And he set the porters at the gates of the house of the LORD, that none which was unclean in any thing should enter in.

2 CHRONICLES 23:19KJV
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2 Chronicles 23:19 (KJV)

What does 2 Chronicles 23:19 mean?

2 Chronicles 23:19 describes how gatekeepers were stationed at the entrances of the temple to make sure that no one who was considered unclean in any way could enter. The verse highlights the careful measures taken to protect the holiness of the temple by controlling who could come inside.

The setting is during the time when Jehoiada the priest was restoring proper worship in Jerusalem after a period of disorder. Jehoiada is organizing the temple and its staff, making sure that only those who met the requirements of ritual purity could enter the sacred space. This action shows the seriousness with which the people treated the temple and its worship.

The Hebrew behind 2 Chronicles 23:19

  • "set" (עָמַד, 'amad): This word means to stand or to station. Here, it emphasizes that the gatekeepers were intentionally placed at their posts, not just casually present.
  • "porters" (שׁוֹעֵר, sho‘er): This word refers to gatekeepers or doorkeepers. Their role was important for maintaining order and purity in the temple.
  • "unclean" (טָמֵא, tame): This word means ritually impure or defiled. Only those who were ritually clean could enter the temple, showing the importance of purity in worship.
  • "house" (בַּיִת, bayit): This refers to the temple itself, called the "house of the LORD," underlining its role as God's dwelling place among the people.

Why 2 Chronicles 23:19 matters

  • This verse clears up that access to the temple was not open to everyone, but carefully guarded to preserve its sanctity.
  • The verse highlights the renewed commitment to following God’s instructions after a time of neglect, showing a return to proper worship practices.
  • It connects to the wider passage by showing how Jehoiada was reestablishing order and reverence in the temple, which was crucial for the spiritual health of the nation.

Where else these words appear

“porters” Hebrew H7778 · used in 37 verses

  • 2 Samuel 18:26 And the watchman saw another man running: and the watchman called unto the porter, and said, Behold another man running alone. And the king said, He also bringeth tidings.
  • 1 Chronicles 16:38 And Obededom with their brethren, threescore and eight; Obededom also the son of Jeduthun and Hosah to be porters:
  • Ezra 7:7 And there went up some of the children of Israel, and of the priests, and the Levites, and the singers, and the porters, and the Nethinims, unto Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king.

“unclean” Hebrew H2931 · used in 78 verses

  • Leviticus 5:2 Or if a soul touch any unclean thing, whether it be a carcase of an unclean beast, or a carcase of unclean cattle, or the carcase of unclean creeping things, and if it be hidden from him; he also shall be unclean, and guilty.
  • Leviticus 14:40 Then the priest shall command that they take away the stones in which the plague is, and they shall cast them into an unclean place without the city:
  • Deuteronomy 14:7 Nevertheless these ye shall not eat of them that chew the cud, or of them that divide the cloven hoof; as the camel, and the hare, and the coney: for they chew the cud, but divide not the hoof; therefore they are unclean unto you.