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Selected Verse: Ezra 6:19 - Strong Concordance

Verse	Translation	Text
Ezr 6:19	Strong Concordance	And the children [01121] of the captivity [01473] kept [06213] the passover [06453] upon the fourteenth [0702] [06240] day of the first [07223] month [02320].
	King James	And the children of the captivity kept the passover upon the fourteenth day of the first month.

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Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]
With this verse the writer resumes the use of the Hebrew language, which he had discarded for the Chaldee from Ezr 4:8. With the exception of the letter of Artaxerxes Ezr 7:12-26, all the remainder of the book is in Hebrew.

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]

With this verse the writer resumes the use of the Hebrew language, which he had discarded for the Chaldee from Ezr 4:8. With the exception of the letter of Artaxerxes Ezr 7:12-26, all the remainder of the book is in Hebrew.

The Scofield Bible Commentary, by Cyrus Ingerson Scofield, [1917]
first month That is, April.

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]
Celebration of the feast of the passover, and of the feast of unleavened bread, in the year following the dedication, as an historical testimony to the fact that the worship of God with its festivals was regularly carried on in the new temple. Ezr 6:19-20 The feast of the passover, on the fourteenth day of the first month, took place only a few weeks after the dedication of the temple. The reason given in Ezr 6:20 - for the priests and Levites had purified themselves without exception (כּאחד, like Ezr 3:9); they were all clean, and they killed the passover for all the sons of the captivity (i.e., the laity who had returned from exile), and for their brethren the priests, and for themselves - has in this connection the meaning: Then the congregation celebrated the passover, and they were able to keep and to eat the passover, because the priests had purified themselves that they might be qualified for performing the office incumbent upon them of sprinkling the blood; and the Levites were also clean, that they might be able to kill the lambs for the whole congregation (comp. the remarks on Ch2 30:17, etc., and Ch2 35:11, Ch2 35:14). From the days of Josiah, it seems to have been customary for the Levites to take the place of the heads of families (Exo 12:6, etc.) in slaughtering the passover lambs for the whole community, both priesthood and laity: for the laity, that no person who was unclean might kill the paschal lamb; for the priests, that their labours might be lightened, the sprinkling of blood and the offering of sacrifices occupying them far into the night (Ch2 35:11, Ch2 35:14-15). And this custom was followed at this time also. The priests are called אחיהם, brethren of the Levites, as in Ch2 29:34; Ch2 35:15. Ezr 6:21 Thus the sons of Israel who had returned from captivity, and all that had separated themselves unto them from the uncleanness of the heathen of the country to seek Jahve the God of Israel, could eat the passover. הארץ גּויי = הארץ עמּי, Ezr 10:2, Ezr 10:11, are the heathen races dwelling in Palestine. The expression is not essentially different from הארצות עמּי, Ezr 9:1., Ezr 3:3, and is only distinguishable therefrom, inasmuch as the latter appellation includes not merely the heathen inhabitants of Palestine, but also the heathen of other lands, as the Moabites, Ammonites, Egyptians, etc. (Ezr 9:1.). Those who had separated themselves from the uncleanness of the heathen to them (the Jews) to seek Jahve, are not proselytes from heathenism (Aben Ezra, Rashi, Clericus, and others), but Israelites, who had till now lived in Palestine, and mingled with the heathen inhabitants of the land. They were descended from those Israelites whom the kings of Assyria and Babylon had not carried away from the realms of Israel and Judah, and who with respect to religion had combined heathenism and the worship of Jahve (Kg2 17:32, etc.), and thus defiled themselves with heathen impurity, but who now, after the erection of the temple, joined themselves to the new community, for the purpose of worshipping with them the God of their fathers in His temple, according to the law of Moses. For, as Bertheau rightly remarks, "in the days of Ezra the princes of the new community complain that the laity, the priests, and Levites do not separate from the people of the lands (Ezr 9:1); reference is made to the dangers which threaten the Israelites, because they dwell in the holy land among the unclean (Ezr 9:10). To separate from the uncleanness of the nations means to renounce intermarriage and other connection with them. Ezr 10:2, Ezr 10:10. They are Israelites who are summoned, Ezr 10:11, to separate from the peoples of the land; the seed of Israel is, in Neh 9:2, separated from the sons of the stranger, and in Neh 10:29 they who separate from them are evidently Israelites, for, when they bind themselves to walk according to the law of God, they are said to join their brethren, i.e., their fellow-countrymen." Hence in this passage also we cannot but regard those who separated themselves as Israelites, dissolving their connection with the heathen for the sake of the God of Israel. Ezr 6:22 Hereupon they kept the feast of unleavened bread for seven days with joy; for the Lord had made them joyful, and turned to them (i.e., had made them joyful by turning to them) the heart of the king of Assyria. With regard to the expression, comp. Ch2 20:27; Neh 12:43. The king of Assur is the Persian king Darius, who as ruler of the former realm of Assyria is thus designated. The turning of this king's heart to them consisted in this, that their hands were strengthened for the work of the house of God, i.e., that through the goodwill of the king they were enabled to complete the building of their temple, and to restore the worship of the God of Israel. On בּ ידיהם חזּק, comp. Sa1 23:19.

