6:1 BE'DAYIN DAR-YAVESH MALK'A SAM TE'EM U VAKARU BE VEIT SIPHRAY'A DI GINZAY'A MEHACHATIN TAMAH BE VAVEL
בֵּאדַיִן דָּרְיָוֶשׁ מַלְכָּא שָׂם טְעֵם וּבַקַּרוּ בְּבֵית סִפְרַיָּא דִּי גִנְזַיָּא מְהַחֲתִין תַּמָּה בְּבָבֶל
KJ (King James translation): Then Darius the king made a decree, and search was made in the house of the rolls, where the treasures were laid up in Babylon.
BN (BibleNet translation): Then King Dar-Yavesh issued a decree, and search was made in the document depository, where the royal archive was stored, in Bavel.
GINZAY'A: Genizah. See my note to 5:17.
And yet the document will be found elsewhere, so the decree must have been broader than just Bavel.
And yet the document will be found elsewhere, so the decree must have been broader than just Bavel.
6:2 VE HISHTECHACH BE ACHMET'A BE VIYRT'A DI BE MADAI MEDIYNTAH MEGILAH CHADAH VE CHEN KETIV BE GAVAH DICHRONAH
וְהִשְׁתְּכַח בְּאַחְמְתָא בְּבִירְתָא דִּי בְּמָדַי מְדִינְתָּה מְגִלָּה חֲדָה וְכֵן כְּתִיב בְּגַוַּהּ דִּכְרוֹנָה
KJ: And there was found at Achmetha, in the palace that is in the province of the Medes, a roll, and therein was a record thus written:
BN: And there was found at Achmet'a, in the palace that is in the province of Maday, a scroll, and there upon it was written: "A record...
Has most of this verse just slipped out of Aramaic and back into Yehudit?
ACHMET'A: Probably Ectabana, which was the Medean capital under Koresh, but by now only the summer palace. How do we get from Ectabana to Achmet'a? Variants of dialect mostly - and Ectabana is a very poor English rendition anyway. In Old Persian it was 𐏃𐎥𐎶𐎫𐎠𐎴 which was probably pronounced Hagmatāna or Hanjmatāna; in later Elamite it was written 𒀝𒈠𒁕𒈾 and pronounced something more like Ag-ma-da-na. The name means "gathering-place". Today it's called Hamadan. For students of the Proscribed Gospels, it was the hometown of Mani.
pey break
6:3 BI SHNAT CHADAH LE CHORESH MALK'A KORESH MALK'A SAM TE'EM BEIT ELAH'A VIYRUSHLEM BAYET'A YITBEN'E ATAR DI DAVCHIN DIVCHIN VE USHOHI MESOVLIN RUMEH AMIN SHITIN PETAYEH AMIN SHITIN
בִּשְׁנַת חֲדָה לְכוֹרֶשׁ מַלְכָּא כּוֹרֶשׁ מַלְכָּא שָׂם טְעֵם בֵּית אֱלָהָא בִירוּשְׁלֶם בַּיְתָא יִתְבְּנֵא אֲתַר דִּי דָבְחִין דִּבְחִין וְאֻשּׁוֹהִי מְסוֹבְלִין רוּמֵהּ אַמִּין שִׁתִּין פְּתָיֵהּ אַמִּין שִׁתִּין
KJ: In the first year of Cyrus the king the same Cyrus the king made a decree concerning the house of God at Jerusalem, Let the house be builded, the place where they offered sacrifices, and let the foundations thereof be strongly laid; the height thereof threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof threescore cubits;
BN: "In the first year of King Koresh, King Koresh issued a decree: 'Concerning the house of Elah'a at Yerushlem, let the house be built, the place where they offer sacrifices, and let its foundations be strongly laid; its height sixty cubits, and its breadth sixty cubits...
SHITIN: a useful exemplar of a key difference between Aramaic and Yehudit. Here, sixty is SHITIN; in Yehudit it would be SHISHIM, the Tav (ת) interchanged with the Sheen (ש), exactly as it is between Tammuz and Shemesh/Shimshon (Samson).
