Lectionary Calendar
Wednesday, September 10th, 2025
the Week of Proper 18 / Ordinary 23
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Read the Bible

The NET Bible®

2 Chronicles 30:3

They were unable to observe it at the regular time because not enough priests had consecrated themselves and the people had not assembled in Jerusalem.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Backsliders;   Derision;   Form;   Liberality;   Minister, Christian;   Month;   Passover;   Proclamation;   Thompson Chain Reference - Awakenings and Religious Reforms;   Awakenings, Religious;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Feast of the Passover, the;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Hezekiah;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Judah, Kingdom of;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Letter;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Chronicles, I;   Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Hezekiah;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Sama'ria, Country of;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Passover;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
because they were not able to observe it at the appropriate time. Not enough of the priests had consecrated themselves, and the people hadn’t been gathered together in Jerusalem.
Hebrew Names Version
For they could not keep it at that time, because the Kohanim had not sanctified themselves in sufficient number, neither had the people gathered themselves together to Yerushalayim.
King James Version
For they could not keep it at that time, because the priests had not sanctified themselves sufficiently, neither had the people gathered themselves together to Jerusalem.
English Standard Version
for they could not keep it at that time because the priests had not consecrated themselves in sufficient number, nor had the people assembled in Jerusalem—
New Century Version
They could not celebrate it at the normal time, because not enough priests had made themselves ready to serve the Lord , and the people had not yet gathered in Jerusalem.
Amplified Bible
since they could not celebrate it at that time because a sufficient number of priests had not consecrated themselves, nor had the people assembled at Jerusalem.
New American Standard Bible
since they could not celebrate it at that time, because the priests had not consecrated themselves in sufficient numbers, nor had the people been gathered to Jerusalem.
World English Bible
For they could not keep it at that time, because the priests had not sanctified themselves in sufficient number, neither had the people gathered themselves together to Jerusalem.
Geneva Bible (1587)
For they could not keepe it at this time, because there were not Priests enow sanctified, neither was the people gathered to Ierusalem.
Legacy Standard Bible
since they could not celebrate it at that time, because the priests had not set themselves apart as holy in sufficient numbers, nor had the people been gathered to Jerusalem.
Berean Standard Bible
since they had been unable to observe it at the regular time, because not enough priests had consecrated themselves and the people had not been gathered in Jerusalem.
Complete Jewish Bible
They had not been able to observe it at the proper time because the cohanim had not consecrated themselves in sufficient number; also the people had not assembled in Yerushalayim.
Darby Translation
For they could not keep it at that time, because the priests had not hallowed themselves in sufficient number, neither had the people been gathered together to Jerusalem.
Easy-to-Read Version
They could not celebrate the Passover Festival at the regular time, because not enough priests had made themselves ready for holy service and the people had not gathered in Jerusalem.
George Lamsa Translation
For they could not keep it at the appointed time because the priests had not sanctified themselves, neither had the instructors of the people gathered themselves together to Jerusalem.
Lexham English Bible
but they were not able to make it at that time, for the priests had not consecrated themselves in sufficient numbers, and the people had not been assembled in Jerusalem—
Literal Translation
since they could not do it at that time, for the priests had not cleansed themselves enough. And the people had not been gathered to Jerusalem.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
for at that tyme they coulde not kepe it, because the prestes were not sanctified ynough, and the people were not yet come together vnto Ierusalem.
American Standard Version
For they could not keep it at that time, because the priests had not sanctified themselves in sufficient number, neither had the people gathered themselves together to Jerusalem.
Bible in Basic English
It was not possible to keep it at that time, because not enough priests had made themselves holy, and the people had not come together in Jerusalem.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
For they coulde not kepe it at that time, because the priestes were not sanctified sufficiently, neither was the people gathered together to Hierusalem.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
For they could not keep it at that time, because the priests had not sanctified themselves in sufficient number, neither had the people gathered themselves together to Jerusalem.
King James Version (1611)
For they could not keepe it at that time, because the Priests had not sanctified themselues sufficiently, neither had the people gathered themselues together to Ierusalem.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
For they could not keep it at that time, because a sufficient number of priest had not purified themselves, and the people was not gathered to Jerusalem.
English Revised Version
For they could not keep it at that time, because the priests had not sanctified themselves in sufficient number, neither had the people gathered themselves together to Jerusalem.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
For thei demyden not to do in his tyme; for the preestis that myyten suffice weren not halewid, and the puple was not yit gaderid in to Jerusalem.
Update Bible Version
For they could not keep it at that time, because the priests had not sanctified themselves in sufficient number, neither had the people gathered themselves together to Jerusalem.
Webster's Bible Translation
For they could not keep it at that time, because the priests had not sanctified themselves sufficiently, neither had the people assembled themselves at Jerusalem.
New King James Version
For they could not keep it at the regular time, Leviticus 23:5); literally at that time">[fn] because a sufficient number of priests had not consecrated themselves, nor had the people gathered together at Jerusalem.
New Living Translation
They were unable to celebrate it at the prescribed time because not enough priests could be purified by then, and the people had not yet assembled at Jerusalem.
New Life Bible
For they could not keep it at the set time, because there had not been enough religious leaders who had made themselves holy. And the people had not been gathered to Jerusalem.
New Revised Standard
(for they could not keep it at its proper time because the priests had not sanctified themselves in sufficient number, nor had the people assembled in Jerusalem).
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
For they were unable to keep it at that time, - because, the priests, had not hallowed themselves in sufficient numbers, and, the people, had not gathered themselves unto Jerusalem.
Douay-Rheims Bible
For they could not keep it in its time; because there were not priests enough sanctified, and the people was not as yet gathered together to Jerusalem.
Revised Standard Version
for they could not keep it in its time because the priests had not sanctified themselves in sufficient number, nor had the people assembled in Jerusalem--
Young's Literal Translation
for they have not been able to make it at that time, for the priests have not sanctified themselves sufficiently, and the people have not been gathered to Jerusalem.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
since they could not celebrate it at that time, because the priests had not consecrated themselves in sufficient numbers, nor had the people been gathered to Jerusalem.

