God’s Word Translation
Ezra 6:22
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 6:22 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
20Since 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. So 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.
Read all of Ezra 6Ezra 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 12:15For seven days you must eat unleavened bread. On the very first day you must remove any yeast that you have in your houses. Whoever eats anything with yeast in it from the first day through the seventh day must be excluded from Israel.
- Exodus 13:6“For seven days you must eat unleavened bread. The seventh day will be a pilgrimage festival in the Lord’s honor.
- 2 Chronicles 30:21So the Israelites in Jerusalem celebrated the Festival of Unleavened Bread for seven days with great joy. Each day the Levites and priests praised the Lord in song. They played the Lord’s instruments loudly.
- 2 Chronicles 35:17The Israelites who were present celebrated the Passover at that time. They also celebrated the Festival of Unleavened Bread for seven days.
- Matthew 26:17On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples went to Jesus. They asked, “Where do you want us to prepare the Passover meal for you?”
- 1 Corinthians 5:7Remove the old yeast ⌞of sin⌟ so that you may be a new batch of dough, since you don’t actually have the yeast ⌞of sin⌟. Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.
- Ezra 7:27⌞I, Ezra, said:⌟ Thanks be to the Lord God of our ancestors. He put this into the king’s mind to make the Lord’s temple in Jerusalem beautiful.
- Proverbs 16:7When a person’s ways are pleasing to the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.
- Proverbs 21:1The king’s heart is like streams of water. Both are under the Lord’s control. He turns them in any direction he chooses.
- John 19:11Jesus answered Pilate, “You wouldn’t have any authority over me if it hadn’t been given to you from above. That’s why the man who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.”
- Ezra 6:6Governor Tattenai ⌞from the province⌟ west of the Euphrates, Shethar Bozenai, and those of your group (the Persians west of the river): You must stay away from there.
- Ezra 1:1The promise the Lord had spoken through Jeremiah was about to come true in Cyrus’ first year as king of Persia. The Lord inspired the king to make this announcement throughout his whole kingdom and then to put it in writing.
- 2 Kings 23:29In Josiah’s days Pharaoh Necoh (the king of Egypt) came to help the king of Assyria at the Euphrates River. King Josiah went to attack Necoh. When Pharaoh saw him at Megiddo, Pharaoh killed him.
- 2 Chronicles 33:11So the Lord made the army commanders of the king of Assyria invade Judah. They took Manasseh captive, put a hook in his nose, put him in bronze shackles, and brought him to Babylon.
- Zechariah 10:10I will bring them back from Egypt. I will gather them from Assyria. I will bring them to Gilead and to Lebanon, and there won’t be enough room 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
In the dictionaries
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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