And then, having said that, there is also the oddity that the original Mishkan was built of SHITTIM wood, which is acacia. Interlinguistic coincidence, no more than that.
And now, please, remind me how large was the Solomonic Temple - the precise detail can be found at 1 Kings 7 and 2 Chronicles 3. For comparative sizes in modern terms, click here.
6:4 NIDBACHIN DI EVEN GELAL TELAT'A VE NIDBACH DI A' CHADAT VE NIPHKET'A MIN BEIT MALK'A TIT'YEHIV
נִדְבָּכִין דִּי אֶבֶן גְּלָל תְּלָתָא וְנִדְבָּךְ דִּי אָע חֲדַת וְנִפְקְתָא מִן בֵּית מַלְכָּא תִּתְיְהִב
KJ: With three rows of great stones, and a row of new timber: and let the expenses be given out of the king's house:
BN: "'With three rows of great stones, and a row of new timber, and let the expenses be given out of the king's house...
Which describes a fairly basic Temple, and nothing like the grandeur of the Solomonic. We were told earlier that those who remembered the old Temple wept to see this one, but perhaps they had no choice but to build it so sparsely, not just for lack of funds, but precisely because the "adversaries" could not argue against an edict, unless they had gone beyond the zoning permissions written into the edict.
6:5 VE APH MA'NEY VEIT ELAH'A DI DAHAVAH VE CHASP'A DI NEVUCHADNETSAR HANPEK MIN HEYCHL'A DI VIYRUSHLEM VE HEYVEL LE VAVEL YAHATIYVUN VIY'HACH LE HEYCHL'A DI VIYRUSHLEM LE ATREH VE TACHET BE VEIT ELAH'A
וְאַף מָאנֵי בֵית אֱלָהָא דִּי דַהֲבָה וְכַסְפָּא דִּי נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּר הַנְפֵּק מִן הֵיכְלָא דִי בִירוּשְׁלֶם וְהֵיבֵל לְבָבֶל יַהֲתִיבוּן וִיהָךְ לְהֵיכְלָא דִי בִירוּשְׁלֶם לְאַתְרֵהּ וְתַחֵת בְּבֵית אֱלָהָא
KJ: And also let the golden and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took forth out of the temple which is at Jerusalem, and brought unto Babylon, be restored, and brought again unto the temple which is at Jerusalem, every one to his place, and placethem in the house of God.
BN: "'And also let the gold and silver vessels of the house of Elah'a, which Nevuchadnetsar took out of the Temple which is in Yerushlem, and brought to Bavel, be restored, and brought back to the Temple which is in Yerushlem, each piece to its place, and you shall put them in the house of Elah'a...
samech break
6:6 CHE'AN TATNAI PACHAT AVAR NAHARAH SHETAR-BOZNAI U CHENAVAT'HON APHARSECHAY'E DI BA AVAR NAHARAH RACHIYKIN HAVO MIN TAMAH
KJ: Now therefore, Tatnai, governor beyond the river, Shetharboznai, and your companions the Apharsachites, which are beyond the river, be ye far from thence:
BN: "Now therefore, Tatnai, governor beyond the river, Shetar-Boznai, and your companions the Apharsechay'e, who are beyond the river, maintain your distance from that place...
כְּעַן תַּתְּנַי פַּחַת עֲבַר נַהֲרָה שְׁתַר-בּוֹזְנַי וּכְנָוָתְהוֹן אֲפַרְסְכָיֵא דִּי בַּעֲבַר נַהֲרָה רַחִיקִין הֲווֹ מִן תַּמָּה
KJ: Now therefore, Tatnai, governor beyond the river, Shetharboznai, and your companions the Apharsachites, which are beyond the river, be ye far from thence:
BN: "Now therefore, Tatnai, governor beyond the river, Shetar-Boznai, and your companions the Apharsechay'e, who are beyond the river, maintain your distance from that place...
TATNAI... SHETAR-BOZNAI: see my notes to these names at 5:3.
APHARSECHAY'E: see my notes to this name at 4:9.
