TRV
Translation
King James Version
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.
Complete Jewish Bible
Then they installed the cohanim in their divisions and the L'vi'im in their orders for the service of God in Yerushalayim, as written in the book of Moshe.
Berean Standard Bible
They also appointed the priests by their divisions and the Levites by their groups to the service of God in Jerusalem, according to what is written in the Book of Moses.
American Standard Version
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.
World English Bible Messianic
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.
Geneva Bible (1599)
And they set the Priests in their order, and the Leuites in their courses ouer the seruice of God in Ierusalem, as it is written in the booke of Moses.
Young's Literal Translation
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.
See also
See on the biblical-era map
In the KJVVerse 12,170 of 31,102
Study This Verse
Commentary on Ezra 6 verses 13–22
13 ¶ Then Tatnai, governor on this side the river, Shetharboznai, and their companions, according to that which Darius the king had sent, so they did speedily.
14 And the elders of the Jews builded, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they builded, and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the commandment of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.
15 And this house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king.
16 And the children of Israel, the priests, and the Levites, and the rest of the children of the captivity, kept the dedication of this house of God with joy,
17 And offered at the dedication of this house of God an hundred bullocks, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs; and for a sin offering for all Israel, twelve he goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel.
18 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.
19 And the children of the captivity kept the passover upon the fourteenth day of the first month.
20 For the priests and the Levites were purified together, all of them were pure, and killed the passover for all the children of the captivity, and for their brethren the priests, and for themselves.
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,
22 And kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy: for the LORD had made them joyful, and turned the heart of the king of Assyria unto them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.
Here we have, I. The Jews' enemies made their friends. When they received this order from the king they came with as much haste to encourage and assist the work as their predecessors had done to put a stop to it, Ezr 4:23. What the king ordered they did, and, because they would not be thought to do it with reluctance, they did it speedily, Ezr 6:13. The king's moderation made them, contrary to their own inclination, moderate too.
II. The building of the temple carried on, and finished in a little time, Ezr 6:14, Ezr 6:15. Now the elders of the Jews built with cheerfulness. For aught I know, the elders themselves laboured at it with their own hands; and, if they did, it was no disparagement to their eldership, but an encouragement to the other workmen. 1. They found themselves bound to it by the commandment of the God of Israel, who had given them power that they might use it in his service. 2. They found themselves shamed into it by the commandment of the heathen kings, Cyrus formerly, Darius now, and Artaxerxes some time after. Can the elders of the Jews be remiss in this good work when these foreign princes appear so warm in it? Shall native Israelites grudge their pains and care about this building when strangers grudge not to be at the expense of it? 3. They found themselves encouraged in it by the prophesying of Haggai and Zechariah, who, it is likely, represented to them (as bishop Patrick suggests) the wonderful goodness of God in inclining the heart of the king of Persia to favour them thus. And now the work went on so prosperously that, in four hears' time, it was brought to perfection. As for God, his work is perfect. 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, and will bring forth judgment unto victory. Spirits of just men will be made perfect.
III. The dedication of the temple. When it was built, being designed only for sacred uses, they showed by an example how it should be used, which (says bishop Patrick) is the proper sense of the word dedicate. They entered upon it with solemnity and probably with a public declaration of the separating of it from common uses and the surrender of it to the honour of God, to be employed in his worship. 1. The persons employed in this service were not only the priests and Levites who officiated, but the children of Israel, some of each of the twelve tribes, though Judah and Benjamin were the chief, and the rest of the children of the captivity or transportation, which intimates that there were many besides the children of Israel, of other nations, who transported themselves with them, and became proselytes to their religion, unless we read it, even the remnant of the children of the captivity, and then, we may suppose, notice is hereby taken of their mean and afflicted condition, because the consideration of that helped to make them devout and serious in this and other religious exercises. A sad change! The children of Israel have become children of the captivity, and there appears but a remnant of them, according to that prediction (Isa 7:3), Shear-jashub - The remnant shall return. 2. The sacrifices that were offered upon this occasion were bullocks, rams, and lambs (Ezr 6:17), for burnt-offerings and peace-offerings; not to be compared, in number, with what had been offered at the dedication of Solomon's temple, but, being according to their present ability, they were accepted, for, after a great trial of affliction, the abundance of their joy, and their deep poverty, abounded to the riches of their liberality, Co2 8:2. These hundreds were more to them than Solomon's thousands were to him. But, besides these, they offered twelve he-goats for sin-offerings, one for every tribe, to make atonement for their sins, which they looked upon as necessary in order to the acceptance of their services. Thus, by getting iniquity taken away, they would free themselves from that which had been the sting of their late troubles, and which, if not removed, would be a worm at the root of their present comforts. 3. This service was performed with joy. They were all glad to see the temple built and the concerns of it in so good a posture. Let us learn to welcome holy ordinances with joy and attend on them with pleasure. Let us serve the Lord with gladness. Whatever we dedicate to God, let it be done with joy that he will please to accept of it. 4. When they dedicated the house they settled the household. Small comfort could they have in the temple without the temple service, and therefore they set the priests in their divisions and the Levites in their courses, Ezr 6:18. Having set up the worship of God in this dedication, they took care to keep it up, and made the book of Moses their rule, to which they had an eye in this establishment. Though the temple service could not now be performed with so much pomp and plenty as formerly, because of their poverty, yet perhaps it was performed with as much purity and close adherence to the divine institution as ever, which was the true glory of it. No beauty like the beauty of holiness.
