Ezra 8:24

24 Then I selected 12 leaders from the priests--Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and 10 of their relatives.

Ezra 8:24 Meaning and Commentary

Ezra 8:24

Then I separated twelve of the chief of the priests
That were in company with him; so that it seems there were more than the two mentioned, ( Ezra 8:2 ) , very probably their families, or some of their brethren, were with them:

Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their brethren with them;
these men named were Levites, and not priests, ( Ezra 8:18 Ezra 8:19 ) and therefore the copulative "and" must be supplied:

and Sherebiah
or with the twelve priests, Sherebiah, &c. and ten Levites more with them; so that the number of priests and Levites were equal, and in all twenty four.

Ezra 8:24 In-Context

22 I was ashamed to ask the king for an armed escort with cavalry to help us against an enemy attack on the way. We had already told the king, "Our God works things out for the good of everyone who dedicates his life to serving him, but his power and his anger oppose everyone who abandons him."

23 So we fasted and asked our God for a safe journey, and he answered our prayer.

24 Then I selected 12 leaders from the priests--Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and 10 of their relatives.

25 I weighed for them the silver, the gold, and the utensils. [These were] the contributions that the king, his advisers, his officials, and all the Israelites had contributed for our God's temple.

26 I weighed [the contributions] for them to guard: about 24 tons of silver, 100 silver utensils weighing 150 pounds apiece, 7,500 pounds of gold,