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 Living Translation (NLT)The governor told them not to eat the priests’ share of food from the sacrifices until a priest could consult the Lord about the matter by using the Urim and Thummim—the sacred lots.

Context of Ezra 2:63

61and of the sons of the priests: the sons of Habaiah, the sons of Koz, and the sons of Barzillai, who took a wife of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, and was called by their name. 62These sought their listing among those who were registered by genealogy, but they were not found; therefore they were excluded from the priesthood as defiled. 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. 64The whole assembly together was forty-two thousand three hundred and sixty, 65besides their male and female servants, of whom there were seven thousand three hundred and thirty-seven; and they had two hundred men and women 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 7:65And 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.
• Nehemiah 8:9And Nehemiah, who was the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn nor weep.” For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the Law.
• Nehemiah 10:1Now those who placed their seal on the document were: Nehemiah the governor, the son of Hacaliah, and Zedekiah,
• Leviticus 2:3The rest of the grain offering shall be Aaron’s and his sons’. It is most holy of the offerings to the Lord made by fire.
• Leviticus 6:17It shall not be baked with leaven. I have given it as their portion of My offerings made by fire; it is most holy, like the sin offering and the trespass offering.
• Leviticus 7:16But if the sacrifice of his offering is a vow or a voluntary offering, it shall be eaten the same day that he offers his sacrifice; but on the next day the remainder of it also may be eaten;
• Leviticus 10:17“Why have you not eaten the sin offering in a holy place, since it is most holy, and God has given it to you to bear the guilt of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the Lord?
• Leviticus 22:2“Speak to Aaron and his sons, that they separate themselves from the holy things of the children of Israel, and that they do not profane My holy name by what they dedicate to Me: I am the Lord.
• Numbers 18:9This shall be yours of the most holy things reserved from the fire: every offering of theirs, every grain offering and every sin offering and every trespass offering which they render to Me, shall be most holy for you and your sons.
• Numbers 18:32And you shall bear no sin because of it, when you have lifted up the best of it. But you shall not profane the holy gifts of the children of Israel, lest you die.’ ”
• Exodus 28:30And you shall put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim, and they shall be over Aaron’s heart when he goes in before the Lord. So Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel over his heart before the Lord continually.
• Leviticus 8:8Then he put the breastplate on him, and he put the Urim and the Thummim in the breastplate.
• Numbers 27:21He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire before the Lord for him by the judgment of the Urim. At his word they shall go out, and at his word they shall come in, he and all the children of Israel with him—all the congregation.”
• Deuteronomy 33:8And of Levi he said: “Let Your Thummim and Your Urim be with Your holy one, Whom You tested at Massah, And with whom You contended at the waters of Meribah,
• 1 Samuel 28:6And when Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord did not answer him, either by dreams or by Urim or 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