Ezra 8:23-33

23 So we fasted and sought our God concerning this matter, and He ¹listened to our entreaty.

24 Then I set apart twelve * of the leading priests, ²Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and with them ten of their brothers;

25 and I ³weighed out to them ⁴the silver, the gold and the utensils, the offering for the house of our God which the king and ⁵his counselors and his princes and all Israel present there had offered.

26 ⁶Thus I weighed into their hands 650 * * talents of silver, and silver utensils worth 100 talents, and 100 gold talents,

27 and 20 gold bowls worth 1,000 darics, and two utensils of fine shiny bronze, precious as gold.

28 Then I said to them, "⁷You are holy to the LORD, and the ⁸utensils are holy; and the silver and the gold are a freewill offering to the LORD God of your fathers.

29 "Watch and keep them ⁹until you weigh them before the leading priests, the Levites and the heads of the fathers' households of Israel at Jerusalem, in the chambers of the house of the LORD."

30 So the priests and the Levites ¹⁰accepted the weighed out silver and gold and the utensils, to bring them to Jerusalem to the house of our God.

31 Then we journeyed from ¹¹the river Ahava on ¹²the twelfth * of the first month to go to Jerusalem; and ¹³the hand of our God was over us, and He delivered us from the hand of the enemy and the ambushes by the way.

32 ¹⁴Thus we came to Jerusalem and remained there three days.

Treasure Placed in the Temple

33 On the fourth day the silver and the gold and the utensils ¹⁵were weighed out in the house of our God into the hand of ¹⁶Meremoth the son of Uriah the priest, and with him was Eleazar the son of Phinehas; and with them were the Levites, Jozabad the son of Jeshua and Noadiah the son of Binnui.

Ezra 8:23-33 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. 1 Chronicles 5:20; 2 Chronicles 33:13
• 2. Ezra 8:18, 19
• 3. Ezra 8:33
• 4. Ezra 7:15, 16
• 5. Ezra 7:14
• 6. Ezra 1:9-11
• 7. Leviticus 21:6-8
• 8. Leviticus 22:2, 3
• 9. Ezra 8:33, 34
• 10. Ezra 1:9
• 11. Ezra 8:15, 21
• 12. Ezra 7:9
• 13. Ezra 8:22
• 14. Nehemiah 2:11
• 15. Ezra 8:30
• 16. Nehemiah 3:4, 21

Footnotes

• [a] Lit "was entreated by us"