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 taken a wife from the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called by that name). 62They searched for their records in the genealogical materials, but did not find them. They were therefore excluded from the priesthood. The governor instructed them not to eat any of the sacred food until there was a priest who could consult the Urim and Thummim. 64The entire group numbered 42,360, 65not counting their male and female servants, who numbered 7,337. They also had 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

Words taken from the KJV.

• And the Tirshathaתִּרְשָׁתָאtirshâthâ' · governorH8660
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• unto them, that they should not eatאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
• of the mostקֹ֫דֶשׁqôdesh · holinessH6944
• till there stood upעָמַד‛âmad · to stand: appointH5975
• a priestכֹּהֵןkôhên · priestH3548
• with Urimאוּרִים'ûrîym · UrimH224
• and with Thummimתֻּמִּיםtûmmîym · ThummimH8550

Cross-references for Ezra 2:63

• Nehemiah 7:65The governor instructed them not to eat any of the sacred food until there was a priest who could consult the Urim and Thummim.
• Nehemiah 8:9Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priestly scribe, and the Levites who were imparting understanding to 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 had been weeping when they heard the words of the law.
• Nehemiah 10:1On the sealed documents were the following names: Nehemiah the governor, son of Hacaliah, along with Zedekiah,
• Leviticus 2:3The remainder of the grain offering belongs to Aaron and to his sons – it is most holy from the gifts of the Lord.
• Leviticus 6:17It must not be baked with yeast. I have given it as their portion from my gifts. It is most holy, like the sin offering and the guilt offering.
• Leviticus 7:16“‘If his offering is a votive or freewill sacrifice, it may be eaten on the day he presents his sacrifice, and also the leftovers from it may be eaten on the next day,
• Leviticus 10:17“Why did you not eat the sin offering in the sanctuary? For it is most holy and he gave it to you to bear the iniquity of the congregation, to make atonement on their behalf before the Lord.
• Leviticus 22:2“Tell Aaron and his sons that they must deal respectfully with the holy offerings of the Israelites, which they consecrate to me, so that they do not profane my holy name. I am the Lord.
• Numbers 18:9Of all the most holy offerings reserved from the fire this will be yours: Every offering of theirs, whether from every grain offering or from every purification offering or from every reparation offering which they bring to me, will be most holy for you and for your sons.
• Numbers 18:32And you will bear no sin concerning it when you offer up the best of it. And you must not profane the holy things of the Israelites, or else you will die.’”
• Exodus 28:30“You are to put the Urim and the Thummim into the breastpiece of decision; and they are to be over Aaron’s heart when he goes in before the Lord. Aaron is to bear the decisions of the Israelites over his heart before the Lord continually.
• Leviticus 8:8He then set the breastpiece on him and put the Urim and Thummim into the breastpiece.
• Numbers 27:21And he will stand before Eleazar the priest, who will seek counsel for him before the Lord by the decision of the Urim. At his command they will go out, and at his command they will come in, he and all the Israelites with him, the whole community.”
• Deuteronomy 33:8Of Levi he said: Your Thummim and Urim belong to your godly one, whose authority you challenged at Massah, and with whom you argued at the waters of Meribah.
• 1 Samuel 28:6So Saul inquired of the Lord, but the Lord did not answer him – not by dreams nor by Urim nor by the 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