2 Kings 23:21

2 Kings 23:21 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the king commanded all the people, saying, Keep the passover unto the Lord your God, as it is written in the book of this covenant.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And the king commanded all the people, "Keep the Passover to the Lord your God, as it is written in this Book of the Covenant."
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then the king commanded all the people, saying, “Keep the Passover to the Lord your God, as it is written in this Book of the Covenant.”
• New Living Translation (NLT)King Josiah then issued this order to all the people: “You must celebrate the Passover to the Lord your God, as required in this Book of the Covenant.”

Context of 2 Kings 23:21

19Just as he had done at Bethel, Josiah removed all the shrines at the high places that the kings of Israel had built in the towns of Samaria and that had aroused the Lord’s anger. 20Josiah slaughtered all the priests of those high places on the altars and burned human bones on them. Then he went back to Jerusalem. The king gave this order to all the people: “Celebrate the Passover to the Lord your God, as it is written in this Book of the Covenant.” 22Neither in the days of the judges who led Israel nor in the days of the kings of Israel and the kings of Judah had any such Passover been observed. 23But in the eighteenth year of King Josiah, this Passover was celebrated to the Lord in Jerusalem.

2 Kings 23:21 word by word

וַיְצַ֤ו הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ אֶת־כָּל־הָעָ֣ם לֵאמֹ֔ר עֲשׂ֣וּ פֶ֔סַח לַֽיהוָ֖ה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֑ם כַּכָּת֕וּב עַ֛ל סֵ֥פֶר הַבְּרִ֖ית הַזֶּֽה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• commandedצָוָהtsâvâh · to commandH6680
• all the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• sayingאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Keepעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
• the passoverפֶּ֫סַחpesach · PassoverH6453
• unto the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• your Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• writtenכָּתַבkâthab · to writeH3789
• in the bookסֵ֫פֶרsêpher siphrâh · scroll: bookH5612
• of this covenantבְּרִיתberîyth · covenantH1285

Cross-references for 2 Kings 23:21

• 2 Chronicles 35:1Josiah celebrated the Passover to the Lord in Jerusalem, and the Passover lamb was slaughtered on the fourteenth day of the first month.
• Exodus 12:3Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household.
• Leviticus 23:5The Lord’s Passover begins at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month.
• Numbers 9:2“Have the Israelites celebrate the Passover at the appointed time.
• Numbers 28:16“ ‘On the fourteenth day of the first month the Lord’s Passover is to be held.
• Deuteronomy 16:1Observe the month of Aviv and celebrate the Passover of the Lord your God, because in the month of Aviv he brought you out of Egypt by night.

Commentaries on 2 Kings 23:21

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21See 2 Kings 23:4 note. With this verse the author returns to the narrative of what was done in Josiah‘s 18th year. The need of the injunction, “as it was written in the book of this covenant,” was owing to the fact - not that Josiah had as yet held no Passover - but that the reading of the book had shown him differences between the existing practice and the letter of the Law - differences consequent upon negligence, or upon the fact that tradition had…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 15-24Verses 15-24 Josiah's zeal extended to the cities of Israel within his reach. He carefully preserved the sepulchre of that man of God, who came from Judah to foretell the throwing down of Jeroboam's altar. When they had cleared the country of the old leaven of idolatry, then they applied themselves to the keeping of the feast. There was not holden such a passover in any of the foregoing reigns. The revival of a long-neglected ordinance, filled them with…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 21-23Hezekiah celebrated the Passover with some changes (2 Chronicles 30:1–4, 13, 23–27). Josiah's Passover followed the law's strict rules (2 Chronicles 35:1–19). The eighteenth year was when they found the Book of the Law (2 Kings 22:3, 8).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 21-2321-23. the king commanded all the people, saying, Keep the passover unto the Lord your God, &c.--It was observed with great solemnity and was attended not only by his own subjects, but by the remnant people from Israel (see on 2Ch 35:1-19). Many of the Israelites who were at Jerusalem might have heard of, if they did not hear, the law read by Josiah. It is probable that they might even have procured a copy of the law, stimulated as they were to the better…Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Kings 23:21

• Israel, Prophecies Concerning
• Josiah

In the dictionaries

• God
• Jeremiah
• Josiah
• Kings, The Books of
• Pentateuch
• High Place
• Jeremiah (2)
• Jerusalem
• Kings, Books of
• Law in the Old Testament

Commentaries on 2 Kings 23

• 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