Ezra 8:35

31-36 Enemies laid wait for the Jews, but God protected them. Even the common perils of journeys, call us to go out with prayer, and to return with praise and thanksgiving. But what shall we render when the Lord has led us safely through the pilgrimage of life, through the gloomy vale of death, out of the reach of all our enemies, into everlasting happiness! Among their sacrifices they had a sin-offering. The atonement sweetens and secures every mercy to us, which will not be truly comfortable, unless sin be taken away, and our peace made with God. Then had the church rest. The expressions here used, direct us to the deliverance of sinners from spiritual bondage, and their pilgrimage to the heavenly Jerusalem, under the care and protection of their God and Saviour....

Verse 35. _TWELVE BULLOCKS FOR ALL ISRAEL_] Though of _tribes_ there were only _Judah_ and _Benjamin_, yet they offered a bullock for _every_ _tribe_, as if present. There can be little doubt that there were individuals there from all the twelve tribes, possibly some families of each; but no complete tribe but those mentioned above....

Compare the marginal reference. The idea of offerings for all Israel pervades in this case the entire sacrifice, with the exception of the lambs, whose number (77) is unique, and has not been accounted for....

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

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 ALL ISRAEL: according to the number of the tribes; and there might be some of every tribe that now came up: NINETY AND SIX RAMS, SEVENTY AND SEVEN LAMBS; these and the bullocks were burnt offerings: TWELVE HE GOATS FOR A SIN OFFERING; according to the number of the twelve tribes, also to make atonement for sins they had been guilty of: ALL THIS WAS A BURNT OFFERING UNTO THE LORD; excepting the twelve he goats, which were a sin offering....

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 ARRIVAL IN JERUSALEM. Ezra 8:31. on the twelfth day. : _ cf._ Ezra 7:8 f., Ezra 8:15. Ezra 8:35. _Cf._ Zerubbabel's offerings at the dedication of the Temple, Ezra 6:17. Ezra 8:36. the king's commissions: mentioned in Ezra 7:21. SATRAPS. GOVERNORS: the satrap was a higher official, being ruler of a province; the governor (_pekhah_) administered a smaller district....

ALSO, &C. The fourth of the ten _Sedarim_ (or cycles for public reading) begins here and goes on to Nehemiah 2:10, where it ends; thus uniting the two books in one. See note, p. 632. CHILDREN. sons....

Also _the children of those that had been carried away, which were come out of the captivity_ R.V. The children OF THE CAPTIVITY WHICH WERE COME OUT OF EXILE. By this term is intended Ezra's company which had just returned. The sacrifices offered by them resembled those offered by Zerubbabel and his companions at the dedication of the Temple (Ezra 6:17). (1) They consisted of the same animals, bullocks, rams and lambs; (2) they were offered in the name of the whole people. For the expression -the children of the captivity" compare Ezra 6:19, and see note on chap. Ezra 2:1. The -exile" (sh-bhi) refers to the condition of captivity, the -captivity" (haggôlah) to the community of exiles. twelve bullocks … twelve he goats

5. The journey is made, and the goods are delivered at Jerusalem. TEXT, EZRA 8:31-36 31 Then we journeyed from the river Ahava on the twelfth of the first month to go to Jerusalem; and the hand of our God was over us, and He delivered us from the hand of the enemy and the ambushes by the way. 32 Thus we came to Jerusalem and remained there three days. 33 And on the fourth day the silver and the gold and the utensils were weighed out in the house of our God into the hand of Meremoth the son of Uriah the priest, and with him was Eleazar the son of Phinehas; and with them were the Levities, Jozabad the son of Jeshua and Noadiah the son of Binnui. 34 Everything was numbered and weighed, and all the weight was recorded at that time. 35 The exiles who had come from the captivity offered burnt offerings to the God of Israel: 12 bul