The Passover Celebrated by the Returnees
Ezra 6:19-22
Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
Joshua
Judges
Ruth
1 Samuel
2 Samuel
1 Kings
2 Kings
1 Chronicles
2 Chronicles
Ezra
Nehemiah
Esther
Job
Psalm
Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
Song
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Lamentations
Ezekiel
Daniel
Hosea
Joel
Amos
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi
Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
Acts
Romans
1 Corinthians
2 Corinthians
Galatians
Ephesians
Philippians
Colossians
1 Thessalonians
2 Thessalonians
1 Timothy
2 Timothy
Titus
Philemon
Hebrews
James
1 Peter
2 Peter
1 John
Jude
Revelation
Ezr.6.19 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויעשו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- בני: NOUN,m,pl,construct
- הגולה: NOUN,f,sg,def
- את: PRT,acc
- הפסח: NOUN,m,sg,def
- בארבעה: PREP+NUM,card,m,sg
- עשר: NUM,card,m,sg,cons
- לחדש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- הראשון: ADJ,m,sg,def
Parallels
- Exodus 12:6 (verbal): The original Passover ordinance: the lamb is to be kept until the fourteenth day of the first month — Ezra echoes the prescribed timing for observing Passover.
- Leviticus 23:5 (verbal): The festival calendar explicitly sets Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month, corroborating the dating of Ezra's observance.
- Numbers 9:1-5 (structural): Describes Israel's communal observance of Passover (including exceptions and timing) in the wilderness — provides a precedent for organized communal celebration like that in Ezra.
- 2 Chronicles 30:2-3 (thematic): Hezekiah's call to keep the Passover on the fourteenth of Nisan as a national renewal; parallels Ezra's post-exilic revival of the festival.
- 2 Chronicles 35:1,7 (thematic): Josiah's restoration and celebration of the Passover on the appointed day; another historical instance of returning to the prescribed 14th‑day observance echoed in Ezra.
Alternative generated candidates
- And the returned exiles observed the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month.
- And the returned exiles kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month.
Ezr.6.20 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כי: CONJ
- הטהרו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- הכהנים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- והלוים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- כאחד: PREP
- כלם: PRON,3,m,pl
- טהורים: ADJ,m,pl,abs
- וישחטו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- הפסח: NOUN,m,sg,def
- לכל: PREP
- בני: NOUN,m,pl,construct
- הגולה: NOUN,f,sg,def
- ולאחיהם: CONJ+PREP+NOUN,m,pl,poss:3,m,pl
- הכהנים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- ולהם: CONJ+PREP+PRON,3,m,pl
Parallels
- Exodus 12:43-48 (verbal): Regulations for the Passover meal and who may partake; parallels the concern with proper qualification/cleanness and the slaughtering of the Passover lamb.
- Numbers 9:6-14 (thematic): Deals with participation in Passover when ceremonially unclean or distant and the provision for later observance—connects to themes of purification and legitimate observance for returnees.
- 2 Chronicles 30:17-27 (structural): Hezekiah’s Passover: priests and Levites purified and the Passover slaughtered for all Israel—closely parallels the communal purification and sacrificial celebration in Ezra.
- 2 Chronicles 35:18-19 (thematic): Josiah’s celebration of the Passover where priests and Levites are sanctified and the feast is solemnly observed—another royal/temple-era model of purified officiants serving for the people.
Alternative generated candidates
- For the priests and the Levites had been purified together; they were all clean. They slaughtered the Passover for all the returned exiles, for their fellow priests, and for themselves.
- For the priests and the Levites had purified themselves together; all of them were clean. They slaughtered the Passover for all the returned exiles, for their fellow priests, and for themselves.
Ezr.6.21 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויאכלו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- בני: NOUN,m,pl,construct
- ישראל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- השבים: PART,qal,ptc,3,m,pl,def
- מהגולה: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,def
- וכל: CONJ+PRON,indef
- הנבדל: PART,nifal,ptc,3,m,sg,def
- מטמאת: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,constr
- גוי: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- הארץ: NOUN,f,sg,def
- אלהם: PREP+PRON,3,m,pl
- לדרש: PREP+VERB,qal,inf
- ליהוה: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,def
- אלהי: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- ישראל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Ezra 6:20 (structural): Immediate context: describes the same Passover celebration and identifies the returned exiles and those separated from the peoples of the land who participated — directly leads into v.21.
- Ezra 10:11 (verbal): Uses the same injunctional language to 'separate yourselves from the people of the land' (context of foreign wives)—same verbal motif of separation from foreign influence.
- Nehemiah 9:2 (verbal): Records that the Israelites 'separated themselves from all foreigners' in order to stand, confess, and seek God — closely parallels the phrase and purpose in Ezra 6:21.
- 2 Chronicles 15:12-13 (thematic): The people enter a covenant 'to seek the LORD' and remove foreign practices/wives — parallels the motive of separating from foreign uncleanness in order to seek Yahweh.
- Deuteronomy 7:3-6 (thematic): Legal/theological background prohibiting intermarriage with the nations and calling Israel to be holy and separate — provides the covenantal rationale behind separation from 'uncleanness of the nations.'
Alternative generated candidates
- And the Israelites who had returned from the exile—and all who had separated themselves from the defilement of the peoples of the land—ate it, to seek the LORD, the God of Israel.
- And the people of Israel who had returned from exile, and all who had separated themselves from the uncleanness of the peoples of the land in order to seek the LORD, the God of Israel, ate the Passover.
Ezr.6.22 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויעשו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- חג: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מצות: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- שבעת: NUM,card,construct
- ימים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- בשמחה: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- כי: CONJ
- שמחם: VERB,hiph,perf,3,m,pl
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- והסב: VERB,hiph,perf,3,m,sg
- לב: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מלך: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- אשור: NOUN,prop,m,sg
- עליהם: PREP,3,m,pl
- לחזק: VERB,qal,inf
- ידיהם: NOUN,f,pl,abs+3,m,pl
- במלאכת: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,construct
- בית: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- האלהים: NOUN,m,sg,def
- אלהי: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- ישראל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Ezra 1:1-4 (verbal): Like 6:22, Ezra 1:1 speaks of the LORD moving a king’s heart (Cyrus) to authorize rebuilding the temple — similar language and function (God turning a king’s heart to enable the work).
- 2 Chronicles 36:22-23 (allusion): Records Cyrus’s decree permitting the exiles to return and rebuild the temple; thematically parallels divine action in directing a foreign ruler to aid Israel’s restoration.
- Nehemiah 8:10 (verbal): “The joy of the LORD is your strength” connects with 6:22’s note that the LORD made them joyful and thereby strengthened their hands — linking divine joy and human strength in restoration contexts.
- Psalm 126:3 (thematic): Expresses communal joy over the LORD’s restorative acts (“The LORD has done great things for us; we are glad”), paralleling the joy of the returned exiles at the temple’s reestablishment.
Alternative generated candidates
- They kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with joy, for the LORD had made them joyful; and he turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.
- They observed the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with joy, for the LORD had made them joyful, and had turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.
And the returned exiles kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month.
For the priests and the Levites had been purified together—all of them were clean—and they sacrificed the Passover for all the returned exiles, for their fellow priests, and for themselves.
The Israelites who had returned from exile, and all who had separated themselves from the defilement of the peoples of the land, ate it, in order to seek the LORD, the God of Israel. And they observed the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with gladness, for the LORD had made them joyful and had turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.