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

18The priests were assigned to their divisions and the Levites to their groups ⌞to lead⌟ the worship of God in Jerusalem by following the directions written in the Book of Moses. 19On the fourteenth day of the first month, those who had returned from exile celebrated the Passover. Since the priests and Levites had cleansed themselves, all of them were ⌞now⌟ clean. They killed the Passover lambs for all the people who had returned from exile, for the rest of the priests, and for themselves. 21The lambs were eaten by the Israelites who had returned from exile and by all who had separated themselves from the unclean practices of the non-Jews in the land to worship the Lord God of Israel. 22So for seven days they celebrated the Festival of Unleavened Bread because the Lord had made them joyful. The Lord had made the king of Assyria change his mind so that he supported the people in their work on the temple of God, 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 29:34But the priests needed more help to skin all the burnt offerings. So their relatives, the Levites, helped them until the work was completed and the priests could make themselves holy. The Levites were more diligent in making themselves holy 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, so they performed the ceremonies to make themselves holy. Then they brought burnt offerings to the Lord’s temple.
• Exodus 12:21Then Moses called for all the leaders of Israel. He said to them, “Pick out a lamb or a young goat for your families, and kill the Passover animal.
• 2 Chronicles 35:11They slaughtered the Passover lambs. The priests sprinkled the blood with their hands while the Levites skinned the lambs.
• Hebrews 7:27We need a priest who doesn’t have to bring daily sacrifices as those chief priests did. First they brought sacrifices for their own sins, and then they brought sacrifices for the sins of the people. Jesus brought the sacrifice for the sins of the people once and for all when he sacrificed 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