2 Kings 23:21
New International Version
The king gave this order to all the people: “Celebrate the Passover to the LORD your God, as it is written in this Book of the Covenant.”

New Living Translation
King Josiah then issued this order to all the people: “You must celebrate the Passover to the LORD your God, as required in this Book of the Covenant.”

English Standard Version
And the king commanded all the people, “Keep the Passover to the LORD your God, as it is written in this Book of the Covenant.”

Berean Standard Bible
The king commanded all the people, “Keep the Passover of the LORD your God, as it is written in this Book of the Covenant.”

King James Bible
And the king commanded all the people, saying, Keep the passover unto the LORD your God, as it is written in the book of this covenant.

New King James Version
Then the king commanded all the people, saying, “Keep the Passover to the LORD your God, as it is written in this Book of the Covenant.”

New American Standard Bible
Then the king commanded all the people, saying, “Celebrate the Passover to the LORD your God as it is written in this Book of the Covenant.”

NASB 1995
Then the king commanded all the people saying, “Celebrate the Passover to the LORD your God as it is written in this book of the covenant.”

NASB 1977
Then the king commanded all the people saying, “Celebrate the Passover to the LORD your God as it is written in this book of the covenant.”

Legacy Standard Bible
Then the king commanded all the people saying, “Celebrate the Passover to Yahweh your God as it is written in this book of the covenant.”

Amplified Bible
Then the king commanded all the people, saying, “Celebrate the Passover to the LORD your God as it is written in this book of the covenant.”

Christian Standard Bible
The king commanded all the people, “Observe the Passover of the LORD your God as written in the book of the covenant.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The king commanded all the people, “Keep the Passover of the LORD your God as written in the book of the covenant.”

American Standard Version
And the king commanded all the people, saying, Keep the passover unto Jehovah your God, as it is written in this book of the covenant.

Contemporary English Version
Josiah told the people of Judah, "Celebrate Passover in honor of the LORD your God, just as it says in The Book of God's Law."

English Revised Version
And the king commanded all the people, saying, Keep the passover unto the LORD your God, as it is written in this book of the covenant.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The king ordered all the people to celebrate the Passover for the LORD their God as it is written in this Book of the Promise.

Good News Translation
King Josiah ordered the people to celebrate the Passover in honor of the LORD their God, as written in the book of the covenant.

International Standard Version
After this, the king commanded all of the people, "Celebrate the Passover to the LORD your God, just as it's prescribed in this Book of the Covenant."

Majority Standard Bible
The king commanded all the people, ?Keep the Passover of the LORD your God, as it is written in this Book of the Covenant.?

NET Bible
The king ordered all the people, "Observe the Passover of the LORD your God, as prescribed in this scroll of the covenant."

New Heart English Bible
The king commanded all the people, saying, "Keep the Passover to the LORD your God, as it is written in this scroll of the covenant."

Webster's Bible Translation
And the king commanded all the people, saying, Keep the passover to the LORD your God, as it is written in the book of this covenant.

World English Bible
The king commanded all the people, saying, “Keep the Passover to Yahweh your God, as it is written in this book of the covenant.”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And the king commands the whole of the people, saying, “Make a Passover to your God YHWH, as it is written on this scroll of the covenant.”

Young's Literal Translation
And the king commandeth the whole of the people, saying, 'Make ye a passover to Jehovah your God, as it is written on this book of the covenant.'

Smith's Literal Translation
And the king will command all the people, saying, Do the passover to Jehovah your God, according to the writing upon the book of this covenant.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And he commanded all the people, saying: Keep the phase to the Lord your God, according as it is written in the book of this covenant.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And he instructed all the people, saying: “Keep the Passover to the Lord your God, according to what has been written in the book of this covenant.”

New American Bible
The king issued a command to all the people: “Observe the Passover of the LORD, your God, as it is written in this book of the covenant.”

New Revised Standard Version
The king commanded all the people, “Keep the passover to the LORD your God as prescribed in this book of the covenant.”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And the king commanded all the people, saying, Keep the passover to the LORD your God. as it is written in the book of this covenant.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And the King commanded all the people, and said: “Perform the Passover to LORD JEHOVAH your God, as it is written in the Book of this Covenant
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And the king commanded all the people, saying: 'Keep the passover unto the LORD your God, as it is written in this book of the covenant.'

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And the king commanded all the people, saying, Keep the passover to the Lord your God, as it is written in the book of this covenant.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Josiah Restores the Passover
21The king commanded all the people, “Keep the Passover of the LORD your God, as it is written in this Book of the Covenant.” 22No such Passover had been observed from the days of the judges who had governed Israel through all the days of the kings of Israel and Judah.…

Cross References
Exodus 12:24-27
And you are to keep this command as a permanent statute for you and your descendants. / When you enter the land that the LORD will give you as He promised, you are to keep this service. / When your children ask you, ‘What does this service mean to you?’ ...