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]

Celebration of the feast of the passover, and of the feast of unleavened bread, in the year following the dedication, as an historical testimony to the fact that the worship of God with its festivals was regularly carried on in the new temple.

Ezr 6:19-20

The feast of the passover, on the fourteenth day of the first month, took place only a few weeks after the dedication of the temple. The reason given in Ezr 6:20 - for the priests and Levites had purified themselves without exception (כּאחד, like Ezr 3:9); they were all clean, and they killed the passover for all the sons of the captivity (i.e., the laity who had returned from exile), and for their brethren the priests, and for themselves - has in this connection the meaning: Then the congregation celebrated the passover, and they were able to keep and to eat the passover, because the priests had purified themselves that they might be qualified for performing the office incumbent upon them of sprinkling the blood; and the Levites were also clean, that they might be able to kill the lambs for the whole congregation (comp. the remarks on Ch2 30:17, etc., and Ch2 35:11, Ch2 35:14). From the days of Josiah, it seems to have been customary for the Levites to take the place of the heads of families (Exo 12:6, etc.) in slaughtering the passover lambs for the whole community, both priesthood and laity: for the laity, that no person who was unclean might kill the paschal lamb; for the priests, that their labours might be lightened, the sprinkling of blood and the offering of sacrifices occupying them far into the night (Ch2 35:11, Ch2 35:14-15). And this custom was followed at this time also. The priests are called אחיהם, brethren of the Levites, as in Ch2 29:34; Ch2 35:15.

Ezr 6:21

Thus the sons of Israel who had returned from captivity, and all that had separated themselves unto them from the uncleanness of the heathen of the country to seek Jahve the God of Israel, could eat the passover. הארץ גּויי = הארץ עמּי, Ezr 10:2, Ezr 10:11, are the heathen races dwelling in Palestine. The expression is not essentially different from הארצות עמּי, Ezr 9:1., Ezr 3:3, and is only distinguishable therefrom, inasmuch as the latter appellation includes not merely the heathen inhabitants of Palestine, but also the heathen of other lands, as the Moabites, Ammonites, Egyptians, etc. (Ezr 9:1.). Those who had separated themselves from the uncleanness of the heathen to them (the Jews) to seek Jahve, are not proselytes from heathenism (Aben Ezra, Rashi, Clericus, and others), but Israelites, who had till now lived in Palestine, and mingled with the heathen inhabitants of the land. They were descended from those Israelites whom the kings of Assyria and Babylon had not carried away from the realms of Israel and Judah, and who with respect to religion had combined heathenism and the worship of Jahve (Kg2 17:32, etc.), and thus defiled themselves with heathen impurity, but who now, after the erection of the temple, joined themselves to the new community, for the purpose of worshipping with them the God of their fathers in His temple, according to the law of Moses. For, as Bertheau rightly remarks, "in the days of Ezra the princes of the new community complain that the laity, the priests, and Levites do not separate from the people of the lands (Ezr 9:1); reference is made to the dangers which threaten the Israelites, because they dwell in the holy land among the unclean (Ezr 9:10). To separate from the uncleanness of the nations means to renounce intermarriage and other connection with them. Ezr 10:2, Ezr 10:10. They are Israelites who are summoned, Ezr 10:11, to separate from the peoples of the land; the seed of Israel is, in Neh 9:2, separated from the sons of the stranger, and in Neh 10:29 they who separate from them are evidently Israelites, for, when they bind themselves to walk according to the law of God, they are said to join their brethren, i.e., their fellow-countrymen." Hence in this passage also we cannot but regard those who separated themselves as Israelites, dissolving their connection with the heathen for the sake of the God of Israel.