IV. The celebration of the passover in the newly-erected temple. Now that they were newly delivered out of their bondage in Babylon it was seasonable to commemorate their deliverance out of their bondage in Egypt. Fresh mercies should put us in mind of former mercies. We may suppose that they had kept the passover, after a sort, every year since their return, for they had an altar and a tabernacle. But they were liable to frequent disturbances from their enemies, were straitened for room, and had not conveniences about them, so that they could not do it with due solemnity till the temple was built; and now they made a joyful festival of it, it falling out in the next month after the temple was finished and dedicated, Ezr 6:19. Notice is here taken, 1. Of the purity of the priests and Levites that killed the passover, Ezr 6:20. In Hezekiah's time the priests were many of them under blame for not purifying themselves. But now it is observed, to their praise, that they were purified together, as one man (so the word is); they were unanimous both in their resolutions and in their endeavours to make and keep themselves ceremonially clean for this solemnity; they joined together in their preparations, that they might help one another, so that all of them were pure, to a man. The purity of ministers adds much to the beauty of their ministrations; so does their unity. 2. Of the proselytes that communicated with them in this ordinance: All such as had separated themselves unto them, had left their country and the superstitions of it and cast in their lot with the Israel of God, and had turned from the filthiness of the heathen of the land, both their idolatries and immoralities, to seek the Lord God of Israel as their God, did eat the passover. See how the proselytes, the converts, are described. They separated themselves from the filthiness of sin and fellowship with sinners, joined themselves with the Israel of God in conformity and communion, and set themselves to seek the God of Israel; and those that do so in sincerity, though strangers and foreigners, are welcome to eat of the gospel feast, as fellow-citizens with the saints and of the household of God. 3. Of the great pleasure and satisfaction wherewith they kept the feast of unleavened bread, Ezr 6:22. The Lord had made them joyful, had given them both cause to rejoice and hearts to rejoice. It was now about twenty years since the foundation of this temple was laid, and we may suppose the old men that then wept at the remembrance of the first temple were most of them dead by this time, so that now there were no tears mingled with their joys. Those that are, upon good grounds, joyful, have therefore reason to be thankful, because it is God that makes them to rejoice. He is the fountain whence all the streams of our joy flow. God has promised to all those who take hold of his covenant that he will make them joyful in his house of prayer. The particular occasion they had for joy at this time was that God had turned the heart of the emperor to them, to strengthen their hands. If those that have been, or who we feared would have been, against us, prove to be for us, we may rejoice in it as a token for good, that our ways please the Lord (Pro 16:7), and he must have the glory of it.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 13–22. Public domain.
