Ezra 8:8-18

8 Of the sons of Shephatiah, Zebadiah the son of Michael, and with him 80 men.

9 Of the sons of Joab, Obadiah the son of Jehiel, and with him 218 men.

10 Of the sons of Bani, ^[a] Shelomith the son of Josiphiah, and with him 160 men.

11 ¹Of the sons of Bebai, Zechariah, the son of Bebai, and with him 28 men.

12 Of the sons of Azgad, Johanan the son of Hakkatan, and with him 110 men.

13 Of the sons of Adonikam, those who came later, their names being Eliphelet, Jeuel, and Shemaiah, and with them 60 men.

14 Of the sons of Bigvai, Uthai and Zaccur, and with them 70 men.

Ezra Sends for Levites

15 I gathered them to the river that runs to ²Ahava, and there we camped three days. As I reviewed the people and the priests, I found there ³none of the sons of Levi.

16 Then I sent for Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah, and ⁴Meshullam, 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^[b] the temple servants at the place Casiphia, namely, to send us ministers for the house of our God.

18 And ⁵by the good hand of our God on us, they brought us a man of discretion, of the sons of ⁶Mahli the son of Levi, son of Israel, namely Sherebiah with his sons and kinsmen, 18;

Ezra 8:8-18 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. 8:11 ch. 10:28
• 2. 8:15 ver. 21, 31
• 3. 8:15 [ch. 7:7]
• 4. 8:16 ch. 10:15
• 5. 8:18 See ch. 7:6
• 6. 8:18 1 Chr. 6:19

Footnotes

• [a] 8:10 Septuagint; Hebrew lacks 'Bani'
• [b] 8:17 Hebrew lacks 'and'