6:7 SHEVUKU LA AVIYDAT BEIT ELAH'A DECH PACHAT YEHUDAY'E U LE SAVEY YEHUDAY'E BEIT ELAH'A DECH YIVNON AL ATREH
שְׁבֻקוּ לַעֲבִידַת בֵּית אֱלָהָא דֵךְ פַּחַת יְהוּדָיֵא וּלְשָׂבֵי יְהוּדָיֵא בֵּית אֱלָהָא דֵךְ יִבְנוֹן עַל אַתְרֵהּ
KJ: Let the work of this house of God alone; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews build this house of God in his place.
BN: "Leave the work of this house of Elah’a alone; let the governor of the Yehuday'e and the elders of the Yehuday'e build this house of Elah'a in its place...
6:8 U MINI SIM TE'EM LEM'A DI TA'AVDUN IM SAVEY YEHUDAY'E ILECH LE MIVN'E BEIT ALAH'A DECH U MI NICHSEY MALK'A DI MIDAT AVAR NAHARAH ASPARN'A NIPHKET'A TEHEV'E MIT'YAHAV’A LE GUVRAY'A ILECH DI LA LEVATAL'A
וּמִנִּי שִׂים טְעֵם לְמָא דִי תַעַבְדוּן עִם שָׂבֵי יְהוּדָיֵא אִלֵּךְ לְמִבְנֵא בֵּית אֱלָהָא דֵךְ וּמִנִּכְסֵי מַלְכָּא דִּי מִדַּת עֲבַר נַהֲרָה אָסְפַּרְנָא נִפְקְתָא תֶּהֱוֵא מִתְיַהֲבָא לְגֻבְרַיָּא אִלֵּךְ דִּי לָא לְבַטָּלָא
KJ: Moreover I make a decree what ye shall do to the elders of these Jews for the building of this house of God: that of the king's goods,even of the tribute beyond the river, forthwith expenses be given unto these men, that they be not hindered.
BN: "Moreover, I hereby decree that you shall do the following for these elders of the Yehuday'e, to support the building of this house of Elah'a: that from the king's goods, even from the tribute colelcted beyond the river, expenses shall be given with all diligence to these men, that they be not hindered...
6:9 U MAH CHASH'CHAN U VENEY TORIN VE DICHRIN VE IMRIN LA'ALAVAN LE'ELAH SHEMAY'A HINTIN MELACH CHAMAR U MESHACH KE ME'MAR KAHANAY'A DI VIYRUSHLEM LEHEV'E MIT'YEHEV LEHOM YOM BE YOM DI LA SHALU
וּמָה חַשְׁחָן וּבְנֵי תוֹרִין וְדִכְרִין וְאִמְּרִין לַעֲלָוָן לֶאֱלָהּ שְׁמַיָּא חִנְטִין מְלַח חֲמַר וּמְשַׁח כְּמֵאמַר כָּהֲנַיָּא דִי בִירוּשְׁלֶם לֶהֱוֵא מִתְיְהֵב לְהֹם יוֹם בְּיוֹם דִּי לָא שָׁלוּ
KJ: And that which they have need of, both young bullocks, and rams, and lambs, for the burnt offerings of the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to the appointment of the priests which areat Jerusalem, let it be given them day by day without fail:
BN: "And whatever they may require, be it young bullocks, and rams, and lambs, for burnt-offerings to the god of Heaven, wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to the word of the priests that are at Yerushlem, let it be given to them daily without fail...
TORIN: Interesting word for bullock!
ELAH, for the deity, rather than ELAH'A, as throughout until now; and the same in the next verse. Perhaps his counsellors hadn't told him the name correctly.
And for those of you who have been wondering why Ezra has gone to such lengths to tell a tale from nearly a century before, now we know: pure triumphalism! And much gratitude to his lord and master, formally expressed through the detailed telling.
