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,

EZRA 6:21KJV
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Ezra 6:21 (KJV)

What does Ezra 6:21 mean?

Ezra 6:21 describes how the returned Israelites and others who had separated themselves from the unclean practices of the surrounding peoples came together to eat the Passover meal, seeking the LORD, the God of Israel. This verse highlights both the unity of the returned exiles and the inclusion of those who chose to leave behind the customs of the land’s non-Israelite inhabitants.

Ezra 6:21 is set during the time when the Jewish people, led by figures like Zerubbabel and Jeshua, had returned from Babylonian captivity and were rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem. The verse specifically notes that not only the Israelites who came back from exile but also others who distanced themselves from the practices ("filthiness") of the local non-Israelite groups joined in the Passover celebration. This gathering was a significant moment of religious renewal and recommitment to seeking God.

The Hebrew behind Ezra 6:21

  • "Separated" (בָּדַל, badal): This word means to set apart or distinguish. Here, it refers to people who made a clear break from the ways of the surrounding nations, emphasizing a deliberate choice to join the worship of the God of Israel.
  • "Filthiness" (טֻמְאָה, tum'ah): This term often refers to ritual or moral impurity. In this context, it points to the practices of the local non-Israelite peoples that were considered unclean by Israelite standards.
  • "Heathen" (גּוֹי, goy): This word means "nations" or "peoples" and is used here to describe the non-Israelite inhabitants of the land, highlighting the distinction between them and those who sought the LORD.
  • "Seek" (דָּרַשׁ, darash): This verb means to seek earnestly or inquire after. The verse uses it to show that those who joined the Israelites were genuinely pursuing a relationship with the LORD, not just participating outwardly.

Why Ezra 6:21 matters

  • Ezra 6:21 clarifies that the Passover celebration was not limited only to ethnic Israelites but was open to anyone willing to separate from local pagan practices and seek the God of Israel.
  • The verse emphasizes the importance of purity and intentional commitment in worship, showing that belonging to God's people was about more than ancestry.
  • This moment connects to the larger theme of restoration in Ezra, where the community is being rebuilt not just physically (the temple) but spiritually, with renewed dedication to God.

Where else these words appear

“filthiness” Hebrew H2932 · used in 31 verses

  • Leviticus 5:3 Or if he touch the uncleanness of man, whatsoever uncleanness it be that a man shall be defiled withal, and it be hid from him; when he knoweth of it, then he shall be guilty.
  • Leviticus 16:19 And he shall sprinkle of the blood upon it with his finger seven times, and cleanse it, and hallow it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel.
  • Ezra 9:11 Which thou hast commanded by thy servants the prophets, saying, The land, unto which ye go to possess it, is an unclean land with the filthiness of the people of the lands, with their abominations, which have filled it from one end to another with their uncleanness.

“separated” Hebrew H914 · used in 40 verses

  • Genesis 1:4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
  • Numbers 8:14 Thus shalt thou separate the Levites from among the children of Israel: and the Levites shall be mine.
  • Ezra 8:24 Then I separated twelve of the chief of the priests, Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their brethren with them,

“captivity” Hebrew H1473 · used in 41 verses

  • 2 Kings 24:15 And he carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon, and the king's mother, and the king's wives, and his officers, and the mighty of the land, those carried he into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon.
  • Ezra 10:16 And the children of the captivity did so. And Ezra the priest, with certain chief of the fathers, after the house of their fathers, and all of them by their names, were separated, and sat down in the first day of the tenth month to examine the matter.
  • Ezekiel 1:1 Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river of Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.