2 Chronicles 23:6
New International Version
No one is to enter the temple of the LORD except the priests and Levites on duty; they may enter because they are consecrated, but all the others are to observe the LORD’s command not to enter.

New Living Translation
Remember, only the priests and Levites on duty may enter the Temple of the LORD, for they are set apart as holy. The rest of the people must obey the LORD’s instructions and stay outside.

English Standard Version
Let no one enter the house of the LORD except the priests and ministering Levites. They may enter, for they are holy, but all the people shall keep the charge of the LORD.

Berean Standard Bible
No one is to enter the house of the LORD except the priests and those Levites who serve; they may enter because they are consecrated, but all the people are to obey the requirement of the LORD.

King James Bible
But let none come into the house of the LORD, save the priests, and they that minister of the Levites; they shall go in, for they are holy: but all the people shall keep the watch of the LORD.

New King James Version
But let no one come into the house of the LORD except the priests and those of the Levites who serve. They may go in, for they are holy; but all the people shall keep the watch of the LORD.

New American Standard Bible
But no one is to enter the house of the LORD except the priests and the ministering Levites; they may enter, for they are holy. And all the people are to keep the command of the LORD.

NASB 1995
“But let no one enter the house of the LORD except the priests and the ministering Levites; they may enter, for they are holy. And let all the people keep the charge of the LORD.

NASB 1977
“But let no one enter the house of the LORD except the priests and the ministering Levites; they may enter, for they are holy. And let all the people keep the charge of the LORD.

Legacy Standard Bible
But let no one enter the house of Yahweh except the priests and the ministering Levites; they may enter, for they are holy. And let all the people keep the charge of Yahweh.

Amplified Bible
But let no one enter the house (temple) of the LORD except the priests and the Levites who minister; they may enter, for they are holy. And let all the people carefully observe the law of the LORD.

Christian Standard Bible
No one is to enter the LORD’s temple but the priests and those Levites who serve; they may enter because they are holy, but all the people are to obey the requirement of the LORD.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
No one is to enter the LORD’s temple but the priests and those Levites who serve; they may enter because they are holy, but all the people are to obey the requirement of the LORD.

American Standard Version
But let none come into the house of Jehovah, save the priests, and they that minister of the Levites; they shall come in, for they are holy: but all the people shall keep the charge of Jehovah.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And there shall not be a man entering the house of LORD JEHOVAH but the Priests and the Levites; those shall enter, because they are hallowed, and all the people keep guard of the house of LORD JEHOVAH.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And let not any one enter into the house of the Lord, except the priests and the Levites, and the servants of the Levites; they shall enter in, because they are holy: and let all the people keep the watch of the Lord.

Contemporary English Version
Only the priests and Levites who are on duty will be able to enter the temple, because they will be the only ones who have gone through the ceremony to make themselves clean and acceptable. The others must stay outside in the courtyards, just as the LORD has commanded.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And let no one come into the house of the Lord, but the priests, and they that minister of the Levites: let them only come in, because they are sanctified : and let all the rest of the people keep the watches of the Lord.

English Revised Version
But let none come into the house of the LORD, save the priests, and they that minister of the Levites; they shall come in, for they are holy: but all the people shall keep the watch of the LORD.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
No one should come into the LORD's temple except the priests and the Levites who are on duty with them. They may enter because they are holy, but all other people should follow the LORD's regulations.

Good News Translation
No one is to enter the Temple buildings except the priests and the Levites who are on duty. They may enter, because they are consecrated, but the rest of the people must obey the LORD's instructions and stay outside.

International Standard Version
Nobody is to enter the LORD's Temple except for the priests and descendants of Levi who are on duty. They may enter because they are ceremonially holy, but all the rest of the people must observe the LORD's instructions.

JPS Tanakh 1917
But let none come into the house of the LORD, save the priests, and they that minister of the Levites; they shall come in, for they are holy; but all the people shall keep the charge of the LORD.

Literal Standard Version
And none enter the house of YHWH except the priests, and those ministering of the Levites (they go in for they [are] holy), and all the people keep the watch of YHWH;

Majority Standard Bible
No one is to enter the house of the LORD except the priests and those Levites who serve; they may enter because they are consecrated, but all the people are to obey the requirement of the LORD.

New American Bible
Let no one enter the LORD’s house except the priests and those Levites who are ministering. They may enter because they are holy; but all the other people must observe the prescriptions of the LORD.

NET Bible
No one must enter the LORD's temple except the priests and Levites who are on duty. They may enter because they are ceremonially pure. All the others should carry out their assigned service to the LORD.

New Revised Standard Version
Do not let anyone enter the house of the LORD except the priests and ministering Levites; they may enter, for they are holy, but all the other people shall observe the instructions of the LORD.

New Heart English Bible
But let no one come into the house of the LORD, except the priests, and those who minister of the Levites. They shall come in, for they are holy, but all the people shall follow the LORD's instructions.

Webster's Bible Translation
But let none come into the house of the LORD, save the priests, and they that minister of the Levites; they shall go in, for they are holy: but all the people shall keep the watch of the LORD.