Ezr 6:22

Hereupon they kept the feast of unleavened bread for seven days with joy; for the Lord had made them joyful, and turned to them (i.e., had made them joyful by turning to them) the heart of the king of Assyria. With regard to the expression, comp. Ch2 20:27; Neh 12:43. The king of Assur is the Persian king Darius, who as ruler of the former realm of Assyria is thus designated. The turning of this king's heart to them consisted in this, that their hands were strengthened for the work of the house of God, i.e., that through the goodwill of the king they were enabled to complete the building of their temple, and to restore the worship of the God of Israel. On בּ ידיהם חזּק, comp. Sa1 23:19.

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¹² Artaxerxes [0783], king [04430] of kings [04430], unto Ezra [05831] the priest [03549], a scribe [05613] of the law [01882] of the God [0426] of heaven [08065], perfect [01585] peace, and at such a time [03706].
¹³ I [04481] make [07761] a decree [02942], that all [03606] they of [04481] the people [05972] of Israel [03479], and of his priests [03549] and Levites [03879], in my realm [04437], which are minded of their own freewill [05069] to go up [01946] to Jerusalem [03390], go [01946] with thee [05974].
¹⁴ Forasmuch [01768] [06903] as [03606] thou art sent [07972] of [04481] [06925] the king [04430], and of his seven [07655] counsellors [03272], to enquire [01240] concerning [05922] Judah [03061] and Jerusalem [03390], according to the law [01882] of thy God [0426] which is in thine hand [03028];
¹⁵ And to carry [02987] the silver [03702] and gold [01722], which the king [04430] and his counsellors [03272] have freely offered [05069] unto the God [0426] of Israel [03479], whose [01768] habitation [04907] is in Jerusalem [03390],
¹⁶ And all [03606] the silver [03702] and gold [01722] that thou canst find [07912] in all [03606] the province [04083] of Babylon [0895], with [05974] the freewill offering [05069] of the people [05972], and of the priests [03549], offering willingly [05069] for the house [01005] of their God [0426] which is in Jerusalem [03390]:
¹⁷ That [03606] [06903] thou mayest buy [07066] speedily [0629] with this [01836] money [03702] bullocks [08450], rams [01798], lambs [0563], with their meat offerings [04504] and their drink offerings [05261], and offer [07127] them [01994] upon [05922] the altar [04056] of the house [01005] of your God [0426] which is in Jerusalem [03390].
¹⁸ And whatsoever [04101] [01768] shall seem good [03191] to thee, and to [05922] thy brethren [0252], to do [05648] with the rest [07606] of the silver [03702] and the gold [01722], that do [05648] after the will [07470] of your God [0426].
¹⁹ The vessels [03984] also that are given [03052] thee for the service [06402] of the house [01005] of thy God [0426], those deliver [08000] thou before [06925] the God [0426] of Jerusalem [03390].
²⁰ And whatsoever more [07606] shall be needful [02819] for the house [01005] of thy God [0426], which thou shalt have occasion [05308] to bestow [05415], bestow [05415] it out of [04481] the king's [04430] treasure [01596] house [01005].
²¹ And I [04481], even I [0576] Artaxerxes [0783] the king [04430], do make [07761] a decree [02942] to all [03606] the treasurers [01490] which are beyond [05675] the river [05103], that whatsoever Ezra [05831] the priest [03549], the scribe [05613] of the law [01882] of the God [0426] of heaven [08065], shall require [07593] of you, it be done [05648] speedily [0629],
²² Unto [05705] an hundred [03969] talents [03604] of silver [03702], and to an hundred [03969] measures [03734] of wheat [02591], and to an hundred [03969] baths [01325] of wine [02562], and to an hundred [03969] baths [01325] of oil [04887], and salt [04416] without [03809] prescribing [03792] how much.
²³ Whatsoever [03606] is commanded by [02941] [04481] the God [0426] of heaven [08065], let it be diligently [0149] done [05648] for the house [01005] of the God [0426] of heaven [08065]: for [01768] why [04101] should there be [01934] wrath [07109] against [05922] the realm [04437] of the king [04430] and his sons [01123]?
²⁴ Also we certify [03046] you, that touching any [03606] of the priests [03549] and Levites [03879], singers [02171], porters [08652], Nethinims [05412], or ministers [06399] of this [01836] house [01005] of God [0426], it shall not [03809] be lawful [07990] to impose [07412] toll [04061], tribute [01093], or custom [01983], upon [05922] them.
²⁵ And thou [0607], Ezra [05831], after the wisdom [02452] of thy God [0426], that is in thine hand [03028], set [04483] magistrates [08200] and judges [01782], which may judge [01934] [01778] all [03606] the people [05972] that are beyond [05675] the river [05103], all [03606] such as know [03046] the laws [01882] of thy God [0426]; and teach [03046] ye them that know [03046] them not [03809].
²⁶ And whosoever [03606] will not [03809] do [01934] [05648] the law [01882] of thy God [0426], and the law [01882] of the king [04430], let judgment [01780] be [01934] executed [05648] speedily [0629] upon him [04481], whether [02006] it be unto death [04193], or [02006] to banishment [08332], or [02006] to confiscation [06065] of goods [05232], or to imprisonment [0613].

