2 Kings 23:21

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

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — King Josiah addresses the entire population of Judah immediately after dismantling the high-place altars and returning to Jerusalem. He issues a direct command to reinstate the Passover celebration.

The words — The Hebrew verb עֲשׂוּ (asu) literally means "do" or "perform," paired with פֶּסַח (pesach) for "Passover," stressing active execution rather than mere remembrance.

The thread — This command directly references the original instructions in Exodus 12:3 and Numbers 9:2, while explicitly anchoring the observance to the authority of Deuteronomy 16:1.

Why it lands — The text demands immediate, collective compliance with the written covenant rather than independent ritual innovation. Readers must align their practice with the recorded commands of Scripture.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וַיְצַ֤וva/y.Tzavand/ he commanded הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ha./Me.lekhthe/ king אֶת־'et-<obj.>כָּל־kol-all הָעָ֣םha./'Amthe/ people לֵאמֹ֔רle./Mor<to>/ saying עֲשׂ֣וּ'a.Suobserve פֶ֔סַחFe.sacha passover לַֽיהוָ֖הla./Yah.wehto/ Yahweh אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֑ם'e.lo.hei./KhemGod/ your כַּכָּת֕וּבka./ka.Tuvaccording to <the>/ [what] is written עַ֛ל'alon סֵ֥פֶרSe.fer[the] scroll of הַבְּרִ֖יתha./be.Ritthe/ covenant הַזֶּֽה׃ha./Zeh<the>/ this

King James Version

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.

Cross-references

Deuteronomy 16:1 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.
Numbers 9:2 “The Israelites are to observe the Passover at its appointed time.
Exodus 12:3 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 23:5 The Passover to the LORD begins at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month.
Numbers 28:16 The fourteenth day of the first month is the LORD’s Passover.
2 Chronicles 35:1 Then Josiah kept the Passover to the LORD in Jerusalem, and the Passover lamb was slaughtered on the fourteenth day of the first month.