6:10 DI LEHEVON MEHAKREVIN NIYCHOCHIN LE ELAH SHEMAY'A U METSALAYIN LE CHAYEY MALK'A U VENOHI
דִּי לֶהֱוֹן מְהַקְרְבִין נִיחוֹחִין לֶאֱלָהּ שְׁמַיָּא וּמְצַלַּיִן לְחַיֵּי מַלְכָּא וּבְנוֹהִי
KJ: That they may offer sacrifices of sweet savours unto the God of heaven, and pray for the life of the king, and of his sons.
BN: "That they may offer sacrifices of sweet savour to the god of the heavens, and pray for the life of the king, and of his sons...
6:11 U MINI SIM TE'EM DI CHOL ENOSH DI YEHASHN'E PITGAMAH DENAH YITNESACH A' MIN BAYETEH U ZEKIPH YITMECH'E ALOHI U VAYETEH NEVALU YITAVED AL DENAH
וּמִנִּי שִׂים טְעֵם דִּי כָל אֱנָשׁ דִּי יְהַשְׁנֵא פִּתְגָמָא דְנָה יִתְנְסַח אָע מִן בַּיְתֵהּ וּזְקִיף יִתְמְחֵא עֲלֹהִי וּבַיְתֵהּ נְוָלוּ יִתְעֲבֵד עַל דְּנָה
KJ: Also I have made a decree, that whosoever shall alter this word, let timber be pulled down from his house, and being set up, let him be hanged thereon; and let his house be made a dunghill for this.
BN: "I have also issued a further decree, that whosoever shall alter this word, let a beam be pulled out from his house, and let him be lifted up and fastened on it; and let his house be made a dunghill for this...
Yea! Biblical precedent for the bulldozing of Palestinian domiciles! But do kings generally add lines like these to their executive orders.
6:12 VE ELAH'A DI SHAKIN SHEMEH TAMAH YEMAGAR KOL MELECH VE AM DI YISHLACH YEDEH LEHASHNAYAH LEHABALAH BEIT ELAH'A DECH DI VIYRUSHLEM ANAH DAR-YAVESH SAMET TE'EM ASPARN'A YITAVID
וֵאלָהָא דִּי שַׁכִּן שְׁמֵהּ תַּמָּה יְמַגַּר כָּל מֶלֶךְ וְעַם דִּי יִשְׁלַח יְדֵהּ לְהַשְׁנָיָה לְחַבָּלָה בֵּית אֱלָהָא דֵךְ דִּי בִירוּשְׁלֶם אֲנָה דָרְיָוֶשׁ שָׂמֶת טְעֵם אָסְפַּרְנָא יִתְעֲבִד
KJ: And the God that hath caused his name to dwell there destroy all kings and people, that shall put to their hand to alter and to destroy this house of God which is at Jerusalem. I Darius have made a decree; let it be done with speed.
BN: And may Elah'a who has caused his name to dwell there overthrow all kings and peoples who put out their hand to alter it in any way, to destroy this house of Elah'a which is at Yerushlem. I, Dar-Yavesh, have issued a decree; let it be done with all diligence."
pey break
6:13 EDAYIN TATNAI PACHAT AVAR NAHARAH SHETAR-BOZNAI U CHENAVAT-HON LAKAVEL DI SHELACH DAR-YAVESH MALK'A KENEM'A ASPARN'A AVADU
אֱדַיִן תַּתְּנַי פַּחַת עֲבַר־נַהֲרָה שְׁתַר בּוֹזְנַי וּכְנָוָתְהוֹן לָקֳבֵל דִּי־שְׁלַח דָּרְיָוֶשׁ מַלְכָּא כְּנֵמָא אָסְפַּרְנָא עֲבַדוּ
KJ: Then Tatnai, governor on this side the river, Shetharboznai, and their companions, according to that which Darius the king had sent, so they did speedily.
BN: Then Tatnai, the governor beyond the river, Shetar-Boznai, and their associates, acted with all diligence on that which Darius the king had sent.
