Ezra 6:20

Ezra 6:20 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For the priests and the Levites were purified together, all of them were pure, and killed the passover for all the children of the captivity, and for their brethren the priests, and for themselves.
• New International Version (NIV)The priests and Levites had purified themselves and were all ceremonially clean. The Levites slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the exiles, for their relatives the priests and for themselves.
• English Standard Version (ESV)For the priests and the Levites had purified themselves together; all of them were clean. So they slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the returned exiles, for their fellow priests, and for themselves.
• New King James Version (NKJV)For the priests and the Levites had purified themselves; all of them were ritually clean. And they slaughtered the Passover lambs for all the descendants of the captivity, for their brethren the priests, and for themselves.

Context of Ezra 6:20

18They also appointed the priests by their divisions and the Levites by their groups to the service of God in Jerusalem, according to what is written in the book of Moses. 19The exiles observed the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month. All of the priests and Levites were ceremonially clean, because they had purified themselves. They killed the Passover lamb for themselves, their priestly brothers, and all the exiles. 21The Israelites who had returned from exile ate it, together with all who had separated themselves from the uncleanness of the Gentiles of the land in order to worship the Lord, the God of Israel. 22They observed the Festival of Unleavened Bread for seven days with joy, because the Lord had made them joyful, having changed the Assyrian king’s attitude toward them, so that he supported them in the work on the house of the God of Israel.

Ezra 6:20 word by word

כִּ֣י הִֽטַּהֲר֞וּ הַכֹּהֲנִ֧ים וְהַלְוִיִּ֛ם כְּאֶחָ֖ד כֻּלָּ֣ם טְהוֹרִ֑ים וַיִּשְׁחֲט֤וּ הַפֶּ֙סַח֙ לְכָל־בְּנֵ֣י הַגּוֹלָ֔ה וְלַאֲחֵיהֶ֥ם הַכֹּהֲנִ֖ים וְלָהֶֽם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• For the priestsכֹּהֵןkôhên · priestH3548
• and the Levitesלֵוִיlêvîyîy lêvîy · LeviH3881
• were purifiedטָהֵרţâhêr · be pureH2891
• togetherאֶחָד'echâd · oneH259
• pureטָהוֹרţâhôr ţâhôr · pureH2889
• and killedשָׁחַטshâchaţ · to slaughterH7819
• the passoverפֶּ֫סַחpesach · PassoverH6453
• for all the childrenבֵּןbên · son: type ofH1121
• of the captivityגּוֹלָהgôlâh gôlâh · captivityH1473
• and for their brethrenאָח'âch · brother: compatriotH251

Cross-references for Ezra 6:20

• 2 Chronicles 29:34However, since there were not enough priests, they weren’t able to skin all the burnt offerings, so their Levite brothers helped them until the work was finished and until the priests consecrated themselves. For the Levites were more conscientious to consecrate themselves than the priests were.
• 2 Chronicles 30:15They slaughtered the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the second month. The priests and Levites were ashamed, and they consecrated themselves and brought burnt offerings to the Lord’s temple.
• Exodus 12:21Then Moses summoned all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Go, select an animal from the flock according to your families, and slaughter the Passover animal.
• 2 Chronicles 35:11Then they slaughtered the Passover lambs, and while the Levites were skinning the animals, the priests splattered the blood they had been given.
• Hebrews 7:27He doesn’t need to offer sacrifices every day, as high priests do — first for their own sins, then for those of the people. He did this once for all time when he offered himself.

Commentaries on Ezra 6:20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20The Levites were purified together - They were all ready at one time to observe the proper rites and ceremonies, and had no need of having a second passover, which was appointed by the law for those who had been accidentally defiled, or were at a distance from the tabernacle. See 2 Chronicles 30:3.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20Some render, “And the priests were purified; and the Levites, as one man, were all of them pure.” A contrast is drawn between the universal purity of the Levites and the merely general purity of the priests 2 Chronicles 29:34; 2 Chronicles 30:3, which made it fitting that the former should undertake the slaughter of all the Paschal lambs, even of those which the priests were to consume. In later times the ordinary practice was for each head of a family to…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. 20purified themselves: They acted according to the law of Moses (see Leviticus 9; Numbers 8; 2 Chronicles 29).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 19-2221. all such as had separated themselves ... from the filthiness of the heathen of the land--that is, who had given satisfactory evidence of being true proselytes by not only renouncing the impure worship of idolatry, but by undergoing the rite of circumcision, a condition indispensable to a participation of the passover.Read the comment

Topics related to Ezra 6:20

• Backsliders
• Levites
• Liberality
• Passover
• Priest

In the dictionaries

• Pentateuch
• Pure
• Esdras, the First Book of
• Ezra-Nehemiah
• Temple

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