Ezra 8:10-20

10 From the descendants of [Bani]: Shelomith son of Josiphiah, and with him one hundred and sixty males.
11 From the descendants of Bebai: Zechariah son of Bebai, and with him twenty-eight males.
12 From the descendants of Azgad: Jehohanan son of Haqqatan, and with him one hundred and ten males.
13 From the descendants of Adonikam, those who came last, these were their names: Eliphelet, Jeiel, Shemaiah, and with them sixty males.
14 From the descendants of Bigvai: Uthai son of Zabud, and with him seventy males.

Servants for the Temple are Gathered

15 I gathered them by the river that goes to Ahava and we camped there for three days. And I looked at the people and the priests, I found no one there from the sons of Levi.
16 And I sent for Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah, and Meshullam, who were family heads, and for Jehoiarib and Elnathan who were wise.
17 I sent them to Iddo, the head of the place called Casiphia, and I placed in their mouths what words to say to Iddo and his brothers the temple servants in Casiphia, to send to us ministers for the house of our God.
18 With the good hand of our God before us, they brought us a man of understanding from the sons of Mahli, son of Levi, son of Israel--Sherebiah and his sons and brothers, eighteen [in total].
19 Also Hashabiah and with him Jeshaiah, the sons of Merari, with his brothers and their sons, twenty [in total].
20 And from the temple servants, whom David and [his] officials had set up to serve the Levites, two hundred and twenty [in total]. All of them were registered by name.

Ezra 8:10-20 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EZRA 8

In this chapter we are told who and how many went up with Ezra to Jerusalem, Ezr 8:1-14, the gathering of them together at a river, from whence he sent to Babylon for Levites to come to him, who did, Ezr 8:15-20, the proclaiming a fast for a safe and prosperous journey, Ezr 8:21-23, the delivery of the vessels and money given him into the hands of priests, to take the care and charge thereof, Ezr 8:24-30, their safe arrival at Jerusalem, where they deposited the gifts in the temple, offered sacrifices to God, and delivered the king's commissions to his lieutenants and governors, Ezr 8:31-36.

Footnotes 7

  • [a]. Or "sons"
  • [b]. Commentators and translators agree that there is a name missing from the Masoretic text. Bani has been restored from the LXX
  • [c]. Or "sons"
  • [d]. Or "sons"
  • [e]. Or "sons"
  • [f]. Or "sons"
  • [g]. Or "and Zabud"
Scripture quotations marked (LEB) are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.