6:14 VE SAVEY YEHUDAY'E BANAYIN U MATSLECHIN BINVU'AT CHAGAI NEVIY'AH U ZECHAR-YAH BAR ID'O U VENO VE SHACHLILU MIN TA'AM ELAH YISRA-EL U MIT'EM KORESH VE DAR-YAVESH VE ARTACHSHAST MELECH PARAS
וְשָׂבֵי יְהוּדָיֵא בָּנַיִן וּמַצְלְחִין בִּנְבוּאַת חַגַּי נְבִיאָה וּזְכַרְיָה בַּר עִדּוֹא וּבְנוֹ וְשַׁכְלִלוּ מִן טַעַם אֱלָהּ יִשְׂרָאֵל וּמִטְּעֵם כּוֹרֶשׁ וְדָרְיָוֶשׁ וְאַרְתַּחְשַׁשְׂתְּא מֶלֶךְ פָּרָס
KJ: And the elders of the Jews builded, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they builded, and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the commandment of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.
BN: And the elders of the Yehuday'e built and prospered, through the prophesying of Chagai the prophet and Zechar-Yah ben Ido. And they built it, and finished it, according to the instruction of the god of Yisra-El, and according to the decree of Koresh, and Dar-Yavesh, and Artachshast, king of Paras.
YISRA-EL: Need to check but I think this is the first time Ezra has referred to Yisra-El, rather than Yehudah and Bin-Yamin. Coincidence that he only does so when the Temple is finished, and the Dar-Yavesh edict has sent the objectors home?
ARTACHSAST' is an anachronism, as we shall see in chapter 7. It is only in the days of Artachsast' (Artaxerxes), and after the war with the Greeks which decimated the walls of Yeru-Shala'im just rebuilt, that Ezra would be sent to Yehudah.
As to the spelling of his name, which is ARTACHSHAST' here, see my note to Ezra 4:7.
6:15 VE SHEYTS'I BAYETAH DENAH AD YOM TELATAH LIYRACH ADAR DI HI SHENAT SHET LE MALCHUT DAR-YAVESH MALK'A
וְשֵׁיצִיא בַּיְתָה דְנָה עַד יוֹם תְּלָתָה לִירַח אֲדָר דִּי הִיא שְׁנַת שֵׁת לְמַלְכוּת דָּרְיָוֶשׁ מַלְכָּא
KJ: And this house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king.
BN: And the house was finished on the third day of the month of Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king.
Which would have been 516 BCE, exactly twenty years since Zeru-Bavel and co left Babylon.
SHET: Not to be confused with the Egyptian deity, this is Babylonian-Aramaic six - yet again that Sheen-Tav (ש-ת) alternation.
pey break
6:16 VA AVADU VENEY YISRA-EL KAH'ANAY'A VE LEVAY'E U SHE'AR BENEY GALUT'A CHANUKAT BEIT ELAH'A DENAH BE CHEDVAH
KJ: And the children of Israel, the priests, and the Levites, and the rest of the children of the captivity, kept the dedication of this house of God with joy,
BN: And the Beney Yisra-El, the priests and the Leviyim, and the rest of the children of the captivity, celebrated the dedication of this house of Elah'a with joy.
וַעֲבַדוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל כָּהֲנַיָּא וְלֵוָיֵא וּשְׁאָר בְּנֵי־גָלוּתָא חֲנֻכַּת בֵּית־אֱלָהָא דְנָה בְּחֶדְוָה
BN: And the Beney Yisra-El, the priests and the Leviyim, and the rest of the children of the captivity, celebrated the dedication of this house of Elah'a with joy.
6:17 VE HAKRIVU LA CHANUKAT BEIT ELAH'A DENAH TORIN ME'AH DICHRIN MA'TAYIN IMRIN ARB'A ME'AH U TSEPHIYREY IZIN LECHATAY'A AL KOL YISRA-EL TEREY-ASAR LE MINYAN SHIVTEY YISRA-EL
וְהַקְרִבוּ לַחֲנֻכַּת בֵּית אֱלָהָא דְנָה תּוֹרִין מְאָה דִּכְרִין מָאתַיִן אִמְּרִין אַרְבַּע מְאָה וּצְפִירֵי עִזִּין לְחַטָּיָא עַל כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל תְּרֵי עֲשַׂר לְמִנְיָן שִׁבְטֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל
KJ: And offered at the dedication of this house of God an hundred bullocks, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs; and for a sin offering for all Israel, twelve he goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel.
