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Texts -- Ezra 8:1-36 (NET)

Context
The Leaders Who Returned with Ezra
8:1 These are the leaders and those enrolled with them by genealogy who were coming up with me from Babylon during the reign of King Artaxerxes : 8:2 from the descendants of Phinehas , Gershom ; from the descendants of Ithamar , Daniel ; from the descendants of David , Hattush 8:3 the son of Shecaniah ; from the descendants of Parosh , Zechariah , and with him were enrolled by genealogy 150 men ; 8:4 from the descendants of Pahath-Moab , Eliehoenai son of Zerahiah , and with him 200 men ; 8:5 from the descendants of Zattu, Shecaniah son of Jahaziel , and with him 300 men ; 8:6 from the descendants of Adin , Ebed son of Jonathan , and with him 50 men ; 8:7 from the descendants of Elam , Jeshaiah son of Athaliah , and with him 70 men ; 8:8 from the descendants of Shephatiah , Zebadiah son of Michael , and with him 80 men ; 8:9 from the descendants of Joab , Obadiah son of Jehiel , and with him 218 men ; 8:10 from the descendants of Bani, Shelomith son of Josiphiah , and with him 160 men ; 8:11 from the descendants of Bebai , Zechariah son of Bebai , and with him 28 men ; 8:12 from the descendants of Azgad , Johanan son of Hakkatan , and with him 110 men ; 8:13 from the descendants of Adonikam there were the latter ones. Their names were Eliphelet , Jeuel , and Shemaiah , and with them 60 men ; 8:14 from the descendants of Bigvai , Uthai , and Zaccur , and with them 70 men .
The Exiles Travel to Jerusalem
8:15 I had them assemble at the canal that flows toward Ahava , and we camped there for three days . I observed that the people and the priests were present, but I found no Levites there . 8:16 So I sent for Eliezer , Ariel , Shemaiah , Elnathan , Jarib , Elnathan , Nathan , Zechariah , and Meshullam , who were leaders , and Joiarib and Elnathan , who were teachers . 8:17 I sent them to Iddo , who was the leader in the place called Casiphia . I told them what to say to Iddo and his relatives , who were the temple servants in Casiphia , so they would bring us attendants for the temple of our God . 8:18 Due to the fact that the good hand of our God was on us, they brought us a skilled man , from the descendants of Mahli the son of Levi son of Israel . This man was Sherebiah , who was accompanied by his sons and brothers , 18 men, 8:19 and Hashabiah , along with Jeshaiah from the descendants of Merari , with his brothers and their sons , 20 men, 8:20 and some of the temple servants that David and his officials had established for the work of the Levites – 220 of them . They were all designated by name . 8:21 I called for a fast there by the Ahava Canal , so that we might humble ourselves before our God and seek from him a safe journey for us, our children , and all our property . 8:22 I was embarrassed to request soldiers and horsemen from the king to protect us from the enemy along the way , because we had said to the king , “The good hand of our God is on everyone who is seeking him, but his great anger is against everyone who forsakes him.” 8:23 So we fasted and prayed to our God about this , and he answered us. 8:24 Then I set apart twelve of the leading priests , together with Sherebiah , Hashabiah , and ten of their brothers , 8:25 and I weighed out to them the silver , the gold , and the vessels intended for the temple of our God – items that the king , his advisers , his officials , and all Israel who were present had contributed . 8:26 I weighed out to them 650 talents of silver , silver vessels worth 100 talents , 100 talents of gold , 8:27 20 gold bowls worth 1,000 darics , and two exquisite vessels of gleaming bronze , as valuable as gold . 8:28 Then I said to them, “You are holy to the Lord , just as these vessels are holy . The silver and the gold are a voluntary offering to the Lord , the God of your fathers . 8:29 Be careful with them and protect them, until you weigh them out before the leading priests and the Levites and the family leaders of Israel in Jerusalem , in the storerooms of the temple of the Lord .” 8:30 Then the priests and the Levites took charge of the silver , the gold , and the vessels that had been weighed out, to transport them to Jerusalem to the temple of our God . 8:31 On the twelfth day of the first month we began traveling from the Ahava Canal to go to Jerusalem . The hand of our God was on us, and he delivered us from our enemy and from bandits along the way . 8:32 So we came to Jerusalem , and we stayed there for three days . 8:33 On the fourth day we weighed out the silver , the gold , and the vessels in the house of our God into the care of Meremoth son of Uriah , the priest , and Eleazar son of Phinehas , who were accompanied by Jozabad son of Jeshua and Noadiah son of Binnui , who were Levites . 8:34 Everything was verified by number and by weight , and the total weight was written down at that time . 8:35 The exiles who were returning from the captivity offered burnt offerings to the God of Israel – twelve bulls for all Israel , ninety-six rams , seventy-seven male lambs , along with twelve male goats as a sin offering . All this was a burnt offering to the Lord . 8:36 Then they presented the decrees of the king to the king’s satraps and to the governors of Trans-Euphrates , who gave help to the people and to the temple of God .

