Ezra 6:22
New International Version
For seven days they celebrated with joy the Festival of Unleavened Bread, because the LORD had filled them with joy by changing the attitude of the king of Assyria so that he assisted them in the work on the house of God, the God of Israel.

New Living Translation
Then they celebrated the Festival of Unleavened Bread for seven days. There was great joy throughout the land because the LORD had caused the king of Assyria to be favorable to them, so that he helped them to rebuild the Temple of God, the God of Israel.

English Standard Version
And they kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with joy, for the LORD had made them joyful and had turned the heart of the king of Assyria to them, so that he aided them in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.

Berean Standard Bible
For seven days they kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread with joy, because the LORD had made them joyful and turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them to strengthen their hands in the work on the house of the God of Israel.

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
And they kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with joy; for the LORD made them joyful, and turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.

New American Standard Bible
And they held the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days with joy, because the LORD had made them happy, and had turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them to encourage them in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.

NASB 1995
And they observed the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with joy, for the LORD had caused them to rejoice, and had turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them to encourage them in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.

NASB 1977
And they observed the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with joy, for the LORD had caused them to rejoice, and had turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them to encourage them in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.

Legacy Standard Bible
And they celebrated the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with gladness, for Yahweh had caused them to be glad and had turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them to strengthen them in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.

Amplified Bible
They observed the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days with joy, for the LORD had caused them to rejoice and had turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them, so that he encouraged them and strengthened their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.

Christian Standard Bible
They observed the Festival of Unleavened Bread for seven days with joy, because the LORD had made them joyful, having changed the Assyrian king’s attitude toward them, so that he supported them in the work on the house of the God of Israel.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
They observed the Festival of Unleavened Bread for seven days with joy, because the LORD had made them joyful, having changed the Assyrian king’s attitude toward them, so that he supported them in the work on the house of the God of Israel.

American Standard Version
and kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy: for Jehovah had made them joyful, and had 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.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
They made the feast of unleavened bread seven days in joy, because LORD JEHOVAH gave them joy, and he turned the heart of the King of Assyria to them to strengthen their hands in the works of the house of LORD JEHOVAH, God of Israel.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
and they kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with gladness, because the Lord made them glad, and he turned the heart of the king of Assyria to them, to strengthen their hands in the works of the house of the God of Israel.

Contemporary English Version
For seven days they celebrated the Festival of Thin Bread. Everyone was happy because the LORD God of Israel had made sure that the king of Assyria would be kind to them and help them build the temple.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And they kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy, for the Lord had made them joyful, and had turned the heart of the king of Assyria to them, that he should help their hands in the work of the house of the Lord the God of Israel.

English Revised Version
and kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy: for the LORD had made them joyful, and had 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.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
So for seven days they celebrated the Festival of Unleavened Bread because the LORD had made them joyful. The LORD had made the king of Assyria change his mind so that he supported the people in their work on the temple of God, the God of Israel.

Good News Translation
For seven days they joyfully celebrated the Festival of Unleavened Bread. They were full of joy because the LORD had made the emperor of Assyria favorable to them, so that he supported them in their work of rebuilding the Temple of the God of Israel.

International Standard Version
Then they observed the Festival of Unleavened Bread for seven days with joy, because the LORD had made them glad, turning the heart of the king of Assyria toward them and strengthening them for their work on the Temple of God, the God of Israel.

JPS Tanakh 1917
and kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy; for the LORD had made them joyful, and had 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.

Literal Standard Version
and they make the Celebration of Unleavened Things seven days with joy, for YHWH made them to rejoice, and turned around the heart of the king of Asshur to them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.

Majority Standard Bible
For seven days they kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread with joy, because the LORD had made them joyful and turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them to strengthen their hands in the work on the house of the God of Israel.

New American Bible
They joyfully kept the feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days, for the LORD had filled them with joy by making the king of Assyria favorable to them, so that he gave them help in their work on the house of God, the God of Israel.

NET Bible
They observed the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days with joy, for the LORD had given them joy and had changed the opinion of the king of Assyria toward them, so that he assisted them in the work on the temple of God, the God of Israel.

New Revised Standard Version
With joy they celebrated the festival of unleavened bread seven days; for the LORD had made them joyful, and had turned the heart of the king of Assyria to them, so that he aided them in the work on the house of God, the God of Israel.

New Heart English Bible
and kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy: for the LORD had made them joyful, and had turned the heart of the king of Assyria to them, to strengthen their hands in the work of God's house, the God of Israel.

Webster's Bible Translation
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 to them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.

World English Bible
and kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy; because Yahweh had made them joyful, and had turned the heart of the king of Assyria to them, to strengthen their hands in the work of God, the God of Israel’s house.

Young's Literal Translation
and they make the feast of unleavened things seven days with joy, for Jehovah made them to rejoice, and turned round the heart of the king of Asshur unto them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Passover
21The Israelites who had returned from exile ate it, together with all who had separated themselves from the uncleanness of the peoples of the land to seek the LORD, the God of Israel. 22For seven days they kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread with joy, because the LORD had made them joyful and turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them to strengthen their hands in the work on the house of the God of Israel.

Cross References
Exodus 12:15
For seven days you must eat unleavened bread. On the first day you are to remove the leaven from your houses. Whoever eats anything leavened from the first day through the seventh must be cut off from Israel.

Ezra 1:1
In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken through Jeremiah, the LORD stirred the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia to send a proclamation throughout his kingdom and to put it in writing as follows:

Ezra 6:1
Thus King Darius ordered a search of the archives stored in the treasury of Babylon.

