Ezra 8

Ezra 8:1

JL HESE are now the chief of their fathers, and this is the genealogy of them that went tip iDith me from Babylon, in the reign ofArtaxerxes the king. Whose names he sets down to preserve their memory to future generations.

Ezra 8:2

Of the sons of Phinehas; Gershom: of the sons of Ithamar; Daniel. By the sons, he means the families of these two persons; two of which he particularly names, Gershom and Daniel: not Daniel the prophet, but some eminent person of Ithamar’s family., Of the sons of David; Hattush.] His family was so noble, because Christ was to spring from thence, that special notice was taken of it.

Ezra 8:3

Of the sons of Shechaniah, of the sons ofPharosh; Zechariah. This Shechaniah is said to be the son of Pharosh, to distinguish him from another Shechaniah mentioned ver. 5. And with him.] That is, with Zechariah. Were reckoned, by genealogy of the males, a hundred and fifty*] It is not said how many there were of the other families: and we are not to think that none but males went up out of this family, arid the rest that follow; for mention is made of their little ones, ver. 21. who had women, no doubt, to look after them.

Ezra 8:4

Of the sons of Pahath-Moab; Elihoenai the son of Zerahiah, and with him two hundred males.

Ezra 8:5

Of the sons of SJiechaniah; the son ofJahaziel, and with him three hundred males. This was a person of great note, of whose family there went up almost twice as many as did of any other family.

Ezra 8:6

Of the sons also of Adin; Ebed the son of Jonathan, and with him fifty males.

Ezra 8:7

And of the sons of Elam; Jeshaiah the son of Athaliah, and with him seventy males. Concerning these, and the families that follow to ver. 15. there is little to be noted; but that out of them many went up with Zerubbabel in the reign of Cyrus (which appears by the account given in the second chapter), as now more went up with Ezra out of the very same families.

Ezra 8:8

And of the sons of Shephatiah; Zebadiah the son 1 of M\chael, and with him fourscore males. Ver; 9. Of the sons of Joab; Obadiahtheson of Jehiel, and with him two hundred and eighteen males.

Ezra 8:10

And of the sons ofShelomith; the son of Josiphiah, and with him a hundred and threescore males.

Ezra 8:11

And of the sons of Bebai; Zechariah the son of Bebai, and with him twenty and eight males.

Ezra 8:12

And of the sons ofAzgad; Johanan the son of Hakkatan, and tvith him a hundred and ten males.

Ezra 8:13

And of the last sons qfAdonikam, whose names are these, Eliphelet, Jeiel, and Shemaiah, and tvith them threescoremales. They are called the last sons, with respect to the first of them that went up with Zerubbabel. Or,’ these were the last that followed Ezra: which some look upon as a blot on Adonikam, that his family was. the last that accompanied Ezra.

Ezra 8:14

Of the sons also of Bigvai; Uthai,andZabbud, and with them seventy males.

Ezra 8:15

And I gathered them together tq> the river that runneth to Ahava. This seems to be the name of a river, 4S2 Digitize* by Microsoft ® [chap, VIII. as well as of a town, which stood on the bank of Euphrates, there where this stream emptied itself into it. Some take it for Adiabene, a city so called from Adiava, ver. 31. And there abode we in tents three days.’] It is likely, that in the whole Journey they lodged, not in cities and towns, but’ in tents, which they carried along with them; and could pitch where and when it was most commodious for them. And I viewed the people."] Took an account of their number, and of what tribe they were. And the priests, and found there were none of the sons of Levi.] That is, none who were not priests: of whom there were some, (ver. 2.) Ver. 1G. Then sent I for Eliezer,for Ariel, for Shemaiah, and for Elnathan, and for Jarib, and for Elnathan, and for Nathan, and for Zecliariah, and for Meshullam, chief men.] Men of authority among the company, and the heads perhaps of several families. Also for Joiarib, and for Elnathan, men of understanding.] These eleven persons he sent for to come to him, that he might employ them in a message to a place, where he knew there were a great many Levites; as it follows in the next verse. 1

