Ezra 8

Chapter context

What is happening in Ezra 8?

returntempleTorahrepentance

Ezra 8 belongs to the middle movement of the book, especially the section often described as Ezra’s mission and public reform. Ezra tells of the return under Persian decree, the rebuilding of the temple, and the ministry of Ezra as priestly scribe and reformer. Read this chapter with the wider themes of return, temple, and Torah in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.

¹ These are now the chief of their fathers, and this is the genealogy of them that went up with me from Babylon, in the reign of Artaxerxes the king. ² Of the sons of Phinehas; Gershom: of the sons of Ithamar; Daniel: of the sons of David; Hattush. ³ Of the sons of Shechaniah, of the sons of Pharosh; Zechariah: and with him were reckoned by genealogy of the males an hundred and fifty. ⁴ Of the sons of Pahathmoab; Elihoenai the son of Zerahiah, and with him two hundred males. ⁵ Of the sons of Shechaniah; the son of Jahaziel, and with him three hundred males. ⁶ Of the sons also of Adin; Ebed the son of Jonathan, and with him fifty males. ⁷ And of the sons of Elam; Jeshaiah the son of Athaliah, and with him seventy males. ⁸ And of the sons of Shephatiah; Zebadiah the son of Michael, and with him fourscore males. ⁹ Of the sons of Joab; Obadiah the son of Jehiel, and with him two hundred and eighteen males. ¹⁰ And of the sons of Shelomith; the son of Josiphiah, and with him an hundred and threescore males. ¹¹ And of the sons of Bebai; Zechariah the son of Bebai, and with him twenty and eight males. ¹² And of the sons of Azgad; Johanan the son of Hakkatan, and with him an hundred and ten males. ¹³ And of the last sons of Adonikam, whose names are these, Eliphelet, Jeiel, and Shemaiah, and with them threescore males. ¹⁴ Of the sons also of Bigvai; Uthai, and Zabbud, and with them seventy males. ¹⁵ And I gathered them together to the river that runneth to Ahava; and there abode we in tents three days: and I viewed the people, and the priests, and found there none of the sons of Levi. ¹⁶ Then sent I for Eliezer, for Ariel, for Shemaiah, and for Elnathan, and for Jarib, and for Elnathan, and for Nathan, and for Zechariah, and for Meshullam, chief men; also for Joiarib, and for Elnathan, men of understanding. ¹⁷ And I sent them with commandment unto Iddo the chief at the place Casiphia, and I told them what they should say unto Iddo, and to his brethren the Nethinims, at the place Casiphia, that they should bring unto us ministers for the house of our God. ¹⁸ And by the good hand of our God upon us they brought us a man of understanding, of the sons of Mahli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel; and Sherebiah, with his sons and his brethren, eighteen; ¹⁹ And Hashabiah, and with him Jeshaiah of the sons of Merari, his brethren and their sons, twenty; ²⁰ Also of the Nethinims, whom David and the princes had appointed for the service of the Levites, two hundred and twenty Nethinims: all of them were expressed by name. ²¹ Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river of Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance. ²² For I was ashamed to require of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy in the way: because we had spoken unto the king, saying, The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek him; but his power and his wrath is against all them that forsake him. ²³ So we fasted and besought our God for this: and he was intreated of us. ²⁴ Then I separated twelve of the chief of the priests, Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their brethren with them, ²⁵ And weighed unto them the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, even the offering of the house of our God, which the king, and his counsellors, and his lords, and all Israel there present, had offered: ²⁶ I even weighed unto their hand six hundred and fifty talents of silver, and silver vessels an hundred talents, and of gold an hundred talents; ²⁷ Also twenty basons of gold, of a thousand drams; and two vessels of fine copper, precious as gold. ²⁸ And I said unto them, Ye are holy unto the LORD; the vessels are holy also; and the silver and the gold are a freewill offering unto the LORD God of your fathers. ²⁹ Watch ye, and keep them, until ye weigh them before the chief of the priests and the Levites, and chief of the fathers of Israel, at Jerusalem, in the chambers of the house of the LORD. ³⁰ So took the priests and the Levites the weight of the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, to bring them to Jerusalem unto the house of our God. ³¹ Then we departed from the river of Ahava on the twelfth day of the first month, to go unto Jerusalem: and the hand of our God was upon us, and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy, and of such as lay in wait by the way. ³² And we came to Jerusalem, and abode there three days. ³³ Now on the fourth day was the silver and the gold and the vessels weighed in the house of our God by the hand of Meremoth the son of Uriah the priest; and with him was Eleazar the son of Phinehas; and with them was Jozabad the son of Jeshua, and Noadiah the son of Binnui, Levites; ³⁴ By number and by weight of every one: and all the weight was written at that time. ³⁵ Also the children of those that had been carried away, which were come out of the captivity, offered burnt offerings unto the God of Israel, twelve bullocks for all Israel, ninety and six rams, seventy and seven lambs, twelve he goats for a sin offering: all this was a burnt offering unto the LORD. ³⁶ And they delivered the king’s commissions unto the king’s lieutenants, and to the governors on this side the river: and they furthered the people, and the house of God.