Ezra 7:27
Blessed be the LORD, the God of our fathers, who has put into the heart of the king to so honor the house of the LORD in Jerusalem,

Nehemiah 13:6
While all this was happening, I was not in Jerusalem, because I had returned to Artaxerxes king of Babylon in the thirty-second year of his reign. Some time later I obtained leave from the king

Proverbs 21:1
The king's heart is a waterway in the hand of the LORD; He directs it where He pleases.

Ezekiel 23:23
the Babylonians and all the Chaldeans, the men of Pekod, Shoa, and Koa, and all the Assyrians with them--all desirable young men, governors and commanders, officers and men of renown, mounted on horses.


Treasury of Scripture

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 to them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.

the feast

Exodus 12:15-20
Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel…

Exodus 13:6,7
Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, and in the seventh day shall be a feast to the LORD…

2 Chronicles 30:21
And the children of Israel that were present at Jerusalem kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with great gladness: and the Levites and the priests praised the LORD day by day, singing with loud instruments unto the LORD.

turned

Ezra 7:27
Blessed be the LORD God of our fathers, which hath put such a thing as this in the king's heart, to beautify the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem:

Proverbs 16:7
When a man's ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.

Proverbs 21:1
The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.

Ezra 6:6
Now therefore, Tatnai, governor beyond the river, Shetharboznai, and your companions the Apharsachites, which are beyond the river, be ye far from thence:

Ezra 1:1
Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,

2 Kings 23:29
In his days Pharaohnechoh king of Egypt went up against the king of Assyria to the river Euphrates: and king Josiah went against him; and he slew him at Megiddo, when he had seen him.

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Assyria Bread Feast Hands Heart House Israel Joy Joyful Kept Observed Seven Strengthen Turned Unleavened Work
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Assyria Bread Feast Hands Heart House Israel Joy Joyful Kept Observed Seven Strengthen Turned Unleavened Work
Ezra 6
1. Darius, finding the decree of Cyrus, makes a new decree for building
13. By the help of Tattenai and Shethar-Bozenai the temple is finished
16. The feast of the dedication is kept
19. and the Passover














(22) And kept the feast.--The Mazzoth, or week of unleavened bread, was the symbol of entire separation from evil, to the service of that God whom on the Passover they accepted as their God. The special joy of this feast was the feeling that the Lord had "turned the heart of the king of Assyria." The king of Persia is so called as a remembrancer of their oppression by his forerunners.

Verse 22. - Kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days. As required by the law (Exodus 12:15; Exodus 13:7; Leviticus 23:6, etc.). On the spiritual meaning of the feast, see 1 Corinthians 5:8. The Lord had... turned the heart of the king of Assyria. It has been generally supposed that Darius is personally meant here, and surprise has been expressed at his being called "king of Assyria." That title is never elsewhere given in Scripture to a king of Persia. Perhaps the writer's real intention in this place is to express in a general way the thankfulness of the Jews that God had turned, the hearts of their civil rulers, whether Assyrians, Babylonians, or Persians, from hostility to friendship, having replaced the bitter enmity of Sennacherib and Nebuchadnezzar by the hearty good-will of Cyrus and Darius. On this view, Assyria would represent merely the great power of Western Asia, and "the king" would not be Darius personally, but the lord of Western Asia in a more general way, who by God's goodness had become the permanent friend of Israel instead of her oppressor and enemy.



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
For seven
שִׁבְעַ֥ת (šiḇ·‘aṯ)
Number - masculine singular construct
Strong's 7651: Seven, seven times, a week, an indefinite number

days
יָמִ֖ים (yā·mîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 3117: A day

they observed
וַיַּֽעֲשׂ֧וּ (way·ya·‘ă·śū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 6213: To do, make

the Feast
חַג־ (ḥaḡ-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 2282: A festival gathering, feast, pilgrim feast

of Unleavened Bread
מַצּ֛וֹת (maṣ·ṣō·wṯ)
Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 4682: Sweetness, sweet, an unfermented cake, loaf, the festival of Passover

with joy,
בְּשִׂמְחָ֑ה (bə·śim·ḥāh)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 8057: Blithesomeness, glee

because
כִּ֣י ׀ (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

the LORD
יְהוָ֗ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

had made them joyful
שִׂמְּחָ֣ם (śim·mə·ḥām)
Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine plural
Strong's 8055: To brighten up, be, blithe, gleesome

and turned
וְֽהֵסֵ֞ב (wə·hê·sêḇ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5437: To turn about, go around, surround

the heart
לֵ֤ב (lêḇ)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3820: The heart, the feelings, the will, the intellect, centre

of the king
מֶֽלֶךְ־ (me·leḵ-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4428: A king

of Assyria
אַשּׁוּר֙ (’aš·šūr)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 804: Ashshur

toward them
עֲלֵיהֶ֔ם (‘ă·lê·hem)
Preposition | third person masculine plural
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

to strengthen
לְחַזֵּ֣ק (lə·ḥaz·zêq)
Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct
Strong's 2388: To fasten upon, to seize, be strong, obstinate, to bind, restrain, conquer

their hands
יְדֵיהֶ֔ם (yə·ḏê·hem)
Noun - fdc | third person masculine plural
Strong's 3027: A hand

in the work
בִּמְלֶ֥אכֶת (bim·le·ḵeṯ)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 4399: Deputyship, ministry, employment, work, property

on the house
בֵּית־ (bêṯ-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1004: A house

of the God
הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים (hā·’ĕ·lō·hîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

of Israel.
יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ (yiś·rā·’êl)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc


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OT History: Ezra 6:22 And kept the feast of unleavened bread (Ezr. Ez)
Ezra 6:21
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