BN: And they offered at the dedication of this house of Elah'a a hundred bullocks, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs; and for a sin-offering for all Yisra-El, twelve he-goats, according to the number of the tribes of Yisra-El.
6:18 VA HAKIYMU KAHANAY'A BIPHLUGAT'HON VE LEVAY'E BE MACHLEKAT'HON AL AVIYDAT ELAH'A DI VIYRUSHLEM KICHTAV SEPHER MOSHEH
וַהֲקִימוּ כָהֲנַיָּא בִּפְלֻגָּתְהוֹן וְלֵוָיֵא בְּמַחְלְקָתְהוֹן עַל עֲבִידַת אֱלָהָא דִּי בִירוּשְׁלֶם כִּכְתָב סְפַר מֹשֶׁה
KJ: And they set the priests in their divisions, and the Levites in their courses, for the service of God, which is at Jerusalem; as it is written in the book of Moses
BN: And they set the Kohanim in their divisions, and the Leviyim in their ranks, for the service of Elah'a, which is at Yerushlem; as it is written in the book of Mosheh.
It being "written in the book of Mosheh" is an interesting construct at this moment of history. It confirms that there must have been a written down version of something Mosaic, even before Ezra ordered the Redaction; I have deliberately stated this as "something Mosaic" because we cannot know which parts of the Redacted Torah were Ezraic, and which were genuine retentions of previous versions.
KAHANAY'A: Aramaic for Kohanim, which is to say Cohen in English; confirmation if we needed it that the root is Khan, a term from even further east than Ashur and Mesopotamia. And LEVAY'E, which is Aramaic, for Leviyim. But in verse 20 the Yehudit form will be used for both.
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6:19 YA YA'ASU VENEY HA GOLAH ET HA PASACH BE ARBA'AH ASAR LA CHODESH HA RISHON
וַיַּעֲשׂוּ בְנֵי הַגּוֹלָה אֶת הַפָּסַח בְּאַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר לַחֹדֶשׁ הָרִאשׁוֹן
KJ: And the children of the captivity kept the passover upon the fourteenth day of the first month.
BN: And the children of the captivity kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month.
VENEY HA GOLAH: Which captivity! I take it that Ezra is once again being ironic - obviously the Babylonian captivity, but "AVADIM HAYINU BE MITSRAYIM", we were all slaves in Egypt, even those of us born today, three thousand and more years later. It is a part of common history, and without common history there is a key strand missing from common identity (geography, language and culture are the other three, and we are witnessing the harmonising of these too in these chapters). So Ezra unifies the captivity in Egypt with that in Babylon, and the returnees are one with those who were never stolen away by Nebuchadnezzar. So too every Jew is a Holocaust survivor. So the key principle behind the Redaction of the Tanach is announced: shared identity.
CHODESH HA RISH'ON: First month - not seventh month! Which confirms our reading of the sacrifices in chapter 3, that they were celebrating Sukot, but the other 7th month festivals, Rosh ha Shanah and Yom Kippur, were not in place, presumably because they required the Temple, and didn't yet have it.
6:20 KI HITAHARU HA KOHANIM VE HA LEVIYIM KE ECHAD KULAM TEHORIM VA YISHCHATU HA PESACH LE CHOL BENEY HA GOLAH VE LA ACHEYHEM HA KOHANIM VE LAHEM
כִּי הִטַּהֲרוּ הַכֹּהֲנִים וְהַלְוִיִּם כְּאֶחָד כֻּלָּם טְהוֹרִים וַיִּשְׁחֲטוּ הַפֶּסַח לְכָל בְּנֵי הַגּוֹלָה וְלַאֲחֵיהֶם הַכֹּהֲנִים וְלָהֶם
KJ: 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.
BN: For the Kohnaim and the Leviyim had purified themselves together; all of them were pure; and they killed the pachal lamb for all the children of the captivity, and for their brethren the Kohanim, and for themselves.
