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.
The priests and Levites had all gone through the purification ceremonies together, making themselves ceremonially clean. Then they killed the Passover lamb for all the Jewish people who had returned from exile, for their fellow priests, and for themselves.
This verse describes how the religious leaders prepared themselves spiritually and then sacrificed the Passover lamb for all the Jewish people who had returned from Babylon.
📚 Historical Context
This occurs during the restoration period after the Jewish exile in Babylon (around 516 BC), when the returned exiles were rebuilding the temple and reestablishing proper worship. The priests and Levites needed to undergo ritual purification before handling sacred duties like preparing the Passover sacrifice. This was the first Passover celebration in the newly rebuilt temple, marking a significant moment of spiritual renewal for the community.
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