Pericope

NET

Bible Dictionary

  • Ezra

    [ebd] help. (1.) A priest among those that returned to Jerusalem under Zerubabel (Neh. 12:1). (2.) The "scribe" who led the second body of exiles that returned from Babylon to Jerusalem B.C. 459, and author of the book of Scriptur...
    [isbe] EZRA - ez'-ra (Aramaic or Chaldee, `ezra', "help"; a hypocoristicon, or shortened form of Azariah, "Yahweh has helped." The Hebrew spells the name `ezrah, as in 1 Ch 4:17, or uses the Aramaic spelling of the name, as in Ezr ...
    [nave] EZRA 1. A famous scribe and priest, Ezra 7:1-5, 6, 10, 21; Neh. 12:36. Appoints a fast, Ezra 8:21. Commissioned by Artaxerxes, returns to Jerusalem with a large company of Jews, Ezra 7:8. His charge to the priests, Ezra 8...

  • Zechariah

    [ebd] 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 "the son of Berechiah." In Ezra 5:1 and 6:14 h...
    [smith] The eleventh in order of the twelve minor prophets. He is called in his prophecy the son of Berechiah and the grandson of Iddo, whereas in the book of Ezra, (Ezra 5:1; 6:14) he is said to have been the son of Iddo. It is nat...
    [nave] ZECHARIAH 1. A Reubenite, 1 Chr. 5:7. 2. Three Levites in the days of David, 1 Chr. 9:21; 15:18, 20, 24; 16:5; 26:2, 14. 3. A Benjamite, 1 Chr. 9:37. Called Zacher in 1 Chr. 8:31. 4. Two Kohathites, 1 Chr. 24:25; 2 Chr. ...

  • Israel

    [nave] ISRAEL 1. A name given to Jacob, Gen. 32:24-32; 2 Kin. 17:34; Hos. 12:3, 4. 2. A name of the Christ in prophecy, Isa. 49:3. 3. A name given to the descendants of Jacob, a nation. Called also Israelites, and Hebrews, Gen. 4...

  • GENEALOGY, 8 part 2

    [isbe] GENEALOGY, 8 part 2 - I. Primeval Genealogies (1 Chronicals 1:1-54). To show Israel's place among the nations; follows Genesis closely, omitting only the Cainites; boldly, skillfully compressed, as if the omitted facts were ...

  • Levites

    [nave] LEVITES The descendants of Levi. Set apart as ministers of religion, Num. 1:47-54; 3:6-16; 16:9; 26:57-62; Deut. 10:8; 1 Chr. 15:2. Substituted in the place of the firstborn, Num. 3:12, 41-45; 8:14, 16-18; 18:6. Religious ...

  • Genealogy

    [nave] GENEALOGY, Num. 1:18; 2 Chr. 12:15; Ezra 2:59; Neh. 7:5; Heb. 7:3. Of no spiritual significance, Matt. 3:9; 1 Tim. 1:4; Tit. 3:9. From Adam to Noah, Gen. 4:16-22; 5; 1 Chr. 1:1-4; Luke 3:36-38; to Abraham, Gen. 11:10-32; ...

  • Sherebiah

    [ebd] 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).
    [isbe] SHEREBIAH - sher-e-bi'-a, she-reb'-ya (sherebhyah, "God has sent burning heat"(?); the form is doubtful): A post-exilic priest and family. Sherebiah, who joined Ezra at the river Ahava (Ezr 8:18; the Septuagint omits), and h...
    [smith] (heat of Jehovah) a Levite in the time of Ezra. (Ezra 8:18,24) (B.C. 459.) When Ezra read the law to the people, Sherebiah was among the Levites who assisted him. (Nehemiah 8:7) He signed the covenant with Nehemiah. (Nehemiah...
    [nave] SHEREBIAH, a Levite assistant to Ezra, Ezra 8:18, 24; Neh. 8:7; 9:4, 5. 2. A Levite who sealed the covenant with Nehemiah, Neh. 10:12; 12:8, 24.