I mentioned "language" as one of the other three key components of identity, and I am struck that Ezra here says Kohanim, which is the Yehudit, but previously he has only used the Aramaic KAHANAY'A, and LEVIYIM where previously he has only used the Aramaic LEVAY'E (see verse 18, for example). So too we have seen him bring back the word Yisra-El, and I wonder when he will speak of YHVH rather than Elah'a. But he also clearly understands that most of the people in this land either came with Aramaic in their Babylonian resettlement, or acquired it under Babylonish rule, and so he has to fight for Yehudit while working in Aramaic or division will ruin everything.
The whole of this verse [check but I think this is the very first] is in Yehudit. Curious how each of the key moments of transition in the way the text is written happen at the key moments of transition in the tale: Sukot, the altar, the Darius edict, the Temple, Pesach. Clever man, this Ezra!
HITAHARU: By what means did they purify themselves? There are two available options, through sacrificial acts and through immersion in the mikveh; I have been unable to resist using the Vatican's website for the explanation of this. Click here.
6:21 VA YOCHLU VENEY YISRA-EL HA SHAVIM ME HA GOLAH VE CHOL HA NIVDAL MI TUM'AT GOI HA ARETS ALEHEM LIDROSH LA YHVH ELOHEY YISRA-EL
וַיֹּאכְלוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הַשָּׁבִים מֵהַגּוֹלָה וְכֹל הַנִּבְדָּל מִטֻּמְאַת גּוֹיֵ הָאָרֶץ אֲלֵהֶם לִדְרֹשׁ לַיהוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל
KJ: 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,
BN: And the Beney Yisra-El who had come back from the captivity, and all those who had separated themselves alongside them from the filthiness of the nations of the land, to seek YHVH, the god of Yisra-El, did eat.
YHVH: The very next verse! And no, honestly, I did not scan or read on to see; it was just obvious from the way the text was developing. As is this first appearance of the real Ezra, the very strictly pious, the deeply puritanical Ezra, who has every intention of imposing YHVH on this entire nation, and making it a proto-Jewish state, regardless of who else might live in it. "The filthiness of the heathen in the land". You have to be very confident of your authority, your support, your convictions, to put a statement like that in writing.
6:22 VA YA'ASU CHAG MATSOT SHIV'AT YAMIM BE SIMCHAH KI SIMCHAM YHVH VE HESEV LEV MELECH ASHUR ALEYHEM LECHAZEK YEDEYHEM BIMLE'CHET BEIT HA ELOHIM ELOHEY YISRA-EL
וַיַּעֲשׂוּ חַג מַצּוֹת שִׁבְעַת יָמִים בְּשִׂמְחָה כִּי שִׂמְּחָם יְהוָה וְהֵסֵב לֵב מֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר עֲלֵיהֶם לְחַזֵּק יְדֵיהֶם בִּמְלֶאכֶת בֵּית הָאֱלֹהִים אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל
KJ: And kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy: for the LORD had made them joyful, and turned the heart of the king of Assyria unto them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.
BN: And kept the feast of unleavened bread for seven days with joy; for YHVH had made them joyful, and had turned the heart of the king of Ashur towards them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of Ha Elohim, the gods of Yisra-El.
PESACH lasting only seven days surprises you? It shouldn't. It has always been a 7-day festival. However, outside Israel, because there are always concerns about time zones and did we or didn't we get the day and date and time right, Jews have traditionally kept an 8th day.
Note the use of YHVH and Ha Elohim in the same verse. The Ezraic proto-Jews are still polytheists.
The last verses of this chapter are all in Yehudit, no Aramaic anywhere. And the statement of strength now made explicit; doubly so, if you know your Temple liturgy. LECHAZEK is the verb used. At the end of the reading of each of the books of Torah, a tradition that Ezra himself will shortly initiate, it is customary for the entire congregation to rise and sing together a celebratory song to acknowledge the achievement. And what are the words of that song? "CHAZAK CHAZAK VE NITCHAZEK".
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