Ezra 8:15-25

Ezra Sends for Levites

15 Now I assembled them at ¹the river that runs to Ahava, where we camped for three days; and when I observed the people and the priests, I ²did not find any Levites * there.

16 So I sent for Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah and Meshullam, leading men, and for Joiarib and Elnathan, teachers.

17 I sent them to Iddo the leading man at the place Casiphia; and I told * * them what to say to Iddo and his brothers, ³the temple servants at the place Casiphia, that is, to bring ministers to us for the house of our God.

18 ⁴According to the good hand of our God upon us they brought us a ⁵man of insight of the sons of Mahli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel, namely Sherebiah, and his sons and brothers, 18 * men;

19 and Hashabiah and Jeshaiah of the sons of Merari, with his brothers and their sons, 20 men;

20 and 220 * of ⁶the temple servants, whom David and the princes had given for the service of the Levites, all of them designated by name.

Protection of God Invoked

21 Then I proclaimed ⁷a fast there at ⁸the river of Ahava, that we might ⁹humble ourselves before our God to seek from Him a safe journey for us, our little ones, and all our possessions.

22 For I was ashamed to request from the king troops and horsemen to protect us from the enemy on the way, because we had said to the king, "¹⁰The hand of our God is favorably disposed to all those who seek Him, but ¹¹His power and His anger are against all those who ¹²forsake Him."

23 So we fasted and sought our God concerning this matter, and He ¹³listened to our entreaty.

24 Then I set apart twelve * of the leading priests, ¹⁴Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and with them ten of their brothers;

25 and I ¹⁵weighed out to them ¹⁶the silver, the gold and the utensils, the offering for the house of our God which the king and ¹⁷his counselors and his princes and all Israel present there had offered.

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Ezra 8:15-25 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.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 17

1. Ezra 8:21, 31
2. Ezra 7:7; Ezra 8:2
3. Ezra 2:43
4. Ezra 7:6, 28
5. 2 Chronicles 30:22
6. Ezra 2:43; Ezra 7:7
7. 1 Samuel 7:6; 2 Chronicles 20:3
8. Ezra 8:15, 31
9. Leviticus 16:29; Leviticus 23:29; Isaiah 58:3, 5
10. Ezra 7:6, 9, 28
11. Joshua 22:16
12. 2 Chronicles 15:2
13. 1 Chronicles 5:20; 2 Chronicles 33:13
14. Ezra 8:18, 19
15. Ezra 8:33
16. Ezra 7:15, 16
17. Ezra 7:14

Footnotes 9

[a]. Lit "heads"
[b]. Lit "head"
[c]. Lit "put words in their mouth to say"
[d]. So Gr; Heb "Iddo his brother"
[e]. So Gr; Heb "with him Jeshaiah"
[f]. Lit "straight way"
[g]. Lit "help"
[h]. Lit "upon all...for good"
[i]. Lit "was entreated by us"