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.
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;
- KJV 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:
- 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),
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 to them, “Listen to me, you Levites! Now sanctify yourselves, and sanctify Yahweh, the God of your fathers’ house, and carry the filthiness out of the holy place.
- Job 1:5It was so, when the days of their feasting had run their course, 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 renounced God in their hearts.” Job did so continually.
- 2 Chr 35:4Prepare yourselves after your fathers’ houses by your divisions, 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 assembly who had not sanctified themselves: therefore the Levites were in charge of killing the Passovers for everyone who was not clean, to sanctify them to Yahweh.
- Exod 19:10Yahweh said to Moses, “Go to the people, and sanctify them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments,
- 2 Chr 30:15Then they killed the Passover on the fourteenth day of the second month. The priests and the Levites were ashamed, and sanctified themselves, and brought burnt offerings into Yahweh’s house.
- 2 Chr 29:34But the priests were too few, so that they could not flay all the burnt offerings. Therefore their brothers the Levites helped them, until the work was ended, and until the priests had sanctified themselves; for the Levites were more upright in heart to sanctify themselves than the priests.
- 1 Chr 24:1–31These were the divisions of the sons of Aaron. The sons of Aaron: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
- 2 Chr 29:15They gathered their brothers, sanctified themselves, and went in, according to the commandment of the king by Yahweh’s words, to cleanse Yahweh’s house.
- Exod 19:14–15Moses went down from the mountain to 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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