Deuteronomy 16:1-8
Observe the month of Abib and celebrate the Passover to the LORD your God, because in the month of Abib the LORD your God brought you out of Egypt by night. / You are to offer to the LORD your God the Passover sacrifice from the herd or flock in the place the LORD will choose as a dwelling for His Name. / You must not eat leavened bread with it; for seven days you are to eat with it unleavened bread, the bread of affliction, because you left the land of Egypt in haste—so that you may remember for the rest of your life the day you left the land of Egypt. ...

2 Chronicles 35:1-19
Then Josiah kept the Passover to the LORD in Jerusalem, and the Passover lamb was slaughtered on the fourteenth day of the first month. / He appointed the priests to their duties and encouraged them in the service of the house of the LORD. / To the Levites who taught all Israel and were holy to the LORD, Josiah said: “Put the holy ark in the temple built by Solomon son of David king of Israel. It is not to be carried around on your shoulders. Now serve the LORD your God and His people Israel. ...

Exodus 12:1-14
Now the LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, / “This month is the beginning of months for you; it shall be the first month of your year. / Tell the whole congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man must select a lamb for his family, one per household. ...

Leviticus 23:4-8
These are the LORD’s appointed feasts, the sacred assemblies you are to proclaim at their appointed times. / The Passover to the LORD begins at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month. / On the fifteenth day of the same month begins the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the LORD. For seven days you must eat unleavened bread. ...

Numbers 9:1-5
In the first month of the second year after Israel had come out of the land of Egypt, the LORD spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai: / “The Israelites are to observe the Passover at its appointed time. / You are to observe it at the appointed time, at twilight on the fourteenth day of this month, in accordance with its statutes and ordinances.” ...

Joshua 5:10-12
On the evening of the fourteenth day of the month, while the Israelites were camped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, they kept the Passover. / The day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate unleavened bread and roasted grain from the produce of the land. / And the day after they had eaten from the produce of the land, the manna ceased. There was no more manna for the Israelites, so that year they began to eat the crops of the land of Canaan.

1 Corinthians 5:7-8
Get rid of the old leaven, that you may be a new unleavened batch, as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. / Therefore let us keep the feast, not with the old bread, leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and of truth.

Matthew 26:17-19
On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?” / He answered, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him that the Teacher says, ‘My time is near. I will keep the Passover with My disciples at your house.’” / So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover.

Mark 14:12-16
On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb was to be sacrificed, Jesus’ disciples asked Him, “Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?” / So He sent two of His disciples and told them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jug of water will meet you. Follow him, / and whichever house he enters, say to the owner, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is My guest room, where I may eat the Passover with My disciples?’ ...

Luke 22:7-13
Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb was to be sacrificed. / Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover.” / “Where do You want us to prepare it?” they asked. ...

John 2:13-23
When the Jewish Passover was near, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. / In the temple courts He found men selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and money changers seated at their tables. / So He made a whip out of cords and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle. He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. ...

John 13:1
It was now just before the Passover Feast, and Jesus knew that His hour had come to leave this world and return to the Father. Having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the very end.

Hebrews 11:28
By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch Israel’s own firstborn.

2 Chronicles 30:1-5
Then Hezekiah sent word throughout all Israel and Judah, and he also wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh inviting them to come to the house of the LORD in Jerusalem to keep the Passover of the LORD, the God of Israel. / For the king and his officials and the whole assembly in Jerusalem had decided to keep the Passover in the second month, / since they had been unable to keep it at the regular time, because not enough priests had consecrated themselves and the people had not been gathered in Jerusalem. ...


Treasury of Scripture

And the king commanded all the people, saying, Keep the passover to the LORD your God, as it is written in the book of this covenant.

Keep.

2 Chronicles 35:1-19
Moreover Josiah kept a passover unto the LORD in Jerusalem: and they killed the passover on the fourteenth day of the first month…

as it is written.

Exodus 12:3-20
Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house: …

Leviticus 23:5-8
In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the LORD'S passover…

Numbers 9:2-5
Let the children of Israel also keep the passover at his appointed season…

Jump to Previous
Book Celebrate Commanded Commandeth Covenant Hold Order Orders Passover Whole Written
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Book Celebrate Commanded Commandeth Covenant Hold Order Orders Passover Whole Written
2 Kings 23
1. Josiah causes the book to be read in a solemn assembly.
3. He renews the covenant of the Lord.
4. He destroys idolatry.
15. He burns dead men's bones upon the altar of Bethel, as was prophesied.
21. He keeps a most solemn Passover.
24. He puts away witches and all abomination.
26. God's final wrath against Judah.
29. Josiah, provoking Pharaoh Neco, is slain at Megiddo.
31. Jehoahaz, succeeding him,
33. is imprisoned by Pharaoh Neco, who makes Jehoiakim king.
36. Jehoiakim's wicked reign.