Ezra 8:17

And I sent them with commandment unto Iddo the chief. Among the Levites, who dwelt at the place next mentioned, and there had the free exercise of their religion, as this and many other passages in this book plainly enough prove. ■ And it is very probable, they had their synagogues (as they had afterward in their dispersion), or other places, where they met for religious worship. For we find the people resorting to Ezekiel in their captivity, and him preaching to them the word of God, in many places of his book, particularly chap, xxxiii. 30, 31, &c. And Ezra, in all likelihood, was an instructor among them, as Joiarib and Elnathan also were, and Iddo; to whom these were sent. By which means many proselytes were made, who left their own country, and came with them to Jerusalem, when they returned, (chap. vi. 21.) At the place Casiphia.’] Several are of opinion, and particularly Stephanus Morinus lately, that this place was in the country of the Caspii, a people who gave denomination to the Caspian Sea: where some of the Israelites were planted, who were carried captive by Shalmaneser, and still preserved their language and’religion. But I look upon this as unlikely; the Caspian Sea and the country about it being too far off for Ezra to send thither these messengers: who rather went to a place in the province of Babylon, to which they went, and did a great deal of business, and returned in the space of twelve days. The truth is (as Dr. Alix observes) the Levites were not among the ten tribes, but in Chaldea: and, perhaps, some of them were transported into Parthia, where there was a city called Caspi, known to the old geographers. - And I told them what they should say unto Iddo, and to his brethren the Nethinims, at the place Casiphia.] Who, it seems, were better disposed than many of the Levites, to whom they ministered. But R. Solomon and others translate the words quite otherwise; He told them what they shouldsay to Iddo and his brethren (or, to Achio)/ who were constituted in the place Casiphia. For it is plain they were not Nethinims, Iddo being called Harosh,- a prince, or chief, that is, among the Levites: by whose authority Ezra expected some Levites, whom ho wanted to accompany him to Jerusalem, should be sent to him, as they were. Now this cannot be said of the Nethinims; for none of them were chiefs, or presidents of the Levites, bat their ministers or servants, as appears from ver. 20. and other places. Therefore the word Nethinim must here signify men appointed 16 live among the Jews of that place; or, who had their residence there. That they should bring unto us ministers for the house of our God.] That is, Levites to attend upon the priests, as the Nethinims did upon the Levites.

Ezra 8:18

And, by the good hand of our God upon us. God inclined their hearts to comply with his desire. They brought us a man of understanding, of the sons of Mahli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel; and Sherebiah, with his sons and his brethren, eighteen.] They brought a man of understanding, viz. Sherebiah (so the words, I think, should be translated), with his sons and brethren, eighteen in number.

Ezra 8:19

And Hashabiah, and with him Jeshaiah of the sons ofMerari, his brethren, and their sons, twetity. These were eminent persons also, though not equal to Sherebiah, who is noted as a man of great knowledge.

Ezra 8:20

Also of the Nethinims, whom David and the princes had appointed for the service of the Levites, two hundred and twenty Nethinims. Every one knows, that the Gibeonites were addicted by Joshua to be hewers X)f wood and drawers of water, for the service of God’s house; but a great many of them being destroyed by Saul, there were not enough remaining to serve in those ministries. And therefore David (as Bertram thinks, in his book deRepub. Jiid. p. 277.) appointed some other persons to the same employment; and afterward Solomon appointed more; who arc called therefore Solomon’s servants: all which, both Gibeonites and those who were added to them by David and Solomon, were known by the name of Nethinims, as much as to say, dedititii, or ascriptitii, men given, as the Hebrew word denotes: for, as the Levites were given to the priests, (Numb. viii. 1G. 19.) so were these given to the Levites. And this is said to have been done by David and the princes, because David advised with the consistory about it, who are called the princes, 2 Chron. xxx. 2. xxxi. 8. (See Mr. Thorndike, Rites of the Church, p. 231.) But I have observed elsewhere, that these Nethinims were distinct from the Gibeonites, and of a higher rank in the service of God. (See 1 Chron. ix. 2.) All of them were expressed by name.] I suppose Iddo sent the names of every one of them, though they are not all here mentioned.

Ezra 8:21

Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river of Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance.] He being the leader of this colony, had authority from the king to command whatsoever he pleased for the good of it. And nothing was more necessary, than humbly and sorrowfully to acknowledge their offences against God, and beg his gracious pardon; and that he would prosper them in their journey, and direct them in the best way to bring themselves and all they had safe to Jerusalem:’ which was the end of this fast.

Ezra 8:22

For I teas ashamed to require of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy in the Digitized by Miarosoft ® CHAP. VIII. UPON EZRA. way: because we had spoken unto the king, saying, The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek him; but his power and his wrath is against all them that forsake him.] He might have obtained from the king any thing that he desired; but he had so openly declared, that he depended solely upon God for safe conduct, that he was ashamed to ask a guard of the king to secure them in their passage, from those enemies that he knew would waylay them; (ver. 31.) for the king not being much instructed in Divine matters, might imagine, that all were vain boasts which the Jews had made of the favour of God to them, and of the prophecies concerning their restoration: which made Ezra and, others so confident, as only to desire leave to return to their own country; and as for a safe passage, they took no care, but to commit themselves to God, who would de* fend his own people that trusted in him. To ask therefore protection and defence from the king, would look as if they distrusted the power and favour of their God, concerning whom they had spoken so magnificently. But it was highly necessary they should beseech that of God, which they would not ask of the king; which they did by fasting and prayer.