  • Liberality

    [nave] LIBERALITY. Ex. 22:29, 30 Ex. 13:2, 12. Ex. 23:15 Ex. 34:20. Ex. 25:1-8; Ex. 35:4-29; Ex. 36:3-6; Ex. 38:8; Lev. 19:5 Lev. 22:29; Num. 35:8. Deut. 12:11, 12, 17-19; Deut. 14:27-29; Deut. 15:7-18; Deut. 16:10, 17; Deut. 18:1...

  • LAW IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

    [isbe] LAW IN THE OLD TESTAMENT - || I. TERMS USED 1. Torah ("Law") 2. Synonyms of Torah (1) Mitswah ("Command") (2) `Edhah ("Witness," "Testimony") (3) MishpaTim ("Judgments") (4) Chuqqim ("Statutes") (5) Piqqudhim ("Precepts") II...

  • Temple

    [nave] TEMPLE. Solomon's Called also Temple of the Lord, 2 Kin. 11:10; Holy Temple, Psa. 79:1; Holy House, 1 Chr. 29:3; House of God, 1 Chr. 29:2; 2 Chr. 23:9; House of the Lord, 2 Chr. 23:5, 12; Jer. 28:5; Father's House, John 2...

  • Meremoth

    [ebd] 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 (Neh. 3:4).
    [isbe] MEREMOTH - mer'-e-moth, me-re'-moth (meremoth, "heights"; Mereimoth): (1) Son of Uriah (Ezr 8:33), who was head of the 7th course of priests appointed by David (1 Ch 24:10, Hakkoz = Koz; compare Neh 3:4,21). The family of Ko...
    [smith] (elevations), Son of Uriah or Urijah the priest, of the family of Koz or Hakkoz, the head of the seventh course of priests as established by David. In (Ezra 8:33) Meremoth is appointed to weigh and register the gold and silv...
    [nave] MEREMOTH 1. A priest who was appointed to weigh and register gold and silver vessels brought to Jerusalem, Ezra 8:33; Neh. 3:4, 21. 2. A Jew who divorced his Gentile wife after the captivity, Ezra 10:36. 3. A priest who se...

  • Jeshaiah

    [ebd] deliverance of Jehovah. (1.) A Kohathite Levite, the father of Joram, of the family of Eliezer (1 Chr. 26:25); called also Isshiah (24:21). (2.) One of the sons of Jeduthum (1 Chr. 25:3, 15). (3.) One of the three sons of Ha...
    [isbe] JESHAIAH - je-sha'-ya, je-shi'-a ((a) yesha`yahu; (b) yesha`yah, "deliverance of Yah"; (2) (3) below have form (a), the others form (b)): (1) Son of Hananiah, and grandson of Zerubbabel, according to 1 Ch 3:21, the King Jame...
    [smith] (salvation of Jehovah). One of the six sons of Jeduthun. (1 Chronicles 25:3,15) (B.C. 1014.) A Levite in the reign of David, eldest son of Rehabiah, a descendant of Amram through Moses. (1 Chronicles 26:25) [ISSHIAH] (...
    [nave] JESHAIAH 1 Chr. 25:3, 15; 26:25; Ezra 8:7, 19

  • Hashabiah

    [ebd] 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). (6.) One of the chief pri...
    [isbe] HASHABIAH - hash-a-bi'-a (chashabhyah): (1) Two Levites of the family of Merari (1 Ch 6:45; 9:14). (2) A Levite who dwelt in Jerusalem at the time of Nehemiah (Neh 11:15). (3) A son of Jeduthun (1 Ch 25:3). (4) A Hebronite, ...
    [smith] (whom God regards). A Merarite Levite. (1 Chronicles 6:45) Another Merarite Levite. (1 Chronicles 9:14) The fourth of the six sons of Jeduthun, (1 Chronicles 25:3) who had charge of the twelfth course. ver. 19. (B.C...
    [nave] HASHABIAH 1. Son of Amaziah, a Levite, 1 Chr. 6:45. 2. Son of Jeduthun, a Levite, 1 Chr. 25:3, 19. 3. Son of Kemuel, 1 Chr. 26:30; 27:17. 4. A chief Levite, 2 Chr. 35:9. 5. Son of Bui, 1 Chr. 9:14; Neh. 11:15. 6. Son of...

  • Priest

    [nave] PRIEST. Before Moses Melchizedek, Gen. 14:18; Heb. 5:6, 10, 11; 6:20; 7:1-21. Jethro, Ex. 2:16. Priests in Israel before the giving of the law, Ex. 19:22, 24. Called angel, Eccl. 5:6. Mosaic Ex. 28:1-4; 29:9, 44; Num....

