Ezra 8:20

20 1besides 220 of the temple servants, whom David and his officials had set apart to attend the Levites. These were all 2mentioned by name.

Ezra 8:20 Meaning and Commentary

Ezra 8:20

Also of the Nethinims, whom David and the princes had
appointed for the service of the Levites
To wait upon them, and minister to them, as they did to the priests; some think those were the same with the Gibeonites, whom Joshua gave to the service of the sanctuary, and David confirmed; but others are of opinion these were different from them, and an addition to them:

two hundred and twenty Nethinims: all of them were expressed by
name;
in the history that Iddo sent of them to Ezra; and so the names of the Levites, though not here expressed, only the names of those they came with.

Ezra 8:20 In-Context

18 And by the good hand of our God on us, they brought us a man of discretion, of the sons of Mahli the son of Levi, son of Israel, namely Sherebiah with his sons and kinsmen, 18;
19 also Hashabiah, and with him Jeshaiah of the sons of Merari, with his kinsmen and their sons, 20;
20 besides 220 of the temple servants, whom David and his officials had set apart to attend the Levites. These were all mentioned by name.
21 Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from him a safe journey for ourselves, our children, and all our goods.
22 For I was ashamed to ask the king for a band of soldiers and horsemen to protect us against the enemy on our way, since we had told the king, "The hand of our God is for good on all who seek him, and the power of his wrath is against all who forsake him."

Cross References 2

  • 1. Ezra 2:43; Ezra 7:7
  • 2. Numbers 1:17
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.