The Meaning of Ezra 6:18 Explained

Ezra 6:18

KJV: And they set the priests in their divisions, and the Levites in their courses, for the service of God, which is at Jerusalem; as it is written in the book of Moses.

YLT: and they have established the priests in their divisions, and the Levites in their courses, over the service of God that is in Jerusalem, as it is written in the book of Moses.

Darby: And they set the priests in their classes, and the Levites in their divisions, for the service of God, which is at Jerusalem: as it is written in the book of Moses.

ASV: And they set the priests in their divisions, and the Levites in their courses, for the service of God, which is at Jerusalem; as it is written in the book of Moses.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And they set  the priests  in their divisions,  and the Levites  in their courses,  for  the service  of God,  which [is] at Jerusalem;  as it is written  in the book  of Moses. 

What does Ezra 6:18 Mean?

Context Summary

Ezra 6:1-22 - Prospered In A Difficult Work
How much depended on the finding of that roll! But God knew where it was, and led them to discover it, and inclined Darius to ratify it. When we are anxious and troubled about our relations to our fellow-men, we do little by worrying, we do much by trusting. Missing documents, alien hearts, tangled skeins, all yield before the hand of our Father working for us. The difficulty raised by their foes really reacted for the benefit of the Jews, for the king decreed that their expenses should be met, and their needs supplied. When we are living upon God's plan and need material resources for His work, He will see that they are forthcoming from the most unlikely sources, and the revenues of heathen monarchs shall be laid under contribution. When the house was finished it was dedicated, Ezra 6:16. What joy was there but amid all a solemn memory of the sin of the whole people of Israel. Though scattered to the four winds, they could not forget that in God's sight they were one still. It is highly probable that Psalms 146:1-10; Psalms 147:1-20; Psalms 148:1-14; Psalms 149:1-9; Psalms 150:1-6 were composed at this time. In the Septuagint they are called the Psalms of Haggai. Burnt offering and song go together, 2 Chronicles 29:27. After the dedication was the Passover. Separation must ever precede our feasting on God's Paschal Lamb, and out of this state of heart, influences proceed which produce the true unity and drawing together of the children of God. [source]

Chapter Summary: Ezra 6

1  Darius, finding the decree of Cyrus, makes a new decree for building
13  By the help of Tattenai and Shethar-Bozenai the temple is finished
16  The feast of the dedication is kept
19  and the Passover

What do the individual words in Ezra 6:18 mean?

And they assigned priests the to their divisions and Levites to their divisions over the service of God that in Jerusalem as it is written in the Book of Moses -
וַהֲקִ֨ימוּ כָהֲנַיָּ֜א בִּפְלֻגָּתְה֗וֹן וְלֵוָיֵא֙ בְּמַחְלְקָ֣תְה֔וֹן עַל־ עֲבִידַ֥ת אֱלָהָ֖א דִּ֣י בִירוּשְׁלֶ֑ם כִּכְתָ֖ב סְפַ֥ר מֹשֶֽׁה פ

וַהֲקִ֨ימוּ  And  they  assigned 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine plural
Root: קוּם  
Sense: to arise, stand.
כָהֲנַיָּ֜א  priests  the 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural determinate
Root: כָּהֵן  
Sense: priest.
בִּפְלֻגָּתְה֗וֹן  to  their  divisions 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: פְּלֻגָּה  
Sense: division, section.
וְלֵוָיֵא֙  and  Levites 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: לֵוָי  
Sense: the descendants of Levi, the 3rd son of Jacob by Leah.
בְּמַחְלְקָ֣תְה֔וֹן  to  their  divisions 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: מַחְלְקָה  
Sense: class, division.
עַל־  over 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל  
Sense: upon, over, on account of, above, to, against.
עֲבִידַ֥ת  the  service 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: עֲבִידָה  
Sense: work, service, ritual, worship.
אֱלָהָ֖א  of  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular determinate
Root: אֱלָהּ  
Sense: god, God.
דִּ֣י  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: דִּי  
Sense: who, which, that mark of genitive.
בִירוּשְׁלֶ֑ם  in  Jerusalem 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יְרוּשְׁלֶם  
Sense: the chief city of Palestine and capital of the united kingdom and the nation of Judah after the split.
כִּכְתָ֖ב  as  it  is  written 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כְּתָב  
Sense: a writing.
סְפַ֥ר  in  the  Book 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: סְפַר  
Sense: book.
מֹשֶֽׁה  of  Moses 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֹשֶׁה  
Sense: the prophet and lawgiver, leader of the exodus.
פ  - 
Parse: Punctuation