Ezra 8:31-36

31 Then we departed from the river Ahava ¹on the twelfth day of the first month, to go to Jerusalem. ²The hand of our God was on us, and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy and from ambushes by the way.

32 ³We came to Jerusalem, and there we remained three days.

33 On the fourth day, within the house of our God, the silver and the gold and the vessels were ⁴weighed into the hands of ⁵Meremoth the priest, son of Uriah, and with him was Eleazar the son of Phinehas, and with them were the Levites, ⁶Jozabad the son of Jeshua and Noadiah the son of ⁷Binnui.

34 The whole was counted and weighed, and the weight of everything was recorded.

35 At that time ⁸those who had come from captivity, the returned exiles, offered burnt offerings to the God of Israel, ⁹twelve bulls for all Israel, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven lambs, and as a sin offering twelve male goats. All this was a burnt offering to the LORD.

36 ¹⁰They also delivered the king's commissions to the king's ¹¹satraps^[a] and to the governors of the province Beyond the River, and they aided the people and the house of God.

Ezra 8:31-36 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. [Ezra 7:9]
• 2. See Ezra 7:6
• 3. Nehemiah 2:11
• 4. [Ezra 1:9-11]
• 5. Nehemiah 3:4, 21
• 6. Nehemiah 11:16
• 7. Nehemiah 3:24
• 8. Ezra 2:1
• 9. [Ezra 6:17]
• 10. Ezra 7:21
• 11. Esther 3:12; Esther 8:9; Esther 9:3; Dan. 3:2, 3, 27; Daniel 6:2, 3

Footnotes

• [a]. A satrap was a Persian official