INTRODUCTION TO EZRA 8 In this chapter we are told who and how many went up with Ezra to Jerusalem, Ezra 8:1, the gathering of them together at a river, from whence he sent to Babylon for Levites to come to him, who did, Ezra 8:15, the proclaiming a fast for a safe and prosperous journey, Ezra 8:21... [ Continue Reading ]
THESE ARE NOW THE CHIEF OF THEIR FATHERS, AND THIS IS THE GENEALOGY OF THEM,.... Which follows from hence to the end of Ezra 8:14, THAT WENT UP WITH ME FROM BABYLON; with Ezra the priest and scribe, the writer of this book: IN THE REIGN OF ARTAXERXES THE KING; that is, Darius Hystaspis, in the sev... [ Continue Reading ]
OF THE SONS OF PHINEHAS; GERSHOM: OF THE SONS OF ITHAMAR; DANIEL,.... Not Daniel the prophet, he was of the royal blood, and of the tribe of Judah; this was a priest, a descendant of Ithamar, as Gershom was of Eleazar in the line of Phinehas: OF THE SONS OF DAVID; HATTUSH; perhaps the same with him... [ Continue Reading ]
Ver. 3-14. OF THE SONS OF SHECHANIAH, OF THE SONS OF PHAROSH,.... Who is so described, to distinguish him from another Shechaniah, Ezra 8:5, ZECHARIAH: AND WITH HIM WERE RECKONED BY GENEALOGY, OF THE MALES AN HUNDRED AND FIFTY; males only were reckoned, not women and children; though that there wer... [ Continue Reading ]
Ezra 7:3.... [ Continue Reading ]
Ezra 7:3.... [ Continue Reading ]
Ezra 7:3.... [ Continue Reading ]
Ezra 7:3.... [ Continue Reading ]
Ezra 7:3.... [ Continue Reading ]
Ezra 7:3.... [ Continue Reading ]
Ezra 7:3.... [ Continue Reading ]
Ezra 7:3.... [ Continue Reading ]
Ezra 7:3.... [ Continue Reading ]
Ezra 7:3.... [ Continue Reading ]
Ezra 7:3.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I GATHERED THEM TOGETHER TO THE RIVER THAT RUNNETH TO AHAVA,.... From whence also the river bore the same name; or that from the river, see Ezra 8:21, and may be the same with Adiabene, a country in Assyria, which had its name from the river Adiava: AND THERE ABODE WE IN TENTS THREE DAYS; or pi... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN SENT I FOR ELIEZER, FOR ARIEL, FOR SHEMAIAH, AND FOR ELNATHAN, AND FOR JARIB, AND FOR ELNATHAN, AND FOR NATHAN, AND FOR ZECHARIAH, AND FOR MESHULLAM, CHIEF MEN; ALSO FOR JOIARIB, AND FOR ELNATHAN, MEN OF UNDERSTANDING. These were all in the camp, in some part of it, to whom Ezra sent messengers... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I SENT THEM WITH COMMANDMENT UNTO IDDO THE CHIEF, AT THE PLACE CASIPHIA,.... Not a place by the Caspian sea, and near the Caspian mountains, as Munster, which was too far off to go and return in the time they must, see Ezra 7:9, but, as Jarchi, a place in Babylon so called, a village near it, or... [ Continue Reading ]
AND BY THE GOOD HAND OF OUR GOD UPON US,.... Favouring their designs and orders, protecting those that were sent, and inclining those they were sent to use their interest and authority with those that were under them, and making them willing also to agree to what was proposed to them: THEY BROUGHT... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HASHABIAH, AND WITH HIM JESHAIAH OF THE SONS OF MERARI,.... These were of the same division of Levites as Sherebiah: HIS BRETHREN AND THEIR SONS, TWENTY; these thirty eight, with those they came with, were all Levites; the Nethinims follow.... [ Continue Reading ]
ALSO OF THE NETHINIMS, WHOM DAVID AND THE PRINCES HAD APPOINTED FOR THE SERVICE OF THE LEVITES,.... To wait upon them, and minister to them, as they did to the priests; some think those were the same with the Gibeonites, whom Joshua gave to the service of the sanctuary, and David confirmed; but othe... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN I PROCLAIMED A FAST THERE, AT THE RIVER AHAVA,.... After the messengers to Iddo were returned with those they brought with them: THAT WE MIGHT AFFLICT OURSELVES BEFORE OUR GOD; humble themselves before him for their sins, confess them, and declare their repentance of them, and ask forgiveness... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR I WAS ASHAMED TO REQUIRE OF THE KINGS BAND OF SOLDIERS AND HORSEMEN,.... Which he might have had, only asking for them; so great was the interest he had in the king's favour: TO HELP US AGAINST THE ENEMY IN THE WAY; the Arabs, Samaritans, and others, that might lie in wait for them, to rob them... [ Continue Reading ]
