Ezra 6:20

“For the priests and the Levites were purified together, all of them were pure, etc.] They were all to a man pure, and all purified as one man; all were of one mind to purify themselves, and took care to do it, and did it with as much dispatch as if only one man was purified; so that they were more generally prepared for service now than in the times of Hezekiah, (<142934>2 Chronicles 29:34 30:3) and killed the passover for all the children of the captivity, and for their brethren the priests and for themselves; which seems to have been done by the Levites, for themselves and for the priests, and for all the people, who were not so pure as the priests and Levites; or otherwise they might have…”

“Some render, “And the priests were purified; and the Levites, as one man, were all of them pure.” A contrast is drawn between the universal purity of the Levites and the merely general purity of the priests 2Ch 29:34; 2 Chronicles 30:3, which made it fitting that the former should undertake the slaughter of all the Paschal lambs, even of those which the priests were to consume. In later times the ordinary practice was for each head of a family to kill for himself. return to 'Top of Page'”

“6:20 purified themselves: They acted in accord with the law of Moses (see Lev 9; Num 8; 2 Chr 29).”

“purified together: Ch2 29:34, Ch2 30:15-17 killed: Exo 12:21; Ch2 35:11; Heb 7:27 Ezra 6:21”