Copy as
BedeAD 735
Commentary on Ezra and Nehemiah
And they appointed priests in their orders, etc. The order demanded devotion, so that after the Lord’s house was built and dedicated, priests and Levites who would minister in it were immediately ordained; lest the house shine in vain if those who serve God within were lacking. This should be frequently impressed upon those who, constructing monasteries with magnificent work, do not at all place teachers in them who would encourage God’s people to the works of God, but rather serve their own pleasures and desires there. But what he says about priests in their orders and Levites in their turns being appointed signifies the shifts of weeks; in which the whole assembly of each rank was distributed into twenty-four parts, so that each order would minister its turn during its week, specifically from Sabbath to Sabbath in the temple; and then, for twenty-three weeks, free from the temple's duties, they would take care of their own household affairs, as the Words of the Days narrate. For around the inner sanctuary, they had already made the porches of the temple, at the gates of which the Levites kept watch in turns, as it is also written there. But what is said, “As it is written in the book of Moses,” does not refer to the shifts of the Levites, but to the works of God; for Moses wrote what the priests and Levites ought to do in the house of God; but the shifts of the Levites and the orders of the priests into twenty-four lots, as we mentioned, were described not by Moses, but by King David with the prophets, priests, and Levites of that time. And now too, with Christ's Church being built and dedicated through the regeneration of new peoples to the faith, it is fitting to appoint priests and Levites in their orders and turns over the works of God; and the people are initiated not only into the sacraments of faith but are also instructed to perform the works of God by the examples and teachings of the righteous ones preceding in Christ; and this not by the capture of human ingenuity, but as it is written in the book of Moses. To which the Lord’s saying agrees: “Go therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you” (Matt. 28). Therefore, we must teach our hearers not our own precepts, but those which are the commands of the law and the Gospel, if we care to reach the rewards which the Lord promised, together with those same hearers.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
Copy as
Continue studying Ezra 6:18 across the web’s major study libraries — every link below opens this exact verse, chapter, or book on the destination site.
Read & Compare
BibleGatewayThis verse in more than 200 translations and 70 languages.
Bible.comThe YouVersion reader — hundreds of translations, reading plans, and highlights.
ESV.orgCrossway's official English Standard Version reader.
NET BibleThe NET translation with 60,000+ translators' notes on every rendering decision.
STEP BibleTyndale House's free study tool — original text, vocabulary, and scholarly resources.
BibliaLogos Bible Software's free web reader.
USCCBThe New American Bible (Revised Edition) with the U.S. bishops' study notes.
Commentaries
BibleHub CommentariesDozens of classic commentaries on this verse, gathered on one page.
StudyLightMore than 100 commentary sets — the largest collection on the web.
BibleRefPlain-English commentary on what this verse means, verse by verse.
Enduring WordDavid Guzik's free commentary on this chapter, widely used by Bible teachers.
Bible Study ToolsVerse commentary alongside Greek and Hebrew study aids.
Original Language & Research
- BibleHub InterlinearThe verse word by word — original language, transliteration, and English.
- BibleHub LexiconEvery word's original-language definition and Strong's entry.
Blue Letter BibleDeep-study tools — Strong's numbers, concordance, and word studies.
SefariaThe Hebrew text with Rashi and centuries of Jewish commentary.
Sermons, Hymns & Audio
TrulyRandomVerse is not affiliated with these sites and doesn’t control their content. They’re linked because they’re genuinely useful.
SUMMARY
Ezra 6:18 marks a profound milestone in the post-exilic restoration, meticulously detailing the re-establishment of the divinely ordained structure for temple worship in Jerusalem. Following the completion and joyous dedication of the Second Temple, this verse describes the careful organization of priests into their "divisions" and Levites into their "courses." This administrative and spiritual arrangement was not arbitrary but a direct and faithful fulfillment of the commands "written in the book of Moses," ensuring that the sacred service of God could resume with the utmost order, reverence, and fidelity to ancient covenantal instructions, thereby signifying a deep spiritual and administrative renewal for the returned community.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Ezra 6:18 employs several literary devices to convey its profound message of restoration and obedience. The most prominent is Allusion, specifically to "the book of Moses," which serves as the ultimate authority and justification for the actions described. This direct reference grounds the post-exilic restoration in the ancient, divinely revealed Law, emphasizing continuity and unwavering obedience to God's established commands. The meticulous description of "priests in their divisions" and "Levites in their courses" highlights Emphasis on order, structure, and adherence to established protocols in sacred worship. This detailed organization also functions as Symbolism, representing the broader spiritual and communal restoration of Israel. Just as the physical temple was rebuilt, so too was the spiritual framework of worship being meticulously reassembled, symbolizing a return to divine favor, covenant fidelity, and a renewed identity for the people of God. The parallel structure in mentioning "priests in their divisions" and "Levites in their courses" creates a strong sense of Parallelism, reinforcing the comprehensive and systematic nature of the re-establishment of temple service, demonstrating that no aspect of the sacred duties was overlooked.