforts and privileges of Christians.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 61-63they could not find them: The lack of a genealogy was a problem for three families (Ezra 2:61–62). They were excluded from priestly privileges or responsibilities until the high priest received divine guidance through the Urim and Thummim to know God's will (see Exodus 28:30; Numbers 27:21). Although using the Urim and Thummim was like throwing dice or drawing straws, when done by the priest, the result was a divine decision, not random chance.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 6363. Tirshatha--a title borne by the Persian governors of Judea (see also Ne 7:65-70; 8:9; 10:1). It is derived from the Persian torsh ("severe"), and is equivalent to "your severity," "your awfulness."Read the comment

Topics related to Ezra 2:63

• Levites
• Tirshatha
• Urim and Thummim

In the dictionaries

• Captivity
• Temple, the Second
• Tirshatha
• Addus
• Adin
• Ammidioi; Ammidoi
• Attharias; Atharias
• Augia
• Baiterus
• Barodis

Commentaries on Ezra 2

• 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