SO WE FASTED, AND BESOUGHT OUR GOD FOR THIS,.... Sought the Lord by fasting and prayer for a good journey, and preservation in it: AND HE WAS ENTREATED OF US; accepted their prayer, as Jarchi, so that they came safe to Jerusalem.... [ Continue Reading ]
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 na... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I WEIGHED UNTO THEM THE SILVER, AND THE GOLD, AND THE VESSELS,.... When he delivered them to them; this he did as a proof of his own integrity and faithfulness, and as a security against any charge or accusation of embezzling any part of them, and to set them an example, and also that they might... [ Continue Reading ]
I EVEN WEIGHED UNTO THEIR HAND SIX HUNDRED FIFTY TALENTS OF SILVER,.... Which, according to Scheuchzer a amount to 975,000 imperials, and, of our money, 2,229,450 pounds sterling: and silver vessels one hundred talents; which came to 35,300 pounds, or 50,000 imperials; according to Jarchi, there wer... [ Continue Reading ]
ALSO TWENTY BASINS OF GOLD, OF A THOUSAND DRAMS,.... Which were upwards of 1000 pounds of our money; for Bishop Cumberland says e, the Persian "daric", "drachma", or "drachm", weighed twenty shillings and four pence; and, according to Dr. Bernard, it exceeded one of our guineas by two grains, 1 Chro... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I SAID UNTO THEM, YE ARE HOLY UNTO THE LORD, THE VESSELS ARE HOLY ALSO,.... As they were dedicated and set apart to holy service, so the vessels were sacred to holy uses, and therefore not to be converted to any other: AND THE SILVER AND THE GOLD ARE A FREEWILL OFFERING UNTO THE LORD GOD OF YOU... [ Continue Reading ]
WATCH YE, AND KEEP THEM,.... The vessels, the gold, and the silver, that they be not hurt and diminished: 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: that is, until they had delivered... [ Continue Reading ]
SO TOOK THE PRIESTS AND THE LEVITES,.... The twelve priests and twelve Levites, mentioned in Ezra 8:24, THE WEIGHT OF THE SILVER AND THE GOLD, AND THE VESSELS, TO BRING THEM TO JERUSALEM UNTO THE HOUSE OF OUR GOD; this they undertook to do, and did.... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN WE DEPARTED FROM THE RIVER OF AHAVA, ON THE TWELFTH DAY OF THE FIRST MONTH, TO GO UNTO JERUSALEM,.... The month Nisan, answering to part of March and part of April; this was two days before the passover began: AND THE HAND OF OUR GOD WAS UPON US; guiding, directing, and protecting them by his... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WE CAME TO JERUSALEM, AND ABODE THERE THREE DAYS. Before they went about any business, delivered what was committed to them for the use of the temple, and the commissions to the king's officers; as it was but proper they should have some rest after such a fatiguing journey.... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW ON THE FOURTH DAY,.... After their arrival at Jerusalem: WAS THE SILVER, AND THE GOLD, AND THE VESSELS, WEIGHED IN THE HOUSE OF OUR GOD; the temple, that it might be seen and known that the exact weight which had been deposited with them was now faithfully delivered: THIS WAS DONE BY THE HAND... [ Continue Reading ]
BY NUMBER AND BY WEIGHT OF EVERYONE,.... They were delivered in by tale and weight, which exactly agreed to the number and weight in which they received them: AND ALL THE WEIGHT WAS WRITTEN AT THAT TIME; an account was taken in writing, and laid up, that it might not only be known hereafter what fr... [ Continue Reading ]
ALSO THE CHILDREN OF THOSE THAT HAD BEEN CARRIED AWAY, WHICH WERE COME OUT OF THE CAPTIVITY,.... Namely, those that now came along with Ezra: OFFERED BURNT OFFERINGS UNTO THE GOD OF ISRAEL; by way of thankfulness for their deliverance from captivity, and for their safe journey: TWELVE BULLOCKS FOR... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY DELIVERED THE KING'S COMMISSIONS UNTO THE KING'S LIEUTENANTS, AND TO THE GOVERNORS ON THIS SIDE THE RIVER,.... The governors of the provinces of Syria, Palestine, and Judea, which were on that side of Euphrates the land of Israel was: AND THEY FURTHERED THE PEOPLE, AND THE HOUSE OF GOD; or... [ Continue Reading ]