Ezra 8:24

_THEN I SEPARATED TWELVE OF THE CHIEF OF THE PRIESTS, SHEREBIAH, HASHABIAH, AND TEN OF THEIR BRETHREN WITH THEM,_ Then I separated twelve of the chief of the priests ......

24-30 Do we expect that God should, by his providence, keep that which belongs to us, let us, by his grace, keep that which belongs to him. Let God's honour and interest be our care; and then we may expect that our lives and comforts will be his....

EXPOSITION EZRA 8:21 THEN I PROCLAIMED A FAST THERE. The fight of the civil ruler to "proclaim a fast" was unquestioned among the Jews and Israelites. Jezebel proclaimed one in Ahab's name when she wished to impress the Jezreelites with the notion that a great crime had been committed. Jehoshaphat did the same when he was invaded by the Ammonites, Moabites, and Mehunim (2 Chronicles 20:1). A fast was proclaimed in the fifth year of Jehoiakim when the kingdom of Judah was menaced by Nebuchadnezzar (Jeremiah 36:9). Ezra therefore assumes that he may command one now, in connection with the perils of the coming journey. That we might afflict

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 and therefore the copulative "and" must be supplied: AND SHEREBIAH, c. 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....

CHAPTER 8 _ 1. Those who returned with Ezra (Ezra 8:1)_ 2. The gathering at Ahava (Ezra 8:15) 3. The fast proclaimed (Ezra 8:21) 4. The appointment of guardians (Ezra 8:24) 5. The departure and arrival in Jerusalem (Ezra 8:31) Ezra 8:1. The names of those who gathered around Ezra and went up with him are here recorded. In view of the magnificent decree and liberality of Artaxerxes, the company was very small. The majority preferred Babylon, and remained t

THE GATHERING TOGETHER OF THE EXILES AT AHAVA. The narrative is told here in the first person. Ezra 8:15. Ahava: _cf._ Ezra 8:21; Ezra 8:31; this seems to have been a place which gave its name to one of the many canals constructed in Babylonia for irrigation purposes. NONE OF THE SONS OF LEVI: as the main object of the return was the resuscitation of the Temple worship the Levites were, of course, indispensable. Ezra 8:17. Casiphia: the exact locality is unknown; there appears to have been a colony of Levites and Nethinim here. Ezra 8:25

CHIEF. princes....

(_b_) Provision for the custody of the votive gifts and offerings during the march 24. _twelve of the chief of the priests_ R.V. TWELVE OF THE CHIEFS OF THE PRIESTS. Literally -twelve of the princes of the priests". The R.V. margin adds, In Nehemiah 12:24, _Levites_. _Sherebiah, Hashabiah_ R.V. EVEN SHEREBIAH, HASHABIAH. Marg. _besides_. The exact meaning is not very evident. (_a_) The A.V. follows the Vulgate, "et separavi de principibus sacerdotum duodecim, Sarabiam et Hasabiam et cum eis de fratribus eorum decem". The preposition which in the original stands before -Sherebiah" is then treated (as in Ezra 8:16) as the sign of the object. The objection to this is that Sherebiah and Hashabiah seem to have been Levites. (_b_) The LXX. tr

4. They took along certain treasures, which were entrusted to priests on the journey and were delivered safely at Jerusalem. TEXT, EZRA 8:24-30 24 Then I set apart twelve of the leading priests, Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and with them ten of their brothers; 25 and I weighed out to them the silver, the gold, and the utensils, the offering for the house of our God which the king and his counselors and his princes, and all Israel present there, had offered. 26 Thus I weighed into their hands 650 talents of silver, and silver utensils worth 100 talents, and 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, You are holy to the LORD, and the utensils are holy; and the silver and the gold are a freewill offering to the LORD God of your fathers....

PARTICULARS OF EZRA'S COMPANY 1. Them that went up] The sum of the numbers given is 1,496. Only males are mentioned, and if no women accompanied them, the absence of such doubtless increased the tendency that the people manifested to intermarry with heathen families....