  • Ahava

    [ebd] water, the river (Ezra 8:21) by the banks of which the Jewish exiles assembled under Ezra when about to return to Jerusalem from Babylon. In all probability this was one of the streams of Mesopotamia which flowed into the Eu...
    [isbe] AHAVA - a-ha'-va ('ahawa'): The river in Babylonia on the banks of which Ezra gathered together the Jews who accompanied him to Jerusalem. At this rendezvous the company encamped for three days to make preparation for the di...
    [smith] (water), a place, (Ezra 8:15) or a river, Ezra 8:21 On the banks of which Ezra collected the second expedition which returned with him from Babylon to Jerusalem. Perhaps it is the modern Hit, on the Euphrates due east of Dama...
    [nave] AHAVA, a river of Babylon, Ezra 8:15, 21, 31.

  • Integrity

    [nave] INTEGRITY. Gen. 18:19; Ex. 18:21; Deut. 16:19, 20; Job 10:7; Job 13:15, 18; Job 16:17; Job 27:4-6; Job 29:14; Job 31:1-40; Psa. 7:3-5, 8; Psa. 15:1-5; Psa. 17:3; Psa. 18:20 2 Sam. 22:21. Psa. 24:3-5; Psa. 26:1-3; Psa. 69:4;...

  • Money

    [ebd] Of uncoined money the first notice we have is in the history of Abraham (Gen. 13:2; 20:16; 24:35). Next, this word is used in connection with the purchase of the cave of Machpelah (23:16), and again in connection with Jacob'...
    [isbe] MONEY - mun'-i: Various terms are used for money in the Bible, but the most common are the Hebrew keceph, and Greek argurion, both meaning silver. We find also qesiTah, rendered by Septuagint "lambs," probably referring to m...
    [smith] Uncointed money. --It is well known that ancient nations that were without a coinage weighed the precious metals, a practice represented on the Egyptian monuments, on which gold and silver are shown to have been kept in the ...
    [nave] MONEY Silver used as, Gen. 17:12, 13, 23, 27; 20:16; 23:9, 13; 31:15; 37:28; 42:25-35; 43:12-23; 44:1-8; 47:14-18; Ex. 12:44; 21:11, 21, 34, 35; 22:7, 17, 25; 30:16; Lev. 22:11; 25:37, 51; 27:15, 18; Num. 3:48-51; 18:16; Deu...

  • SOLOMON'S SERVANTS

    [isbe] SOLOMON'S SERVANTS - ('adbhedhe shelomoh; douloi Salomon): "The children of Solomon's servants" constituted a company or guild of the Jewish exiles who returned with Zerubbabel from Babylonia to Jerusalem in 537 BC, pursuant...

  • Shemaiah

    [isbe] SHEMAIAH - she-ma'-ya, she-mi'-a (shema`yah (in 2 Ch 11:2; 17:8; 31:15; 35:9; Jer 26:20; 29:24; 36:12, shema`yahu), "Jahveh hears"): The name is most frequently borne by priests, Levites and prophets. (1) Codex Vaticanus Sam...
    [smith] (heard by Jehovah). A prophet in the reign of Rehoboam. (1 Kings 12:22; 2 Chronicles 11:2) (B.C. 972.) He wrote a chronicle containing the events of Rehoboam?s reign. (2 Chronicles 12:5,15) The son of Shechaniah, am...
    [nave] SHEMAIAH 1. A prophet in the time of Rehoboam. Prevents Rehoboam from war with Jeroboam, 1 Kin. 12:22-24; 2 Chr. 11:2-4. Prophesies the punishment of Rehoboam by Shishak, king of Egypt, 2 Chr. 12:5, 7. Writes chronicles, 2...

  • Nethinim

    [ebd] the name given to the hereditary temple servants in all the post-Exilian books of Scripture. The word means given, i.e., "those set apart", viz., to the menial work of the sanctuary for the Levites. The name occurs seventeen...
    [isbe] NETHINIM - neth'-i-nim (nethinim, "given"; Natheineim; the King James Version Nethinims): 1. Meaning: A group of temple-servants (1 Ch 9:2 and 16 times in Ezra and Nehemiah). The word has always the article, and does not occ...
    [smith] (given, dedicated), As applied specifically to a distinct body of men connected with the services of the temple, this name first meets us in the later books of the Old Testament-- in 1 Chronicles, Ezra and Nehemiah, The word ...
    [nave] NETHINIM Servants of the Levites, Ezra 8:20. Return from the captivity, 1 Chr. 9:2; Ezra 2:43, 58, 70; 7:7, 24; 8:17; Neh. 3:26, 31; 7:46, 60, 73; 10:28; 11:3, 21.
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Resources/Books

Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • The Book of Samuel covers the period of Israel's history bracketed by Samuel's conception and the end of David's reign. David turned the kingdom over to Solomon in 971 B.C.3David reigned for 40 and one-half years (2 Sam. 2:11...
  • The title in the English text comes from the main character in the second part of the book (chapters 7-10). In the Septuagint translation this book also bore the name of Ezra or Esdras, the Greek transliteration of "Ezra.""Ez...
  • Due to the ancient tradition that the same writer composed both parts of the book (chapters 1-6 and 7-10), many scholars believe Ezra produced all of it.5A passage in the Talmud credits Ezra with the authorship of Ezra-Nehemi...
  • The earliest historical reference in Ezra is to the decree of Cyrus that he issued in his first year on the throne (1:1), 538 B.C.12The latest historical reference was just prior to Nehemiah's first trip to Jerusalem (4:21-23...
  • I. The first return under Sheshbazzar chs. 1-6A. The return from Babylon chs. 1-21. The edict of Cyrus and its consequences ch. 12. The exiles who returned ch. 2B. The rebuilding of the temple chs. 3-61. The beginning of cons...
  • The "temple servants"were an order of Israelites that David had established to assist the Levites (8:20). The biblical writers sometimes called them the Nethinim (lit. those given, i.e., dedicated, to God). They may have been...
  • The Assyrian government encouraged its residents to move to Israel and to settle there after the fall of the Northern Kingdom in 722 B.C. This was official government policy during the reigns of the Assyrian kings Esarhaddon ...
  • "When he [the writer] discussed the problems of the building of the temple in 4:1-5, it reminded him of later similar troubles with the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem, and so 4:6-23 has been inserted, almost parenthetica...
  • "These things"(v. 1) refers to the events of the first return that the writer described in chapters 1-6.Ezra's genealogy (vv. 1-5) shows that he was a man of importance whom his fellow Jews would have respected. He was a desc...
  • The descendants of the priestly and royal families in Israel appear first in this list (vv. 2-3). Then the rest of the Jews follow. A comparison of verses 3-14 with 2:3-15 shows that Ezra's companions were mainly the relative...
  • The immigrants assembled on the banks of the Ahava waterway that flowed through the district of Babylon that bore the same name. The site is presently unknown.". . . Babylonia was crisscrossed by a network of irrigation canal...
  • As is quite clear from these verses, Ezra sensed his great need for God's help in the dangerous trip that lay before them. This moved him to seek God's favor in prayer. Verse 21 was the text of John Robinson's last sermon at ...
  • Ezra took special precautions to make sure the expensive temple utensils arrived safely and to guarantee that everyone would perceive that his handling of the precious cargo was completely honest (cf. 2 Cor. 8:20-21). The Bab...
  • The exiles had begun their journey on the first day of the first month (7:9), but they had camped by the Ahava waterway for 12 days (8:31). They arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month (7:9). God kept them sa...
  • The Book of Nehemiah records the fortification of Jerusalem and the restoration of the Jews, two essential steps that were necessary to reestablish God's people in His will and in their land.Nehemiah continued the good work t...
  • We can understand why Mordecai reacted to Haman's decree so strongly (v. 1). Undoubtedly he felt personally responsible for this decree (cf. 3:2-5). However we should not interpret Mordecai's actions in verse 1 as a sign of g...
  • This section consists of a small collection of messianic prophecies.33:14 Future days would come, the Lord promised, when He would fulfill His promises concerning the restoration of all Israel."The predicted restoration (the ...
  • The emphasis on the holiness of God that has marked this vision continues strong in this pericope and the next. God's holiness will determine who serves as priests and how they serve.44:4 The guide proceeded to take Ezekiel t...
  • 5:29 Belshazzar kept his promise (v. 16) though Daniel's honors only lasted a few hours at most, typical of the honors of this world. The king's response is surprising. We might have expected him to execute Daniel for confron...
  • Malachi was one of the three post-exilic writing prophets along with Haggai and Zechariah, and he was quite certainly the last one chronologically, even though we cannot be dogmatic about a date for his writing.The first grou...
  • 6:16 Fasting in Israel involved going without food to engage in a spiritual exercise, usually prayer, with greater concentration. Fasting fostered and indicated self-humiliation before God, and confession often accompanied it...

Expositions Of Holy Scripture (Maclaren)

  • 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 them all for good that seek Him … 23....
  • "Watch ye, and keep them, until ye weigh them … at Jerusalem, in the chambers of the house of the Lord.'--Ezra 8:29.THE little band of Jews, seventeen hundred in number, returning from Babylon, had just started on that l...
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