Ezra 6:21

_AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, WHICH WERE COME AGAIN OUT OF CAPTIVITY, AND ALL SUCH AS HAD SEPARATED THEMSELVES UNTO THEM FROM THE FILTHINESS OF THE HEATHEN OF THE LAND, TO SEEK THE LORD GOD OF ISRAEL, DID EAT,_ All such as had separated themselves ... from the filthiness of the pagan - i:e., who had given satisfactory evidence of being true proselytes by not only renouncing the impure worship of idolatry, but by undergoing the rite of circumcision-a condition indispensable to a participation of the Passover....

13-22 The gospel church, that spiritual temple, is long in the building, but it will be finished at last, when the mystical body is completed. Every believer is a living temple, building up himself in his most holy faith: much opposition is given to this work by Satan and our own corruptions. We trifle, and proceed in it with many stops and pauses; but He that has begun the good work, will see it performed. Then spirits of just men will be made perfect. By getting their sins taken away, the Jews would free themselves from the sting of their late troubles. Their service was with joy. Let us welcome holy ordinances with joy, and serve the Lord with gladness....

Verse 21. _AND ALL SUCH AS HAD SEPARATED THEMSELVES_] These were the _proselytes_ who had embraced the Jewish religion by having mingled with the Jews in their captivity. This proves that there the poor captives had so acted according to the principles of their religion, that the heathens saw it, and walked in the light of the Lord with them. A good example is very persuasive; and particularly so when founded on pure principles....

EXPOSITION Ezra 6:13 SO THEY DID SPEEDILY. Tatnai and Shethar-boznai showed no reluctance. They had no enmity against the Jews. Once clearly advertised of the king's wishes, they carried them out with zeal. The rapid completion of the temple must be in part attributed to their good-will. EZRA 6:14 AND THE ELDERS OF THE JEWS BUILDED. See above, Ezra 5:5, Ezra 5:9. Probably the same as "the chief of the fathers" of Ezra 2:68, and...

AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, WHICH WERE COME AGAIN OUT OF CAPTIVITY,.... The tribes of Judah and Benjamin, with some of the ten tribes mixed with them: AND ALL SUCH AS HAD SEPARATED THEMSELVES UNTO THEM, FROM THE FILTHINESS OF THE HEATHEN OF THE LAND, TO SEEK THE LORD GOD OF ISRAEL, DID EAT; such of the Gentiles in the dominions of Babylon, and came with the Jews from thence, who were enlightened into the knowledge and worship of the true God, and not only renounced their idolatry, here called filthiness, but were circumcised, and embraced the religion of the Jews, and so were proselytes of righteousness, as they call them; or otherwise they would not have been allowed to eat of the passover, as they did, Exodus 12:48....

CHAPTER 6 _ 1. The search of the king and the result (Ezra 6:1)_ 2. The command of Darius (Ezra 6:6) 3. The king's command obeyed (Ezra 6:13) 4. The house finished (Ezra 6:14) 5. The dedication of the house (Ezra 6:16) 6. The feast of Passover and unleavened bread (Ezra 6:19) Ezra 6:1. King Darius had a search made in the place where the records of the empire were kept, “in t

THE CELEBRATION OF THE PASSOVER. Hebrew is resumed here. Ezra 6:19. the fourteenth day of the first month: _cf._ Exodus 12:6. The leading part taken by the Levites here is not in accordance with earlier practice; this had, however, been gradually modified (see Exodus 12:6; 2 Chronicles 30:17; 2 Chronicles 35:10). Ezra 6:21. all such. the land: _i.e._ the descendants of those who had not gone into captivity, but had remained in

HEATHEN. nations. THE LORD. Hebrew. _Jehovah._ App-4. GOD. Hebrew. _Elohim._ App-4....

Those who partook of the Passover are described as belonging to two classes; (1) those who had returned from captivity, (2) those who had -separated themselves unto them from the filthiness of the heathen of the land". "The heathen of the land" (goyyê ha-ârec̣) is to be compared with "the peoples of the land" ("amme ha-ârec̣) in chap. Ezra 10:2; Ezra 10:11. "The land" is the land of Palestine: "the heathen" and "the peoples" are apparently the colo nists and mixed population that had settled in the territory of the Northern and Southern Kingdoms. -The filthiness" (cf. Ezra 9:11) is the ceremonial pollution of idolatry practised by these heathen races. Who then are those described here as having -separated themselves"? (_a_

4. The Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread observed TEXT, Ezra 6:19-22 19 And the exiles observed the Passover on the fourteenth of the first month. 20 For the priests and the Levites had purified themselves together; all of them were pure. Then they slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the exiles, both for their brothers the priests and for themselves. 21 And the sons of Israel who returned from the exile and all those who had separated themselves from the impurity of the nations of the land to join them, to seek the LORD God of Israel, ate the Passover. 22 And they observed the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with joy, for the Lord had caused them to rejoice, and had turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them to encourage them in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel. COMMENT...