Ezra 6:19-22

The Passover Observed

19 ¹The exiles * observed the Passover on ²the fourteenth * of the first month.

20 ³For the priests and the Levites had purified themselves together; all of them were pure. Then ⁴they 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 ⁵all those who had separated themselves from ⁶the impurity of the nations of the land to join them, to seek the LORD God of Israel, ate the Passover.

22 And ⁷they observed the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with joy, for the LORD had caused them to rejoice, and ⁸had turned the heart of ⁹the king of Assyria toward them to encourage * them in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.

Ezra 6:19-22 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.

Cross References

• 1. Ezra 1:11
• 2. Exodus 12:6
• 3. 2 Chronicles 29:34; 2 Chronicles 30:15
• 4. 2 Chronicles 35:11
• 5. Nehemiah 9:2; Nehemiah 10:28
• 6. Ezra 9:11
• 7. Exodus 12:15
• 8. Ezra 7:27; Proverbs 21:1
• 9. Ezra 1:1; Ezra 6:1

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "strengthen their hands"