Ezra 8:21-32

Protection of God Invoked

21 Then I proclaimed ¹a fast there at ²the river of Ahava, that we might ³humble 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, "⁴The hand of our God is favorably disposed to all those who seek Him, but ⁵His power and His anger are against all those who ⁶forsake Him."

23 So we fasted and sought our God concerning this matter, and He ⁷listened to our entreaty.

24 Then I set apart twelve * of the leading priests, ⁸Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and with them ten of their brothers;

25 and I ⁹weighed out to them ¹⁰the silver, the gold and the utensils, the offering for the house of our God which the king and ¹¹his counselors and his princes and all Israel present there had offered.

26 ¹²Thus 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.

28 Then I said to them, "¹³You are holy to the LORD, and the ¹⁴utensils are holy; and the silver and the gold are a freewill offering to the LORD God of your fathers.

29 "Watch and keep them ¹⁵until you weigh them before the leading priests, the Levites and the heads of the fathers' households of Israel at Jerusalem, in the chambers of the house of the LORD."

30 So the priests and the Levites ¹⁶accepted the weighed out silver and gold and the utensils, to bring them to Jerusalem to the house of our God.

31 Then we journeyed from ¹⁷the river Ahava on ¹⁸the twelfth * of the first month to go to Jerusalem; and ¹⁹the hand of our God was over us, and He delivered us from the hand of the enemy and the ambushes by the way.

32 ²⁰Thus we came to Jerusalem and remained there three days.

Ezra 8:21-32 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.

Cross References

• 1. 1 Samuel 7:6; 2 Chronicles 20:3
• 2. Ezra 8:15, 31
• 3. Leviticus 16:29; Leviticus 23:29; Isaiah 58:3, 5
• 4. Ezra 7:6, 9, 28
• 5. Joshua 22:16
• 6. 2 Chronicles 15:2
• 7. 1 Chronicles 5:20; 2 Chronicles 33:13
• 8. Ezra 8:18, 19
• 9. Ezra 8:33
• 10. Ezra 7:15, 16
• 11. Ezra 7:14
• 12. Ezra 1:9-11
• 13. Leviticus 21:6-8
• 14. Leviticus 22:2, 3
• 15. Ezra 8:33, 34
• 16. Ezra 1:9
• 17. Ezra 8:15, 21
• 18. Ezra 7:9
• 19. Ezra 8:22
• 20. Nehemiah 2:11

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "straight way"
• [b]. Lit "help"
• [c]. Lit "upon all...for good"
• [d]. Lit "was entreated by us"