Ezra 8:23

So we fasted, and besought our God for this; and he was entreated of us. Gave them some assurance that their petitions should be granted. Some think, this fast lasted eight days, beginning after the three days mentioned above, ver. 15. For they began to go out of Babylon on the first day of the month, (chap. vii. 9.) and they stayed at Ahava three days to* take a view of their company; and went from thence on the tw r elfth, (ver. 31.) And therefore they must either keep this fast eight days, or else they were seven days in coming from Babylon, and other places, to Ahava; where a general rendezvous, as we speak, was appointed. And this I take to be most probable, that they came out of Babylon on the first day, and expected at Ahava till all their companyjwas got together, which was about the seventh day; and they all rested three days to make a complete muster of the whole number, and fasted one day; and so began to take their journey from Ahava on the twelfth.

Ezra 8:24

Then I separated twelve of the chief of the priests, Slierebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their brethren with them. With whom he might entrust the gifts that had been oiTcrcd for the temple. These ten men, perhaps, were principal Levites, who were added to the two priests to take this charge upon them. (See ver. 29.)

Ezra 8:25

And weighed unto them the pilver, and the gold, and the vessels, even the offering of the house of our God, which the king, and his counsellors, and his lords, and all Israel there present, had offered.] That they might have no excuse if they were any way embezzled.

Ezra 8:26

I even weighed unto their hand six hundred and fifty talents of silver, and silvervessels a hundred talents, and of gold ahundred talents. Or, a hundred silver vessels, according to their talents; that is, every one a talent.

Ezra 8:27

Also twenty basons of gold of a thousand drachms, and ttvo vessels of fine copper, precious as gold.~. They were not worth their weight in gold; but they were of great value, being scarce and rare: as that metal called aurichalcum was; which might be tho reason why there was no more than two of them.

Ezra 8:28

And I said unto them, Ye are holy unto the Lord; the vessels are holy also J. They being men consecrated to God’s service, were bound above all others to be faithful in the discharge of their duty, especially being entrusted with holy things; which were therefore to be carefully delivered at Jerusalem, just as they were committed to their trust. And the silver and the gold are a free-will-offering unto the Lord God of your fathers.] Which made them still more sacred….. >

Ezra 8:29

Watch ye, and keep them, until ye weigh them before the chief of the priests and the Levites, and chief of the fathers of Israel, at Jerusalem, in the chambers of the house of the Lord.] Where they were deposited, after they had given an account of them there, to,the persons here mentioned; who received them by the same weight, that they were delivered unto those that brought them… <

Ezra 8:30

So took the priests and the Levites the weight of the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, to bring them to Jerusalem, unto the house of our God. This shews, that some of these twelve men (mentioned ver. 26.) if not ten of them were Levites, and not all priests.

Ezra 8:31

Then we departed from the river of Ahava. ~\ Which run by that city into Euphrates. On the twelfth day of the first month, to go unto Jerusalem. To pursue their intended journey, ♦ * - • ■ And the hand of our God was upon us.] To protect and strengthen them in so dangerous and long a journey..,, And he delivered us from. the hand of. the enemy, and of such as lay in wait by the way.] There were not only many enemies who hated them, and were desirous to cut them off, but many robbers who watched for a booty, whom God either diverted some other way, or disheartened from at-, tempting any thing against them; or, perhaps, directed them (as they prayed, ver. 21.) into some uncommon ways, in which people were not wont to travel, whereby they escaped their enemies.

Ezra 8:32

And we came to Jerusalem, and abode there three days. Before they did any thing. For it was necessary to rest and refresh themselves awhile, after so tedious a journey, in yvhich they spent above a quarter erf a year. (Sec chap. vii. 9.) Their friends also, it is likely, came to visit them in these three days’ time, and welcome them to Jerusalem.

Ezra 8:33

Now, on the fourth day was the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, weighed in the house of our God by the handofMeremoth the son of Uriah the priest; and with him was Eleazar the son of Phinehas; and with them was Jozabad the son ofJeshua, and Noadiah the son ofBinnui, Levites.]Thc names of Eleazar and Phinehas continued through many generations among the priests, because they were two very eminent persons in Aaron’s family* And,, as there were some Levites charged with this treasure to bring it to Jerusalem, so there were some of them who saw them discharge themselves of their trust.

Ezra 8:34

By number and by weight of every one: and all the weight was. written at that time. There was a public record made of it; and the persons forementioncd, who brought the money and the vessels, were discharged by a public instrument, “signed by them that received it. Or, perhaps, the meaning may be, that there was an inventory taken of the goods, belonging to the temple, which the priests were charged. withal, as the stewards of a family are wont to be with the goods belonging to it.