Ezra 6:15-22

15 This temple was completed on the third day of the ¹month Adar; it was the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.

16 And the sons of Israel, the priests, the Levites and the rest of the exiles *, ²celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy.

17 They offered for the dedication of this temple of God 100 bulls, 200 rams, 400 * lambs, and as a sin offering for all Israel * male goats, corresponding to the number of the tribes of Israel.

18 Then they appointed the priests to ³their divisions and the Levites in ⁴their orders for the service of God in Jerusalem, ⁵as it is written in the book of Moses.

The Passover Observed

19 ⁶The exiles * observed the Passover on ⁷the fourteenth * of the first month.

20 ⁸For the priests and the Levites had purified themselves together; all of them were pure. Then ⁹they slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the exiles *, both for their brothers the priests and for themselves.

21 The sons of Israel who returned from exile and ¹⁰all those who had separated themselves from ¹¹the impurity of the nations of the land to join them, to seek the LORD God of Israel, ate the Passover.

22 And ¹²they observed the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with joy, for the LORD had caused them to rejoice, and ¹³had turned the heart of ¹⁴the king of Assyria toward them to encourage * them in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.

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Ezra 6:15-22 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EZRA 6

Darius, on receiving the letter from his officers in Samaria, searched for the decree of Cyrus, and found it, and which he confirmed, Ezr 6:1-7 and made a fresh decree, and ordered expenses to be given out of his tribute for the building of the temple, and for the sacrifices of it; and that whosoever altered it should be hanged on the timber of his own house, and imprecated a curse on those that should destroy the house of God, Ezr 6:8-12 upon which the building went on, and was finished, Ezr 6:13-15 and the temple was dedicated to God in a solemn manner, Ezr 6:16-18, and the passover was kept by all the people, Ezr 6:19-22.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 15

1. Esther 3:7
2. 1 Kings 8:63; 2 Chronicles 7:5
3. Ezra 8:35
4. 1 Chronicles 24:1; 2 Chronicles 35:5
5. 1 Chronicles 23:6
6. Numbers 3:6; Numbers 8:9
7. Ezra 1:11
8. Exodus 12:6
9. 2 Chronicles 29:34; 2 Chronicles 30:15
10. 2 Chronicles 35:11
11. Nehemiah 9:2; Nehemiah 10:28
12. Ezra 9:11
13. Exodus 12:15
14. Ezra 7:27; Proverbs 21:1
15. Ezra 1:1; Ezra 6:1

Footnotes 5

[a]. Lit "house"
[b]. Lit "until"
[c]. Lit "sons of the captivity"
[d]. Lit "which is in"
[e]. Lit "strengthen their hands"