The king commanded
This phrase highlights the authority and responsibility of the king, Josiah, in leading the people back to covenant faithfulness. In the Hebrew context, the king was not only a political leader but also a spiritual guide. Josiah's command reflects his commitment to restoring proper worship and obedience to God's laws, emphasizing the role of leadership in spiritual revival.

all the people
This phrase underscores the inclusivity of the command. Josiah's reform was not limited to a select group but extended to the entire nation of Judah. It reflects the communal aspect of worship in ancient Israel, where the entire community was called to participate in religious observance, highlighting the collective responsibility of God's people to uphold His commandments.

Keep the Passover
The Passover was a foundational feast in Israel's religious life, commemorating their deliverance from Egypt. The Hebrew root for "keep" (שָׁמַר, shamar) implies careful observance and guarding. Josiah's call to keep the Passover signifies a return to foundational practices and a renewal of identity as God's redeemed people. It serves as a reminder of God's past deliverance and a call to faithfulness.

to the LORD your God
This phrase emphasizes the covenant relationship between God and Israel. The use of "your God" personalizes the relationship, reminding the people of their unique identity as God's chosen nation. It calls them to exclusive worship and loyalty to Yahweh, rejecting idolatry and affirming their commitment to the one true God.

as it is written
This phrase points to the authority of Scripture as the basis for religious practice. Josiah's reforms were grounded in the written Word, specifically the "Book of the Covenant," which likely refers to the rediscovered book of the Law (possibly Deuteronomy). It underscores the importance of Scripture as the ultimate guide for faith and practice, a principle that remains central in conservative Christian theology.

in this Book of the Covenant
The "Book of the Covenant" refers to the legal and moral code given by God to Israel, which includes the laws and commandments found in the Torah. This phrase highlights the rediscovery and reimplementation of God's laws during Josiah's reign. It serves as a reminder of the enduring relevance of God's Word and the need for continual reformation and alignment with divine standards.

(21) Keep the passover.--Hold a passover (2Kings 23:22). (Comp. 2Chronicles 35:1-19 for a more detailed account of this unique celebration.) Josiah had the precedent of Hezekiah for signalising his religious revolution by a solemn passover (2Chronicles 30:1).

In the book of this covenant.--Rather, in this book of the covenant (2Kings 23:2). The book was that which Hilkiah had found in the Temple, and which gave the impulse to the whole reforming movement. (The LXX. and Vulg. read, in the book of this covenant--a mere mistake.)

Verse 21. - And the king commanded all the people, saying, Keep the Passover. The account given of Josiah's Passover is much more full in Chronicles than in Kings. In Chronicles it occupies nineteen verses of 2 Chronicles 35. We learn from Chronicles that all the rites prescribed by the Law, whether in Exodus, Leviticus, or Deuteronomy, were duly observed, and that the festival was attended, not only by the Judaeans, but by many Israelites from among the ten tribes, who still remained intermixed with the Assyrian colonists in the Samaritan country (see 2 Chronicles 35:17, 18). Unto the Lord your God, as it is written in the book of this covenant. The ordinances for the due observance of the Passover feast are contained chiefly in Exodus (Exodus 12:3-20; Exodus 13:5-10). They are repeated, but with much less fullness, in Deuteronomy 16:1-8. The "book of the covenant" found by Hilkiah must, therefore, certainly have contained Exodus (see below, ver. 25).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
The king
הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ (ham·me·leḵ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4428: A king

commanded
וַיְצַ֤ו (way·ṣaw)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6680: To lay charge (upon), give charge (to), command, order

all
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

the people,
הָעָ֣ם (hā·‘ām)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

“Keep
עֲשׂ֣וּ (‘ă·śū)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural
Strong's 6213: To do, make

the Passover
פֶ֔סַח (p̄e·saḥ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6453: A pretermission, exemption, Passover

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

your God,
אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֑ם (’ĕ·lō·hê·ḵem)
Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

as [it is] written
כַּכָּת֕וּב (kak·kā·ṯūḇ)
Preposition-k, Article | Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular
Strong's 3789: To grave, to write

in
עַ֛ל (‘al)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

this
הַזֶּֽה׃ (haz·zeh)
Article | Pronoun - masculine singular
Strong's 2088: This, that

Book
סֵ֥פֶר (sê·p̄er)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 5612: A missive, document, writing, book

of the Covenant.”
הַבְּרִ֖ית (hab·bə·rîṯ)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 1285: A covenant


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OT History: 2 Kings 23:21 The king commanded all the people saying (2Ki iiKi ii ki 2 kg 2kg)
2 Kings 23:20
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