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Glossary

Babylonia Place v. 1: Biblical region. Modern identification: Babylon.
Daniel Person v. 2: God is my judge, or judge of God. (1. ) David’s second son, “born unto him in Hebron, of Abigail the Carmelitess” ( 1 Chr. 3:1 ). He is called also Chileab ( 2 Sam. 3:3 ).
David Person v. 2, 20: Beloved, the eighth and youngest son of Jesse, a citizen of Bethlehem. His father seems to have been a man in humble life. His mother’s name is not recorded. Some think she was the Nahash of 2 Sam. 17:25 .
Gershom Person v. 2: Expulsion. (1. ) The eldest son of Levi ( 1 Chr. 6:16 , 17, 20, 43, 62, 71; 15:7)=GERSHON (q. v. ). (2. ) The elder of the two sons of Moses born to him in Midian ( Ex. 2:22 ; 18:3 ).
Hattush Person v. 2: Assembled. (1. ) A priest who returned with Zerubbabel ( Neh. 12:2 ). (2. ) Ezra 8:2 . (3. ) Neh. 3:10 . (4. ) Neh. 10:4 . (5. ) 1 Chr. 3:22 .
Ithamar Person v. 2: Palm isle, the fourth and youngest son of Aaron ( 1 Chr. 6:3 ). He was consecrated to the priesthood along with his brothers.
Phinehas Person v. 2, 33: Mouth of brass, or from old Egypt, the negro. (1. ) Son of Eleazar, the high priest ( Ex. 6:25 ).
Zechariah Person v. 3, 11, 16: Jehovah is renowned or remembered. (1. ) A prophet of Judah, the eleventh of the twelve minor prophets. Like Ezekiel, he was of priestly extraction. He describes himself (1:1) as.
Jahaziel Person v. 5: Beheld by God. (1. ) The third son of Hebron ( 1 Chr. 23:19 ). (2. ) A Benjamite chief who joined David at Ziklag ( 1 Chr. 12:4 ). (3. ) A priest who accompanied the removal of the ark to Jerusalem ( 1 Chr. 16:6 ).
Ebed Person v. 6: Slave, the father of Gaal, in whom the men of Shechem “put confidence” in their conspiracy against Abimelech ( Judg. 9:26 , 26, 30, 31).
Jonathan Person v. 6: Whom Jehovah gave, the name of fifteen or more persons that are mentioned in Scripture. The chief of these are, (1. ) A Levite descended from Gershom ( Judg. 18:30 ). His history is recorded in 17:7-13 and 18:30.
Athaliah Person v. 7: Whom God afflicts. (1. ) The daughter of Ahab and Jezebel, and the wife of Jehoram, king of Judah ( 2 Kings 8:18 ), who “walked in the ways of the house of Ahab” ( 2 Chr. 21:6 ), called “daughter” of Omri ( 2 Kings 8:26 ).
Shephatiah Person v. 8: Judged of the Lord. (1. ) A son of David by Abital ( 2 Sam. 3:4 ). (2. ) A Benjamite who joined David at Ziklag ( 1 Chr. 12:5 ). (3. ) A Simeonite prince in David’s time ( 1 Chr. 27:16 ).
Zebadiah Person v. 8: Gift of Jehovah. (1. ) A son of Asahel, Joab’s brother ( 1 Chr. 27:7 ). (2. ) A Levite who took part as one of the teachers in the system of national education instituted by Jehoshaphat ( 2 Chr. 17:7 , 8).
Joab Person v. 9: Jehovah is his father. (1. ) One of the three sons of Zeruiah, David’s sister, and “captain of the host” during the whole of David’s reign ( 2 Sam. 2:13 ; 10:7 ; 11:1 ; 1 Kings 11:15 ).
Obadiah Person v. 9: Servant of the Lord. (1. ) An Israelite who was chief in the household of King Ahab ( 1 Kings 18:3 ).
Shemaiah Person v. 13, 16: Whom Jehovah heard. (1. ) A prophet in the reign of Rehoboam ( 1 Kings 12:22-24 ). (2. ) Neh. 3:29 . (3. ) A Simeonite ( 1 Chr. 4:37 ). (4. ) A priest ( Neh. 12:42 ). (5. ) A Levite ( 1 Chr. 9:16 ). (6. ) 1 Chr. 9:14 ; Neh. 11:15 .
