Ezra 8

King James Version

Full text for Ezra Chapter 8

1¶ These [are] now the chief of their fathers, and [this is] the genealogy of them that went up with me from Babylon, in the reign of Artaxerxes the king.

2Of the sons of Phinehas; Gershom: of the sons of Ithamar; Daniel: of the sons of David; Hattush.

3Of the sons of Shechaniah, of the sons of Pharosh; Zechariah: and with him were reckoned by genealogy of the males an hundred and fifty.

4Of the sons of Pahathmoab; Elihoenai the son of Zerahiah, and with him two hundred males.

5Of the sons of Shechaniah; the son of Jahaziel, and with him three hundred males.

6Of the sons also of Adin; Ebed the son of Jonathan, and with him fifty males.

7And of the sons of Elam; Jeshaiah the son of Athaliah, and with him seventy males.

8And of the sons of Shephatiah; Zebadiah the son of Michael, and with him fourscore males.

9Of the sons of Joab; Obadiah the son of Jehiel, and with him two hundred and eighteen males.

10And of the sons of Shelomith; the son of Josiphiah, and with him an hundred and threescore males.

11And of the sons of Bebai; Zechariah the son of Bebai, and with him twenty and eight males.

12And of the sons of Azgad; Johanan the son of Hakkatan, and with him an hundred and ten males.

13And of the last sons of Adonikam, whose names [are] these, Eliphelet, Jeiel, and Shemaiah, and with them threescore males.

14Of the sons also of Bigvai; Uthai, and Zabbud, and with them seventy males.

15And I gathered them together to the river that runneth to Ahava; and there abode we in tents three days: and I viewed the people, and the priests, and found there none of the sons of Levi.

16Then 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.

17And I sent them with commandment unto Iddo the chief at the place Casiphia, and I told them what they should say unto Iddo, [and] to his brethren the Nethinims, at the place Casiphia, that they should bring unto us ministers for the house of our God.

18And by the good hand of our God upon us 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;

19And Hashabiah, and with him Jeshaiah of the sons of Merari, his brethren and their sons, twenty;

20Also of the Nethinims, whom David and the princes had appointed for the service of the Levites, two hundred and twenty Nethinims: all of them were expressed by name.

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.

22For I was ashamed to require of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy in the 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.

23So we fasted and besought our God for this: and he was intreated of us.

24¶ Then I separated twelve of the chief of the priests, Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their brethren with them,

25And weighed unto them the silver, 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:

26I even weighed unto their hand six hundred and fifty talents of silver, and silver vessels an hundred talents, [and] of gold an hundred talents;

27Also twenty basons of gold, of a thousand drams; and two vessels of fine copper, precious as gold.

28And I said unto them, Ye [are] holy unto the LORD; the vessels [are] holy also; and the silver and the gold [are] a freewill offering unto the LORD God of your fathers.

29Watch 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.

30So 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.

31¶ Then we departed from the river of Ahava on the twelfth [day] of the first month, to go unto Jerusalem: and the hand of our God was upon us, and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy, and of such as lay in wait by the way.

32And we came to Jerusalem, and abode there three days.

33Now on the fourth day was the silver and the gold and the vessels weighed in the house of our God by the hand of Meremoth the son of Uriah the priest; and with him [was] Eleazar the son of Phinehas; and with them [was] Jozabad the son of Jeshua, and Noadiah the son of Binnui, Levites;

34By number [and] by weight of every one: and all the weight was written at that time.

35[Also] the children of those that had been carried away, which were come out of the captivity, offered burnt offerings unto the God of Israel, twelve bullocks for all Israel, ninety and six rams, seventy and seven lambs, twelve he goats [for] a sin offering: all [this was] a burnt offering unto the LORD.

36And they delivered the king's commissions unto the king's lieutenants, and to the governors on this side the river: and they furthered the people, and the house of God.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Ezra chapter eight details the return of various family groups from Babylon to Jerusalem under Ezra's leadership. At the river of Ahava, Ezra found a shortage of Levites and successfully recruited them for temple service. Before departing, he proclaimed a fast, trusting in God's protection rather than a royal escort for their journey. God's hand protected them, and upon arrival in Jerusalem, the entrusted temple treasures were delivered, and offerings were made.

