Ezra 8:17-27

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, ¹the temple servants at the place Casiphia, that is, to bring ministers to us for the house of our God.

18 ²According to the good hand of our God upon us they brought us a ³man 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 ⁴the 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 ⁵a fast there at ⁶the river of Ahava, that we might ⁷humble 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, "⁸The hand of our God is favorably disposed to all those who seek Him, but ⁹His power and His anger are against all those who ¹⁰forsake Him."

23 So we fasted and sought our God concerning this matter, and He ¹¹listened to our entreaty.

24 Then I set apart twelve * of the leading priests, ¹²Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and with them ten of their brothers;

25 and I ¹³weighed out to them ¹⁴the silver, the gold and the utensils, the offering for the house of our God which the king and ¹⁵his counselors and his princes and all Israel present there had offered.

26 ¹⁶Thus I weighed into their hands 650 * * talents of silver, and silver utensils worth 100 talents, and 100 gold talents,

27 and 20 gold bowls worth 1,000 darics, and two utensils of fine shiny bronze, precious as gold.

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Ezra 8:17-27 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 16

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

Footnotes 8

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