⁸ Rehum [07348] the chancellor [01169] [02942] and Shimshai [08124] the scribe [05613] wrote [03790] a [02298] letter [0104] against [05922] Jerusalem [03390] to Artaxerxes [0783] the king [04430] in this sort [03660]:

¹⁹ Then came up [05927] the Ziphites [02130] to Saul [07586] to Gibeah [01390], saying [0559], Doth not David [01732] hide [05641] himself with us in strong holds [04679] in the wood [02793], in the hill [01389] of Hachilah [02444], which is on the south [03225] of Jeshimon [03452]?

⁴³ Also that day [03117] they offered [02076] great [01419] sacrifices [02077], and rejoiced [08055]: for God [0430] had made them rejoice [08055] with great [01419] joy [08057]: the wives [0802] also and the children [03206] rejoiced [08055]: so that the joy [08057] of Jerusalem [03389] was heard [08085] even afar off [07350].

²⁷ Then they returned [07725], every man [0376] of Judah [03063] and Jerusalem [03389], and Jehoshaphat [03092] in the forefront [07218] of them, to go again [07725] to Jerusalem [03389] with joy [08057]; for the LORD [03068] had made them to rejoice [08055] over their enemies [0341].

²² And kept [06213] the feast [02282] of unleavened bread [04682] seven [07651] days [03117] with joy [08057]: for the LORD [03068] had made them joyful [08055], and turned [05437] the heart [03820] of the king [04428] of Assyria [0804] unto them, to strengthen [02388] their hands [03027] in the work [04399] of the house [01004] of God [0430], the God [0430] of Israel [03478].

²⁹ They clave [02388] to their brethren [0251], their nobles [0117], and entered [0935] into a curse [0423], and into an oath [07621], to walk [03212] in God's [0430] law [08451], which was given [05414] by [03027] Moses [04872] the servant [05650] of God [0430], and to observe [08104] and do [06213] all the commandments [04687] of the LORD [03068] our Lord [0113], and his judgments [04941] and his statutes [02706];

² And the seed [02233] of Israel [03478] separated [0914] themselves from all strangers [01121] [05236], and stood [05975] and confessed [03034] their sins [02403], and the iniquities [05771] of their fathers [01].

¹¹ Now therefore make [05414] confession [08426] unto the LORD [03068] God [0430] of your fathers [01], and do [06213] his pleasure [07522]: and separate [0914] yourselves from the people [05971] of the land [0776], and from the strange [05237] wives [0802].

¹⁰ And Ezra [05830] the priest [03548] stood up [06965], and said [0559] unto them, Ye have transgressed [04603], and have taken [03427] strange [05237] wives [0802], to increase [03254] the trespass [0819] of Israel [03478].

² And Shechaniah [07935] the son [01121] of Jehiel [03171], one of the sons [01121] of Elam [05867], answered [06030] and said [0559] unto Ezra [05830], We have trespassed [04603] against our God [0430], and have taken [03427] strange [05237] wives [0802] of the people [05971] of the land [0776]: yet now there is [03426] hope [04723] in Israel [03478] concerning this thing.

¹⁰ And now, O our God [0430], what shall we say [0559] after [0310] this? for we have forsaken [05800] thy commandments [04687],

¹ Now when these things were done [03615], the princes [08269] came [05066] to me, saying [0559], The people [05971] of Israel [03478], and the priests [03548], and the Levites [03881], have not separated [0914] themselves from the people [05971] of the lands [0776], doing according to their abominations [08441], even of the Canaanites [03669], the Hittites [02850], the Perizzites [06522], the Jebusites [02983], the Ammonites [05984], the Moabites [04125], the Egyptians [04713], and the Amorites [0567].