World English Bible
But let no one come into Yahweh’s house except the priests and those who minister of the Levites. They shall come in, for they are holy, but all the people shall follow Yahweh’s instructions.

Young's Literal Translation
And none doth enter the house of Jehovah except the priests, and those ministering of the Levites (they go in for they are holy), and all the people keep the watch of Jehovah:

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Joash Anointed King in Judah
5a third shall be at the royal palace, and a third at the Foundation Gate, while all the others are in the courtyards of the house of the LORD. 6No one is to enter the house of the LORD except the priests and those Levites who serve; they may enter because they are consecrated, but all the people are to obey the requirement of the LORD. 7The Levites must surround the king with weapons in hand, and anyone who enters the temple must be put to death. You must stay close to the king wherever he goes.”…

Cross References
1 Chronicles 23:28
but their duty was to assist the descendants of Aaron with the service of the house of the LORD, being responsible for the courts and chambers, the purification of all the holy things, and the work of the service of the house of God,

2 Chronicles 23:5
a third shall be at the royal palace, and a third at the Foundation Gate, while all the others are in the courtyards of the house of the LORD.

2 Chronicles 23:7
The Levites must surround the king with weapons in hand, and anyone who enters the temple must be put to death. You must stay close to the king wherever he goes."


Treasury of Scripture

But let none come into the house of the LORD, save the priests, and they that minister of the Levites; they shall go in, for they are holy: but all the people shall keep the watch of the LORD.

they that minister

2 Kings 11:6,7
And a third part shall be at the gate of Sur; and a third part at the gate behind the guard: so shall ye keep the watch of the house, that it be not broken down…

1 Chronicles 23:28-32
Because their office was to wait on the sons of Aaron for the service of the house of the LORD, in the courts, and in the chambers, and in the purifying of all holy things, and the work of the service of the house of God; …

Jump to Previous
Charge Consecrated Duty Enter Except Holy House Instruction Levites Minister Ministering Orders Priests Rest Save Temple Watch
Jump to Next
Charge Consecrated Duty Enter Except Holy House Instruction Levites Minister Ministering Orders Priests Rest Save Temple Watch
2 Chronicles 23
1. Jehoiada, having set things in order, makes joash king
12. Athaliah is slain
16. Jehoiada restores the worship of God














(6) But let none come into the house of the Lord.--This verse is not read in Kings. Apparently it is merely an emphatic repetition of the direction of the last verse that all the people were to remain in the courts, and not to break the law by presuming to enter the holy chambers. In 2Kings 11:7 we read instead: "And the two parts among you, all that go out on the Sabbath, they shall keep the watch of the house of the Lord, with regard to the king." The last words of the present verse, "And all the people shall keep the watch of the Lord" repeat a portion of this, but in a different sense: "Let all the people carefully observe the legal rule against entering the sanctuary."

Verse 6. - But let none come... save the priests. Through this little chink we get some light confirmatory of the concurrent jurisdiction of the account in the parallel The express caution of this clause shows that there were others about, and others officiating, beside the Levites, who only have been mentioned hitherto in our text, except under the most generic designation (as before, so again in last clause of this verse) of "all the people." The last clause of this verse may cover the contents of ver. 7 in the parallel. The distinction between "the courts of the house of the Lord" (ver. 5), and "the house of the Lord" (ver. 6) is, of course, quite apparent.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
No
וְאַל־ (wə·’al-)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb
Strong's 408: Not

one is to enter
יָב֣וֹא (yā·ḇō·w)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

the house
בֵית־ (ḇêṯ-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1004: A house

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

except
כִּ֤י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

the priests
הַכֹּֽהֲנִים֙ (hak·kō·hă·nîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 3548: Priest

and those Levites
לַלְוִיִּ֔ם (lal·wî·yim)
Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine plural
Strong's 3881: Levites -- descendant of Levi

who serve;
וְהַמְשָׁרְתִ֣ים (wə·ham·šā·rə·ṯîm)
Conjunctive waw, Article | Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 8334: To attend as a, menial, worshipper, to contribute to

they
הֵ֥מָּה (hêm·māh)
Pronoun - third person masculine plural
Strong's 1992: They

may enter
יָבֹ֖אוּ (yā·ḇō·’ū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

because
כִּי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

they
הֵ֑מָּה (hêm·māh)
Pronoun - third person masculine plural
Strong's 1992: They

are consecrated,
קֹ֣דֶשׁ (qō·ḏeš)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6944: A sacred place, thing, sanctity

but all
וְכָל־ (wə·ḵāl)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

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

are to obey
יִשְׁמְר֖וּ (yiš·mə·rū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 8104: To hedge about, guard, to protect, attend to

the requirement
מִשְׁמֶ֥רֶת (miš·me·reṯ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 4931: A guard, watch, charge, function

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


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OT History: 2 Chronicles 23:6 But let none come into the house (2 Chron. 2Ch iiCh ii ch 2 chr 2chr)
2 Chronicles 23:5
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