Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ezra 6:21
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,
21. Those who partook of the Passover are described as belonging to two classes; (1) those who had returned from captivity, (2) those who had ‘separated themselves unto them from the filthiness of the heathen of the land’.
“The heathen of the land” (goyy ha-rec) is to be compared with “the peoples of the land” (’amme ha-rec) in chap. Ezr 10:2; Ezr 10:11. “The land” is the land of Palestine: “the heathen” and “the peoples” are apparently the colo nists and mixed population that had settled in the territory of the Northern and Southern Kingdoms. ‘The filthiness’ (cf. Ezr 9:11) is the ceremonial pollution of idolatry practised by these heathen races.
Who then are those described here as having ‘separated themselves’?
( a) By very many they are considered to be proselytes from the heathen who had attached themselves to the Jewish religion since the return from the Captivity.
( b) But it appears most probable that they are Israelites.
(1) Israelites are described in Ezr 9:1 as not having “separated themselves from the peoples of the lands”. (2) Ezra exhorts the Jews to “separate themselves from the peoples of the lands” (Ezr 10:11). If those who had not ‘separated’ themselves were Israelites, it is probable that these who had separated themselves were also Israelites; and if so, they would be those Israelites who had not been carried into captivity, but had continued to dwell in Palestine or among the adjoining races.
The two classes mentioned therefore are both Israelite; the one, those who had returned from Babylon; the other, those who having remained behind and having mixed with “the heathen of the land” now separated themselves and attached themselves once more to their countrymen.
to seek the Lord God of Israel ] R.V. to seek the Lord, the God of Israel. See on chap. Ezr 1:3. To seek, i.e. with a view to worship: cf. on Ezr 4:2.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Ezr 6:21
To seek the Lord God of Israel
Seeking God
Birds are very fond of catching the last evening rays of a winters sun, and are often to be found in the afternoon on banks facing the west, or swinging, if there is no wind, on the topmost branch of trees.
On the mountains, too, all birds, as the sun gets low, take to the slopes to face the west, whilst in the morning they betake themselves to the eastern hanks and slopes to meet his rays. Golden plovers, in the evenings, ascend from elope to slope, as each becomes shaded by the intervening heights, until they are all collected on the very last ridge which the sun shines upon. Gods children resemble birds in seeking light, only the light they seek is the light of goodness, and truth, and righteousness which comes from God. They seek the Source of Light, and turn away from the darkness. (S. S. Chronicle.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 21. And all such as had separated themselves] These were the proselytes who had embraced the Jewish religion by having mingled with the Jews in their captivity. This proves that there the poor captives had so acted according to the principles of their religion, that the heathens saw it, and walked in the light of the Lord with them. A good example is very persuasive; and particularly so when founded on pure principles.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
From the filthiness of the heathen, i.e. such as had forsaken that filthy and idolatrous religion of the heathens, and were proselyted to the Jewish religion; for such were allowed to eat the passover, Exo 12:48; Num 9:14.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
21. all such as had separatedthemselves . . . from the filthiness of the heathen of the landthatis, who had given satisfactory evidence of being true proselytes bynot only renouncing the impure worship of idolatry, but by undergoingthe rite of circumcision, a condition indispensable to aparticipation of the passover.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And the children of Israel, which were come again out of captivity,…. The tribes of Judah and Benjamin, with some of the ten tribes mixed with them:
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; such of the Gentiles in the dominions of Babylon, and came with the Jews from thence, who were enlightened into the knowledge and worship of the true God, and not only renounced their idolatry, here called filthiness, but were circumcised, and embraced the religion of the Jews, and so were proselytes of righteousness, as they call them; or otherwise they would not have been allowed to eat of the passover, as they did, Ex 12:48.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(21) Separated themselves . . .Not proselytes from the heathen are intended, but the remnant of the Jews in the land who had consorted with the foreign populations introduced by the conquerors. Their intermarriages and other acts of conformity are constantly referred to throughout Ezra and Nehemiah.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
21. Such as had separated themselves unto them from the filthiness of the heathen Blackslidden and apostate Israelites who had remained in the land when others went into exile, and had corrupted themselves by idolatry and by intermarriage with the heathen. Also, perhaps, some non-Israelitish dwellers in the land who had adopted the Jewish faith, and had become proselytes of the new community.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Ezr 6:21 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,
Ver. 21. And the children of Israel ] The whole community, of what tribe soever.
And all such as had separated themselves
From the filthiness of the heathen
To seek the Lord God of Israel
Did eat
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
heathen = nations.
the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4.
God. Hebrew. Elohim. App-4.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
all such: Ezr 9:11, Num 9:6, Num 9:7, Num 9:10-14, Isa 52:11, Eze 36:25, 2Co 6:17, 2Co 7:1
did eat: Exo 12:47-49, Psa 93:5
Reciprocal: 2Ch 35:6 – So kill Neh 12:30 – themselves Mat 18:17 – a heathen
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Ezr 6:21. All such as had separated themselves unto them, &c. Had left their country, and the superstitions and vices of it; had become proselytes to the Jewish religion, and cast in their lot with the Israel of God, professing an entire subjection to the law of Moses. Such, and only such, might eat of the passover, Exo 12:48-49. From the manner in which the sacred writer expresses himself here, it would seem as if there were many proselytes, who forsook their heathenish customs, and were brought to the knowledge and worship of the true God, influenced, probably, by the encouragement which Cyrus and Darius had given to the Jewish religion. People of all nations, it must be observed, till proselyted, were accounted by the Jews polluted both in body and mind, because of their worshipping false gods, and not abstaining from the things which were accounted unclean by the law of Moses. The description here given of proselytes to Judaism may serve to characterize converts to the true religion in every age: they separate themselves from the filthiness of sin, and fellowship with sinners; join themselves to 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.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
6:21 And the children of Israel, which were come again out of captivity, and all such as had {i} separated themselves unto them from the filthiness of the heathen of the land, to seek the LORD God of Israel, did eat,
(i) Who were of the heathen and forsook their idolatry to worship the true God.