Ezra 8:15-19

Ezra Sends for Levites

15 I gathered them to the river that runs to ¹Ahava, and there we camped three days. As I reviewed the people and the priests, I found there ²none of the sons of Levi.

16 Then I sent for Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah, and ³Meshullam, leading men, and for Joiarib and Elnathan, who were men of insight,

17 and sent them to Iddo, the leading man at the place Casiphia, telling them what to say to Iddo and his brothers and^[a] the temple servants at the place Casiphia, namely, to send us ministers for the house of our God.

18 And ⁴by the good hand of our God on us, they brought us a man of discretion, of the sons of ⁵Mahli the son of Levi, son of Israel, namely Sherebiah with his sons and kinsmen, 18;

19 also ⁶Hashabiah, and with him Jeshaiah of ⁷the sons of Merari, with his kinsmen and their sons, 20;

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Ezra 8:15-19 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 7

1. ver. 21, 31
2. [Ezra 7:7]
3. Ezra 10:15
4. See Ezra 7:6
5. 1 Chronicles 6:19
6. Nehemiah 12:24
7. 1 Chronicles 6:1, 16

Footnotes 1

[a]. Hebrew lacks and

The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.