And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place: (for all the priests that were present were sanctified, and did not then wait by course:
Parallel translations
- WEB When the priests had come out of the holy place (for all the priests who were present had sanctified themselves, and didn’t keep their divisions;
- BSB Now all the priests who were present had consecrated themselves regardless of their divisions. And when the priests came out of the Holy Place,
- NKJV And it came to pass when the priests came out of the Most Holy Place (for all the priests who were present had sanctified themselves, without keeping to their divisions),
- NASB When the priests came out from the holy place (for all the priests who were present had sanctified themselves, without regard to divisions),
- NLT Then the priests left the Holy Place. All the priests who were present had purified themselves, whether or not they were on duty that day.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
As the priests came out of the holy place, all of them had consecrated themselves regardless of their usual divisions. The whole priesthood prepared itself for this holy moment.
Overview
Every priest present had sanctified himself for the occasion, setting aside the normal rotation of priestly courses so all could serve. This emphasized the gravity and unity of the dedication. The required consecration underscored that those who draw near to God must be made holy, a holiness given to believers through Christ, our great high priest.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- 2 Chr 29:5And said unto them, Hear me, ye Levites, sanctify now yourselves, and sanctify the house of the LORD God of your fathers, and carry forth the filthiness out of the holy place.
- Job 1:5And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually.
- 2 Chr 35:4And prepare yourselves by the houses of your fathers, after your courses, according to the writing of David king of Israel, and according to the writing of Solomon his son.
- 2 Chr 30:17–20For there were many in the congregation that were not sanctified: therefore the Levites had the charge of the killing of the passovers for every one that was not clean, to sanctify them unto the LORD.
- Exod 19:10And the LORD said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes,
- 2 Chr 30:15Then they killed the passover on the fourteenth day of the second month: and the priests and the Levites were ashamed, and sanctified themselves, and brought in the burnt offerings into the house of the LORD.
- 2 Chr 29:34But the priests were too few, so that they could not flay all the burnt offerings: wherefore their brethren the Levites did help them, till the work was ended, and until the other priests had sanctified themselves: for the Levites were more upright in heart to sanctify themselves than the priests.
- 1 Chr 24:1–31Now these are the divisions of the sons of Aaron. The sons of Aaron; Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
- 2 Chr 29:15And they gathered their brethren, and sanctified themselves, and came, according to the commandment of the king, by the words of the LORD, to cleanse the house of the LORD.
- Exod 19:14–15And Moses went down from the mount unto the people, and sanctified the people; and they washed their clothes.
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Christ at the center
Temple, priesthood, and the repeated need for a faithful king who seeks the LORD all point past every imperfect reign to the King and Temple who finally and fully dwell with God's people.
How 2 Chronicles 5:11 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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