Ahava Place v. 15, 21, 31: Biblical canal. Modern identification: Babylon.
Levi Person v. 15, 18: Adhesion. (1. ) The third son of Jacob by Leah. The origin of the name is found in Leah’s words ( Gen. 29:34 ).
Elnathan Person v. 16: Whom God has given. (1. ) An inhabitant of Jerusalem, the father of Nehushta, who was the mother of king Jehoiachin ( 2 Kings 24:8 ).
Jarib Person v. 16: An adversary. (1. ) A son of Simeon ( 1 Chr. 4:24 ). (2. ) One of the chiefs sent by Ezra to bring up the priests to Jerusalem ( Ezra 8:16 ). (3. ) Ezra 10:18 .
Meshullam Person v. 16: Befriended. (1. ) One of the chief Gadites in Bashan in the time of Jotham ( 1 Chr. 5:13 ). (2. ) Grandfather of Shaphan, “the scribe,” in the reign of Josiah ( 2 Kings 22:3 ). (3. ) A priest, father of Hilkiah.
Nathan Person v. 16: Given. (1. ) A prophet in the reigns of David and Solomon ( 2 Chr. 9:29 ). He is first spoken of in connection with the arrangements David made for the building of the temple.
Casiphia Place v. 17: Silver, a place between Babylon and Jerusalem, where Iddo resided ( Ezra 8:17 ); otherwise unknown.
Iddo Person v. 17: (1. ) Timely ( 1 Chr. 6:21 ). A Gershonite Levite. (2. ) Lovely. The son of Zechariah ( 1 Chr. 27:21 ), the ruler of Manasseh in David’s time. (3. ) Timely.
Jerusalem Place v. 17, 29-32: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Jerusalem.
Sherebiah Person v. 18, 24: Flame of the Lord, a priest whose name is prominent in connection with the work carried on by Ezra and Nehemiah at Jerusalem ( Ezra 8:17 , 18, 24-30; Neh. 8:7 ; 9:4 , 5; 10:12).
Hashabiah Person v. 19, 24: Regarded by Jehovah. (1. ) Merarite Levite ( 1 Chr. 6:45 ; 9:14 ). (2. ) A son of Jeduthun (25:3, 19). (3. ) Son of Kemuel (26:30). (4. ) One of the chief Levites ( 2 Chr. 35:9 ). (5. ) A Levite ( Neh. 11:22 ).
Merari Person v. 19: Sad; bitter, the youngest son of Levi, born before the descent of Jacob into Egypt, and one of the seventy who accompanied him thither ( Gen. 46:11 ; Ex. 6:16 ).
Eleazar Person v. 33: God has helped. (1. ) The third son of Aaron ( Ex. 6:23 ). His wife, a daughter of Putiel, bore him Phinehas ( Ex. 6:25 ). After the death of Nadab and Abihu.
Jozabad Tribe v. 33: Whom Jehovah bestows. (1. ) One of the Benjamite archers who joined David at Ziklag ( 1 Chr. 12:4 ). (2. ) A chief of the tribe of Manasseh ( 1 Chr. 12:20 ).
Meremoth Person v. 33: Exaltations, heights, a priest who returned from Babylon with Zerubbabel ( Neh. 12:3 ), to whom were sent the sacred vessels ( Ezra 8:33 ) belonging to the temple. He took part in rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem.
Noadiah Person v. 33: Meeting with the Lord. (1. ) A Levite who returned from Babylon ( Ezra 8:33 ). (2. ) A false prophetess who assisted Tobiah and Sanballat against the Jews ( Neh. 6:14 ).
Uriah Person v. 33: The Lord is my light. (1. ) A Hittite, the husband of Bathsheba, whom David first seduced, and then after Uriah’s death married. He was one of the band of David’s.
Beyond the River Place v. 36: Biblical region. Modern identification: Jerusalem.