The Meaning of Ezra 6:21 Explained

Ezra 6:21

KJV: 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,

YLT: And the sons of Israel, those returning from the captivity, and every one who is separated from the uncleanness of the nations of the land unto them, to seek to Jehovah, God of Israel, do eat,

Darby: And the children of Israel that were come back out of captivity, and all such as had separated themselves to them from the filthiness of the nations of the land, to seek Jehovah the God of Israel, did eat;

ASV: And the children of Israel that were come again out of the captivity, and all such as had separated themselves unto them from the filthiness of the nations of the land, to seek Jehovah, the God of Israel, did eat,

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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, 

What does Ezra 6:21 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 6:21 mean?

And ate together the sons of Israel who had returned from the captivity and with all who had separated themselves from the filth of the nations of the land unto in order to seek Yahweh God of Israel
וַיֹּאכְל֣וּ בְנֵֽי־ יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל הַשָּׁבִים֙ מֵֽהַגּוֹלָ֔ה וְכֹ֗ל הַנִּבְדָּ֛ל מִטֻּמְאַ֥ת גּוֹיֵֽ־ הָאָ֖רֶץ אֲלֵהֶ֑ם לִדְרֹ֕שׁ לַֽיהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל

וַיֹּאכְל֣וּ  And  ate  together 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
בְנֵֽי־  the  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
הַשָּׁבִים֙  who  had  returned 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
מֵֽהַגּוֹלָ֔ה  from  the  captivity 
Parse: Preposition-m, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: גֹּולָה  
Sense: exiles, exile, captivity.
וְכֹ֗ל  and  with  all 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
הַנִּבְדָּ֛ל  who  had  separated  themselves 
Parse: Article, Verb, Nifal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: בָּדַל  
Sense: to divide, separate.
מִטֻּמְאַ֥ת  from  the  filth 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: טֻמְאָה  
Sense: uncleanness.
גּוֹיֵֽ־  of  the  nations 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: גֹּוי 
Sense: nation, people.
הָאָ֖רֶץ  of  the  land 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
אֲלֵהֶ֑ם  unto 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
לִדְרֹ֕שׁ  in  order  to  seek 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: דַּרְיׄושׁ 
Sense: to resort to, seek, seek with care, enquire, require.
לַֽיהוָ֖ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: Jehovah—used primarily in the combination ‘Lord Jehovah’.
אֱלֹהֵ֥י  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
יִשְׂרָאֵֽל  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.