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 appointed the priests by their divisions and the Levites by their divisions over the worship of God at Jerusalem, in accord with the book of Moses. 19The exiles observed the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month. The priests and the Levites had purified themselves, every last one, and they all were ceremonially pure. They sacrificed the Passover lamb for all the exiles, for their colleagues the priests, and for themselves. 21The Israelites who were returning from the exile ate it, along with all those who had joined them in separating themselves from the uncleanness of the nations of the land to seek the Lord God of Israel. 22They observed the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days with joy, for the Lord had given them joy and had changed the opinion of the king of Assyria toward them, so that he assisted them in the 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 there were not enough priests to skin all the animals, so their brothers, the Levites, helped them until the work was finished and the priests could consecrate themselves. (The Levites had been more conscientious about consecrating themselves than the priests.)
• 2 Chronicles 30:15They slaughtered the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the second month. The priests and Levites were ashamed, so they consecrated themselves and brought burnt sacrifices to the Lord’s temple.
• Exodus 12:21Then Moses summoned all the elders of Israel, and told them, “Go and select for yourselves a lamb or young goat for your families, and kill the Passover animals.
• 2 Chronicles 35:11They slaughtered the Passover lambs and the priests splashed the blood, while the Levites skinned the animals.
• Hebrews 7:27He has no need to do every day what those priests do, to offer sacrifices first for their own sins and then for the sins of the people, since he did this in offering himself once for all.

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