Medium Summary

Ezra chapter eight begins by enumerating the heads of families and the number of males who accompanied him from Babylon to Jerusalem in the reign of Artaxerxes. Gathering at the river of Ahava, Ezra discovered a lack of Levites among the returnees and dispatched chief men to Casiphia to recruit ministers for the house of God, successfully bringing back Levites and Nethinims. Before their journey, Ezra proclaimed a solemn fast at Ahava, seeking God's protection for themselves, their children, and their possessions, as he was ashamed to request a military escort from the king after testifying to God's power. God answered their prayers, and Ezra then carefully weighed and entrusted a vast amount of silver, gold, and holy vessels, donated by the king and others, to twelve chief priests and Levites. Protected by God's hand, they safely journeyed to Jerusalem, where the treasures were meticulously weighed and recorded in the temple. The returned exiles then offered burnt offerings to God and delivered the king's commissions to the local governors, who supported the people and the house of God.

Long Summary

Ezra chapter eight commences with a detailed genealogy, listing the heads of the ancestral houses and the number of males who accompanied Ezra from Babylon during the reign of Artaxerxes, indicating the organized nature of this second wave of returnees. Upon gathering the company at the river of Ahava, Ezra conducted a review and discovered a significant absence of Levites, who were essential for temple service. To remedy this, he dispatched a delegation of chief men and men of understanding to Iddo at Casiphia, instructing them to procure ministers for the house of God. Through what Ezra describes as “the good hand of our God,” they successfully recruited thirty-eight Levites, including Sherebiah and Hashabiah, and two hundred and twenty Nethinims, all of whom were explicitly named. Before embarking on the perilous journey, Ezra proclaimed a solemn fast at the river of Ahava, urging the people to humble themselves before God and seek a safe passage for themselves, their children, and their possessions. This act of faith was prompted by Ezra’s reluctance to request a military escort from the king, having previously declared God’s protective hand upon those who seek Him. Their collective fasting and supplication were answered by God. Subsequently, Ezra selected twelve chief priests and Levites, to whom he carefully weighed and entrusted the substantial offerings of silver, gold, and sacred vessels donated by King Artaxerxes, his counsellors, his lords, and the Israelites present. He admonished them to diligently guard these holy treasures until their precise weighing and delivery in the chambers of the house of the LORD in Jerusalem. On the twelfth day of the first month, the company departed from the river of Ahava, and the narrative explicitly states that “the hand of our God was upon us,” protecting them from enemies and ambushes along the way. They arrived safely in Jerusalem after a three-day journey. On the fourth day, the silver, gold, and vessels were meticulously weighed and recorded in the temple by designated priests and Levites, ensuring accountability. Finally, the children of the captivity offered various burnt offerings and sin offerings to the God of Israel, symbolizing their renewed covenant. The chapter concludes with the delivery of the king’s commissions to the royal lieutenants and governors west of the Euphrates, who, in turn, provided support for the people and the house of God.

Core Concepts

  • Genealogical RecordEzra meticulously lists the heads of the families and the number of males who returned with him from Babylon, providing a detailed account of the returning community's composition.
  • Recruitment of LevitesUpon discovering a lack of Levites among the returnees, Ezra actively sought and successfully recruited additional Levites and Nethinims to serve in the house of God, highlighting their essential role.
  • Fasting and Divine TrustEzra proclaimed a fast at the river of Ahava, choosing to rely on God's protection for the journey rather than requesting a military escort from the king, demonstrating profound faith in God's providence.
  • Safeguarding Temple TreasuresVast amounts of silver, gold, and sacred vessels, donated for the temple, were carefully weighed and entrusted to selected priests and Levites, emphasizing the sanctity and value of these offerings and the responsibility for their safe transport.
  • God's Protective HandThe narrative repeatedly affirms that 'the hand of our God was upon us,' signifying divine protection from enemies and ambushes during the perilous journey from Ahava to Jerusalem, underscoring the efficacy of their prayers and fast.
  • Accountability and OfferingsUpon arrival in Jerusalem, the temple treasures were meticulously weighed and recorded, ensuring full accountability. The returned exiles also offered various sacrifices, including burnt offerings and sin offerings, to the God of Israel.
  • Royal Commissions and SupportThe king's commissions were delivered to the royal lieutenants and governors, who subsequently provided support for the people and the house of God, illustrating the continued Persian imperial backing for the Jewish community's endeavors.