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Ezra 6:18 underscores the profound theological truth that God desires His worship to be conducted with order, intentionality, and according to His revealed will. The meticulous organization of priests and Levites reflects God's character as a God of order, not chaos, and His expectation that His people would approach Him with reverence and discipline. This verse serves as a powerful reminder that true worship is not merely spontaneous emotion but also involves careful adherence to divine instruction and the establishment of structures that facilitate holy service. The explicit reference to "the book of Moses" elevates the authority of Scripture as the ultimate guide for faith and practice, demonstrating the community's commitment to biblical fidelity as the foundation for their renewed identity and worship. This re-establishment of the cultic system was central to Israel's identity, symbolizing their restored covenant relationship with Yahweh and their return to a life centered on His presence in Jerusalem. It speaks to the enduring nature of God's commands and the importance of faithful obedience across generations.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
The meticulous re-establishment of temple service in Ezra 6:18 offers enduring principles for believers today. Just as the post-exilic community diligently organized their worship according to divine command, we are called to approach our service to God with intentionality, order, and reverence. Whether in corporate worship, church ministries, or our individual spiritual disciplines, purposeful organization and adherence to biblical principles can significantly enhance our effectiveness and deepen our devotion. This verse reminds us that while forms of worship may change, the underlying commitment to God's Word as our ultimate authority remains constant. Our service should flow from a desire to honor God's holiness and reflect His character, fostering environments where His presence can be genuinely encountered. In a world often characterized by disorder and spontaneity, the example of Ezra's community challenges us to cultivate discipline and structure in our spiritual lives, ensuring that our service is not merely convenient but truly consecrated to God, reflecting His divine order and beauty.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why was it so important for the priests and Levites to be organized into "divisions" and "courses"?
Answer: The organization into "divisions" and "courses" was crucial for several reasons, all rooted in the desire for orderly and continuous worship. First, it ensured that the complex and demanding duties of the Temple – including sacrifices, maintenance, music, and instruction – were performed systematically and without interruption. With many priests and Levites, a rotational system prevented chaos, ensured fairness in workload distribution, and allowed for continuous service throughout the year. Second, it was a direct act of obedience to God's established commands, as explicitly stated in the verse, "as it is written in the book of Moses." This system had been laid out by King David (e.g., 1 Chronicles 24) based on Mosaic principles, and its re-establishment signified a return to the divinely sanctioned order after the disruption of the exile. This order reflected God's own character and promoted reverence in His presence.
What is meant by "the book of Moses" in this context?
Answer: "The book of Moses" refers to the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Old Testament (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy), traditionally attributed to Moses. These books contain the foundational laws and instructions given by God to Israel, including detailed commands regarding the priesthood, the duties of the Levites, the construction and operation of the Tabernacle (the precursor to the Temple), and the various sacrifices and festivals. For example, Numbers 3 and Numbers 4 outline the specific responsibilities of the Levites, while Leviticus details priestly functions. The reference in Ezra 6:18 emphasizes that the re-established organization of Temple service was not a new invention but a faithful restoration of ancient, divinely revealed ordinances, demonstrating the community's commitment to God's enduring Word.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Ezra 6:18, with its emphasis on the meticulous organization of priests and Levites for the "service of God" according to the "book of Moses," finds its ultimate fulfillment and transformation in Jesus Christ. The Old Testament temple, its priesthood, and its sacrificial system were all shadows pointing to the greater reality found in Christ (e.g., Hebrews 10:1). Jesus is the great High Priest, who, unlike the Levitical priests who served in divisions and courses, offered a single, perfect, and eternal sacrifice for sins, ending the need for continuous animal offerings (e.g., Hebrews 9:11-14). His priesthood is "according to the order of Melchizedek" (e.g., Hebrews 7:17), transcending the Levitical lineage and its temporary nature. Furthermore, through Christ, believers are now made a "royal priesthood" and a "holy nation" (e.g., 1 Peter 2:9), called to offer spiritual sacrifices of praise and good works (e.g., Hebrews 13:15-16). The orderly service in the earthly temple foreshadowed the perfect, unceasing worship in the heavenly sanctuary where Christ ministers on our behalf (e.g., Hebrews 8:1-2), and it anticipates the ordered, Spirit-led worship of the New Covenant church, where all things are to be done "decently and in order" for the glory of God (e.g., 1 Corinthians 14:40). Thus, the restoration of order in Ezra points forward to the greater, more complete restoration and access to God achieved through Christ's redemptive work, establishing a new and living way to the Father.