³² So they feared [03373] the LORD [03068], and made [06213] unto themselves of the lowest [07098] of them priests [03548] of the high places [01116], which sacrificed [06213] for them in the houses [01004] of the high places [01116].

³ And they set [03559] the altar [04196] upon his bases [04350]; for fear [0367] was upon them because of the people [05971] of those countries [0776]: and they offered [05927] burnt offerings [05930] thereon unto the LORD [03068], even burnt offerings [05930] morning [01242] and evening [06153].

²¹ And the children [01121] of Israel [03478], which were come again [07725] out of captivity [01473], and all such as had separated [0914] themselves unto them from the filthiness [02932] of the heathen [01471] of the land [0776], to seek [01875] the LORD [03068] God [0430] of Israel [03478], did eat [0398],

¹⁵ And the singers [07891] the sons [01121] of Asaph [0623] were in their place [04612], according to the commandment [04687] of David [01732], and Asaph [0623], and Heman [01968], and Jeduthun [03038] the king's [04428] seer [02374]; and the porters [07778] waited at every gate [08179]; they might not depart [05493] from their service [05656]; for their brethren [0251] the Levites [03881] prepared [03559] for them.

³⁴ But the priests [03548] were too few [04592], so that they could [03201] not flay [06584] all the burnt offerings [05930]: wherefore their brethren [0251] the Levites [03881] did help [02388] them, till the work [04399] was ended [03615], and until the other priests [03548] had sanctified [06942] themselves: for the Levites [03881] were more upright [03477] in heart [03824] to sanctify [06942] themselves than the priests [03548].

¹⁴ And afterward [0310] they made ready [03559] for themselves, and for the priests [03548]: because the priests [03548] the sons [01121] of Aaron [0175] were busied in offering [05927] of burnt offerings [05930] and the fat [02459] until night [03915]; therefore the Levites [03881] prepared [03559] for themselves, and for the priests [03548] the sons [01121] of Aaron [0175].
¹⁵ And the singers [07891] the sons [01121] of Asaph [0623] were in their place [04612], according to the commandment [04687] of David [01732], and Asaph [0623], and Heman [01968], and Jeduthun [03038] the king's [04428] seer [02374]; and the porters [07778] waited at every gate [08179]; they might not depart [05493] from their service [05656]; for their brethren [0251] the Levites [03881] prepared [03559] for them.

¹¹ And they killed [07819] the passover [06453], and the priests [03548] sprinkled [02236] the blood from their hands [03027], and the Levites [03881] flayed [06584] them.

⁶ And ye shall keep [04931] it up until the fourteenth [0702] [06240] day [03117] of the same month [02320]: and the whole [03605] assembly [06951] of the congregation [05712] of Israel [03478] shall kill [07819] it in [0996] the evening [06153].

¹¹ And they killed [07819] the passover [06453], and the priests [03548] sprinkled [02236] the blood from their hands [03027], and the Levites [03881] flayed [06584] them.

¹⁷ For there were many [07227] in the congregation [06951] that were not sanctified [06942]: therefore the Levites [03881] had the charge of the killing [07821] of the passovers [06453] for every one that was not clean [02889], to sanctify [06942] them unto the LORD [03068].

⁹ Then stood [05975] Jeshua [03442] with his sons [01121] and his brethren [0251], Kadmiel [06934] and his sons [01121], the sons [01121] of Judah [03063], together [0259], to set forward [05329] the workmen [06213] [04399] in the house [01004] of God [0430]: the sons [01121] of Henadad [02582], with their sons [01121] and their brethren [0251] the Levites [03881].

²⁰ For the priests [03548] and the Levites [03881] were purified [02891] together [0259], all of them were pure [02889], and killed [07819] the passover [06453] for all the children [01121] of the captivity [01473], and for their brethren [0251] the priests [03548], and for themselves.

¹⁹ And the children [01121] of the captivity [01473] kept [06213] the passover [06453] upon the fourteenth [0702] [06240] day of the first [07223] month [02320].
²⁰ For the priests [03548] and the Levites [03881] were purified [02891] together [0259], all of them were pure [02889], and killed [07819] the passover [06453] for all the children [01121] of the captivity [01473], and for their brethren [0251] the priests [03548], and for themselves.