Contextual Overview

1 Hezekiah sent messages throughout Israel and Judah; he even wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh, summoning them to come to the Lord 's temple in Jerusalem and observe a Passover celebration for the Lord God of Israel. 2 The king, his officials, and the entire assembly in Jerusalem decided to observe the Passover in the second month. 3 They were unable to observe it at the regular time because not enough priests had consecrated themselves and the people had not assembled in Jerusalem. 4 The proposal seemed appropriate to the king and the entire assembly. 5 So they sent an edict throughout Israel from Beer Sheba to Dan, summoning the people to come and observe a Passover for the Lord God of Israel in Jerusalem, for they had not observed it on a nationwide scale as prescribed in the law. 6 Messengers delivered the letters from the king and his officials throughout Israel and Judah. This royal edict read: "O Israelites, return to the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, so he may return to you who have been spared from the kings of Assyria. 7 Don't be like your fathers and brothers who were unfaithful to the Lord God of their ancestors, provoking him to destroy them, as you can see. 8 Now, don't be stubborn like your fathers! Submit to the Lord and come to his sanctuary which he has permanently consecrated. Serve the Lord your God so that he might relent from his raging anger. 9 For if you return to the Lord , your brothers and sons will be shown mercy by their captors and return to this land. The Lord your God is merciful and compassionate; he will not reject you if you return to him." 10 The messengers journeyed from city to city through the land of Ephraim and Manasseh as far as Zebulun, but people mocked and ridiculed them.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

at that time: Exodus 12:6, Exodus 12:18

because: 2 Chronicles 29:34

Reciprocal: Exodus 19:22 - break 2 Chronicles 35:6 - sanctify

Cross-References

Genesis 30:2
Jacob became furious with Rachel and exclaimed, "Am I in the place of God, who has kept you from having children?"
Genesis 30:3
She replied, "Here is my servant Bilhah! Have sexual relations with her so that she can bear children for me and I can have a family through her."
Genesis 30:9
When Leah saw that she had stopped having children, she gave her servant Zilpah to Jacob as a wife.
Genesis 50:23
Joseph saw the descendants of Ephraim to the third generation. He also saw the children of Makir the son of Manasseh; they were given special inheritance rights by Joseph.
Ruth 4:11
All the people who were at the gate and the elders replied, "We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is entering your home like Rachel and Leah, both of whom built up the house of Israel! May you prosper in Ephrathah and become famous in Bethlehem.
Job 3:12
Why did the knees welcome me, and why were there two breasts that I might nurse at them?

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For they could not keep it at the time,.... In the month Nisan, as the Targum adds, on the fourteenth day of the month, as the law enjoined, because the cleansing of the temple was not finished until the sixteenth day, see 2 Chronicles 29:17 and, besides this, two other reasons follow:

because the priests had not sanctified themselves sufficiently; that is, a sufficient number of them were not sanctified, to slay all the passover lambs the people that came to the feast would want:

neither had the people gathered themselves together to Jerusalem; they had no notice of it, nor summons for it; and it was required that, at such a time, all the males in the land should appear at Jerusalem; but this custom having been long disused, it required time to acquaint them of the revival of it.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

At that time - i. e. in the first month, at the time of the events mentioned in 2 Chronicles 29:0.


 
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